Cape Town has been selected as one of the final cohort of cities to join the 100 Resilient Cities network.

This will bolster the city’s efforts to prepare its organisation and communities for the opportunities and challenges associated with urbanisation, globalisation and climate change.

The 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) Programme, pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, seeks to find 100 cities across the globe that are ready to build resilience to social, economic and physical challenges faced by urban environments.

Cape Town was chosen from more than 325 applicants on the basis of its willingness, ability, and need to become resilient in the face of future challenges. As a member of 100RC, the City of Cape Town will gain access to tools, funding, technical expertise, and other resources to build resilience to the challenges of the 21st century.

100RC President, Michael Berkowitz, said ‘We are so proud to welcome Cape Town to 100 Resilient Cities. We selected Cape Town because of its leaders’ commitment to resilience-building and the innovative and proactive way they’ve been thinking about the challenges the city faces. We’re excited to get to work.’

100RC’s new member cities join an elite international group proactively preparing to face any challenge that lies ahead.

In the months ahead, as part of the 100RC Network, Cape Town will be eligible to receive grant funding to hire a Chief Resilience Officer who will lead the city-wide resilience-building process and engage stakeholders from different government agencies, public and private sectors, and various communities to incorporate diverse perspectives and knowledge.

“Not only will we be provided with capacity and funding, but also technical support in developing a resilience strategy which reflects the city’s distinct needs. We will also have opportunities to share knowledge with our peers in cities across the world,” the city said in a statement.