On September 30, 2026, the Chief Representative of the Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas spoke on behalf of Yokohama at the 2026 SDG Localisation Forum – International Mayors Forum in Quito, Ecuador, joining a session focused on disaster risk reduction and urban resilience.

About the International Mayors Forum

The International Mayors Forum is an international platform for policy dialogue and knowledge sharing among local and regional governments. The 2026 Forum was organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and hosted by the Government of Ecuador from September 29 to October 1. Municipalities, national governments, United Nations entities and other stakeholders discussed ways to advance SDG localisation, including financing, national-to-local coordination, climate action and disaster risk reduction.

Discussing Disaster Risk Reduction and Local Resilience

Yokohama participated in Session 5, “Protecting Development Gains: Disaster Risk Reduction and Local Resilience.” The session examined how cities are responding to growing flood and water-related disaster risks through risk-informed planning, resilient infrastructure, technology and community preparedness, while also exploring opportunities to strengthen financing, multi-level governance and international cooperation.

The session was moderated by Mr. Murata, Head of the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD). Presenters included Mr. Diego Fernando Peña Lopez, Deputy Director for DRR, Medellín, Colombia; Ms. Sri Mageswari Pattel, Head of Smart City Unit, Penang Island, Malaysia; the Chief Representative of the Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas; Ms. Maria Mercedes Abondano Escobar, Head Advisor to the Office of International Cooperation, Cartagena, Colombia; and Ms. Emi Takahata, Representative of the JICA Ecuador Office.

Sharing Yokohama’s Approach to Water-Related Disaster Risk and Urban Resilience

Yokohama’s presentation, titled “Strengthening urban resilience through infrastructure, preparedness and lessons from water-related disasters,” highlighted the city’s approach to reducing water-related disaster risk and strengthening urban resilience.

Yokohama presentation

The presentation explained how Yokohama combines river and sewerage infrastructure with rainwater storage and infiltration and green infrastructure in response to increasingly severe and frequent wind and flood damage associated with climate change. In particular, the presentation introduced the city’s approach under the Yokohama Sewerage Flood Control Plan, which uses rainfall data, inundation simulations and risk assessment to support proactive disaster prevention and measures that anticipate future risks rather than relying only on post-disaster response.

Examples included the flood-retention function of Shin-Yokohama Park, rainwater storage and infiltration facilities, and rain gardens. The presentation also highlighted the use of green infrastructure to combine conventional urban infrastructure with the functions of nature, as well as the importance of community involvement and preparedness in building urban resilience.

During the moderated discussion, Medellín and Yokohama were asked to identify measures or approaches that had made a particularly significant difference in reducing disaster risk in their respective urban contexts. The discussion also addressed how practical experiences from different cities can be adapted and scaled in other regions.

Session 5 speakers

The Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas will continue to use its networks with United Nations entities and cities around the world to share Yokohama’s experience internationally, bring relevant knowledge back to Yokohama, and strengthen city-to-city cooperation on disaster risk reduction and urban resilience.