Urban Impact ISSUE 27

Strategic Plan 2026-2029: A clearer path for sustainable cities

As cities grow, so do challenges like housing shortages, inequality, and climate change. UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan 2026-2029 set for adoption at the Resumed Second Session of the United Nations Habitat Assembly in May 2025 , sharpens UN-Habitat’s focus on ensuring universal access to housing, land, and basic services. The plan focuses on transforming informal settlements, improving urban governance, and expanding essential services to support sustainable city growth. By tackling these priorities, UN-Habitat aims to drive equitable and inclusive prosperity, prepare and protect cities against crises, and enhance climate action – ensuring cities are better prepared for the future.

Notable Publications ! ! !

Global Footprints of UN-Habitat . . .

UN-Habitat launches waste-to-energy project in Tunisia

UN-Habitat has launched a pioneering waste-to-energy project in Tunisia, converting landfill biogas into clean electricity.The new project, implemented in collaboration with national and international partners, utilizes a 50 kW micro-cogeneration unit to capture and process landfill biogas. The system generates 60 kWh of electricity daily – enough to supply power to 500 homes annually.

From scarcity to security: Restoring clean water in Niger State

In Tunga Mallam, a small town in Niger State, access to clean water once shaped daily life. For decades, the local water scheme, built in 1984, provided a reliable source of drinking and household water. But when it broke down, everything changed.That changed when UN-Habitat, in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Government of Niger State, stepped in. Their project rehabilitated the Tunga Mallam Water Scheme and five others, restoring clean water access for over 250,000 people.

UNHCR and UN-Habitat join forces to improve urban settlements in El Salvador

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, launched “My Community, My House,” a joint initiative to improve housing, public spaces, and community governance in El Salvador. The programme, which will run from December 2024 to June 2025 in La Campanera – a settlement of more than 12,000 people in the Soyapango district – aims to address forced displacement and strengthen social cohesion in communities affected by violence.

How a simple farming solution is strengthening livelihoods and essential services in Sri Lanka

For years, L.G.N.S.K. Lindapitiya, a vegetable farmer in Sri Lanka’s Nuwara Eliya district, battled the unpredictability of nature. Unseasonal rains, prolonged dry spells, and relentless pest infestations made it harder to grow the high-quality vegetables that hotels and restaurants in the area demanded. That solution arrived in 2024 when UN-Habitat, through a Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)-funded initiative, introduced polytunnels.

Financial Highlights

Upcoming Events and Meetings

81st session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

21 – 25 April 2025

Bangkok, Thailand

Resumed Second Session of the UN-Habitat Assembly

29 - 30 May 2025

Nairobi, Kenya

8th Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction

2 - 6 June 2025

Geneva, Switzerland

4th International Conference on Financing for Development

30 June – 3 July 2025

Seville, Spain

CREATED BY
Timothy Richards