LocationsRemarks by Ms Beate Trankmann at the RISE Week 2025 Opening Ceremony
October 19, 2025
UNDP Resident Representative in China, Beate Trankmann, delivered remarks at the opening ceremony of RISE Week 2025 in Shanghai, China.
Lv Peiming, Executive Vice President of Tongji University
ZHOU Ying, Dean, College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University
ZHENG Jian, Director, Institute for High-Speed Rail and Station-City Integration, Tongji University
Distinguished guests,
Colleagues and friends,
Delegates from around the world,
Good morning!
On behalf of the United Nations Development Programme in China, it’s a pleasure to join you here today at the opening of RISE Week 2025 — a week dedicated to strengthening the resilience of our cities in the face of mounting global challenges.
Around the world, the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly severe. Natural disasters are resulting in an estimated $320 billion in losses every year.[1] And in 2024 alone, nearly 46 million people were displaced by disasters, the highest number ever recorded.[2]
Urban areas — where people, infrastructure, and economies intersect — are especially exposed. Home to more than fifty percent of the global population, cities have always been engines of opportunity and economic growth, but they also concentrate risks.
From heatwaves and flooding to air pollution and resource pressures, our ability to ensure that cities can not just withstand disasters, but continue to thrive amidst a rapidly evolving climate landscape, will determine whether we can put the world on a trajectory towards a sustainable future.
So, with urbanization only accelerating – indeed, two-thirds of humanity are projected to live in urban areas by 2050 – how can we build cities that are not just bigger, but better — more inclusive, green, sustainable, and resilient to the shocks that are occurring more frequently than ever before?
"Urban resilience is a multi-dimensional challenge, and building the most effective resilience solutions requires collective inputs, mutual learning, and collaboration between cities and across sectors. Everyone has a role to play."
This of course is the central, overarching question that we have all gathered here to discuss. And I am thrilled that we have such broad representation with over 40 delegates from 15 different countries present today – because this question cannot be answered in isolation.
Indeed, urban resilience is a multi-dimensional challenge, and building the most effective resilience solutions, requires collective inputs, mutual learning, and collaboration between cities and across sectors. Everyone has a role to play.
That’s why this event - RISE Week - is so valuable. It is a platform bringing together voices from across disciplines and borders. From technical experts and engineers, to researchers, city leaders, and policymakers, the tools you share, insights you exchange, and partnerships you forge, can help translate ideas into concrete actions at the local level, and chart a path forward from risk to resilience.
At UNDP, through our global network across more than 170 countries, we stand ready to support cities in implementing solutions across disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and sustainable urban planning. From developing early warning systems and climate-resilient infrastructure to mobilizing finance for nature-based and inclusive solutions, we are committed to working together with all stakeholders to ensure that urban development gains are not only achieved, but sustained.
In closing, I want to express my sincere appreciation to all our partners who have helped to make RISE Week a reality. In particular, I want to thank Tongji University for their joint efforts in organizing this event, and for their leadership in advancing innovation and sustainable urban development here in China and beyond. We look forward to our continued collaboration under the newly launched RISE SDG Innovation Lab on Disaster and Climate Resilience.
Lastly, I want to thank all of you - the delegates - for making the journey to be here –some from across great distances, to share your insights and experiences. Your presence today reflects a globally shared recognition of the urgency and importance of building urban resilience, and I look forward to learning from each of you, and the unique contexts and perspectives that you bring to our discussions.
By connecting knowledge with action, and ideas with implementation, we can help our cities not only reduce the impact of disasters, but indeed “rise” stronger from them — shaping a future that is more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable for all.
Thank you!
[1] https://www.munichre.com/en/company/media-relations/media-information-and-corporate-news/media-information/2025/natural-disaster-figures-2024.html#:~:text=The%202024%20natural%20disasters%20in,the%20cost%20scale%20since%201980.
[2] https://www.iom.int/news/iom-chief-highlights-record-disaster-displacement-and-calls-resilience-funding
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