Water and the political ecology of urban metabolism: the case of Mexico City

We propose a framework for a package of Urban Sustainability and Resilience Indicators (USRI) based on a holistic approach to urban dynamics that we name the ‘pyramid of urban resilience and sustainability’. We start with a concise discussion of the concepts of urban resilience and sustainability, their synergies and trade-offs. We then make a point of the need for an interdisciplinary and holistic approach to assess progress towards or away from urban sustainability and resilience; and delineate an analytical framework that enables a comprehensive approach to ‘the urban’ by addressing not only ecological but also economic, sociocultural and governance dimensions. We critically reflect on its potential (and limits) by applying it to the case of Mexico City. The paper presents preliminary results for the ecological dimension of such a framework, and insights from the case of solid waste. USRI offers the potential for a systemic approach to urban sustainability and resilience. Yet, some limitations are evident, mostly related to data availability at the urban level, complexity to aggregate and weight data, the limited efforts for knowledge coproduction and the incorporation of participatory processes, and the need to cautiously translate findings – and their inherent uncertainties – into decision-making.

Cities have become increasingly recognized as key sites for climate research and action. Recently, these efforts have been significantly advanced through science-policy-practice partnerships. The objective of this paper is to assess how these partnerships are structured, the research and action agenda that underpins them, and how this agenda is being articulated and implemented. The assessment also helps to define some of the conceptual and operational gaps faced by the science-policy-practice community and how they can be addressed. The work evaluates the critical conditions for promoting these advances including the definition and fulfillment of knowledge needs, the integration of different perspectives and approaches, establishment of pathways to finance the urban climate research and action community, and creation and promotion of new partnerships. The paper concludes with a series of strategies and recommendations for how targeted policy adjustments can accelerate and support the production of actionable knowledge and this integrated researcher-policymaker-practitioner community.