Transition towards Sustainable Delta Cities

Deltas are drivers for economic development and historically ideal places for urban settlements because of their positions on the crossroads of land, rivers, seas and international trade and because of the fertility of alluvial plains and richness of the coastal waters surrounding them. At the same time, urbanizing deltas are among the regions in the world that are most vulnerable to climate change and the impact thereof is aggravated by their high population density, fragile ecosystems and the concentration of economic assets. Reducing this risk and impact is particularly important given urbanizing deltas' contribution to food security and their significance to the global economy. Therefore, the sustainable development and management of delta cities and their peri-urban surroundings is vital for poverty eradication, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, livelihood improvements, economic growth and the health of ecosystems. Urban deltas deserve specific attention in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in particular Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11. During this challenging network event concrete actions, innovations, proposals, research and best practices will be presented, all of which will focus on the implementation in Delta cities of the broad New Urban Agenda and the localization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The event will be co-hosted by the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands as chair of the Delta Coalition, together with Bangladesh, the delta city of Beira (Mozambique) and the Delta Alliance knowledge network. It will bring together national and local governments, the private sector, research organizations and civil society around an (local) action agenda of innovative solutions for challenges in delta cities. The event aims to strengthen partnerships as learning labs for effective implementation.