Eddie Jjemba (Urban Resilience Advisor, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center) gives now more insights of his work. He talks about cities and how many people live there, a number which is increasing. Cities offer the most chances. But when disasters happen in cities, the impacts are huge. There should be more work in cities, too, even if the work in rural areas should not be given up. “We need to sharpen our tools, and we need to prepare how to act in cities”, explains Jjemba. Coalitions and partners are another part of the solution.
Diversity in all its forms is crucial here, because cities provide a heterogeneous community. There is also a lot of inequality, the biggest key is realizing that cities have powerful governance structures, which is important to know when cooperation is needed. Even the many languages spoken in cities can be a problem which has to be kept in mind.