Announced in May 2013, the challenge is being held in honor of the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100-year anniversary. The goal of the endeavor is to award $100 million to 100 cities around the world to help prepare them to better withstand and recover from major disasters and catastrophes. The foundation is funding the initiative in response to factors like urbanization and the increase in size and scope of natural and man-made disasters in recent years.
The foundation's Chief Operating Officer Andrew Salkin explained that the next step in the project is to work with those cities to engage proper stakeholders in the conversation about what resilience means. Among the first 33 cities chosen are New York City, Rio de Janeiro and Bangkok.
Once cities name Chief Resilience Officers, Salkin said, the Rockefeller Foundation will help identify funding and other resources necessary for effective resilience planning.
