The Race to Resilience Culture (RTRC) initiative seeks to enhance resilience in cities and communities by integrating cultural and heritage assets into climate adaptation frameworks. Globally, the exclusion of culture and heritage from climate adaptation policies and strategies presents a significant barrier to protecting these valuable community assets from climate-related risks.

In the context of climate change, culture and heritage encompass the traditions, knowledge, practices, and tangible artifacts passed down through generations, which help communities become more resilient to climate impacts. This also includes processes that allow individuals and communities to explore their histories, identities, and relationships to the environment, offering a sense of pride and motivating communities to adopt sustainable development practices.

Creative expression, through art, music, film, and storytelling, can raise awareness, engage emotions, and inspire action on climate issues. Participation in cultural activities fosters civic engagement, gives visibility to marginalized groups, and promotes mutual recognition and cooperation across different generations and cultures.

Traditional and Indigenous knowledge plays a vital role in climate action, offering insights into environmental changes and guiding adaptation strategies and sustainable land management. This knowledge, passed down through generations, is deeply connected to the land and can be invaluable, especially in areas where scientific data may be limited. Protecting and maintaining Indigenous knowledge systems is crucial for preserving cultural identity and resilience in the face of climate change.

The RTRC’s goal is to enhance the resilience of vulnerable groups to climate risks by encouraging public bodies and cultural organizations in cities and regions to adopt Culture and Heritage-Based Strategies (CHBSs) for resilience. Led by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, U.S. Office, and the Africa Secretariat, the RTRC initiative will help local and regional governments in the U.S. and Africa with tools and knowledge to implement CHBSs, creating a more comprehensive and successful approach to help communities adapt and thrive.

The RTRC is seeking 15 cities from the U.S. and 15 cities from Africa to actively participate and demonstrate leadership in their regions. This opportunity is open to all cities, towns, municipalities, and counties across both regions, regardless of ICLEI membership, and includes Tribal Nations.

U.S. and African participants will be paired for peer-to-peer exchanges to share knowledge, build capacity, and foster cross-cultural dialogue. Applicants that focus on advancing equity and engaging underserved communities will be prioritized during the selection process. All communication within the cohort will be conducted in English.

Participant Commitments:

• Integrate culture and heritage-based strategies into urban climate adaptation and resilience plans.
• Use available knowledge, data, and scientific evidence for decision-making, setting interim targets and milestones for citywide action.
• Contribute to the development of a menu of culture and heritage-based strategies and commit to at least one.
• Report progress, milestones, and metrics to the RTRC.

Program Activities for RTRC:

The RTRC program will address equity and resilience through a range of interconnected activities:

March 2025 - February 2026

• Monthly 90-minute virtual meetings with presentations, tools, and guest speakers from the field of culture and heritage-based solutions for resilience.
• Community of practice sessions for participants to exchange experiences and best practices.

March 2025 - September 2026

• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) activities, including surveys and metrics to track progress and report on priority projects to the RTRC.

April 2025 - February 2026

• At least 4 bilateral calls between paired cities for peer-to-peer learning and knowledge exchange.

November 2025

• RTRC event at COP30 in Belem, Brazil, where U.S. and African participants can share experiences and highlight the role of culture and heritage-based strategies in resilience.

April 2026 - September 2026

• Share lessons learned with 40+ cities through the RTRC Academy.

City Pairing:

U.S. and African cities will be paired based on criteria such as size, leadership, and capacity to share knowledge. The RTRC team will facilitate at least four city-pair meetings to foster peer learning and cross-sectoral collaboration. Cities are encouraged to continue their engagement outside of facilitated calls.

Affiliation with Race to Resilience:

The RTRC is a partner in the global Race to Resilience campaign, which aims to accelerate the investment and implementation of adaptation solutions to ensure people and nature thrive despite climate shocks. By participating in the RTRC, cities will automatically become members of the Race to Resilience campaign and contribute to the global effort through their actions and data shared with the initiative.

Apply:

Cities interested in participating should review the program details and submit their interest by completing the application form by January 31, 2025. Selected participants will be notified by February 14, 2025, and must commit to engaging in the program from March 2025 to September 2026.

Cities not selected for RTRC will have the opportunity to join the Race to Resilience Culture Academy, which will share lessons from the RTRC with 40+ cities through virtual webinars between April and September 2026.