- World’s largest urban development forum concluded with ‘Cairo Call to Action’ after intense discussions focused on the global housing crisis and financing urbanisation
The 12th World Urban Forum (WUF12), under the theme ‘It All Starts at Home: Local actions for sustainable cities and communities’, was held from 4-8 November 2024, in Cairo, Egypt, convened by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) with the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Over 24,000 participants from 182 countries attended, marking an unprecedented level of engagement, with 92% attending in person.
WUF12 serves as a platform for exchanging knowledge and experiences on sustainable urban development and promoting the implementation of the New Urban Agenda (NUA). This forum brought together leaders and experts across sectors to explore resilient and equitable urban development.
The five-day forum featured dynamic sessions, interactive workshops and expert panels with 407 speakers, including four heads of state, 60 ministers and 96 mayors. These high-level dialogues and sessions underscored the need for multi-level collaboration in building sustainable urban futures.
The forum facilitated valuable exchanges aimed at addressing urban challenges such as cities and the climate crisis, financing and localising finance, and housing for the future. A key consideration was people’s wellbeing and how vulnerable groups could also be at the centre of urban development.
Thailand’s contribution to advancing climate resilience through localised urban solutions
Sabeeda Thaiseth, the Deputy Minister of Interior of Thailand, delivered a statement at WUF12, emphasising Thailand’s proactive approach to strengthening urban resilience through sustainable development guided by the sufficiency economy philosophy: “Thailand is currently active in urban planning, implementing spatial planning at all levels, enforcing effective compliance, and ensuring inclusive participation from local communities.”
The Ministry of Interior (MoI), in partnership with GIZ Thailand, and the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning (DPT), is currently carrying out the Integrated Urban Climate Action for Low-Carbon & Resilient Cities (Urban-Act) project. This initiative aims to promote low-carbon growth and strengthen urban resilience. As part of this Asia-Pacific regional project, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, and Phuket have been chosen as pilot provinces in Thailand. These areas will serve as models, demonstrating best practices that can be scaled and applied to other local communities.
Urban-Act aims to enhance urban climate mitigation through local interventions. In Chiang Mai, the focus is on climate-sensitive transport development planning to support sustainable mobility. Khon Kaen emphasises green space and water management by integrating nature-based solutions, including the ‘Sponge City’ concept. Meanwhile, Phuket prioritises strengthening climate-resilient infrastructure, with a focus on soft landscaping and community-led adaptation to climate risks.
These efforts aim to improve quality of life while fostering harmony between nature and urban living, ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come in the face of a changing climate.
Urban-Act regional training develops city climate initiatives for Asia-Pacific
The Urban-Act initiative organised a regional training session at WUF12 entitled ‘Integrated Climate Action for Low-Carbon and Resilient Cities in the Asia-Pacific Regional Training Synthesis 2024’.
Thai delegates, along with representatives from the DPT and the three pilot cities, showcased two key cornerstone projects: ‘Flood-Resilient Evacuation and Transportation Network in Chiang Mai’ and ‘Sponge City Concept for Urban Water Management in Khon Kaen’. They also shared valuable insights into strategies for adapting to climate change, highlighting innovative approaches to building urban resilience.
Urban-Act presents urban innovation for climate resilience
Over five days at WUF 12, through its Urban-Act project, GIZ collaborated with various partners and urban development experts to organise and contribute to twelve side events. These events focused on climate-sensitive urban planning and climate finance, offering a platform to exchange insights with industry experts, engage in meaningful discussions, and network with fellow urban enthusiasts dedicated to building sustainable cities.
One of the networking events, entitled ‘Empowering Climate-Conscious Cities: Urban Planning Solutions from the Global South’, was organised by GIZ’s urban projects, and included Urban-Act, CitiesAdapt, ANDUS, and Cidade, in collaboration with United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC). The session focused on showcasing innovative urban planning solutions.
This city-to-city exchange highlighted best practices from cities such as Coimbatore (India), Antipolo City (Philippines), Mérida (Mexico), Fortaleza (Brazil) and Itapecuru-Mirim (Brazil).
City leaders shared practical strategies for integrating climate considerations into urban planning, while promoting gender-responsive and pro-poor approaches. The discussions encouraged collaboration and knowledge-sharing, inspiring efforts towards building sustainable and inclusive urban futures.
Through its networking format, the event connected city representatives, climate advocates, and newcomers, fostering stronger partnerships and facilitating shared learning.
Global commitment to urban resilience
As cities face growing challenges from climate change and urbanisation, this year’s (2024) discussions at WUF12 resulted in actionable commitments to building resilient and equitable cities. A key outcome of the forum was the adoption of the Cairo Call to Action, which pledges to act with urgency to address the global housing crisis as well as leveraging local action to achieve global goals and targets. It reaffirms the commitment to sustainable urbanisation through the New Urban Agenda, the 2030 Agenda, and the Pact for the Future, which is a joint agreement document between governments that outlines pathways towards achieving sustainable development goals and addressing new challenges and opportunities that may arise in the future.
The call highlights the crucial role of local governments in addressing humanitarian challenges and outlines ten priorities, including tackling housing crises, promoting inclusive planning, ensuring equity, and scaling up local action.
Additionally, UN-Habitat launched its flagship World Cities Report 2024 : Cities and Climate Action during the forum.
