UN-Habitat Supporting Brazil Favela Peace Programme Reprinted and Translated Articles Should Communities Making New Be Credited “Reprinted from Urban World”

urban WWORLDORLD February - April 2011

Cities and Land Rights Volume 3 Issue 1 Volume urban CONTENTS WORLD

OPINION IN-FOCUS www.unhabitat.org © 2011 UN-HABITAT 21 africa 4 Message from the UN-HABITAT A big boost for energy efficient P.O.Box 30030, GPO Executive Director Nairobi 00100, Kenya buildings in East africa Tel. (254-20) 762 3120 Fax. (254-20) 762 3477 COVER STORY A field trip to remember for E-mail: [email protected] Mozambique architecture EDITOR: Roman Rollnick students CITIES aND LaND RIghTS EDITORIAL BOARD african Development Bank Anantha Krishnan 5 Land and climate change Christine Auclair boosts Lake Victoria urban Andre Dzikus in a new urban world Edlam Abera Yemeru water programme Eduardo López Moreno Mohamed El Sioufi Jane Nyakairu helping young people in Lucia Kiwala Mariam Yunusa 8 african ministerial meeting Zanzibar Mohamed El-Sioufi adopts new action plan Naison Mutizwa-Mangiza World Water Week Oyebanji Oyeyinka (Chair) Remy Sietchiping Raf Tuts 22 Asia-Pacific EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS: Flossie Mbiriri, 10 Five years into the global Japanese generosity Tom Osanjo Land Tool Network (gLTN) COVER DESIGN – a perspective from our housing support in Andrew Ondoo partners around the world Sri Lanka ADVERTISING Eirik Sorlie To advertise in Urban World, please contact: Thanks to BaSF, a new major [email protected] water project for schools 15 Land governance for rapid SUBSCRIPTIONS urbanization Contact: 23 Latin america and the Clarissa Augustinus and [email protected] Caribbean Eirik Sorlie REPRINTS UN-haBITaT supporting Brazil favela peace programme Reprinted and translated articles should Communities making new be credited “Reprinted from Urban World”. 19 Reprinted articles with bylines must have the gains author’s name. Please send a copy of reprinted 24 Middle East and North africa Åsa Jonsson articles to the editor at UN-HABITAT. a new roadmap for Iraq’s local government

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WORLD ebruary - April 2011 2011 April - ebruary

Issue Issue Cities and Land Rights

3 Volume

Image © andrew OndOO

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urban 2 WORLD February - April 2011 FOR A BETTER URBAN FUTURE

URBaN WaTCh 25 People Clos, Donovan meet in Washington Zena Daysh – a giant in the cause of better cities and a better environment Back to the future – a gathering of UN-HABITAT veterans

27 governance Better performance, better accountability across the UN a successful governing Council

28 Knowledge URBaN gaTEWaY - a new urban 19 web portal

30 Calendar of events 31 New publications 24

28 15 21 Volume 3 Issue 1

urban February - April 2011 WORLD 3 OPINION Message from the Executive Director

and is a scare resource land speculation and improve land involving a wide range of use planning. rights and responsibilities. Third, ensure that women en LWhen poorly managed, it can become joy the same equal access to land contentious often leading to dispu and property rights as men do. tes, conflict, degradation and other A gender responsive approach is es problems, all of them drivers of slum sential to address persistent inequali development and poverty in urban ties, which in most cases discriminate areas. against women. Think of this: it is A complex problem the world over, estimated that only some 2 percent of land management and administration land in developing countries is regis is an immense challenge in many de tered in the names of women! veloping countries. Subject to count Fourth, promote a more holis less legal, administrative, cultural tic view of urban and rural. The and religious practices, many of them divide between rural and urban is ar discriminatory against women, it is tificial and no longer tenable. There something that has to be addressed is a growing appreciation that the by taking a number of factors into ac two are connected in a larger system count simultaneously. characterized by the dynamic flow of These include land policy, land goods, finances, resources and peo tenure (including rentals), land use ple. planning, land information, gender, state land and private land, Fifth, promote more effective coordination in the land governance matters, environmental and climate change consid sector. Changes in the land sector require long-term commit erations, as well as land tax and capacity building. ment and support from development partners, donors and non- Equity is crucial to reduce poverty and exclusion and to pro state actors. mote progress and development. Cities will only prosper if they And finally, develop innovative land administration manage to develop equal and just institutions and distribute re systems. sources and opportunities fairly. I am delighted that we are making some progress here. A new Access to land is thus critical to the delivery of housing, infra resolution adopted in 2011 by Member States overseeing our structure and services on a large scale. The increasing land needs work at the agency’s 23rd Governing Council endorses the plural of rapidly growing cities must be managed in such a way that ism of tenure systems, alternative forms of land administration residents have security of tenure, decent housing, services and and records systems, as well as land-based taxation mechanisms. infrastructure, and thus a better quality of life. It gives the Global Land Tool Network will (GLTN) and its It is UN-HABITAT’s view that governments must develop and partners a strong mandate to continue developing pro-poor and implement innovative land policies and reforms, along with rele engendered land tools. vant institutional and regulatory frameworks to provide equitable UN-HABITAT and GLTN will continue to produce and docu access to land and security of tenure for all. ment innovative, gendered and pro-poor land tools to address With mounting pressure and competition over land in cit these six steps and expand equitable access to land for all. ies, towns and peri-urban areas, land governance is becoming increasingly important. There are six simple steps that can be taken to improve the quality of land governance and expand eq uitable access to land for all: First, promote the recognition of the continuum of land rights. We need to move beyond a narrow focus on indi vidual titling. Security of tenure can deliver many of the same benefits as individual titling without the costs of gentrification and unaffordable and unsustainable land registration systems. Next, make urban land markets work more ef Joan Clos fectively for all. Land markets in developing coun Executive Director tries are largely distorted and skewed towards the minor ity high and middle-income earners. This means that often slum dwellers pay more for land, infrastructure and servic es than their richer neighbours in the better parts of town. By improving the regulation of land markets, local municipalities can implement equitable land and property tax systems, reduce

urban 4 WORLD February - April 2011 Cities and Land Rights COVER STORY

Land and climate change in a new urban world

Although towns and cities constitute just 2.8 per cent of the earth’s surface, since 2008 more than half of the global population now lives in urban areas. Rapid urbanization is occurring largely in developing countries where a massive demographic shift has enormous implications in terms of poverty, natural resources and the environment. Here, Mohamed El Sioufi, Head of UN-HABITAT’s Shelter Branch, explains how this combined with climate change affects the land we use and occupy, as well as our rights.

Floods in Pakistan. PHOTO © UN-HABITAT

urban February - April 2011 WORLD 5 COVER STORY Cities and Land Rights

Kabul, Aghanistan - land at a premium. PHOTO © UN-HABITAT

UN-HABITAT projections show that in will have a critical role in our quest to reverse Land use: coming decades, the developing countries climate change and its impacts. • Encroachment of agriculture in will be responsible for 95 per cent of the To focus more on land and climate change particularly vulnerable and valuable world’s urban population growth. matters, UN-HABITAT helped set up the habitats. Levels of urbanization are expected to rise, Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) and as • Deforestation and forest degradation with the least urbanized regions of Asia and sumed the role of technical secretariat for the leading to carbon emissions, loss of Africa transforming from largely rural socie Network. The main environmental challeng biodiversity and mud slides. ties to predominantly urban regions during es related to land identified in a joint recent • Environmental damage in “frontier” the course of this century. By 2050, the ur study include: areas for new energy sources ban population of the developing world will • Sharp increases in demands for land Tenure: be 5.3 billion. Asia alone will host 63 per cent for food and bio-fuel production of the world’s urban population, or 3.3 billion • Tenure insecurity in relation to urban displacing the poor. people. expansion Seventy-five percent of commercial en Population growth and economic devel • Tenure insecurity for poor slum dwellers in developing countries ergy is consumed in urban and peri-urban opment cause drastic changes in land use in areas. In addition, 80 per cent of all waste is many parts of the world and institutional ar • Tenure insecurity undermining investment and leading to generated from our cities and up to 60 per rangements need serious reforming to ensure environmental mismanagement in cent of Greenhouse Gas Emissions which sustainable use of the increasingly scarce urban and rural areas. cause global climate change emanate from land resources. • Threats against flexible tenure cities. The ecological interaction of cities and systems in pastoral and agro-pastoral their hinterlands take on a whole new im areas Climate change: petus and sense of urgency in the context of • Increasing pressures on customary • Increasing threats in coastal areas due rapid urbanization and climate change. The tenure systems that are in need of to sea water rise and severe weather challenges are complex and daunting, and revisions. risk. require continuous engagement and effort at • Only 30 per cent of plots are • Increasing threats to human all levels. The climate change phenomenon is registered in developing countries and settlements in coastal areas and in sub-Sahara Africa, just 2-3 per cent making the issue of sustainable urbanization islands of the land is owned by women. The • Increased probability of droughts and a matter of urgency. continuum of land rights proposed by erratic rainfall due to climate change Climate change is now recognized as one of the GLTN is an important milestone the most pressing global issues of our planet. in addressing tenure security matters. There have been warnings recently that It is no coincidence that global climate change the sea level is rising twice as fast as was fore has become a leading international develop casted, threatening hundreds of millions of ment issue at the same time as the world has people living in deltas, low-lying areas and become urbanized. The way we plan, man small island states. But the threat of sea-level age, operate and consume energy in our cities rise to cities is only one piece of the puzzle.

