UN-Habitat, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Regional Programme Energy Security and Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa (KAS), and the University of Michigan (United States of America), through the project on Urban Law for Resilient and Low Carbon Urban Development in Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, were able to assess the capacity of climate laws and policies in Namibia to adapt to climate change.

The assessment was done through the UN-Habitat Urban Law Module of the Law and Climate Change Toolkit – an innovative online tool designed to help countries establish legal frameworks necessary for effective domestic implementation of the Paris Agreement. This was based on the five key performance indicators namely: i) governance framework for urban and climate planning; ii) urban and territorial planning; iii) urban planning and design for adaptation; iv) urban planning and design for mitigation; and v) economic and non-economic instruments for climate friendly urban planning.

It is hoped that this assessment will be instrumental in fulfilling the potential of urban areas in Namibia to lead the way and be truly transformative spaces for climate action. In addition to this full report, UN-Habitat has produced a shorter version of the full report (summary report) that contains key points and recommendations from the sections mentioned above.

UN-Habitat, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Regional Programme Energy Security and Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa (KAS), and the University of Michigan (United States of America), through the project on Urban Law for Resilient and Low Carbon Urban Development in Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, were able to assess the capacity of climate laws and policies in Zimbabwe to adapt to climate change.

The assessment was done through the UN-Habitat Urban Law Module of the Law and Climate Change Toolkit – an innovative online tool designed to help countries establish legal frameworks necessary for the effective domestic implementation of the Paris Agreement. This was based on the five key performance indicators namely: i) governance framework for urban and climate planning; ii) urban and territorial planning; iii) urban planning and design for adaptation; iv) urban planning and design for mitigation; and v) economic and non-economic instruments for climate-friendly urban planning.

It is hoped that this assessment and the impending climate law reform will be instrumental in fulfilling the potential of urban areas in Zimbabwe to lead the way and be truly transformative spaces for climate action. In addition to this full report, UN-Habitat has produced a shorter version of the full report (summary report) that contains key points and recommendations from the sections mentioned above.

UN-Habitat, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Regional Programme Energy Security and Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa (KAS), and the University of Michigan (United States of America), through the project on Urban Law for Resilient and Low Carbon Urban Development in Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, were able to assess the capacity of climate laws and policies in Zimbabwe to adapt to climate change. The assessment was done through the UN-Habitat Urban Law Module of the Law and Climate Change Toolkit – an innovative online tool designed to help countries establish legal frameworks necessary for effective domestic implementation of the Paris Agreement. The assessment was based on the five key performance indicators namely: i) governance framework for urban and climate planning; ii) urban and territorial planning; iii) urban planning and design for adaptation; iv) urban planning and design for mitigation; and v) economic and non-economic instruments for climate friendly urban planning. It is hoped that this assessment and the impending climate law reform will be instrumental in fulfilling the potential of urban areas in Zimbabwe to lead the way and be truly transformative spaces for climate action. In addition to this full report, UN-Habitat has produced a shorter version of the full report (summary report) that contains key points and recommendations from the sections mentioned above.

The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and UN-Habitat have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote innovative research activities in the niche area of urban law.

The main pillars of this research partnership include:

a) the organisation of an Urban Law Day every year;
b) the generation of knowledge in urban law through PhD studentships;
c) the provision of technical assistance and capacity building through studies, seminars, workshops; and
d) joint publications and networking.

The Urban Law Day is a specialised forum aiming to bring together a multidisciplinary circle of academics and practitioners interested in urban legislation, including planners, architects, policy makers, economists, urbanists, and lawyers. The purpose of the Urban Law Day is to facilitate discussion, the exchange of views, networking, and the presentation of new research fi­ndings or emerging issues. The sixth Urban Law Day was held on 12 July 2019 at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (University of London), addressing emerging challenges related to smart cities and practical solutions for overcoming them.

The topics covered include:

a) The New Urban Agenda and Smart Cities;
b) Empowering Citizens and the Techno-Politics of ‘Smart Cities’;
c) Block Chain as a Land Administration Solution; and
d) Smart cities and the End of Privacy.