Home to 55 percent of the world’s population, cities contribute an astounding 80 percent of global GDP. So it’s good news for the global economy that cities are exploding in size. Each year, urban areas are growing by an average of more than 75 million people – greater than the population of the world’s 85 smallest countries combined.
But their high density of people and assets – precisely the characteristic that drives their economic productivity – also makes cities extremely vulnerable to disasters.
By 2030, without significant investment to improve the resilience of cities around the world, climate change may push up to 77 million urban residents into poverty.
Find out more: www.gfdrr.org/urbanresilience