urban 6 WORLD February - April 2011 Cities and Land Rights COVER STORY

More extreme weather patterns such as in The impacts of climate change will be felt • Unequal land distribution, land tense storms are another. Tropical cyclones strongly in the years to come. If sea levels rise degradation and inefficient land use and storms, in the past two years alone, have by just one meter, many major coastal cities • Unsustainable management including affected some 120 million people around the will be under threat: Buenos Aires, Rio de increased activity in land rental markets and short-term strategies on world, mostly in developing and least devel Janeiro, Los Angeles, New York, Lagos, Al rented land. oped countries. Indeed, in some parts of the exandria, Egypt, Mumbai, Kolkata, Dhaka, • Threat by elite capture undermining world, inland flooding is occurring more of Shanghai, Osaka-Kobe and Tokyo, just to land reforms. ten and on a more intense basis. mention some mega cities that are under im • International efforts are important The world is witnessing more floods and minent threat. to enhance the transparency and droughts in the same year, having a major accountability in situations where the impact on food security, energy and water poor loose out. Unequal land distribution supply. This is an almost daily occurrence The target of the Millennium Develop for many of the world’s less fortunate people • Geographical poverty-environment ment Goals calling for a significant improve who live in life-threatening slums. traps. ment in the lives of at least 100 million slum For them, the climate is already out of con • Increasing land fragmentation in densely populated areas. dwellers by 2020, is a central concern of trol and, perhaps equally important, beyond UN-HABITAT. comprehension.

The global Land getting ideas into action Tool Network (gLTN) This target must be seen in connection The challenge is that many cities in has identified with the factors causing rapid inflow of the developing world are not endowed new migrants, as well as the fact that some with the capacity to harness and mobilize 14 priority areas : of these areas are in coastal zones threat knowledge. ened by rising sea levels and weather risk. A sustainable city must be a learn 1. Land tenure reform. Development and land reforms in rural ing city which is continuously exploring 2. Land rights records and registration. areas can contribute to reduce the flow of and innovating, sharing and networking. people into towns and cities and there Universities and knowledge centres have 3. Land use planning. fore be an important part of the solution. much to contribute to this endeavour. 4. Regulation of land markets to Similarly, rural development can be seen Indeed, so daunting are the challeng enhance sustainable land use. as one of the means of alleviating poverty es facing cities with regard to climate 5. Land management, administration and information. and increasing incomes for both rural and change, that no entity, public or private, urban people. governmental or non-governmental, aca 6. Slum rehabilitation and resettlement. At the same time it must be an interna demic or practitioner, can face these chal tional responsibility, particularly for the lenges alone. All those who are committed 7. Land law, regulation and enforcement. countries which have contributed most to turning ideas into action are invited to 8. Payment for environmental to carbon emissions to provide funds for join UN-HABITAT and its partners in the services. adequate compensation and alternative quest for more sustainable urban develop 9. Payment for resource dividends. livelihoods for those most vulnerable. UN ment. 10. Participatory public works agencies should continue to take a leading programs / productive safety role in the planning of strategies to tackle nets. this problem. 11. Collective action for The world is at a cross roads: The fight enhancement of environmental to combat poverty and climate change is services. to be won or lost in our cities. Cities, as 12. Integrated rural and urban much as they embody the challenges also development. offer the solutions. The hundreds of com 13. Providing tenure security and munities and cities we recognize for their slum rehabilitation. good practices symbolize this potential. 14. Rescue plans for areas threatened by sea level rise and storm floods.

urban February - April 2011 WORLD 7 COVER STORY Cities and Land Rights

African ministerial meeting adopts new action plan

The Third African Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (AMCHUD) met in Bamako, Mali, 22-24 November 2010. Here, Remy Sietchiping of UN-HABITAT’s Land, Tenure and Property Administration Section explains the new plan of action they adopted.

Bamako, Mali the seat of AMCHUD III Photo © Un-habitat

urban 8 WORLD February - April 2011 Cities and Land Rights COVER STORY

or Dr. Joan Clos it marked the first Indeed, the Bamako Declaration under African ministerial meeting in scores the key role of land for supporting hous his role as UN-HABITAT's newly ing delivery and achieving sustainable urban Fappointed Executive Director. development. The Declaration encourages Af The Land Policy Initiative for Africa “It gives me great pleasure to congratulate rican governments to embark on implementing (LPI) process started in 2006 and has you on the Bamako Declaration and Plan of innovations and reforms for improving systems culminated in the development of a Action,” he said after African governments of land management and providing secure ac Framework and Guidelines on Land Pol adopted the new plan after three days of de cess to land for all segments. icy in Africa. Endorsed by African Heads liberations. “What we have achieved this week The Bamako Plan of Action carries a set of of State and Governments in 2009, the must take us into a new era when we can say land-related activities to be undertaken be initiative was launched in Malawi on 21 we have brought the percentage of people living tween 2010 and 2012. For example, African October 2010. The Initiative will aim in slums below the 60 percent level of Africa’s countries committed to support the organiza at: (1) supporting national and regional urban populations.” tion of an international conference to share processes for land policy formulation Land, they recognized, is critical for sustain experiences on security of tenure and access to and implementation to strengthen land able urban development. They recognized too shelter for all in particular for slum dwellers in rights, enhance productivity and secure that land is at the core of housing and urban the framework of the Millennium Development livelihoods; (2) providing guidelines for development in Africa. Goals. policy formulation and implementation, At the same time they agreed that progress African Governments attending the Confer the LPI will undertake programmes to fa was shackled by weak political will and the kind ence accepted the recommendations of Mr. cilitate lesson sharing and peer learning; of leadership required to undertake reforms Ouedraogo and adopted a series of actions on and (3) promoting progress tracking in which address the needs of the urban poor. The LPI. land policy reform and implementation conference made it clear that the development They agreed in Bamako to build on the exist on the continent. of adequate policy, regulatory and institutional ing political will and high level leadership and frameworks were both urgent and paramount support to the Initiative, to develop or overhaul in enabling government agencies dealing with their land policies and land laws in line with the land and urban matters to work effectively. framework and guidelines set out in the Initia Ms. Gakou Salamata Fofana, Minister of It was thus that Dr. Clos, hailed the joint tive. Housing, Urban Planning and Land of Mali Land Policy Initiative for Africa (LPI) of the Af They agreed to conduct “feasibility stud was elected African Ministerial Conference on rican Union Commission (AUC), the Economic ies for the establishment of a fund to promote Housing and Urban Development (AMCHUD) Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African land policy development, implementation and Chair for a two-year term. She said she was Development Bank (AfDB), supported by UN collaboration with Regional Economic Com delighted with the organization and outcome HABITAT’s Global Land Tool Network. He not missions”. Of particular interest was the com of the conference despite the complexities of ed that over 14 African states now had a range mitment of African ‘governments to collaborate the matters at hand. Calling it a “very positive” of good tenure practices allowing the protection with Regional Economic Commissions West contribution to this sector in Africa, she praised of the poor. Africa Economic and Monetary Union [WAE the efforts on the theme, Land in the context of They also agreed that access to urban land MU] and the Economic Community of West sustainable urbanisation, as very important. was fundamental for sustainable urban devel African States [ECOWAS] and others to pilot a “Africa cannot succeed without good urban opment and the housing sector, as a catalyst for regional land observatory to effectively monitor land management which takes into account the economic development, poverty reduction and the implementation of urban land policy, land rights of women and youth,” she added. employment generation. administration and land information’. Dr.Clos congratulated governments for look ing into land policies, at new land ideas, at bet ter land governance - “in short, at one of the most important areas where we can bring vis “Despite Africa land resources, land matters were ible improvement for all in this rapidly urbanis associated with urban and rural poverty, conflict, ing continent.” The fourth AMCHUD meeting was sched corruption and bad governance. He said African uled in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2012. u Heads of State had to transform land commitments into action on the ground, and implement policy harmoniously, taking women’s needs and rights for all into account.” hubert Ouedraogo Representative of the (AUC-ECA-AfDB) group

urban February - April 2011 WORLD 9 COVER STORY Cities and Land Rights

Five years into the GLTN – A perspective from our partners around the world

The UN-HABITAT facilitated Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) – a network of 45 global partners which aims to alleviate poverty through land reform, improved land management and security of tenure – is celebrating its fifth year of operation. Eirik Sorlie, of UN-HABITAT’s Land, Tenure and Property Administration Section, solicited the views of five partners to hear how it is advancing pro-poor land rights.

