"Urban swimming in rivers is a major step forward in improving residents’ quality of life, offering cooling relief during heatwaves, and ensuring the preservation of biodiversity and the rights of nature." Mayor Anne Hidalgo, City of Paris (Signatory to the Swimmable Cities Charter)

On November 4, the Swimmable Cities #Swim4Change in Rio will invite mayors and leaders for a symbolic morning swim at [INSERT] to celebrate healthy, accessible, swimmable urban waters.

The #Swim4Change in Rio is a side event to the C40 World Mayors Summit 2025, a forum that puts local leadership at the heart of global negotiations, showcasing scalable city-led solutions and ensuring local priorities shape the outcomes of COP30.

As Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Mayor Sadiq Khan and the growing Swimmable Cities alliance (nearly 200 organisations across 100 cities and towns, and 34 countries) has demonstrated; working towards healthy waterways and swimmable cities has the power to catalyse positive change:

1. Improve public health,

2. Balance social equity,

3. Boost climate resilience,

4. Restore ecosystems, and

5. Activate waterfront economies.

Organised by Swimmable Cities in partnership with INSERT, INSERT and INSERT; the #Swim4Change in Rio embodies the spirit of the C40 World Mayors Summit. It is open to delegates and local actors.

The event is also part of the global #Swim4Change, an open invitation by Swimmable Cities for communities in cities around the world to organise their own

Program:

07:00 – Welcome remarks by Catherine McKenna (swimmer & Canada's first Minister for Environment & Climate Change) and Thais Corral (Co-Chair, Advisory Board of UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (tbc))
07:05 – Morning Swim & Group Photo
07:20 – Brazilian breakfast snack sponsored by [INSERT]
07:45 – Return to the venue
08:15 – Ready for the C40 World Mayors Summit Day 2

Why Join?

Celebrate urban swimming-led climate solutions
Support the global right to safe, swimmable water
Connect with climate mayors, leaders and advocates, from Rio and around the wolrd
Experience Rio from its most beautiful vantage point – the water

What to Bring:
Swimwear, towel, water bottle, and your enthusiasm!

Notes:
Participation is at your own responsibility, following local guidelines.

Let’s put urban swimming on the global water agenda – see you at the water’s edge!

More info:

hello@swimmablecities.org