The Technical Workshop on Risk-Informed Urban Planning in Liberia, conducted under the Liberia Urban Resilience Project (LURP), brought together national and municipal stakeholders to strengthen urban planning processes in Liberia by integrating risk considerations into spatial planning, land use management, and investment decisions. Through a combination of presentations, interactive group work, and peer exchange, participants built a shared understanding of urban risks, assess current planning systems, and apply practical tools—from risk analysis to zoning and implementation frameworks—to support safer, more inclusive, and resilient urban development, particularly in cities such as Monrovia, Paynesville, Ganta, Gbarnga and Buchanan. The workshop was hosted on June 17 to 19, 2026 by the government of Liberia and the World Bank, with financial support from GFDRR’s City Resilience Program.

Visit the workshop recap page, featuring this blog.

The World Bank Tokyo Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Hub, in partnership with the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) , and with financial support from the Government of Japan and the Government of Canada, will host the EP&R Learning Academy in Tokyo and Sendai from April 20 to 24, 2026.

The BRICK 2026 Knowledge Exchange Event was organised by the World Bank together with the Romanian Department of Emergency Situations, as part of the Romanian Assistance for Post-Disaster Improvement and Development (RAPID) project. RAPID is funded through the Technical Assistance Financing Facility for Disaster Prevention and Preparedness (TAFF), funded by the European Union and implemented by the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR).  

Designed around the concept of BRICK – Building Resilience through Institutions, Communities and Knowledge: ‘From rubble to recovery, one brick at a time’, the event offered a platform for peer-to-peer learning to strengthen countries’ disaster preparedness and response capacities, draw out lessons for current and future recovery efforts, and showcase knowledge developed through various TAFF-supported activities. 

The event brought together over 100 civil protection, disaster risk management experts, and government officials, from Albania, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Romania, Türkiye, the Philippines, and Japan.

The World Bank Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC) and the World Bank Tokyo Disaster Risk Management Hub, together with experts from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), are organizing a Technical Deep Dive (TDD) on Urban Flood Management from February 2 to 6, 2026, in Tokyo and Shizuoka. Approximately 50 policymakers and practitioners from 10 World Bank client countries, working in urban development, disaster risk management, and water-related sectors, are expected to participate. This TDD was made possible with support from the Government of Japan.

Ports are crucial for global trade and particularly vital for low- and middle-income countries, handling over 11 billion tons of goods annually and supporting millions of jobs worldwide. Yet, ports increasingly face challenges in balancing efficiency, climate resilience, and sustainability. Nature-based solutions (NBS), in combination with traditional engineering, offer a promising pathway to address these challenges by integrating natural processes into port planning, design, and operations.

The World Bank, GFDRR and EcoShape hosted a webinar on building climate resilience in ports through NBS. The session presented the new publication Nature-Based Solutions for Ports: Opportunities and Challenges, highlighting lessons, global examples, and enabling conditions for integrating NBS into port planning and development.