| Sustainable Urbanization in Commonwealth Countries | 2024 | By 2050, an additional 2.5 billion people will be living in the world’s towns and cities, with almost 50 per cent of that growth taking place in the Commonwealth. Member States, both large and small, are facing the impacts of climate change and rapid urbanization. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded these, and progress towards achievement of the SDGs has been eroded in many countries, undermining the first year of the Decade of Action towards Agenda 2030. |
| Multi-Level Urban Forums: A Guide | 2024 | Urban Forums are critical and inclusive platforms to domesticate and localize global agendas and to advance evidence-based policymaking and review, as well as communicating policy outcomes and progress. They provide a valuable policy feedback loop. The main objective of the Multi-level Urban Forums Guide is to strengthen the role of multilevel Urban Forums to become platforms for urban policy dialogue, stakeholder engagement, resource mobilization and other concerted actions towards sustainable urban development. The urban forums can provide an opportunity for UN-Habitat to strategically support countries by creating synergies at subnational, national, sub regional and regional levels to optimize the benefits of rapid urbanization and overcome its challenges. Additionally, these guidelines for structuring urban forums will continually be refined to ensure inclusivity and co-creation, foster adequate implementation and urban policy engagement at all relevant levels. |
| Durable Housing, Land and Property Solutions for Customary Displacement Contexts (Report & Brief) | 2024 | This paper analyses case studies and provides evidence-based recommendations on how to prevent or provide durable solutions to displacement in customary contexts through housing, land and property (HLP) rights’ interventions. The cases include voluntary return, local integration and relocation in other locations, and describe measures to prevent internal displacement. |
| Quality of Life Initiative - Brochure | 2024 | At its core, the Initiative features the development of an innovative, globally relevant, locally applicable index to evaluate and accelerate progress on local and global policy agendas around improving the quality of life in cities. |
| Study of the Hydrology of the Tuban Delta Yemen and the Impacts of Climate Change | 2024 | Climate change, population growth, poor water management practices, overexploitation of water resources and the war have contributed to water scarcity, groundwater depletion and saltwater intrusion to many Yemeni aquifers, including Tuban Delta. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess present and future water supply needs, water demands, the impact of climate change on these and its risks under different socioeconomic and climatic scenarios. This study was part of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness project ‘Strengthen the capacities of sub-national authorities and key actors in the water sector to adapt to climate change in Tuban Delta’. |
| World Smart Cities Outlook 2024 | 2024 | The report provides groundbreaking insights into the current state of smart city developments globally. By analyzing trends, challenges and opportunities, it offers a robust evidence base to foster inclusive, sustainable and people-centred smart cities. With recommendations for policymakers and other actors, it serves as a global reference for advancing digital transformation and innovation in urban areas while addressing regional disparities and digital divides. |
| Ghana Housing Profile | 2024 | The Revised Ghana Housing Profile provides a comprehensive analysis of Ghana's housing sector, addressing critical gaps and identifying opportunities for sustainable growth. This updated document offers actionable insights into affordable housing, urban planning, and policy development, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With a focus on inclusivity and innovation, the profile serves as a vital tool for policymakers, stakeholders, and development partners striving to meet the nation’s housing demands while fostering economic and social resilience. |
| Integrating Sustainable Food Systems in National and Sub-National Urban Policies (NUP and SNUP) | 2024 | Many development practitioners have, until recently, viewed urban and rural areas as two mutually exclusive territories. However, this does not reflect the realities of the spatial and sectoral linkages between urban and rural areas. The two territories are two ends of a continuum of human settlements which are spatially and functionally interconnected and interdependent through physical, social, economic and environmental linkages that are continuously changing in time and space. During the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the spatial and functional linkages between urban and rural areas were greatly affected due to lockdown measures that were enforced to control the spread of Covid-19. Lockdown measures led to the disruption of transportation and flow of food, people, goods, services, resources and capital between urban and rural areas. Food supply and distribution chains were largely disrupted and therefore affecting access to and availability of food in both rural and urban areas. In particular, Covid-19 exposed the interconnected vulnerabilities between food production, distribution and consumption within the context of city-region food systems. As such, it became evident that urban-rural linkages must be considered more carefully in the short, intermediate and long-term responses to future global pandemics. This calls for renewed territorial planning and policy agenda for national, regional and local governments, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Sustainable urban development strategies need to consider urban-rural linkages and context in order to enhance more inclusive and resilient cities and human settlements. |
| A Road Map Towards a Socioeconomic Development Plan for the Union of Municipalities of Jord El-Aala–Bhamdoun, Mount Lebanon Governorate | 2024 | This booklet outlines strategic directions towards socioeconomic development for the Union of Municipalities of Jord El-Aala–Bhamdoun, Mount Lebanon Governorate. They were developed within the scope of UN-Habitat's initiative "Improving Planning Capacities for Social and Economic Local Development" implemented between 2020 and 2023 in close collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. |
| China Waste Wise Cities Good Practices: Series II | 2024 | As one of the essential public services that supports our society in the 21st century, waste management is a basic human need and a critical infrastructure, especially in urban areas. Waste management is a cross-cutting issue that affects many aspects of society and the economy, closely linked to many other global challenges, including health, climate change, poverty reduction, food and resource security, and sustainable production and consumption. Waste management is a key component of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is considered as an entry point for achieving a range of SDGs. |