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The document highlights the risks of planning water and energy sectors in isolation, particularly as climate change increases water stress and impacts hydropower. It proposes the combined use of the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) and Water Evaluation and Adaptation Planning (WEAP) tools, alongside macroeconomic modelling, to identify trade-offs and synergies. Case studies in Rwanda and Central Asia illustrate how this integrated approach can prevent GDP losses and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The brief further suggests that such integration helps countries align their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) to optimize limited climate finance.

The World Resources Institute developed the Urban Community Resilience Assessment (UCRA) to help city planners identify specific resilience needs among urban populations, particularly the urban poor. Piloted in Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre, the tool evaluates vulnerability context, community resilience, and individual capacity. Findings indicate that physical infrastructure, such as early warning systems, does not automatically result in individual behavior change or increased personal resilience. The paper argues that effective urban planning requires participatory engagement with residents to avoid exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and to foster social capital and positive resilience habits.