Baseco informal settlement in Manila, Philippines. PHOTO © UN-HABITAT/GERALD M. NICOLAS

urban 10 WORLD February - April 2011 Cities and Land Rights COVER STORY

CheeHai Teo can contribute to addressing including informal settlements land issues in support of the and customary tenure areas in President, International global development agenda and land administration systems.” Federation of Surveyors the Millennium Development (FIG). The Federation and its Question: How can GLTN best Goals.” immediate past President, Stig work to advance pro-poor land Enemark, was key in helping Question: What are the most rights in the future? establish the network. important achievements of Answer: “One of the key issues GLTN in its first five years of Question: What benefits has is to get the results of network existence? the Federation had from being a tested and implemented at scale part of the network? Answer: “The GLTN has in many developing countries achieved its main goal in struggling with tenure rights. Answer: “A key benefit has setting an international agenda Another key issue is to facilitate been the opportunity to provide on pro-poor land tools and a broad understanding of the our expertise in tenure issues creating a global network of complex role of land rights and to contribute to the work partners to pursue this agenda. and their relevance to the of the GLTN. It has been a As key outcomes I would like development of society. In platform to show our members to mention the development of this regard, the training and and individual surveyors that the Gender Evaluation Criteria capacity building aspect must in partnership with the United and the Social Tenure Domain not be underestimated.” Nations and civil society, we Model which provides a tool for

Esupat Ngulupa grant. It has helped us conduct of grassroots women at local land rights training for the and national level and link them Board Member, Masaai grassroots women in northern to the international level.” Women’s Development Tanzania. Pastoral women are Organisation Question: How can the now participating in decision network best work with Question: Your organization making processes, they have grassroots organizations to has represented the Huairou gained secure tenure rights and advance pro-poor land rights in Commission and grassroots land ownership certificates”. the future? organizations on the GLTN Question: In your opinion, International Advisory Board. Answer: “GLTN must what are the network’s What benefits have you had continue to build the capacity strengths? from being a part of the of grassroots organizations network? Answer: “The main strength to be able to advocate for and in the first five years has been implement land rights projects.” Answer: “The main benefit its ability to build the capacity for us has been the GLTN

Arvinn Gadgil improved land management innovative and promising.” and security of tenure are Question: How can the prerequisites for pro-poor Eikeland network best work to advance Junior Minister, The development in both developed pro-poor land rights in the Norwegian Ministry of and developing countries.” future? Foreign Affairs Question: What are GLTN’s Answer: “It should continue Question: Norway has always most important achievements to do what it already does been a staunch supporter of the in its first five years of well: working with partners to network. Why do you put this existence? develop pro-poor and gendered importance to pro-poor land Answer: “In a world where land tools which help the poor, rights? the implementation of women’s and in particular women, gain Answer: “Our support reflects land, property and housing access to land rights. However, the Norwegian Government’s rights is frustrated by the lack GLTN should try to strengthen understanding of land as a of effective tools, GLTN has its advisory outreach functions key asset for the welfare of become a leading global player further to assist marginalized the urban and the rural poor. promoting the importance of groups in their continued Providing appropriate land gendered land tools. Its work struggles for security of tenure tools to undertake land reform, on gendered land tools in for all”. Islamic contexts is particularly

urban February - April 2011 WORLD 11 COVER STORY Cities and Land Rights

Jaap acquiring an independent and Question: How can GLTN best respected status which eases work to advance pro-poor land Zevenbergen implementation and increases rights in the future? Professor, ITC (Faculty of impact.” Answer: “Our recommenda Geo-information Science Question: What has it tion for GLTN is to pay special and Earth Observation) achieved in its first five years of attention to the dissemination University of Twente, the existence? of knowledge and capacity Netherlands. building in the application of Answer: “It has put “land” Question: The faculty has existing GLTN land tools. This on the global agenda and worked extensively with the work should not be restricted in particular the views and network to buil the capacity of to education and training, but concerns of the poor in land professionals and local also include awareness raising, society. GLTNs recognition governments. What are its advocacy campaigns and the and development of tools to strengths? use of media to achieve secure implement the continuum land rights for all. This would Answer: “GLTN is a group of of land rights, rather than require enlarging the network very committed partners who individual land titles, is a long of partners by incorporating share similar visions, missions overdue development in the institutions in the south that and mandates. The joint land sector which addresses the specialize in capacity building.” initiatives of GLTN partners position of the poor and also can build on the expertise and recognises traditional rights experience in the network, thus and values.”

Ztéphane Answer: “Our first interac UINL is an international tion with GLTN took place in organization of practicing Zecevic relation to Haiti, where GLTN land lawyers and can propose approaches to post-disaster bottom-up solutions to legal Council Member, The reconstruction proved very in issues such as dealing with land International Union of formative. GLTN’s recent work inheritance, which is a major Notaries (UINL) on participative enumeration, challenge to the sustainability Question: UINL recently as demonstrated in the pub and accuracy of land records became the network’s 43rd lication, Count me in, further and registries. Our work with partner, what benefits do you presents new ways to formalize GLTN on developing pro- see from joining the Network? land rights when no public re poor land tools will be based cords exist.” on two firm beliefs: One, a Answer: “Joining the Global cost-efficient prevention of Question: In March 2011 Land Tool Network will give us conflicts provides better access UINL and GLTN jointly organ access to a collection of tools to justice than any method of ised an expert group meeting and lessons learned that can conflict resolution. And two, the on pro-poor land. How does sharpen our awareness and contractual source of evidence UINL plan to contribute to the improve our response to various can be a useful supplement to network on advancing pro-poor land issues.” the classical opposition between land rights in the future? Question: What has been your statutory law and customary experience so far in engaging Answer: “Legal issues are practice.” with GLTN? integral to most land issues.

urban 12 WORLD February - April 2011 ADVERTISEMENT Cities and Land Rights COVER STORY

urban February - April 2011 WORLD 13

UW 09 EN copia.indd 49 8/2/11 12:49:49 COVER STORY Cities and Land Rights

The global Land Tool Network

listic approach to land issues and improve global land coordination in various ways:

• Establish a continuum of land rights, rather than just focus on individual land titling; • Improve and develop pro-poor land management and land tenure tools; • Unblock existing development initiatives; • Strengthen existing land networks; • Improve global coordination on land; • Assist in the development of affordable gendered land tools; • Disseminate knowledge on how to implement security of tenure. The GLTN partners, in their quest to attain the goals of poverty alle Cairo, Egypt. PHOTO © UN-HABITAT viation, better land management and security of tenure through land reform, have identified and agreed on 18 key land tools to deal with The main objective of the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) is to con poverty and land issues at the country level across all regions. The tribute to poverty alleviation and the Millennium Development Goals Network partners argue that the existing lack of these tools, as well as through land reform, improved land management and security of ten land governance problems, are the main cause of failed implementa ure. The network has developed a global land partnership. Its mem tion at scale of land policies worldwide. The GLTN is a demand driven bers include international civil society organizations, international network where many individuals and groups have come together to finance institutions, international research and training institutions, address this global problem. For further information visit the GLTN donors and professional bodies. The network aims to take a more ho web site at www.gltn.net.

Women in Longido district, Tanzania who have received land certificates PHOTO © UN-HABITAT/ASA JONSSON.

urban 14 WORLD February - April 2011 Cities and Land Rights COVER STORY

Land governance for rapid urbanization Managing the rapid expansion of cities will be a key challenge of the 21st century. Providing affordable and secure land and shelter for expanding populations is crucial to make this urban development sustainable, write Clarissa augustinus, Chief of the Land, Tenure and Property Administration Section of UN-HABITAT, and Eirik Sorlie, of UN-HABITAT’s Land, Tenure and Property Administration Section.

