The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) has published its latest Issue Paper on Co-producing Urban Resilience Solutions: The Role of Power and Politics. The paper aims to solutionise the challenges of operationalising co-production between stakeholders and communities to build resilience to climate change in urban environments. A topical and complex problem globally, where traditional engagement methods have failed, co-production is regarded as a more inclusive and participatory method for facilitating meaningful engagement with open dialogue and knowledge sharing to enhance decision-making to deliver locally appropriate solutions tailored to the needs of those represented. However, power relations and governance structures can add complexities, barriers, challenges and potential risk drivers.
The paper presents a framework for designing co-production initiatives through a context-based approach that informs methods for co-production across the five domains of urban resilience action, identified as: (i) community assets and services, (ii) knowledge and awareness (iii) governance, management and decision making (iv) grey and green infrastructure, and (v) financial resources. The framework is evidence-led, informed by the literature and supporting evidence from good practice examples worldwide to offer what the authors regard as a credible and evidence-based pathway for the strategic co-creation of contextually relevant and effective urban resilience solutions.