Resiliency Essential For Cities

The world is facing huge challenges to build cities that will meet the needs of 9 billion people by 2050 while ensuring the protection of the environment. That’s what Achim Steiner, the head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said in Nairobi, Kenya during the launch of a new study on the challenges of urbanization.

“Sixty percent of the infrastructure that we will require by 2050 is yet to be constructed. Imagine the sheer volume of construction that is going to happen. In addition to it cities are not just a matter of infrastructure but of services, of resources, of food, water, energy on the input side. But also on the output side, with 9 billion people by 2050 we will have the outputs.

We will have pollution. We will have wastewater. We will have sanitation challenges. We will have emissions challenges.”

The Executive Director of UNEP said it is against this backdrop that his agency was keen to join hands with UN-Habitat through the International Resources Panel. 

The Panel was established in 2007 to provide independent scientific assessment on the sustainable use of natural resources and the impacts of the use of resources on the environment.

Greener Cities is a division of Crossbow Communications. We are developing Greener Cities as a resource for sustainable and resilient cities and communities around the world. We seek best practices, case studies, significant announcements and collaboration. We also seek sponsors, donors, members and volunteers. The battle against global warming and climate change will be won or lost in our cities.