Climate change is becoming one of the main threats to humanity, and the Arab region is one of the most vulnerable to its impacts. The 2012 State of Arab Cities report1 highlighted climate change as a “major emerging challenge” in the region with water security, food security, and urban settlements at particular risk.

Global frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 (Goals 11 and 13) call for climate action at the city level, while the New Urban Agenda has stressed the significance of efficient mitigation and adaptation measures from an urban perspective including a clear commitment to “the generation and use of renewable and affordable energy and sustainable and efficient transport infrastructure and services, where possible, achieving the benefits of connectivity and reducing the financial, environmental and public health costs of inefficient mobility, congestion, air pollution, urban heat island effects and noise.”

Migration, especially forced migration, is one of the defining phenomena of the 21st century. Millions of people across the global have fled armed conflicts, persecutions, natural disasters, and/or economic hardships in recent years. Whether they crossed national borders or stayed within the geographic limits of the country in which they originally resided, their ultimate movement has mostly been towards cities. It is impossible to stop the influx of migrants into urban areas in the foreseeable future. People will continue to move towards cities in search for livelihood opportunities, security, and a decent life. Unfortunately, due to lack of planning and resources, many end up in overcrowded and underserved settlements or in remote urban areas that lack basic infrastructure, social services and connectivity to labour markets. Denied access to formal job opportunities and social protection systems and excluded from the urban advantages that they are seeking in cities, migrants, particularly the most vulnerable ones, are often stigmatized as a problem rather than recognized for their energy and potential contribution to urban life.

Cities throughout the world are witnessing rapid growth, thus increasing the demand for high-quality services and necessitating that governments and municipalities develop improved solutions that fulfill the requirements for sustainable urban development and assure the social, economic, and environmental interactions distinctive of cities in the modern era.

The observable acceleration in urbanization is taking place within a framework that entails expanding globalization, intensifying competition, continuous technological development, and the transformation to smart cities. Palestinian cities and urban areas are no exception in this regard; nearly 75 percent of the Palestinian population lives in urban areas that must expand their visions, objectives, and strategies towards the development and conservation of resources that will enable them to continuously and reliably respond to the needs of their residents and visitors.