Onitsha, Nigeria. PHOTO © UN-HABITAT/ALESSANDRO SCOTTI

urban February - April 2011 WORLD 15 COVER STORY Cities and Land Rights

The urban challenge is no common framework for systematic Delivering land and shelter to the Although urban areas cover only 2.8 per shelter intervention which works at scale. urban poor cent of the earth’s land surface, rapid urban International and government support for Despite the general lack of knowledge and expansion will require an increasing supply shelter for the urban poor has dwindled in tools in regard to pro-poor land and hous of land and more efficient land use in urban the past decade, shifting the burden to the ing, some key lessons can be identified based areas. private sector, local governments, commu on UN-HABITAT’s experience. In the future, many cities will be charac nity groups and individual households. Subsidized housing estates for low income terized by poverty and inequality as urban Current models for social housing are not groups have not worked. Generally subsi growth will become virtually synonymous able to integrate the large groups of poor mi dized housing schemes have been too small with slum formation. Adding the 1 billion grants arriving in cities. If sustainable cities and too slow to meet the demand. Many ful people that live in slums and other sub are to become a reality, social housing and ly or partially subsidized housing schemes standard housing today, close to 3 billion other subsidized housing schemes for the have been reserved for civil servants while city dwellers will need access to land, shel poor must be re-invigorated. The market neglecting the poor. Other schemes have ter and basic infrastructure and services by alone has not been able to provide afford been fraught with maintenance problems, 2030. This translates into the need to com able, adequate shelter and basic services and turning public housing estates into regular plete 96,150 housing units on serviced land infrastructure to all segments of society. slums. per day over the next 25 years. Millennium Development Goal 7 com mits the international community to achieve a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by the year 2020. But hopes of reaching even this very limited goal are not high. In 2005, one of three urban dwellers lived in slum condi tions –lacking at least one of the following basic conditions for decent housing: ad equate sanitation, improved water supply, durable housing and adequate living space.

The pro-poor land agenda Conventional land administration and land titling approaches to urban develop ment are fairly well covered and under stood by researchers, policy-makers and practitioners. But this is not the case when it comes to pro-poor land tenure and ad ministration tools for urban development. However, thanks to the work of the Global Land Tool Network’s partners (www.gltn. net) there is now an agreed agenda and work to address large scale pro-poor land tools is now underway. The pro-poor land agenda is huge and it will take many years and a lot of resources to achieve results on a global scale. However, over the last decade we can note some key de velopments in the global discourse on land: a more holistic view of the linkages between rural and urban land, the mainstreaming of land governance, a wide consensus on the need to include a range of land rights, and the first gender evaluation criteria for large scale land tools and projects. We need a new pro-poor shelter policy for Urban housing improvement project, Istanbul. PHOTO © UN-HABITAT urban development. This is because there

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New thinking explores how cross-subsidy vocating longer term measures to be put in policies and local sources of income can place from the outset. facilitate social housing. A wide variety of New approaches to land administration sources, including property taxes, land value must be introduced. The understanding of capture, micro-financing and flexible mort land issues worldwide has undergone a ma gage schemes, should be used to finance jor paradigm shift. Whereas a decade ago housing solutions for the poor. individual land titling was considered the Inappropriate planning standards can only robust way of delivering land, today the block upgrading of informal settlements. range of land rights, a more pro-poor ap The allocation of legal land tenure to slum proach, has been introduced by many gov dwellers is problematic as their settlements ernments. seldom conform to planning regulations. The range of rights requires new types of With the high density of people living in land administration and land information Orascom affordable housing in Haram City, Egypt. slums and the prohibitive costs of slum PHOTO © ORASCOM systems to be developed. The involvement upgrading, many informal settlements are of key actors in the land sector and their never, or only partially, upgraded. boards have been set up to examine exist approval of the need for improved land gov A pro-poor solution would be to under ing slum settlements and ascertain to what ernance is crucial to this development. take a full upgrade of informal settlements, extent they need to be changed, while avoid including security of tenure, by applying ing adverse effects of poor planning, such The road to improvement local, rather than national planning stand as overflowing sewers. In Albania, a special Given the enormity of the problem, au ards. The local standards would be based Ministry was established to systematically thorities in many countries are already on the ‘as built’ environment as far as possi upgrade slums and liaise with relevant line struggling to cope with the impact of urban ble, to limit disruption to people’s lives and Ministries. ization. Managing the expected geographic property. Harmonization, alignment and coordina expansion of cities will require large scale Land use planning of the “as built” envi tion are key to delivering at scale. The multi investments to ensure that urban develop ronment remains unsolved. The allocation ple donors in the land sector often have con ment is sustainable. of formal land use rights at the parcel level tradicting technical approaches, easily over UN-HABITAT’s experience points to sev remains fraught with problems. Planners whelming government officials in charge eral steps which can help redress the chal conventionally rely on cadastral informa of development programmes. In relation lenges: tion to make new urban plans. Given the to shelter the challenge is increased by the • Revitalize the shelter agenda and inte large scale informal developments and ab cross-cutting nature of programmes and the grate it with national strategies for eco sence of cadastral information in most cities fragmentation of responsibility across gov nomic growth and poverty reduction; in developing countries this approach does ernment departements. • Conduct research, documentation, dia not work. The Paris Declaration on Harmonization, logue and advocacy for shelter and land; New land administration and land use in Alignment and Coordination addresses this • Link land and housing more closely in formation systems, which do not exclusively challenge by stipulating a new architecture regards to both normative and opera rely on legal data, must be developed to fa for development aid. In countries which rely tional activities at country level; cilitate land use planning and the allocation on donor funds for shelter development, • Move from slum upgrading to systemic of formal land use rights. The Social Tenure a separate urban sector within the HAC slum prevention, keeping in mind the Domain Model, developed by our partners framework is crucial to deliver land and lessons provided by countries that done in the Global Land Tool Network, is one ex housing at scale for the urban poor. this at scale; ample. However, the capacity of institutions Post-conflict responses to land, hous • Grasp opportunities to implement bet and officials must be strengthened for these ing and property matters need a fresh start. ter regulations, such as the current fi tools to work. Early phases of responding to post-conflict nancial crisis with its linkages to the The path to the legalization of properties environments are dominated by emergency housing and mortgage markets; and buildings must be made more efficient. response and short-term planning, while • Develop pro-poor and gender responsive In many countries individual households land, housing and property issues are large land tools and scale them up through es acquire land and buildings which are il ly ignored. By the time these problems are tablished institutions such as the Global legal and then spend years legalizing them dealt with, there is often little funding left Land Tool Network. by making incremental adjustments to their for reconstruction. Finally, we must strengthen national and property and paying bribes to acquire the Through the Executive Committee on local shelter policy development and imple right permits. Humanitarian Affairs which oversees the mentation to better meet the Millennium Some countries have found more efficient emergency response system, UN-HABITAT Development Goals and deliver land and ways to legalize properties and buildings. In is trying to improve the way land, housing housing to the urban poor. u South Africa, for example, special planning and property issues are dealt with, by ad

urban February - April 2011 WORLD 17 ADVERTISEMENT COVER STORYSTORY CitiesTransport and Land Rights

Photo © XXXXXXX

urbanurban 2618 WORLD FebruaryDecember - April 2010 2011 . January 2011

UW 09 EN copia.indd 26 8/2/11 12:48:11 ADVERTISEMENT COVER STORY Transport Cities and Land Rights COVER STORY

Communities making new gains In a world where women face a constant struggle to ensure that they enjoy the equal access to land and property rights, UN-HABITAT Human Settlements Officer Åsa Jonsson looks at the slow, but important gains being made at community level in four countries around the world.

Women of Ponte do Maduro in Recife, Brazil have gained secure tenure after 40 years struggle. PHOTO © UN-HABITAT/MALCOLM BOORER

hrough a set of pilot projects in terms of their land rights. After 40 years Groups such as these across Africa, Asia in Brazil, India, Tanzania, and of struggle in Ponte do Maduro, Recife, in and Latin America are empowered and know Peru, the Global Land Tool Net northeast Brazil, a women’s group have suc their rights. What’s next? workT is slowly helping communities and cessfully convinced the State Governor to With support from local affiliates of the their governments devise innovative, fai regularize their communities. In Lima, Peru, Global Land Tool Network, Slum Dweller rer and gender-sensitive land allocation women's groups are conducting their own International and the Huairou Commis policies that are replicable elsewhere in community assessments and initiating com sion, these community and neighbourhood their regions and further afield around the munity-led planning. In India, the practice of groups are taking charge of negotiating on world. self-enumeration or data collection by slum- new terms. They include the Society for the The idea is to involve the local community dwellers themselves is a well-established tool Promotion of Area Resource Centres in In or neighbourhood. with over 8 million people involved. Self- dia, the Masaai Women’s Development Or And thanks to a series of training work enumeration has prevented forced evictions ganization in Tanzania, Espaço Feminsita in shops, women in one of the many Maasai and secured tenure, facilitated appropriate Brazil, Mujeres Unidas para un Peublo Me communities in Longido, northern Tanza relocation, and demonstrated demand for jor and Estrategia in Peru. Photo © XXXXXXX nia now understand the Village Land Act services. urban urban 26 WORLD December 2010 . January 2011 February - April 2011 WORLD 19

