8 points on financing climate change adaptation in urban areas

David Satterwhite at the International Institute for Environment and Development: As the urgent need for climate change adaptation becomes clearer, so three issues come to the fore.

The first is the cost.  Many estimates suggest that trillions of dollars are needed, with little idea of where these might come from.

The second is whether governments and international agencies will act with the needed urgency. The third is whether those who need to act get the support they require. A meeting on Financing Urban Adaptation to Climate Change held at IIED on the 13-14 June highlighted eight points to guide funding.

1: Climate change adaptation needs to support change on the ground
...2:  Urban dwellers as local risk analysts, managers and reducers
...3:  Partnerships between slum dweller groups and city governments can build resilience at the city scale
...4:  International and national funds should be funding local processes, not projects
...5:  Climate change adaptation and good local development go hand in hand
...7.  The big international climate funds need to work with local governments and informal settlement residents
...8:  Support for local processes needs 1 per cent of aid