Document Type
Research Project
Publication Date
Fall 9-25-2025
Abstract
By 2050, nearly 70% of the world’s population will live in cities. In the Global South, urban exposure to compound drought–heatwave events is projected to rise by 50% by mid-century, while coastal cities face annual adaptation costs that could exceed 1% of GDP. Despite this accelerating risk, fewer than one-third of National Adaptation Plans establish clear mechanisms for coordination with subnational governments, and less than 10% of adaptation finance reaches the local level. This creates a governance gap that undermines both the effectiveness and fairness of resilience efforts. This policy brief argues that closing this gap is essential to delivering on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and advancing the Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda (SAA). It identifies institutional and financial barriers that hinder city-led adaptation, drawing on lessons from Uruguay’s NAP-Cities process and Indonesia’s APIK program. These cases illustrate scalable coordination mechanisms, local capacity building, and pathways to embed Locally Led Adaptation within national and global frameworks. The brief concludes with five strategic recommendations aligned with the GGA and SAA, highlighting opportunities for COP30 to bridge governance gaps and place cities at the center of climate diplomacy.
Recommended Citation
Gouveia, Helena Branco, "Closing the Governance Gap in Urban Resilience and Multilevel Action in the Global South" (2025). COP30. 30.
https://buescholar.bue.edu.eg/cop30/30