On 20 November 2024, at COP29’s Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion, the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities (UCCI) and ICLEI launched the Ibero-American Urban Climate Atlas, to address the growing threat of extreme urban warming in some of the region’s most populous cities.
The atlas brings together climate data from cities such as Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Bogotá, Lisbon, Madrid, Montevideo, Quito, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo, among others, and it is the result of months of collaboration and data exchange to shape public policy and raise awareness about urban heat islands in densely populated areas.
The document is available in Spanish and Portuguese.
Ibero-America’s rich environmental diversity makes the region both a crucial player and a vulnerable target in the global fight against climate change. Home to 15% of the earth’s surface, 25% of tropical forests, one-third of freshwater reserves, and half of the planet’s biodiversity, the region faces immense pressure to balance development with conservation.
Francisco Mugaburu, Deputy Director of International Relations and Cooperation at UCCI, emphasized IberAtlas as a tangible outcome of public policy, grounded in analysis and data, designed to raise awareness and drive change through collaboration.
The Ibero-American Urban Climate Atlas is a call to action for cities to use evidence-based strategies to mitigate urban heat and enhance resilience. The atlas will soon be available online, offering valuable insights and practical recommendations for policymakers, researchers, and local leaders. Stay tuned at ICLEI’s website!