This policy brief is intended to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable watershed management for resilient urban planning, and to provide recommendations on how city and municipal governments can effectively utilize a watershed management approach for urban risk reduction. The policy brief aims to contribute towards the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) Global Campaign “Making Cities Resilient” and strategic outcomes of the 2011 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. Through four different case studies this brief demonstrates how ecosystem-based approaches in watershed management can provide complementary solutions to help achieve urban development goals, as well as protect people and development investments against water-related disasters and climate change.