ICLEI Europe is once again thrilled to invite all those seeking to shape a climate-resilient future for our cities and regions to attend the 12th edition of the European Urban Resilience Forum (EURESFO) in ICLEI Member Rotterdam (The Netherlands) on 25-27 June 2025.
For over a decade, the European Urban Resilience Forum has served as a pivotal European initiative in the field of resilience. Organised by ICLEI and the European Environment Agency (EEA), and this year in collaboration with the City of Rotterdam, EURESFO acts as a unique exchange platform that brings together city representatives, experts, and stakeholders from local and regional institutions to discuss strategies, initiatives, and actions related to climate change adaptation, disaster management, and the cultivation of urban resilience.
The 2025 edition of EURESFO will focus on how to accelerate resilience action on six key topics. These topics are justice, inclusion and societal resilience, new extremes and polycrises: from heatwaves to water resilience, exploring nature-based solutions: from policy to action, finance and investment strategies for resilience-building, resilience governance in a polarised political landscape and finally data, information and evidence-based resilience action.
Want to see what’s in store for EURESFO25? Explore our programme and session overview to get a preview of what’s ahead.
EURESFO kicks off with:
Plenary Sessions
Both days opens and closes with high-level plenaries addressing the Forum’s core themes such as societal resilience, multilevel cooperation, and accelerating local action.
They include:
- “Resilience in Crisis: Accelerating Action for a Just Future"
- “Building a Just and Resilient Future: From Knowledge to Action”
- “Our Way Forward: Strengthening the European Resilience Partnership”
The first day will conclude with “European Stories of Resilience Making”, which also features the 2025 Local Sustainability Award Ceremony - celebrating bold leadership and innovative action from cities and regions advancing just, climate-neutral transitions across Europe.
Panel Discussions
Panel sessions will explore actionable solutions and critical challenges, from water resilience to affordable housing.
Featured sessions include:
- "Weathering the Future: Integrated Water Resilience Approaches"
- "Resilience Starts at Home: Advancing Affordable, Low- Emission and Climate-Adapted Housing in the EU"
- "Our Future with the Missions"
Workshops
Designed for hands-on learning and peer exchange, workshops will focus on themes like heat response, digital tools, governance, and community-driven action.
Examples include:
- “Local Action to Address Extreme Heat – CitiesHitRefresh”
- “Planning Places, Shaping Futures: Co-Creating Transformative Resilience Pathways Through Strategic and Spatial Planning"
- “Digital Tools for Climate Resilience: Harnessing Geospatial Data and Local Insights”
As always, EURESFO 2025 will maintain its characteristic informative, open, and interactive ambiance, upholding its 'PowerPoint free' format. Participants are enthusiastically invited to share their experiences and perspectives on an array of topics that delve into the challenges inherent in urban resilience planning and implementation.
Register today! Stay tuned to the EURESFO website and follow on Instagram and X for all the latest updates and programme announcements for #EURESFO25!