UN-Habitat assembly calls for people-centered strategy for urban centers

NAIROBI, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) on Monday called for a people-centered climate resilience strategy for developing sustainable cities.

Given the adverse effects of climate change in urban centers, there is a need for the involvement of all stakeholders in order to oversee service delivery that is aimed at saving lives and properties, said Ishaku Maitumbi, a senior officer of the UN-Habitat.

"Let us empower people living in urban areas to drive the climate resilience programs within their localities," Maitumbi said during a sideline event on building climate resilience for the urban poor at the ongoing second session of the UN-Habitat Assembly in Nairobi, capital of Kenya. The five-day meeting kicked off on Monday.

Maitumbi noted that the urban poor can only be able to adapt and cope with climate shocks once they are involved in the inception and execution of resilience programs.

Urban areas deserve attention because their growth has escalated global warming through rapid consumption of fossil fuels, said Zachariah Njeru, cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development of Kenya.

Njeru said the urban poor have a low level of resilience in the face of climate stresses that have disrupted their livelihoods and fractured livelihoods besides limiting access to basic services like safe drinking water and sanitation.

Njeru revealed that Kenya is implementing the Building Climate Resilience for the Urban Poor project as the number of vulnerable urban areas is rising in the country.