Riyadh – Fateen Obaid
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Regional Office for West Asia and UN-Habitat Regional Office of Arab States signed a Letter of Agreement (LoA) to join efforts in promoting cities climate adaptation, build capacity on green recovery and reconstruction, Integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into recovery and reconstruction processes in conflict affected countries and Ecosystem Restoration at the city-level.
As projections of future climate change impacts are likely to increase in coming years in the Arab region, The LoA aims at exchanging expertise and knowledge to develop programs and capacities for adaptation planning at the city and national level. Adaptation in urban and other temporary human settlements is key to ensure decent standards of living, achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, and avoidance of potential conflict over resources in the future. The collaboration between UNEP and UN-Habitat regional offices will focus on promoting the adoption of integrated development policies and approaches to recovery and reconstruction planning.
Cities generate over 80 per cent of gross domestic product in many countries and are engines of economic growth that have lifted millions from poverty. Many Arab cities are already struggling with environmental degradation, traffic congestion, inadequate urban infrastructure, and a lack of basic services, such as water supply, sanitation, and waste management. Environmental footprints of cities are quite alarming and can threaten the natural resources required to sustain the economic development and poverty alleviation rates (UNEP). The LoA signature is timely to address those challenges and reflects both UN agencies’ common priorities, mainly UNEP’s role in mainstreaming the global environmental agenda within different sectors and UN-Habitat’s role in promoting sustainable cities.
