Expert insight report on the workshop “Barriers and Enablers to Effective Climate Governance in Cities: What is Hampering or Enabling Community Resilience?”

Introduction

Community resilience is sometimes overlooked when cities and regions are developing plans and actions for climate adaptation and mitigation. The people that inhabit each place have developed several strategies and collaborations to cope with risks, from a neighbor situation to large-scale events such as pandemics or flooding. That is invaluable knowledge that governments should take into account when making their proposals and decisions. But building and/or fostering community resilience also has several challenges that need to be addressed. 

The purpose of this document is to highlight some insights of the event “Barriers and Enablers to Effective Climate Governance in Cities: What is hampering or enabling community resilience?” that took place in Barcelona from Feb 19th-21th 2025, focusing on the contributions of Luis Berraquero-Díaz, current Mobilization Coordinator at Greenpeace in Seville, Spain. It will reflect on the results of an interview made with him during the event, and the main contributions that he and the other participants made. It will also include some key insights and conclusions about current barriers and enablers of community resilience, based on the interview, the participants’ point of view and personal correlations with the theory reviewed during class. 

About Luis Berraquero-Diaz

Interview with the Speaker and analysis

In Annex 1 of this document, there is a transcript of the interview done to Luis Berraquero related to the workshop objectives. Six questions were the triggers of this chat, related to the role of communities in cities, how they contribute to a more resilient environment, to the SDGs, challenges they face and the future of the field of community resilience.

I highlight from this conversation several main contributions to build community resilience and keep the effort ongoing and evolving through time.

Communities function as essential support networks, especially in cities: The pandemic was a clear demonstration of this. He shared the example of how communities in Seville self-organized to care for the most vulnerable through the RAMUCA initiative when pandemic measures were first implemented. Grassroots organizations anticipated the challenges the government would face in meeting citizens’ needs and recognized that many vulnerable groups—such as the elderly, undocumented immigrants, and others—might struggle to access even the most basic necessities. In response, they created a neighborhood-based support network. In a very short time, other neighborhoods began joining the effort and establishing their own care networks. This sense of community has proven to be a powerful tool for overcoming difficult times.

Community resilience must build justice too: It needs to be a counterbalance from the hegemonic thinking: capitalism, patriarchy, machismo. Communities are the ones that must define for whom, for what, for where resilience is needed. 

1. Place is an important concept to build community: Even in contexts where it seems segregation is the rule, there are places where people gather and something can be started. 
2. Talking about resilience is not always something positive: there are places where people organize to stop well-intentioned places such as hostels, houses to help homeless people, cycle lanes. Capitalism and patriarchy are also very resilient, and that is not a positive resilience for the world.
3. Internal community factors are very important and must be taken into account all the time: There are many things that menace community-led initiatives, related to the dynamics the groups develop. The process, care, being self-critical, even the personal motivators to belong are factors that need to be taken into account and addressed when needed. Burnout and power dynamics can hinder the community efforts and make them even disappear or generate harmful dynamics around them.
4. Finally, community resilience as a concept needs to evolve: There are many interpretations of each concept alone, and the combination of them makes it even more difficult to define. Also, it is possible that capitalism adopts it and gives it a proper definition that can change the whole real meaning. 

What I recall from this conversation—and what I consider a novel insight in the context of the community resilience module—is the importance of understanding the internal barriers and enablers that arise within communities and develop through their dynamics. Often, these factors are taken for granted, as if they emerge or resolve on their own. However, without intentional mechanisms to address them, these dynamics can weaken community initiatives and hinder their effectiveness.

Another new insight from this conversation, that I don’t recall it being addressed during the module, is that community-led initiatives have benefits that go beyond the expected results. Many times they are measured as successful if they accomplished their initial purpose (for example, rescuing a public space in risk of being privatized) but they have many other benefits for the citizens: the creation of a new support network, test new practices, a leadership school, etc, that can benefit the community now and in the future.

Key Takeaways and Reflections

The entire experience of participating in the workshop and hearing the insights from the invited experts opened up a new perspective on the barriers and enablers of community resilience. Some of these barriers and enablers were already familiar to me through my involvement with a collective in Monterrey, Mexico, that promotes sustainable mobility. I’ve been part of this collective for the past 10 years, and I had a sense that similar dynamics might be occurring elsewhere as well.

From their contributions and the need for further research, it is clear that several important issues require deeper understanding to support and strengthen community resilience.

