Urban Climate Resilience Program in Australia
The Urban Climate Resilience Program (UCRP) is a global partnership operating in cities across ten countries to strengthen resilience to climate-related disasters through locally led action, strategic partnerships, and evidence-based approaches. In Australia, UCRP is led by Australian Red Cross in partnership with Zurich Australia and the IFRC.
Between 2023 and 2026, UCRP Australia strengthened extreme heat resilience in vulnerable communities across Greater Western Sydney. Building on these foundations, the next phase of UCRP (2026–2029) will scale proven approaches, strengthen cross-sector partnerships, and deepen system-level engagement across Sydney and Melbourne. It will focus on improving preparedness among vulnerable communities while supporting institutions and partners to better anticipate and manage extreme heat risks.
See below a selection of resources to learn more about the program activities and impact.
The Urban Climate Resilience Program (UCRP) is a global initiative operating in cities across Australia, Colombia, Ecuador, Italy, Malaysia, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. UCRP brings together the Z Zurich Foundation, Zurich Insurance teams, C40 Cities, ICLEI, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Plan International and Resilient Cities Network.
The program aims to build sustainable, resilient communities that can withstand, recover from, and thrive in the face of climate related disasters. UCRP combines locally led resilience-building with strategic partnerships, evidence-based advocacy, and systems change to address identified resilience gaps.