Regional Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Settings: From Theory to Practice

Urban governability is central to the social and political viability for risk management actions in terms of acknowledging the inequalities in distribution of power amongst the social groups, the state, and the conflict of interests. Acknowledging risk transfer and benefits in decision-making between all different groups must be a component part of governability construction oriented towards climate change adaptation. In general there were acknowledgements about limits and lack of capacity to reduce disaster risk, and the impact of climatic dangers upon the majority of Central American urban settlements. This may be due to the lack of correspondence between the magnitude of the problem, available resources and capacities, and weak public institutionalism to drive urban governability. A challenge regarding governability is identifying structures that are able to link management strategies with local actions. Governability for climate change adaptation must consider, or create innovative, transparent, and flexible mechanisms for land and urban planning. In order to improve central and local governments? adaptive capacities together with those of vulnerable groups, it is necessary to create and reinforce mechanisms to overcome the institutional fragmentation and isolation, thus guaranteeing sustainability of land and urban planning. With regard to risk management and climate change adaptation there has to be an integrated approach that encompasses all from strategies and policy down to its application at local areas. The suggestion to integrate demographic dynamics was made in regards to drawing up adaptation measures with the purpose of estimating growth projections and the distribution of population within territories. As so, to propose concrete actions in order to reduce human settlements? vulnerability under any adverse climate change impacts and climate variability. The suggestion to prioritize actions with political impact, social pressure and accountability so that public and private decision-makers assume their leaderships and responsibilities in generation of politics and disaster risk management strategies and climate change adaptation.