UW 09 EN copia.indd 26 8/2/11 12:48:11 COVER STORY Cities and Land Rights

Ready to engage with more technical land concerns, the Tanzanian group has had con siderable success in educating women and men about their land rights. And now, they are questioning the political and bureaucrac tic hurdles delaying village certification, such as the high cost of surveying plots. Espaço Feminista knows that the public proclamation of land regularization is only a start. To ensure equality and that critical information is taken into account as part of gender-sensitive land policy, they are using the GLTN’s gender evaluation criteria, and an experienced lawyer. Mujeres Unidas are pushing to replace expensive top-down surveys with their own community assessments. And the Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centres (SPARC) is aiming for a proactive approach that facilitates progres sive urban planning and policy implementa tion at city level. Participatory mapping exercise in Mahila Milan, Orissa, India. PHOTO © SPARC. The Huairou Commission and Slum Dwell ers International, together with other organi is to embed the enumeration approach into lage Council. zations such as the International Land Coali this large-scale federal programme. It provides for certificates that record tion, are active members of the Global Land In Brazil, at the fifth session of the World the rights of both men and women (instead Tool Network, and showing the way in how Urban Forum in Rio de Janeiro last year, of having everything only in the husband's other GLTN partners can best complement representatives of the State Government of name), and there are provisions for equal and support their work. Pernambuco said they would regularize land representation of women in the village-level The network’s community strategy is four long in dispute after much lobbying by Es governance structures. The up-scaling of fold — ensuring local community participa paço Feminsita with GLTN support. training and advocacy workshops is helping tion in large-scale land tool development; The news brought much relief to the more and more women claim land certifi strengthening their participation in land ad 55,000 local residents. Ms. Patricia Chaves of cates, as well as making their husbands aware ministration, and promoting community-lev Espaço Feminsita said: “This represents a 46 and supportive of the benefits. el participation among all network partners. year struggle for the communities involved In Peru, Mujeres Unidas and Estrategias These initiatives consider the communi and the majority did not believe it could ever want to increase the number of women and ties as active partners, rather than as passive happen. I am delighted.” communities who understand the legal and beneficiaries when it comes to policy imple “We built and engaged in different part policy instruments to secure tenure and bet mentation. nerships with a special emphasis on partner ter housing. They also want to integrate their However, the communities and their or ing with Pernambuco state and federal gov approach with government agencies. The ganizations often face difficulties in mov ernment bodies. What is most important for women’s groups already have a track record ing beyond small-scale, pilot innovation. By us is that through these partnerships we built in successfully building voluntary initiatives providing modest grants, GLTN is therefore awareness of the importance of land regulari taken up and adopted as policy by the au enabling a process of learning and communi zation of the area from a historical and politi thorities. cation aimed at eventually making that criti cal aspect.” A “writeshop” meeting scheduled in No cal leap. The gender approach built into the regu vember 2011, is expected to produce a joint The potential of the grassroots land initia larization sets an example to grassroots publication, and give GLTN partners a tives described are large. In India, there is groups in Brazil and worldwide. chance to gauge progress on all its initiatives, increasing interest from municipal authori Tanzania’s Village Land Act similarly holds including a look at supporting community in ties in the potential of enumerations to fa huge potential benefits, especially for poor volvement, since 2005. cilitate city-wide slum-upgrading processes, women. It provides for the certification of Indeed, there will be critical lessons com for which there exist significant subsidies. communal land tenure at the village level, ing out of these processes for the Global Land The Rajeev Awas Yojana national-level pro and also for the certification of individual and Tool Network, UN-HABITAT and our part gramme aims to make India “slum-free” in group tenure rights within the community by ners. u five years, and a strategic aim of the alliance an elected Village Land Committee and Vil

urban 20 WORLD February - April 2011 Africa IN-FOCUS

a big boost for energy efficient buildings in East africa

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved a USD 2,853,000 for a joint UN-HABITAT / UNEP project to promote energy efficiency in the East African building sector. Energy used in buildings accounts for a significant percentage of national energy consumption. It is in fact estimated that over 40 per cent of the total national electricity generated in developing countries is used in urban buildings alone, consuming more en ergy than the transport and industry sectors. The project was initiated by UN-HABI TAT in collaboration with its sister agency UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the governments of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. u UN-HABITAT’s new Nairobi home. PHOTO © UNEP

A field trip to african Development Women and Children, and Erik Solheim, remember for Bank boosts Lake Norwegian Minister of the Environment and International Development. The event was Mozambique Victoria urban water attended by over 70 young people from youth architecture students programme organizations in Zanzibar. Managed by UN HABITAT in collaboration with the Revolu tionary Government of Zanzibar, the main A group of 40 students from the Eduardo The African Development Bank approved a aim of the fund is to support urban youth Mondlane University’s School of Architec USD 110 million grant to extend a UN-HAB projects focused on employment, skills train ture recently conducted a field trip to see for ITAT’s urban improvement programme to ing, entrepreneurship, and governance. u themselves how UN-HABITAT has helped another 15 towns in five countries in central design a safe building in the heart of the Lim Africa’s Lake Victoria region. popo valley flood zone. The grant was approved at a two-day meet World Water Week The idea was to show the next generation ing in Mombasa arranged by UN-HABITAT of architects how important disaster pre and the East African Community. Under Keynote speakers at the United Nations paredness is in a place like Maniquenique, a conditions set by the Bank, UN-HABITAT 2011 World Water Day warned at their an small town in Gaza Province, where the agen will provide technical assistance and capacity nual convention in Cape Town that greater cy has helped build a school raised just over building for national and town level institu efforts had to be made to provide better wa a metre above ground – roughly the depth of tions, with a focus on implementation man ter and sanitation for cities, and especially for flood waters after heavy rains. agement, policy reform, environmental mon the urban poor. The visit came as part of a new two-week itoring and capacity development for water “Let’s make World Water Day here in course on risk reduction, architecture and utilities and municipal councils. u Cape Town a wake-up call to the world,” said urban planning offered in collaboration with His Royal Highness Willem-Alexander, the the The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts helping young people Prince of Orange (Netherlands). and UN-HABITAT. u The meeting in Cape Town, drew 1,000 in Zanzibar delegates from around the world, to discuss this year’s theme, Water and Urbanization.u UN-HABITAT in partnership with the gov ernment of Norway launched a USD 100,000 Urban Youth Fund for Zanzibar at a ceremo ny addressed by Zainab Omar Mohammed, Tanzania’s Minister of Social Welfare, Youth,

urban February - April 2011 WORLD 21 IN-FOCUS Asia-Pacific

housing support in Sri Lanka

UN-HABITAT in Sri Lanka in Febru ary launched USD 28 million housing pro gramme to support internally displaced war survivors in the north of the country. Thanks to funding from the European Un ion, AusAid, and Swiss Development Corpo ration, the agency will help construct 4,400 new homes in the north of the country where more than 230,000 people were forced to flee and confined to a single camp. Families are at last resettling in their origi nal places of residence following the conclu sion of the 30-year conflict in May 2009. More than 50 villages will be assisted in this programme for the full reconstruction of 2,200 destroyed houses, and the major repair of a further 2,200 damaged homes. Colombo, Sri Lanka. PHOTO © UN-HABITAT/SUzI MUTTER Building on its experience in providing over 10,000 new homes for the survivors of the 2004 tsunami, UN-HABITAT seeks to and rural. This influx has placed unbearable Japanese generosity “empower” the beneficiaries to be in charge strain on the existing communities and basic of their own recovery process. u services which were already in a very poor In its tradition of steadfast support for state. UN-HABITAT, the Government of Japan in In the other conflict zone, Somalia, Japan February contributed millions of dollars to Thanks to BaSF, a new has allocated USD 1.5 million to UN-HABI fund housing and recovery programmes in TAT to support the relocation of tens of thou major water project Afghanistan and Somalia. sands of internally displaced people, large It enabled UN-HABITAT to launch the sec for schools numbers of whom are climate refugees who ond phase of a peace building progamme in have been displaced by drought. Afghanistan, thanks to funding of USD 28.5 A major new water education project fi Over the last five years, UN-HABITAT, in million. The UN-HABITAT project funded by nanced mainly by the German chemical giant collaboration with the Government of Punt- the Government of Japan in cooperation with BASF has been launched in Mangalore to help land State of Somalia, has helped improve the Ministry of Urban Development Affairs, provide water education and safe drinking the lives of 18,022 people in Puntland. In Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Devel water for 25 schools and nearby communities Bosasso, Garowe, Xaafuun, and now in Gal- opment and Municipalities is being imple in southwest India under UN-HABITAT’s kayo, UN-HABITAT has planned new settle mented in nine provinces across Afghanistan Water for Asian Cities programme. ments, constructed permanent shelters, and to improve infrastructure and increase access BASF’s Social Foundation is contributing upgraded existing settlements. to basic services since March 2010. the lion’s share of EUR 145,000 of the total The agency has also provided safe water, The estimated total beneficiaries are USD 343,000 budget for the project to be sanitation, and solid-waste collection, negoti 380,000 people in urban and rural areas. In run jointly with UN-HABITAT and the local ated secure tenure for IDPs, conducted voca addition, approximately 440,000 people will implementing partner, The Energy and Re tional skills training and created opportuni benefit from the economic activities and ac sources Institute (TERI) which are providing ties for livelihoods. cess to community banking by integrating the remainder. UN-HABITAT views this as an opportu demobilized combatants, internally displaced Launched at a ceremony in Mangalore City nity to “build back better”, by developing persons and returnees into towns, generating on 10 May 2011, the officials said the project permanent shelter, basic infrastructure, and job opportunities and promoting peace and would boost access to safe drinking water for on-the-job and vocational skills training with stability. 25 selected schools and surrounding commu the above-mentioned partners, to ensure that The escalation of security incidents and the nities. It will also promote water, sanitation Somalis whose lives are affected by conflict consequent military operations in 2010 has and hygiene education in schools, and estab have a strong foundation on which to rebuild resulted in large scale migration of people lish a school-led community-based drinking their lives. u from these areas to safer areas, both urban water quality monitoring programme. u

