The UfM celebrates the World Habitat Day: The UfM facilitates transformation towards more resilient and inclusive cities in the Mediterranean region

• The World habitat Day 2021 is about sustainable urbanization and collective global responsibility for the future of the human habitat, with a focus on moving towards carbon neutrality.
• The UfM Urban Agenda and the UfM Strategic Urban Development Action Plan 2040 reflect the shared strategic vision of UfM Member States for tackling adaptive urban and societal challenges and opportunities of the coming decades.

4 October 2021. The UfM joins the celebration of the World Habitat Day, which focuses on “Accelerating urban action for a carbon-free world” this year.

Nearly 80% of the Mediterranean urban populations will be concentrated on 10% of the land by 2030, which are predominantly located on the coastline.  Some Mediterranean cities are projected to account for half of the 20 global cities with the highest annual damages from sea level rises by 2050. The costs of these damages will further strain the limited resources available in many urban areas in the region.

 “Environment” with an emphasis on sustainable resource management (water, waste, energy, and food), sustainable land use, reduction of urban sprawl and landscape protection, and “climate” with a focus on enhanced urban resilience and green infrastructures, feature high on the UfM’s transformation agenda for more resilient and inclusive cities in the region through long-term, science-led, evidence- and place-based, integrated, participatory, sustainable and resilient urban policy planning and investments.

In moving towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals under the 2030 Agenda on a regional level, the UfM Member States have developed a shared vision and a collective policy framework for coordinated and sustainable territorial development in the Mediterranean region. The UfM Urban Agenda and the UfM Strategic Urban Development Action Plan 2040  guide and support the evolution of more resilient and inclusive cities through both integrated and participatory urban planning, and bankable projects.

The UfM thus encourages and facilitates regional coordination, cooperation, collaboration and integration in future-proofing Mediterranean cities, along with their citizens, livelihoods and heritage. The UfM will continue to label sustainable and bankable projects/initiatives that showcase best practices under the UfM Strategic Action Plan 2040.

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The UfM Strategic Urban Development Action Plan 2040 is a regional policy framework that complements and acts on the  UfM Urban Agenda adopted at the Second UfM Ministerial Conference on Sustainable Urban Development which was held in Cairo, Egypt,  on 22 May 2017.