Acting on climate vulnerability: Lessons from Quito

The document details how the Metropolitan District of Quito (DMQ), supported by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), developed a climate vulnerability study to inform its urban development plans. It highlights the importance of participatory indicator design, intersectoral coordination, and aligning 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, impacting human health, security, infrastructure, water availability, agricultural production, and ecosystems.
• The vulnerability study focused on five strategic sectors: water, biodiversity (ecosystems), risks (forest fires), agriculture, and health. While results for four sectors were suitable for policy use, the health sector results were incomplete and too complex for immediate policy integration due to research gaps and communication issues.
• Climate change has been integrated into the city's highest political strategy through the 2015–2025 development and land-use plan, specifically within a section titled ‘Quito: smart city’.
• The successful translation of evidence into policy, such as the DMQ Wildfire Management Plan, was driven by a methodology that responded to municipal needs and the active participation of technical authorities rather than them being passive recipients of data.
• A pilot project for climate change adaptation in two rural areas of DMQ incorporated a gender lens to identify power inequalities and matched technical vulnerability results with the population's own perceptions. This led to the prioritisation of ecosystem restoration using native species and sustainable irrigation and agriculture practices.
• Significant challenges to implementation include 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} }