urban 22 WORLD February - April 2011 Latin America and the Caribbean IN-FOCUS

UN-haBITaT supporting Brazil favela peace programme

Representatives from several of the poor est neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro recent ly praised the authorities for instituting a new peace and anti-crime drive, aimed at making the streets safer, cleaner and ensuring better basic service delivery. The peace programme, known by its Por tuguese acronym, UPP (Unidade de Policia Pacificadora), was started in July 2008 by the State of Rio de Janeiro using highly trained- police to break the stranglehold of drug deal ers and gangs in 18 of the city’s favelas, as the Delivering services in Recife, Brazil. PHOTO © UN-HABITAT poor districts are called. As Rio de Janeiro gears up to host the gi At a meeting with city officials in May, Mr. gional Office for Latin America and the Car ant United Nations Rio + 20 gathering in Alain Grimard, Director of UN-HABITAT's ibbean for the past 15 years. 2012, the 2014 football World Cup, and the Regional Office for Latin America and the "This is the most important moment in 2016 summer Olympics, the city authorities Caribbean, pledged to maintain, and as nec our 15-year partnership because we have the are seeking to help bring peace to 30 favelas essary, step up the agency's support for the chance to collaborate with the implementa a year. Once the first 18 are considered safe, UPP Social programme in a city where the tion of the social aspect of the UPP initiative. the neighbourhoods then get the added value agency has had an agreement with Rio de Ja Providing citizenship, and capacity building of the UPP Social Programme, which is sup neiro City Hall, since 1996. for youth and women, is the kind of work that ported by UN-HABITAT as part of a new He hailed the cooperation with the City can be realized by other local governments,” USD 3 million dollar project. which has supported UN-HABITAT’s Re- Mr. Grimard said. u

Favela, Brazil. PHOTO © UN-HABITAT

urban February - April 2011 WORLD 23 IN-FOCUS Middle East and North Africa

Baghdad, Iraq. PHOTO © UN-HABITAT

a new roadmap for Iraq’s local government

Key representatives of the Iraqi govern “This conference represents the extent of brought together eminent speakers from the ment including Mr. Istebraq al-Shauk, Senior cooperation, and of joint and serious action World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Deputy Minister for Construction and Hous between the Iraqi Government and United Co-operation and Development (OECD), and ing, Mr. Kamil Chadirchi, Deputy Minister Nations Agencies to concentrate the concept United Nations agencies together with expe for Administrative Affairs, and Mr. Ayad al of decentralized government in Iraq,” said rienced practitioners in the field of local gov Safy, Deputy Minister for Technical Affairs, Deputy Minister Mr. al-Shauk in his opening ernance, to set out a roadmap that will enable were in Amman recently to attend a high-lev address. Iraq to move towards a system of effective el conference to determine the future of Iraqi The conference 8-10 May, organized by decentralized local government. u governance. the UN-HABITAT Iraq office in Amman,

urban 24 WORLD February - April 2011 People URBAN WATCH

PHOTO © UN-HABITAT

Clos, Donovan meet in “Zena Daysh was a tireless campaigner for agency, Ms. Daysh will be greatly missed at the cause of better human settlements around our global gatherings,” he added. Washington the world,” said Dr. Clos. “She was one of those In 2003, Ms. Daysh won the UN-HABITAT great visionaries whose vigour and drive half Scroll of Honour award for a lifetime dedicat Dr. Clos held talks in March with U.S. Sec a century ago helped galvanise international ed to improving human settlements around retary of State for Housing and Urban De consensus which subsequently led to the es the world. It was personally presented to her velopment Shaun Donovan and other senior tablishment of the UN Centre for Human Set by Britain’s then Secretary of State for Inter officials during his official visit to the United tlements, as UN-HABITAT was first called.” national Development, Hilary Benn, in one of States. u “Personally known to many here at the his first formal engagements on taking office. New Zealand-born Ms. Daysh, was a po litical in-fighter on the international stage Zena Daysh – a giant for over five decades doing battle on human in the cause of settlements issues. Her passionate interest in human ecology led to the establishment of better cities and a the Malta Human Environment Council, and better environment later the Commonwealth Human Ecology Council (CHEC) which has worked closely Zena Daysh, the founder of the Common with UN-HABITAT for many years. wealth Human Ecology Council and a tire She played a leading role at the UN Gener less campaigner for a better human habitat al Assembly Session on Human Settlements who won the UN-HABITAT Scroll of Honour (Istanbul + 5) in New York in June 2001 Award, died last April after a short illness. where she explained the work of the Com She was 96. monwealth Consultative Group on Human Settlements to an international audience. u

urban February - April 2011 WORLD 25 URBAN WATCH People

Back to the future – a UN-HABITAT’s Regional and Technical Co gathering of UN-HABITAT operation Division. “In quantitative terms we have imple veterans mented more than 1,000 projects in more than 100 countries. We have mobilized and A group of 25 retired UN-HABITAT veter disbursed more than USD 2 billion over the ans from countries around the world returned last 25 years. We, in this room, have created to the agency’s headquarters in February this a number of impressive networks. We have year to share their experiences and insights built human settlements expertise in many with a view to helping establish a new direc countries and in all regions of the planet. We tion for the agency. have worked with Mayors, Ministers, senior The group, all of whom once held senior officials, and also with NGOs and CSOs and positions at UN-HABITAT, signed up for a made Habitat known and respected all over Human Library Conference convened to en the world,” he said. able the veterans, who have worked in the The meeting, a novel idea in the UN sys field in many countries around the world, to tem, was inspired by the Malian intellectual, provide on-camera interviews to ensure that Hamadou Hampâté Bâ, a former member of UN-HABITAT’s collective body of knowledge the UNESCO Executive Council, who found is duly recorded for posterity. Each was also ed the Institute of Human Sciences in Bama asked to prepare a paper looking at the agen ko and helped establish a unified system for cy’s future direction in a rapidly urbanising the transcription of African language. world, based on their own experience. A famous quotation attributed to him Forged in the tradition of African story tell says: “In Africa, an elder dying is a library in Daniel Biau PHOTO © UN-HABITAT ing, it was conceived by Mr. Daniel Biau, who flames.” u retired recently after serving as Director of

Human Library Coonference participants. PHOTO © UN-HABITAT/JULIUS MWELU

urban 26 WORLD February - April 2011 Governace URBAN WATCH

Better performance, better accountability across the UN

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is continually urging Governments to be accountable to their people, signed a new annual series of compacts last week with his own senior managers aimed at holding them accountable for their performances and at in creasing transparency. UN-HABITAT’s Executive Director, Joan Clos, and Achim Steiner, his counterpart at the United Nations Environment Pro gramme (UNEP), joined the signing ceremo ny by video-link from their global headquar ters in Nairobi, Kenya. “This is a compact, not only that you made, yourself, to your staff, but this is a compact and a demonstration of your commitment to the whole world,” the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon UN Secretary-General visits UN office in Nairobi, Kenya. said. u PHOTO © UN-HABITAT/JULIUS MWELU a successful governing Council

