mNEW YORK – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says urgent action must be taken to refocus on urban planning and providing safe, affordable housing that is appropriate and adequate for citizens’ growing needs.
Ban made the call in a message to mark the World Habitat Day, which is observed annually on the first Monday of October.
“Let us hear from people who live in slums what has worked and what has not – and what we need to do,” Ban said in his message for the Day.
This year’s theme is “Voices from the Slums” an effort to highlight the hardships of slum living through the voices of the urban poor while also giving rise to their experiences and ideas about improving their living conditions.
”Technology and know-how exist to build economically, socially and environmentally sustainable cities based on local solutions. [eap_ad_2] ”Ensuring that our towns and cities expand in a well-planned and managed way “is also vital for combating climate change, protecting the environment and supporting sustainable development.
”There are an estimated 863 million people living in slums, according to 2012 figures from UN-Habitat report, in contrast to 760 million in 2000 and 650 million in 1990.
”In Nairobi, Kenya, children from the Kibera slum drew images of their lives and surroundings.
”The images are now on exhibit – one of the events organised internationally to coincide with the Day,” Ban said.
Also, in his message to mark the Day, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Joan Clos, said it was possible to demonstrate to decision makers in the urban arena that slum upgrading programmes could achieve better life conditions for slum dwellers, and greater economic and social impacts.
Clos noted that while great efforts were being made to improve many of the slums around the world and improve the lives of people there, by not addressing the underlying causes of the sprawl, it would continue to grow.
”Slums are a manifestation of rapid unchecked urbanisation – a result of allowing our cities to expand without design or regulation and with disregard to their citizens,” Clos said.
The UN agency will host the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, Habitat III, in 2016. (NAN) [eap_ad_3]