1. Importance of place: A key trigger that strengthens community resilience is to have a place of reference, as an important factor to build a sense of belonging and trust, that are two key characteristics of strong communities. There is the sense among the group that there is a direct connection between the urban spaces and climate action.
2. Shared values and narratives: The participants highlighted the importance of shared values and narratives in building trust among the community, and in that way, building resilience. Additionally, the current or ancestral practices of the community need to be taken into account and even enhanced as a way to strengthen trust, instead of trying to impose modern points of view that the community does not share.
3. Social justice in the center of community climate action: Participants recognized that structural inequalities and power imbalances are main barriers and challenges to community resilience, and they need to be addressed in each initiative. Also, it is critical to find ways to include the most vulnerable in the action planning and results.
4. Awareness and mobilization: Participants also recognized that current threats that communities face are a trigger to start a community-led initiative. This also can be an enabler for resilience, but faces the challenge to move forward from a small group of climate change interested persons to a shared narrative among broader populations affected. 
5. Thinking in the long term: Participants also highlighted some weaknesses many community-led initiatives have around time and evolution. Community-led initiatives are not static, are in an evolving process over time, and they need to be aware of this dynamic and have capabilities to plan in the short, medium, and long term to maintain themselves.

These contributions added new components of what we have been studying in the community resilience module. Many of the previous knowledge shared in the module was about applied examples of community-led initiatives, with the teachers sharing with us their challenges and results, and valuable tools they are applying. As I said before, the barriers and enablers the workshop participants shared, I could relate them to the experience I have had in the collective I participate in Monterrey, and add new visions of important factors to consider. One that I particularly recall is the importance of place for communities, that, in my experience, it is sometimes difficult to identify and declare it, making it difficult to involve other interested persons, particularly in the city level. Another one is the evolving nature of these initiatives, that I can connect it with the resilience cycle (Image 3). It is key to be aware at which stage of the cycle your community-led initiative is and take actions accordingly, to keep up with the efforts and make changes if it is needed.

Conclusion

The combination of the participants’ perspectives and the interview with Luis Berraquero expanded my understanding of community resilience in two key ways: first, by emphasizing the importance of considering the internal dynamics within organized communities to identify opportunities for strengthening them, and second, by highlighting the need to keep justice at the heart of community-led initiatives. This involves building trust, fostering a shared understanding of the vision, and challenging dominant capitalist and patriarchal perspectives. I see this as an inside-out approach to community resilience: building strong, sustainable communities while challenging the status quo, benefiting the most vulnerable, and promoting durable climate action.

Georgina Treviño González
Student at UIC Barcelona
Urban Resilience and Sustainability Transitions Master programme

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Annex 1 – Interview with Luis Berraquero

1. How do communities contribute to a more resilient environment?

I’m glad you asked that because, for me, this is still an unresolved issue. In much of the literature I’ve read, it’s said that community resilience, led by social and civil movements, plays a fundamental role in building resilience. However, there’s still not much written about how to operationalize this type of contribution to urban resilience. I’ve developed an analytical framework, which is currently being written into a paper, based on the Seville case study. After that, we’ll issue a call for case studies to test whether this framework is applicable and replicable. This is the academic side of things.

For me, one of the key debates is making resilience more just—resilience for whom, and for what? Communities play a fundamental role in defining these questions and determining what resilience should look like. They also have a role in minimizing resilience for certain aspects of society. Right now, resilience is often seen as inherently positive, but patriarchy and machismo have proven to be very resilient, and they are not desirable. Social movements and community-led initiatives are critical of the system and strive to balance it. If you push a system into a different state, there can be a point of no return. This concept has been widely used in ecological resilience, and in the case of socio-ecological urban systems, there are things that need to change their current state. In our socio-economic and socio-cultural systems, some things need less resilience, while others need more. Who decides what requires more or less resilience? Often, it’s decision-makers who define this. Communities play a fundamental role in providing a counterbalance, creating a counter-hegemony where there’s a dominant approach. (When I talk about communities, I’m referring to urban social movements, with which I have a lot of contact.) If the system itself is the threat, we need to transform it.

For me, communities are a social construction essential for generating collective identity, creating networks of mutual support, strengthening interdependent relationships, and establishing sociability. Especially in cities, communities are your closest support network when uncertainty arises—whether it’s a natural disaster, a pandemic, or personal problems. This sense of community enhances a city’s capacity to overcome any kind of eventuality. It’s a feeling of belonging. Without it, you’re alone.

