Acting on climate vulnerability: Lessons from Quito

This case study examines the efforts of the Metropolitan District of Quito (DMQ) to integrate climate vulnerability evidence into urban policy. It details a vulnerability study conducted by the Stockholm Environment Institute and CDKN, which focused on five strategic sectors to inform the city's development and land-use plan (2015–2025). The document highlights the importance of participatory methodology, intersectoral coordination, and the alignment of technical evidence with political priorities to ensure institutional ownership and the implementation of adaptation measures.

• Quito has experienced an average temperature increase of approximately 1.3°C over the last century, which has impacted human health, security, infrastructure, water availability, agricultural production, and ecosystems.
• The Metropolitan District of Quito (DMQ) has established a comprehensive policy framework for climate action, including a Climate Change Strategy (2009), an Action Plan (2012), an Environmental Agenda (2011–2016), and a development and land-use plan (2015‥2025). The city also signed the Mexico City Pact in 2010 and is a member of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and ICLEI.
• A vulnerability study conducted by the Stockholm Environment Institute, adapting IPCC methodology, evaluated five strategic sectors: water, biodiversity (ecosystems), risks (forest fires), agriculture, and health. While results for four sectors were suitable for policy implementation, the health sector results were incomplete due to research gaps and communication issues.
• The integration of climate vulnerability evidence into the 2015–2025 development and land-use plan was successful because the methodology and outputs aligned with the Municipality's priorities, and technical authorities were active participants in the process rather than passive recipients.
• The city implemented a project to pilot climate change adaptation in two rural areas, which used a gender lens to identify power relations and inequalities. This process matched technical vulnerability results with local perceptions, leading to the prioritisation of two measures: ecosystem restoration using native species and sustainable irrigation and agriculture practices.
• Despite successes, the DMQ faces ongoing challenges in climate implementation, including limited sectoral coordination due to complex governance structures, difficulties accessing historical data (particularly in the health sector), and a limited understanding of climate change issues outside the dedicated Climate Change Unit.

APA

Proaño-Castro, C. (2017). Acting on climate vulnerability: Lessons from Quito. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Quito-Inside-Story-English_WEB-final.pdf

Chicago

Proaño-Castro, Carolina. Acting on climate vulnerability: Lessons from Quito. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2017. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Quito-Inside-Story-English_WEB-final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Proaño-Castro |first1=Carolina |title=Acting on climate vulnerability: Lessons from Quito |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=December 2017 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Quito-Inside-Story-English_WEB-final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{proaocastro2017acting, author = {Proaño-Castro, Carolina}, title = {{Acting on climate vulnerability: Lessons from Quito}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2017}, month = dec, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Quito-Inside-Story-English_WEB-final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }