The Risk Systemicity Questionnaire (RSQ) is an Excel based tool where users are asked to consider the relative likelihood of a broad range of risks in their cities. These risks are spread across nine topics: health, climate change (air pollution), climate change (flooding), social inequalities, ageing (population), riots, immigration, social cohesion and social alienation, and are considered as networks of interrelated risks. These networks of risks are presented as risk scenarios, some of which result in vicious cycles. Users progress through the tool by completing questions which ask them to consider whether defined risks scenarios are likely or not to occur in their cities.

Based on the responses to the questions contained in each of the topics of the RSQ, participants are provided with a relative risk score (an estimated risk level for the city) and an awareness score (the level of knowledge the city has about the possible risk scenarios). In addition to this, users can access policy recommendations that may be used to address risk scenarios that are of most threat to the city.

Not only does completing the RSQ help cities to assess their exposure to risk, but it also indicates their level of awareness of risk and where cities should prioritise their efforts. The questionnaire is intended to be used by groups of users with diverse areas of expertise so that it can prompt valuable discussions. Through the RSQ, different stakeholders' experiences can be brought together to determine a city's priorities, enabling them to anticipate and appropriately respond to future challenges.

For more information, visit the SMR website.Image copyright: Image (ICLEI Europe) more   31 March 2017 Open European Day to look at climate adaptation solutionsAs European citizens enjoy the first sunny days of spring, city planners and climate experts reflect on last winter's flooding and storms and consider the heatwaves that are likely to hit European cities this summer. Open European Day at Bonn Resilient Cities will bring European cities together to discuss their common challenges and share their successful solutions in a uniquely interactive event that sees cities taking centre stage and sharing cases from their most recent experiences in a conversational format.

Innovation, co-creation and transformation in cities are the three main themes for the event and will frame the opening plenary, facilitated by organisers ICLEI Europe and the European Environment Agency, and with contributions by the Committee of the Regions, DG Clima, DG Research and the European Investment Bank.

The event will include interactive workshops where cities will present a real-life challenge and participants will explore solutions to these challenges. On the topic of innovation, participants will discuss examples from Bologna (Italy) and Lisbon (Portugal) of innovative financing for climate adaptation. Guimarà£es (Portugal) will share its experiences with innovation in multi-purpose nature-based solutions. On the topic of co-creation, Athens (Greece) will contribute to discussion on citizens as drivers of change, Greater London (UK) on adaptation and social inclusion, and Vagos (Portugal), Valka (Latvia) and the Life DERRIS project will discuss co-creation with research and business.

Bratislava (Slovakia) and next year's European Green Capital of Nijmegen (Netherlands) will share their impressions of how transformation manifests in a physical sense in their cities. A final Covenant of Mayors session on city transformation through administration will include contributions from Bilbao (Spain) and Copenhagen (Denmark).

Attendance at the Open European Day is free of charge to cities and registration is now open.

For more information and to see a draft programme, visit the Bonn Resilient Cities website.Image copyright: Luxemburg (Flickr) by " Luca Volpi", licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 more

» Publication Date: 03/04/2017

» Source: Iclei Europe

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