Darlington Sibanda attends Innovate4Cities Conference and City Climate Action Hackathon

The I4C26 was co-hosted by theGlobal Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and UN-Habitat. The Conference brings together city leaders, policymakers, researchers, civil society and the private sector to connect climate science with decision-making and accelerate urban climate action. During the conference, I also contributed to an in-person review of the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities (SRCities). The in-person review of the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities (SRCities), enabled a structured exchange between practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and civil society.

Besides the plenaries, parallel sessions and workshops, I was selected to be in a team taking part in the AI x City Climate Action Hackathon. The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy to spur innovation globally and ensure AI technologies deliver tangible, people-centred solutions for a sustainable and resilient urban future. The Challenge of the 2026 Hackathon was: “To Create AI-Driven solutions to accelerate City Climate Action”. This was in relation to the following topics:

1. Urban Transportation: enhance urban transit to reduce emissions or adapt to climate change
2. Informal Settlements: boost climate resilience in marginalised and vulnerable urban communities
3. Mis-(dis) information: counter false climate information and safeguard public trust and facts related to climate science

The mission was to “create AI-driven solutions to accelerate city climate action", with a focus on connecting hackers with cities.

I was part of Team 7, and our allocated theme was informal settlements. We were a team of 5, with team members from Uganda, Kenya and Pakistan. Our pitch was entitled “SettleWise AI”, which turns inclusive climate data into inclusive, life-saving action. We combine rainfall forecasts, terrain and elevation models, satellite flood imagery, and community data. Our AI predicts localised flood risk and adapts alerts by disability type, delivering them via SMS, WhatsApp, visual, vibration and voice. While our pitch did not come first, it sparked interest from the following organisations:

• Global Disability Innovation Hub
• City of Johannesburg
• Bloomberg Philanthropies

We are in the process of refining our idea to submit to the Finale, at CHIA-University of Cambridge.

Key Takeaways

1. Using ideation sprint activities in postgraduate classes is valuable because they promote active learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the rapid generation of innovative solutions to complex problems. Rather than relying solely on traditional lectures, ideation sprints immerse students in a structured, time-bound process of problem identification, idea generation, prototyping, and reflection.
2. The future of work is undergoing a profound transformation. Young people are increasingly working in flexible and digitally enabled environments that require advanced technical skills, adaptability, and continuous learning.
3. Many of the sessions were heavily focused on technology and data-driven solutions, making it difficult to relate them to the realities of vulnerable communities. A notable exception was examples from India, where communities and city governments are collaboratively implementing practical adaptation measures, such as using reflective paint to retrofit buildings and reduce heat stress.