Leaders of cities have a fundamental duty to the citizens of their cities, and that is to plan and build resilient communities, so that the weakest and most vulnerable members of society are not affected disproportionately by crises and major shocks. Crises can occur due to neglect, external factors that were not foreseen or recognised as being a threat, or deliberate acts of aggression. Being prepared is part of the social contract between the citizens and their city leaders and is bilateral. The contract contains activities such as education, skills development and planning of both policies and operations. Rich and trustworthy data and analysis tools are transforming this last aspect.

If the social contract breaks down or if citizens no longer feel they can trust their leaders, policies and investments, faith in democracy and democratic structures is undermined and social stability is threatened. We live in times of great turbulence and uncertainty, driven by extreme weather and sea level rise due to climate change, changing demographics, rapidly changing geopolitics and mass migration. This lecture will address these issues, and outline steps that city leaders can take to mitigate their impact, maintain and adapt the social contract.