The twenty-third biennial meeting of gov ernments in the Governing Council of UN HABITAT closed in Nairobi on Friday with top officials describing it as a resounding suc cess for the agency. The governments, which approved the work programme and budget for the coming two years, also gave Dr. Clos, the green light to begin preparations for a Habitat III meet ing in the year 2016. The 2016 meeting is a major summit of world governments on cities that has so far met every twenty years. The first in Vancou ver in 1976 led to the creation of the agency, and the second in Istanbul in 1996 produced Mwai Kibaki, the President of Republic of Kenya, addresses the opening ceremony of twenty-third the Habitat Agenda, a global blueprint for Governing Council of UN-HABITAT PHOTO © UN-HABITAT/JULIUS MWELU better, more sustainable, equitable, greener cities better able to manage the huge growth as well as mitigation and adaptation meas been “very fruitful”. Representatives of the of urban populations around the world. ures to help cities cope better with climate regional blocs passed a vote of confidence in Dr. Clos thanked governments for support change problems. the agency and Dr. Clos. ing UN-HABITAT, saying in closing speech Dr. Clos said cities without slums and job All paid tribute to Inga Björk-Klevby, who the city had to viewed and considered as an creation were “two big issues to be priori stepped down as the agency’s Deputy Execu asset rather than as a liability. tised” because the world could not close its tive Director. Dr. Clos paid special tributes He said he would encourage a positive view eyes to urban inequalities. to Daniel Biau, who retired as Director of of cities, and push for a new approach to ur Mr. Vincent Karega, Rwanda’s Minister UN-HABITAT’s Regional and Technical Co ban planning which was properly applicable. for Infrastructure who chaired the week- operation Division, and the agency’s former He cited the importance of energy conserva long deliberations, said in closing the 23rd spokesman, Mr. Sharad Shankardass who tion in urban mobility and transport policies, session of the Governing Council that it had also retired this year. u

urban February - April 2011 WORLD 27 URBAN WATCH Knowlegde

URBaN gaTEWaY - a u r b a n

December 2010-January 2011 WORLD new urban web portal Urban sustainable

Volume 2 Issue 5 mobility Why it’s the key to a properly functioning city

Delegates at the World Summit on Infor ‘Decade of Action’ launched to reduce road deaths as a global killer Medellin’s Mayor talks of how his city has moved from fear to hope Field report: how Pakistan is developing from last year’s deva

New report on Arab cities: the cradle of urbanization mation Society (WSIS) in May congratulated UN-HABITAT on the launch of its new Urban

sting floods Gateway social media site which enables ur urban ban actors worldwide to share knowledge and work together in the quest for sustainable cit ies. WORLD The Urban Gateway provides a knowledge repository of urban best practices, case stud ies and research on urban development in multiple languages, provides a collaboration hub for stakeholders and urban experts on all aspects of urban development and is a mar Urban World is the leading publication for those responsible for the social and ketplace for urban jobs, funding opportuni economic growth of the world’s cities, providing a unique source of practical solutions and information on sustainable development. ties, competitions and awards worldwide. First launched at the UN-HABITAT Gov Each issue provides cutting-edge coverage of developments in: erning Council in April 2011, the Gateway also hosts information and knowledge on the World Urban Forum and World Urban Cam l Water and wastewater Youth envoy Ramsey Noah promoting the urban gateway, a community online paign. u PHOTO © UN-HABITAT/ JULIUS MWELU l Renewable and green energy l Transport and infrastructure l Financing urban development l Tourism and heritage l Disaster management

Regular news and features on Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe and Asia are accompanied by articles highlighting best practices from North America and Europe.

Readers include government ministers, mayors, local government officials, procurement heads, urban planners, development bank officials, CEOs and CFOs of companies assisting urban development, commercial and investment banks, consultants, lawyers and NGOs. Urban World is published in English, Arabic, Spanish, Russian and Mandarin.

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Launch of the Urban Gateway during the UN-HABITAT governing Council. PHOTO © UN-HABITAT/ JULIUS MWELU FOR A BETTER URBAN FUTURE

urban 28 WORLD February - April 2011

UW 09 EN copia.indd 21 8/2/11 12:47:52 urbanu r b a n

December 2010-January 2011 February - April 2011 WORLDWORLD

1 Issue CitiesUrban and sustainable Land Rights

Volume 2 Issue 5 mobility Volume 3 Why it’s the key to a properly functioning city

‘Decade of Action’ launched to reduce road deaths as a global killer Medellin’s Mayor talks of how his city has moved from fear to hope Field report: how Pakistan is developing from last year’s deva

New report on Arab cities: the cradle of urbanization

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UrbanUrban World World is isthe the leading leading publication publication for for those those responsible responsible for for the the social social and and economiceconomic growth growth of of the the world’s world’s cities, cities, providing providing a aunique unique source source of of practical practical solutionssolutions and and information information on on sustainable sustainable development. development.

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urban February - April 2011 WORLD 29

UW 09 EN copia.indd 21 8/2/11 12:47:52 URBAN WATCH Calendar of events

The Fifth Asia Pacific Urban UN ESCAP and partners are convening the Fifth Asia- Pacific Urban Forum (APUF-5) Forum taking place at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. The theme of APUF-5 is 22-24 June 2011 Cities of Opportunity: partnerships for an inclusive and sustainable future. Bangkok, Thailand www.unescap.org/apuf-5/

The Fifth Cities for Mobility The 5th World Congress of Cities for Mobility under the title Urban Mobility and the Social World Congress Space Challenge will focus on the linkage between mobility policies in cities and urban 3-5 July 2011 planning. Speakers and participants will address the question of how future sustainable Stuttgart, Germany urban mobility can contribute to transform urban spaces into appealing social places that www.cities-for-mobility.net attract people to live, work, relax and interact.

Asia Pacific Cities Summit The theme of the 2011 Summit is, The Business of Cities. Over three interactive and 6-8 July 2011 challenging days, world-renowned speakers will focus on sustainability, connectivity and Brisbane, Australia managing rapid growth in our cities over the coming decade. www.apcsummit.org

World Water Week The theme of the 2011 World Water Week is Water in an Urbanising World. Each year 21-27 August 2011 the World Water Week addresses a particular theme to enable a deeper examination of a Stockholm, Sweden specific water-related topic. The week will comprise of workshops driven by the Scientific www.worldwaterweek.org Programme Committee and many seminars and side events focusing on various aspects of the theme.

The ICLEI European The ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) European Convention 2011 is a Convention challenging and thought-provoking event that addresses both ICLEI members and the 12-14 September many European cities that want to make a difference by creating a sustainable society. Brussels, Belgium This engaging event will take place in Brussels, allowing participants to discuss sustainable www.iclei-europe.org actions with peers and representatives from the European institutions, discover the exhibition “Brussels - sustainable city”, explore the Hamburg European Green Capital 2011 “Train of Ideas” and follow up the outcomes of the last ESCT Conference in Dunkerque.

World Habitat Day The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October every year as World Habitat 3 October 2011 Day. This year, World Habitat Day will be celebrated on 3 October 2011 and the Global City of Aguascalientes, Mexico Celebration will be hosted by the Government of Mexico. The idea is to reflect on the state www.unhabitat.org/whd of our towns and cities and the basic right of all, to adequate shelter. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat. The United Nations chose the theme Cities and Climate Change because climate change is fast becoming the preeminent development challenge of the 21st century. Indeed, no-one today can really foresee the predicament in which a town or city will find itself in 10, 20 or 30 years time. In this new urban era with most of humanity now living in towns and cities, we must bear in mind that the greatest impacts of disasters resulting from climate change begin and end in cities. Cities too have a great influence on climate change.

The “Making Slums History: Jointly organized by the Kingdom of Morocco and UN-HABITAT, the Conference will a worldwide challenge for review the mid-course achievements towards the Millennium Development Goals 2020” Conference (MDGs). The aim of the Conference is to give countries that have, according to UN 14-16 November 2011 HABITAT’s data tackled slum growth and reduced urban poverty, a platform to share their Rabat, Morocco successful practices, principles and policies promoting “Making Slums History” before www.unhabitat.org 2020 with countries facing difficulties meeting the MDGs. The Conference shall enable dialogue between the indispensable partners: governments, local authorities, community representatives, non-governmental organization and the private sector.

