New guide helps cities respond to heatwaves At the High Level Political Forum of the United Nations last week in New York, the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre – with the support of a broader consortium of organisations – launched the Heat Wave Guide for Cities (2019).

Opportunities for NDC implementation in Colombia’s new National Development Plan Colombia has not only set emissions reductions targets for 2030. It has also set an intermediate carbon budget for the National Development Plan period to 2022, which aims to ensure the country is on a pathway to achieve its 2030 goals, says Estefania Ardila Robles.

Colombia’s climate challenge Colombia has a robust national commitment to tackling climate mitigation and adaptation – writes Carolina Mesa of ICLEI Colombia. But the country’s challenge and opportunity is to encourage cities and subnational areas to develop activities to meet national goals. A few promising initiatives are leading the way.

Gender, indigenous peoples and poverty in Latin American NDCs Gender, poverty and indigenous peoples are key pillars of the Paris Agreement. So, how far advanced are Latin American countries in integrating these dimensions? Paz González and Yanina Nemirovsky provide a brief overview.

A real accelerator for achieving climate goals Question: What is one of the single most effective investments to accelerate NDC implementation? Answer: Women’s and girls’ increased leadership and participation in climate-smart development. Mairi Dupar of CDKN reports.

Knowledge gaps, climate adaptation and the implementation of NDCs in Latin America Daniel Ryan, Buenos Aires Institute of Technology - ITBA, Argentina, and Eduardo Bustos, Global Change Center, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, ask: what is holding back adaptation policies and the implementation of NDCs in Latin American countries?

Resilient Cities Asia Pacific: Delegates challenged to think long term Bedoshruti Sadhukhan of CDKN's Asia team and the ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability Delhi office reports on key themes in this year's Resilient Cities Asia Pacific Congress.

The role of Islamic financial services in climate resilience and adaptation Margherita Calderone and Lena Weingartner introduce the potential of Sharia-compliant financial products to reach a new consumer base - and in so doing, boost families' and communities' climate resilience.

Participate in Africa's first-ever Wikipedia edit-a-thon on climate change CDKN is partnering with Future Climate for Africa (FCFA) to host the first Wikipedia edit-a-thon on climate change in Africa. The event will be held from 30 July - 1 August in Cape Town, South Africa. Apply by 24 May to take part.

Human threat to nature can be reversed In response to the newly released Global Assessment of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), CDKN's Shehnaaz Moosa and Mairi Dupar call for decision-makers the world over to seize the momentum provided by IPBES' startling science.

The case for gender approaches to urban resilience: Experience from Coyuca A commitment to applying a 'gender perspective' to climate-smart planning in Coyuca, Mexico brought to light some uncomfortable truths about bias against women. As a result, local government, researchers and community members are more aware of how women's and girls' wellbeing must be addressed through climate resilience programmes.

Resilience strategy tackles climate change, governance, gender inequality in coastal Mexico An innovative action research project in Mexico has created a gender-sensitive, local climate change strategy, which recognises how women and men are affected differently by climate change impacts and everyone has a role to play in creating climate solutions. It could provide inspiration for integrated approaches to building resilience in other small and medium-sized cities.