The urban population in Asia and the Pacific is expected to increase by one billion more residents in cities and towns by 2050, bringing greater development pressures such as housing and infrastructure gaps as well as a concentration of many environmental and sustainability challenges, a United Nations forum said this week. But cities are also at the forefront of innovation for sustainability, leading the way in adopting new technologies and sharing knowledge across borders.
“Given the profound and double-sided influence of cities, localising global and national goals presents a significant opportunity to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals,” said United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.
She added, “By translating the goals into relevant priorities within local contexts, we can harness the innovative capacities of cities and mobilise a broad range of stakeholders to confront the pressing environmental and development issues.”
The eighth session of the Committee on Environment and Development brought together high-level government officials, urban leaders, top experts and other stakeholders to exchange views on strengthening multilateral cooperation on environment and development challenges facing the region, including through actions taken by cities.
Discussions over the last three days focused on the challenges, opportunities and priorities for localising action in five priority areas – air pollution; low-carbon transition and low-greenhouse-gas emission development strategies; ocean protection; sustainable urban development; and access to information concerning the environment and public participation in decision-making processes.
“The five priority areas on the agenda are issues that demand coordinated, localised and inclusive solutions,” underscored Bernadia Tjandradewi, Secretary General, United Cities and Local Governments in the Asia-Pacific Region (UCLG-ASPAC). She further emphasised the importance of building the capacity, skills and resources of local governments to drive sustainable urban development and climate actions.
Angelica Añabeza, Senior Associate, Wadhani Foundation Philippines, and Prajesh Khanal, Sustainability & Child Rights Activist presented a joint statement on behalf of youth representatives, urging for “meaningful and transparent partnerships with young people of all backgrounds to rebuild the trust that has been lost towards decision-makers while also creating a collective vision.”
“Local solutions are essential if we are to ensure the region’s growth can positively address these issues. While the challenges being faced in our region may vary by country and local context, we know that effective regional cooperation can support the exchange of solutions and best practices that can be tailored to local conditions,” said Norliza Hashim, Chief Executive Officer of Urbanice Malaysia, who was elected as Chair of the Committee.
During the Committee, ESCAP also launched the Asia-Pacific SDG Localization Platform, which will support national and local authorities to share and learn best practices on how localised approach leads to effective solutions that improves the quality of life for residents across the region.
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