This is a final evaluation report of the “Making Cities Sustainable and Resilient” project, which was jointly implemented by UN-Habitat and UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in the period of 2016-2020. The project aimed at improving the understanding of, and capacity to address disaster at local level, particularly in crisis cities to support national disaster risk reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) strategies.

This publication highlights strategies and lessons from UN-Habitat’s Urban Planning and Design Lab to guide practitioners and to clarify the role that urban planning plays in developing holistic post-crisis responses. It outlines the ten strategies and three typologies of support that the Lab has found most useful in post-crisis contexts. The appendices include four detailed case studies in Haiti, Somalia, Kenya, and Bangladesh.

The Port of Beirut explosions (4 August 2020) resulted in extensive damage on multiple levels – the loss of life, injury and the destruction of vast tracts of urban fabric within the municipal boundaries of Bourj Hammoud. In support of the Municipality of Bourj Hammoud, UN-Habitat together with the Polish Center for International Aid, Naba’a and Beirut Arab University, undertook a rapid damage assessment at the building level (exterior visual survey).

The Port of Beirut explosions (4 August 2020) resulted in extensive damage on multiple levels – the loss of life, injury and the destruction of vast tracts of urban fabric within the municipal boundaries of Beirut. Led by the Municipality and Governor of Beirut, UN-Habitat supported a rapid damage assessment at the building level (exterior visual survey).

This report covers activities undertaken at the corporate, regional and country levels for the period March-August 2020. It outlines key areas which are shaping UN-Habitat’s work related to COVID-19 and the consequences of the global pandemic for longer-term work on post COVID-19, learning from this crisis and building back better cities for all.

China has good and efficient systems in place to fight against epidemics. China has set in place strict containment measurements which have been proved to reduce the spread of the disease, managed to reduce the public health crisis and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The presented Guidance Papers summarize specific measures for infection prevention and control of the disease from the Wuhan experience.

Beledweyne, the largest city of Hishabelle Sate of Somalia, has constantly suffered from devastating floods. Over the past decade, floods have increased in magnitude and recurrence, reaching alarming levels by 2019, where 68% of the city was flooded.

Students from the Institute for Cooperation in Basic Habitability (ICHaB-ETSAM) and colleagues from UN-Habitat Somalia Programme have jointly developed this working paper. It aims to establish the spatial basis for flood risk…

The Settlement Profile for Nakivale, Uganda provides an holistic analysis of Nakivale’s current situation including challenges, opportunities and key trends. As the oldest refugee settlement in Africa, Nakivale is uniquely positioned. The profile assesses Nakivale’s development potential in order to understand what future interventions would be necessary to achieve long-term sustainability.

The Settlement Profile for Kebribeyah provides a holistic analysis of the settlement’s current situation including challenges, opportunities and ways forward. As the oldest remaining refugee settlement in the Somali Regional State, Kebribeyah has unique opportunities. The profile assesses Kebribeyah’s development potential in order to frame a starting point to develop strategic planning scenarios.