Climate Change, Conflict and Displacement

Time

15:00 - 16:30 CEST

About

Why ‘Integrated’ Resilience cannot wait for Recovery: Join us for this online event at the occassion fo the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2026 under the theme of ‘Resilience Starts at Home’.

The impacts of climate change, conflict and displacement ultimately converge at the level of people’s homes, neighbourhoods and local services, where damaged infrastructure, housing deficits, environmental risks, changing population patterns and limited institutional capacity shape people’s ability to recover and adapt. Through this lens, and aligned with the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction theme ‘Resilience Starts and Home, this webinar aims to present the key findings of the ICLEI Position Paper: Climate Change, Conflict and Displacement: The Ripple Effect, addressing the question of ‘Why Integrated Resilience cannot wait for Recovery’ through the understanding of compound risk vulnerabilities and data integration at the Global, European and Ukraine local context, and highlighting how climate change, conflict and displacement intersect to shape local resilience, recovery and reconstruction.

The discussion will move from understanding compound vulnerabilities and improving the evidence base, to examining the institutional and governance capacities required to respond. Particular attention will be given to how local governments can plan for changing population dynamics, maintain continuity of essential services, coordinate across sectors and levels of government, and develop recovery and adaptation pathways under conditions of prolonged uncertainty.

The session is structured in five main parts exploring:

• Main findings from the ICLEI position paper and the roadmap from EURESFO2026 to COP31
• Global and regional context
• Compound Vulnerabilities and Data Gaps
• Ukraine: The way forward for Integrated Resilience
• Closing: From “Resilience Starts at Home” to Action - Roadmap to COP31

Guiding question explored during the session:

• When climate change, conflict and displacement interact, how do compound risks reshape vulnerability and place new pressures on cities and regions?
• As Resilience depends not only on the vulnerability of displaced people, but also on the capacity of the receiving urban system to absorb and support a changing population, what needs to change in the way we understand and govern compound risks if local responses are to move beyond short-term crisis management?
• As displacement and changing population patterns reshape European cities and regions, are existing systems sufficiently able to connect human mobility with climate exposure, housing, infrastructure and service pressures, and how can spatial and socio-economic evidence support more integrated resilience planning?
• In Ukraine, where displacement, damaged infrastructure and changing population needs are unfolding alongside climate and recovery challenges, how can the work of local authorities, civil society and citizens strengthen locally driven recovery, while generating evidence-based, investment-ready recovery programmes that advance Ukraine's reconstruction, institutional resilience and EU accession objectives?

Speakers inlcude:

• Kerrie Holloway, Research Fellow with the Humanitarian Policy Group, ODI Global
• Nadine Burbar, Manager, Programs, Climate Resilience, Resilient Cities Network
• Prof. Monika Kuffer, Professor at the Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS), Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC, University of Twente), University of Twente
• Dr. Haris Piplas, Director Integrated Urban Solutions International, Drees & Sommer
• Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General of ALDA, The European Association for Local Democracy
• Vasileios Latinos, Head of Resilience and Climate Adaptation, Head of the ICLEI Europe Berlin Office
• Nuha Eltinay, ICLEI European Secretariat Principal Advisor, CEO - Climate Resilience C.I.C