urban 30 WORLD February - April 2011

The Crisis of Over-Spending imbalance between income/revenue income/revenue imbalance between causes and spending and eventually sub-prime crisis and furtherthe financial and economic global the crisis. The report the examines then crisis. of the impacts The Sub Prime Crisis: the to The subprime crisis refers collapse of subprime mortgage due States United in the markets sharp rise in foreclosures the to led beginning in 2006, which and merger, failure, the to bailout of leading government American financial institutions and This reportenterprises. examines of subprime causes and impacts the crisis. The report the examines crisis, elements causing the particularly over-spending the governments of both behaviors and individuals and deregulation The over- of monitoring. and lack income/ the spending beyond the capacity leads to revenue State of China’s Cities of China’s State City Better 2010/2011 Life Better of China’s Cities, This title, State is a joint effort UN between of China Science Center HABITAT, Academy Eurasian International of Sciences and China Association five report This covers of Mayors. nurture to and grow steps strategic easy smarter make cities. It aims to to readers access of international about policies and information the engendered have that practices smart urbanization of China in the the It also provides past 60 years. experiences, lessons and challenges China in sustaining its by faced context in the urban development and industrialization of rapid a globalizing urbanization within world. The Crisis of over-spending and over-supply The Global Urban economic DialoGUe SerieS The subprime crisis refers to the collapse of subprime mortgage The in the United States due to the sharp rise in foreclosures markets and government merger, which led to the failure, beginning in 2006, American financial institutions and enterprises. bailout of leading of subprime crisis. and impacts the causes report examines This particularly report examines the elements causing the crisis, The behaviors of both governments and individuals the over-spending over-spending The and deregulation and lack of monitoring. beyond the income/revenue capacity leads to the imbalance between income/revenue and spending and eventually causes the sub-prime crisis and further the global financial and economic report then examines the impacts of the crisis. The crisis. HS/069/11E 978-92-1-132027-5 ISBN (Series): 978-92-1-132363-4 ISBN(Volume): HUMAN SETTLEMENTS PROGRAMME UNITED NATIONS 30030,Nairobi 00100,Kenya; P.O.Box +254-20-7623120; Tel: office) +254-20-76234266/7 (Central Fax: [email protected] www.unhabitat.org/publications of the partnership and analyzing of the by key the against each cross-referencing in presented ideas and best practices report. of this chapters preceding Public-Private Partnership Partnership Public-Private in Housing and Urban Development public- This report the how examines private partnershipprivate model can be (PPP) sustainable help promote applied to for housing and urban development The report world. the countries around main parts.has two it identifies First, opportunities faced and challenges key PPP and provides PPPs in general, by and guiding principles best practices at various governments by adopted of economic development. levels in patterns Second, it describes global urban PPP sectors most prominent the been have case studies that by followed various by and implemented adopted The globe. the around governments performance the case studies evaluate Country Activities Report Report Country Activities 2011 Annual Report 2010 2010 Annual Report UN-HABITAT’s country activities are UN-HABITAT’s on supportingfocused governments of policies and formulation in the and strengthen create to strategies capacity management a self-reliant and local levels. national at both expertise and managerial is Technical assessment of human the for provided and problems settlements development opportunities. This report presents UN-HABITAT’s main This report UN-HABITAT’s presents across range They 2010. in achievements whole continuum of operatioa the post- from projects, and normative to recovery conflict and post-disaster change urban planning and climate adaptation. Cities and Climate Change reviews the linkages between urbanization and climate change, two of the of the two change, and climate urbanization between linkages the reviews Change Cities and Climate Century, converging effects and whose are 21st humanity in the facing currently challenges greatest at while change to climate urban areas contribution of significant the It illustrates ways. in dangerous on urban populations. change effects of climate devastating potentially time highlighting the same the and mitigate to in urban areas emerging are that and practices strategies policy responses, It reviews In conclusion, the and constraints. achievements potential as their as well change, climate adapt to and and adaptation mitigation change climate in both role a pivotal have report areas urban that argues role. this for strengthening and approaches identifies strategies Global Report on Human Settlements 2011 Report Global Change: 2011 Settlements on Human and Climate Cities 1 2011 eport eport r UNITED NATIONS HUMAN SETTLEMENTS PROGRAMME HUMAN UNITED NATIONS 2011 tivities tivities C Country A Country annual report 2011 Global report on human settlements report Global un-habitat

Cities and Climate Change Change and Climate Cities ......

Country ACtivities report 2011 ...... Cities and Climate Change

Global report on human settlements 2011

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New publications New ISBN 978-1-84407-899-8 WORLD urban HS Number: HS/021/11E ISBN Number:978-92-1-132315-3 HUMAN SETTLEMENTS PROGRAMME UNITED NATIONS BOX 30030, GPO 00100, NAIROBI, KENYA; P.O. +254 20 762 3120; Telephone: Fax: +254 20 762 3477; [email protected]; www.unhabitat.org operate. Such responses also demand closer coordi operate. Such responses com nation between local governments, civil society, while at the munity and private sector stakeholders, same time building new connections between central and marginalized segments of ur power structures ban populations. the linkages be Cities and Climate Change reviews tween urbanization and climate change, and illus to trates the significant contribution of urban areas climate change, while at the same time highlighting of climate change the potentially devastating effects policy responses, on urban populations. It reviews emerging in urban strategies and practices that are and adapt to climate change, as to mitigate areas well as their potential achievements and constraints. have argues that urban areas the report In conclusion, change mitigation and in both climate a pivotal role adaptation and identifies strategies and approaches this role. for strengthening - - - - quis dit iuscin vel ulput delisim HS Number: HS/062/11E HS Number: 978-92-1-132027-5 ISBN Number (Series): 978-92-1-132356-6 ISBN Number (Volume): HUMAN SETTLEMENTS PROGRAMME UNITED NATIONS 30030,Nairobi 00100,Kenya; P.O.Box +254-20-7623120; Tel: office) +254-20-76234266/7 (Central Fax: [email protected] www.unhabitat.org/publications This report examines how the public-private partnership (PPP) report examines how the public-private This model can be applied to help promote sustainable housing and report has The urban development for countries around the world. key opportunities and challenges it identifies First, two main parts. and and provides PPP best practices faced by PPPs in general, levels of guiding principles adopted by governments at various it describes global patterns in the Second, economic development. most prominent urban PPP sectors followed by case studies that governments have been adopted and implemented by various the performance of case studies evaluate The around the globe. the partnership by analyzing and cross-referencing each against chapters in preceding presented practices and best ideas the key of this report. The Global Urban economic DialoGUe SerieS www.unhabitat.org/publications www.unhabitat.org/publications UN-HABITAT UN-HABITAT GPO 30030, P.O.Box Kenya 00100, Nairobi 4532 (254-20) 762 Tel. 3477 (254-20) 762 Fax. cum zzriure rcidui tat lum doluptat. Re ming estrud magna consequat nonulla con cum zzriure rcidui tat lum doluptat. Re ming estrud magna www.earthscan.co.uk quat, velis adit etumsan hendre modit iniam, sequat. Ut iuscilis dolutet, commolum quat, velis adit etumsan hendre modit iniam, sequat. Ut iuscilis nummodo luptatumsan henibh et, sim duip erci bla feugiamcon ut landre vulla fac- nummodo luptatumsan henibh et, sim duip erci bla feugiamcon con hent nulpute consequ amconsequip et, qui tetue vel iniam, conse vel inciliquam con hent nulpute consequ amconsequip et, qui tetue vel Eathscan strives to minimize its impact on environment • Photo credits here • Photo credits hereGiam iliquis augiat er alisit il • ullandrem nullaoreet ing esequis dui et vendip eugait • con ute mod exero odolorper iure vullaorper sim cons ea con er at at num dit lumsan eratem • quamet, Uptat, consecte facinim euguera esequis et ilis alit wis enim zzrilit, senibh ea commy Uptat, consecte facinim euguera esequis et ilis alit wis enim Climate change is one of the most dangerous threats threats Climate change is one of the most dangerous two powerful ever faced by humankind. Fuelled by by that have been unleashed human-Induced forces in development and manipulation of the environment of urbanization and cli the industrial age, the effects converging in ways which threaten mate change are negative impacts on urban to have unprecedented quality of life, and economic and social stability. is an equally com however, Alongside these threats, pelling set of opportunities. The concentration of as well as social people, industries and infrastructure, crucibles and cultural activities will make urban areas strategies can be catalyzed to re of innovation, where cop gas emissions and to improve duce greenhouse vulnerability to climate ing mechanisms and reduce change impacts. to the challenges of successful responses However, changes in how urban areas climate change require ADVERTISEMENT

The habiTaT Scroll of honour award The Habitat Scroll of Honour award was launched by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme in 1989. It is currently the most prestigious human settlements award in the world. Its aim is to acknowledge initiatives which have made outstanding contributions in various fields such as shelter provision, highlighting the plight of the homeless, leadership in post conflict reconstruction, and developing and improving the human settlements and the quality of urban life. The award will be presented to the winners during the Global Observance of World Habitat Day in Mexico on 3 October 2011. Eligibility Individuals, organizations, projects and any Habitat Agenda partner can be nominated for the Habitat Scroll of Honour. These include: • Government and inter-governmental organizations or agencies, including bilateral aid agencies • Cities, local authorities or their associations • Civil society organizations • The private sector • National Habitat Committees or focal points • Research and academic institutions • Public or private foundations • Multilateral agencies (United Nations Agencies, World Bank, etc.) • The media Kindly nominate a candidate or send your sub • Individuals mission for the Award by emailing the submis sion details and nomination form to the World The Nomination Form and Submission Guidelines are Habitat Day coordinator at whd@unhabitat. available for download in all the UN languages at the org, or mail to the following address: World Habitat Day website, www.unhabitat.org/ whd. The Coordinator, World Habitat Day P.O. Box 30030 - 00100 UN-HABITAT Block 4, 3rd Floor South, New Office Facility UNON Gigiri Complex Deadline for submissions UN Avenue, off Limuru Road Nairobi, Kenya 31 July 2011 Tel: (+254 20) 762 5311 Fax: (+254 20) 762 3477 ADVERTISEMENT Xxxxxxxx BEST PRACTICES

urban December 2010 . January 2011 WORLD 35

UW 09 EN copia.indd 35 8/2/11 12:48:50 UN-HABITAT Urban Gateway - an online community to help cities and urban practitioners across the world unite to share knowledge and take action.

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