Securing Amazonia cities for a resilient and sustainable planet

Covering over 8,000,000 km² across nine countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, Amazonia is the world’s largest river system and tropical forest. The monetary value of its natural capital and ecosystem services is estimated at $11 trillion per annum. It plays a fundamental role in carbon sequestration (approximately 150-200 billion tons of carbon) and the world's increased resilience to climate change.

Today, Amazonia is home to more than 370 indigenous peoples and a population of more than 50 million people, over 70% of whom reside in urban areas in some of the countries. Thriving cities must be central to any conservation and sustainable development strategy for the region.

Contrary to the widespread perception of Amazonia as a pristine, untouched wilderness, the current forest landscape is, in fact, the result of centuries of human interaction, shaped by Indigenous and local communities through sophisticated land management practices, agroforestry systems and cultural stewardship. This underscores the need to move beyond the urban-rural dichotomy, recognizing urban areas as essential to Amazonia’s sustainability and resilience.

In the lead up to COP30 in Belem, the first in Amazonia, an emerging agenda for cities in the region is being shaped to support the region’s urban areas. This forms part of the solution for Amazonia’s future and strengthens resilience in the face of increasing challenges.

Most Amazonia cities and towns are small, fast-growing and lack adequate infrastructure and essential services, such as sewage systems, water treatment, energy and waste collection. Approximately 60% to 65% of households in Bolivia and Brazil, for example, do not have access to sanitation services.

Amazonia cities also lack institutional capacities and financial resources for urban planning, management and investment attraction. Their remoteness presents a significant obstacle to delivering essential services and economic activities.

Nonetheless, these cities play an essential role in the Amazonia urban network, providing access to urban services and employment opportunities, as well as offering the potential to foster the bioeconomy and promote sustainable value chains. Conversely, large cities, such as Manaus (Brazil), Iquitos (Peru) or Florencia (Colombia), function as regional hubs for the provision of services, commerce and healthcare.

The intrinsic connection of Amazonia cities with the forests, oceans and rivers makes them particularly susceptible to the direct physical impacts of climate-related events, such as droughts, floods, high temperatures and fires. This affects the most vulnerable populations, who live in informal settlements – often located in floodplains or riverbanks –and have less access to essential services and disaster preparedness. The impact is evident in the increasing occurrences of droughts, higher temperatures and extreme weather events: in the Brazilian Amazonia, between 60% and 90% of the urban population live in conditions of moderate to high vulnerability to flooding.

Also, these exacerbated shifts disrupt the strong cultural and economic connections between indigenous populations and natural resources. This threatens these communities' livelihoods, ways of life and the traditional knowledge and practices that may contribute to improving resiliency and sustainability.

As urbanization continues in Amazonia, a comprehensive and sustainable urban agenda is a local and global imperative. Well-planned and resourced urbanization is the path to improving lives and increasing sustainable job opportunities. As part of Amazonia Forever, the sustainable cities agenda seeks to enhance urban resilience, infrastructure and connectivity while fostering regional collaboration.

In this way, Amazonia cities can become drivers of sustainability, competitiveness and resilience, contributing to a harmonious coexistence of urbanization and environmental conservation and regenerating services and spaces to ensure citizens can live in resilient cities, as promoted by the World Economic Forum's Nature Positive Cities Programme.

In response to the needs and priorities of Amazonian countries, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in coordination with country partners, is designing a regional programme on resilient infrastructure in Amazonia cities, which is expected to include concessional climate financing to drive investments in the region. This involves gathering data to prioritize cities for intervention based on their climate vulnerability, identifying key urban projects and developing a resilience rationale for investments in the region. The aim is to promote urban sustainability and resilience by leveraging co-investment strategies and a detailed prospectus to highlight the opportunities and benefits of sustainable urban development in Amazonia.

The Amazon Cities Forum and the Minurvi Amazonia are initiatives focused on strengthening regional and multi-level cooperation. The Forum is a local government cooperation platform with 39 city representatives from the eight Amazonian countries. Launched in August 2023, it highlights the critical role of cities in climate action and its work plan includes the implementation of innovation pilots, a technical advisory for resource mobilization for resilience projects and knowledge sharing to develop local government capacities for successful urbanization.

The MINURVI Amazonia, a chapter of The Forum of Ministers and High-level Authorities of Housing and Urban Development of Latin America and the Caribbean dedicated to the region, was launched in April 2024, also in Belém, Brazil. This working group aims to strengthen coordination among Amazonia national governments and their articulation with the cities. It will develop a Strategic Framework for Sustainable Urban Development in Amazonia, with regional and country-specific recommendations to improve policies targeting Amazonia.

It is crucial to raise awareness about the importance of Amazonia cities for the region’s sustainability, through dialogues with local and national authorities, civil society organizations and academia. The knowledge efforts include publishing a report on the state of Amazonia cities, compiling a data review and conducting an analysis of urbanization in Amazonia across the eight countries. The aim is to inform the public debate on the importance of urban areas in Amazonia and the urgency of investing in their sustainability and resilience.

Through collective intelligence and strategic collaboration, the long-neglected Amazonia urban territories can now count on an alliance of 39 cities from eight Amazonian countries, Ministers of Housing and Urban Development, academia and key civil organizations to bring their needs and opportunities into the spotlight at the world’s largest climate conference. Together, this alliance aims to generate connections and shared knowledge to unlock access to technical and financial resources, driving a paradigm shift towards nature-positive, sustainable and resilient cities across the region.