COP24: What Does it Mean for Cities and Regions?
COP24 in Katowice, Poland, has come to an end. Environmental journalist Lou del Bello sums up what its outcomes hold for cities and regions.
From Ambition to Reality: Why COP24 Needs to Acknowledge the Crucial Role of Local Governments
COP 24 is the place to further enhance the much-needed dialogue and collaboration between local and national governance with regards to their climate change policies, says Lou del Bello.
Promoting Healthy Municipalities in Central America and the Caribbean
Municipal efforts to improve access to health care can reduce existing inequalities in Central America and the Caribbean, says Agustín Muñoz del Guayo.
Policy Reform, not Evictions! The Case of Slum Urbanisation in Khartoum, Sudan
A radical reform of Khartoum’s housing policy is required to improve the living conditions of slum dwellers. For this, we need to examine the socio-economic situation of the urban poor and of those who live in the city’s informal settlements.
San Francisco Climate Summit Not Global Enough for Developing World Leaders
For three days San Francisco became a climate change hub, filled with conferences and workshops. Still the Global Climate Action Summit turned out to be focused on the cities of the Global North.
Climate Dance in San Francisco
This month, representatives of subnational governments are getting together at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco. They are hoping to push national governments to adopt more ambitious climate targets.
“The SDGs Are Critical in Everything That We Do”
Political will is a huge factor for effective SDG implementation. Yet, it is equally important that people understand the SDGs as something that directly benefits their daily lives. We spoke to Dr. Isaac Mensa-Bonsu from Ghana’s National Development Planning Commission about their lessons learned in implementing the SDGs.
Creating Decent Jobs Through Waste Pickers Cooperatives
In precarious working environments, cooperatives hold an immense potential to increase social and economic inclusion of marginalized groups. Sonia Dias uses the examples of waste pickers cooperatives to illustrate how the concept of cooperatives helps implement the four pillars of the International Labor Organisation’s Decent Work Agenda—and calls on policy makers to create a favourable environment for this organisational form.
“Climate change and gender issues cannot be taken apart” – an interview with Laids Mias-Cea from UN-Habitat (video)
What are the linkages between climate change and gender? Why are women and youth particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change? And how can we create an enabling environment that allows women and youth to participate in climate decision making? URBANET talked to Maria Adelaida “Laids” Mias-Cea, Regional Coordinator of UN-Habitat’s Cities and Climate Change Initiative (CCCI). Check out her video on the occasion of this year’s International Women’s Day.
“In urban policy we need to get to where climate policy is today” (video)
The issue of urbanisation is gaining attention and cities are increasingly recognised as having a crucial role to play in achieving sustainable development. However, urban development has yet to become an integral part of the global political agenda. URBANET talked to Ani Dasgupta, Global Director of the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, about what needs to change to make urban development a political priority.
Cities for a better world (video)
Cities are irrefutably linked to human history and development. To learn more about the relevance of cities for global sustainable development and for achieving a better world, URBANET provides you with a short explainer video by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
World Urban Forum will set stage for a busy 2018
Around 20,000 urbanists are poised to gather in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the ninth session of the World Urban Forum. However, WUF9’s preparations for a quadrennial report will not be taking place in a vacuum. The conference comes only at the beginning of a busy year, writes Gregory Scruggs.
Cities are key for successful global climate policy
The UN Climate Change Conference (COP23) starts next week. It is often stated that cities are key for implementing 2030 Agenda and the New Urban Agenda. But what exactly is needed for cities to fulfil this important role? Dirk Messner and Benno Pilardeaux call for better coordination, increased recognition on the global level, and more financial support.
The challenge of localising the SDGs: A reflection about Brazil
To attain the SDGs, local implementation is key, and cities bear a special responsibility in that regard. But what does the situation really look like on the ground – is there enough awareness and commitment to this global process? Daphne Besen analyses the situation in metropolises and small and medium size cities in Brazil.
Making a world without HIV by 2030 possible: Mayors and local governments as change agents
HIV/AIDS continues to be a major health crisis around the world, especially in cities. As part of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Alliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders on HIV/AIDS in Africa has vouched to eliminate AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Titus James Twesige explains the situation in Uganda and why mayors can drive positive change.