Media Centre & Events

Nairobi/Johannesburg, 26 August 2002: As the international community gathers in Johannesburg for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT called for sustainable urbanization as a way to overcome many of the fundamental problems of environmental degradation and those associated with poverty. "With half of the world's population now living in urban areas and the other half increasingly dependent upon cities for their economic, social and political progress," said Mrs. Tibaijuka, "it is timely to look more closely at the challenges posed by sustainable urbanization."

"Sustainable Urbanisation" is the joint message of UN-HABITAT and the Habitat Agenda partners to the WSSD, as discussed and agreed during the first World Urban Forum held in Nairobi, May 2002. The "Coalition" for Sustainable Urbanisation represents the commitment of Habitat Agenda partners to the implementation of Agenda 21.

Though the number of people living in urban areas has reached about 3 billion people, there are major differences in the proportion living in cities and towns in the different continents. In Latin America, Northern America, Europe and Oceania the proportion of urbanized people has stabilized at about 76%. In Africa and Asia the proportion is still low at 37.9% and 36.7%, but they are projected to reach 54.5% and 53.4% respectively by 2030. In fact, between 2000 and 2015, 972 million people will be added to urban areas as compared to only 127 million in rural areas.

There can be no doubt that people migrate to cities in search of opportunities. Cities are engines of economic and social development in virtually all countries of the world. As countries develop, urban settlements account for an ever-increasing share of national income: they generate 55% of GNP in low income countries, 73% in middle and 85% in high income economies. It is this economic growth, moreover, which provides the basis on which cities can build infrastructure, provide social, health and educational services, and generate income earning opportunities for the urban poor. Conversely, in the absence of a healthy urban economy, it will not be possible to provide these things, certainly not on a sustainable basis.

"Cities need help in order to realise their crucial contributions to sustainable development and there is strong evidence that poverty, deprivation, and environmental degradation are not necessary consequences of rapid urban growth," continued Mrs. Tibaijuka. "Therefore to assist cities to achieve sustainable urbanization, UN-HABITAT offers operational support through specialized global programmes and global campaigns in a number of high priority areas."

There is evidence that the most immediate and fundamental bottlenecks to sustainable urbanization are not necessarily lack of technology, funding, or international agreements (although these are important) but local planning, management and implementation capacity and sound governance.

In the experience of UN-HABITAT, local actors, especially local authorities and their partners need help to improve their planning and management capacity. In particular, it is important to help local authorities implement strategies of sustainable urbanization that requires new approaches to urban management including participatory land use planning processes, the strengthening of democratic decentralization of governance, and promoting equity within economic growth. These new approaches will have to be tailored carefully to local circumstances - no one model can fit all cities and countries.

To date, over 40 partners representing governments, local authorities, IGOs, NGOs and the private sector have joined the Coalition for Sustainable Urbanisation in a series of initiatives which form part of the official type-II outcome of WSSD.

During WSSD, UN-HABITAT together with its partners will run a series of meetings or will participate in a number of parallel events that highlight the urgent need for sustainable urbanization. The following are some of these events:

Partnership for Sustainable African Cities
26 August 2002, 9.00 - 12.00 ; Crowne Plaza

Managing Water for African Cities
26 August 2002, 13.15- 14.45; Sandton CC

Coalition for Sustainable Urbanization
27 August 2002, 14.00- 18.00; Crowne Plaza

Strengthening Local Capacity & Training for Sustainable Urbanization
28 August 2002, 13.15- 14.45; Sandton CC

Sustainable Communities & Cities
29 August 2002, 9.00- 12.00, Crowne Plaza

Water for Asian Cities, Launch
31 August 2002, 13.00- 15.00; Water Dome

WASH High Level Panel
2 September 2002, 12.15- 14.30; WASH High Level Panel

For further information, please contact:

Mr. Sharad Shankardass, Spokesperson or Ms. Zahra Hassan
Press & Media Liaison, Press & Media Relations Unit
Tel: (254 2) 623153/623151
Fax: (254 2) 624060
E-mail:habitat.press@unhabitat.org
Website: www.unhabitat.org