When the pandemic hit and lockdowns were about to be announced, a group of friends and I met and said, “We need to create a mutual support network,” because neither the municipality nor the national government would be able to provide adequate help due to the crisis. We created the “Red de Apoyo Mutuo del Casco Histórico y Macarena.” It started as a very anarchic network, but soon other neighborhoods began replicating the effort. Communities are the ones that will save the most vulnerable people: those who didn’t have food, couldn’t get groceries, undocumented immigrants without official IDs to identify themselves to the police, or access to public services. A highly mobilized neighborhood with a strong activist culture initiated this idea, and we ended up organizing the network for the entire city of Seville.

2. What are some ways to build community, especially in environments where the social fabric is broken or compromised?

When you talk about places where the social fabric is broken, I think of affluent neighborhoods with townhomes. As an anthropologist, I’ve studied this in my city. On the few occasions I’ve been to other cities, like in the United Kingdom, I’ve noticed that even in highly segregated residential neighborhoods, there’s always a place where people meet: a mall (which I don’t like), a church, or even a bar or gym. These spaces, though not inherently communal, can serve as starting points for building community. For example, a shared interest like a football match can bring people together. In Italy, churches have historically played a role in engaging people by turning community practices into religious feasts or social charity events.

Another way is to identify a common need within the community. Often, threats from the municipality can serve as a unifying factor. In Seville, for example, the disconnection of Seville East has brought people together to create a community. However, not all community organizing is for positive purposes. Sometimes, people organize to oppose initiatives they don’t like, such as the installation of a civic center for homeless people or a hostel near their homes. Community organization isn’t always aligned with promoting resilience.

3. How does community resilience contribute to the SDGs? Which ones and how?

I have to confess something: when the SDGs were first published, I criticized them heavily. They seemed unambitious to me, perpetuating the status quo and failing to challenge the capitalist system. However, they’ve since become a rallying point. The 2030 Agenda is now being attacked by the far right, which has made it more radical than ever. To me, the SDGs initially seemed like a product of neoliberalism. But now, when the far right criticizes them as “woke” politics or an environmental imposition, I find myself defending them in forums.

You asked which SDGs? Honestly, I don’t know them all by heart. I’ve given speeches about the SDGs at Greenpeace, and while they seem unambitious to me, they’ve become a necessary tool in the current political climate.

4. Could you elaborate on the practical applications of community resilience?

The COVID mutual aid network is one example, but there are many others. In Seville, the case of the Pumarejo neighborhood association is notable. It was formed in response to the threat of building a hotel on the site of the Duke of Pumarejo Palace, a historical building that has served many purposes over the decades and currently houses low-income residents. This palace has become an icon of resistance, and a social movement has grown around it to defend housing rights. The heritage of the building has been used as a case study many times.

Another example is the network of urban gardens and neighborhood associations in Seville’s periphery. These groups have become agents of change, not only creating parks but also building communities to address issues like drug addiction and unemployment. However, it’s important to note that not all community resilience is positive. There are resilient communities that are undesirable, such as far-right groups. Community resilience is a characteristic that needs context—it’s not inherently good or bad.

5. What are the biggest challenges to building community resilience? What strategies have proven effective in overcoming them?

It depends on the context. In places where there isn’t a strong pre-existing community but there’s a clear threat, specific strategies are needed. For example, in a city facing rising rents or evictions, the approach would differ. I’ve developed a methodology to analyze how social movements contribute to community resilience, which can help categorize and address these challenges.

For instance, as a Greenpeace mobilizer, I’ve often had to invest significant time and effort to initiate mobilization. Sometimes, even if the initial objectives aren’t met, the mobilization can lead to new practices or connections with other networks. Success shouldn’t be measured solely by whether the goals were achieved but also by the broader impact of the movement.

Take the Pumarejo case: the hotel project was halted, and the municipality eventually bought and rehabilitated the palace after 20 years of struggle. However, the movement also created internal conflicts and expelled some people. This trade-off is often overlooked. Similarly, Greta Thunberg’s mobilizations inspired a wave of youth environmental movements, but many participants experienced burnout within two years. Building community resilience requires balancing external goals with internal care and self-reflection.

Communities need to set short-, medium-, and long-term objectives, remain open to reinvention, and avoid becoming closed or stagnant. Power dynamics, such as patriarchal structures or ego clashes, can also undermine resilience. For example, during the 2008 housing crisis, the “corralas” movement in Seville helped vulnerable people find housing, but many groups dissolved due to poorly managed relationships. Building strong communities requires addressing these internal challenges alongside external threats.

6. How do you think the field will evolve in the coming years?

The concepts of community and resilience are already complex, and combining them adds even more layers of complexity. We know that addressing social justice and climate change will require strong community relationships. However, we must be cautious because capitalism often co-opts these concepts for its own purposes. The field will need to navigate these challenges while staying true to the principles of justice and equity.