The Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson (l), Ms. Tian Sainan, Deputy Secretary General, Party Committee of Urban-Rural Construction and Communication Work of Shanghai and the UN-Habitat Executive Director Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif launch the fourth edition of the Shanghai Manual at the Global Observance of World Cities Day 2018 in Liverpool, UK on 31 October 2018
Shaik Hussam bin Khalifa Al Khalifa President of the Court of HRH the Prime Minister of Bahrain presents an award to the UN-Habitat Executive Director, Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif in recognition of her work at World Cities Day in Liverpool in 31 October 2018
Head of China’s delegation to the Global Observance of World Cities Day 2018, Ms. Tian Sainan, Deputy Secretary General, Party Committee of Urban-Rural Construction and Communication Work of Shanghai Municipality giving her speech at the event in Liverpool, UK on 31 October 2018 © Liverpool City Council/2018
The theme of World Cities Day 2018 was Building Sustainable and Resilient Cities with the Global Observance held in Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Over the last decade, natural disasters have affected more than 220 million people and caused economic damage of USD $100billion per year. By 2030, without significant investment to make cities more resilient, natural disasters may cost cities worldwide three times that amount a year and climate change may push up millions of urban residents into poverty. Hundreds of cities and communities are struggling with the impact of crisis – including conflicts, natural disasters, failures in governance and economic stress.
Cities need support to become resilient and develop their capacity to absorb the impact of hazards, protect and preserve human life and limit damage to and destruction of public and private assets while continuing to provide infrastructure and services after a crisis.
There is a pressing need for new innovative tools and approaches that strengthen local administrations and empower citizens, while building their capacity to face new challenges and better protect human, economic and natural assets. Governments must lead coordinated inclusive policies that push for resilient urban areas, providing support to regional and local governments.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the New Urban Agenda together provide a roadmap for a more sustainable and resilient world. How our cities develop will have significant implications for realizing the future we want.
As Urban October comes to an end, a month dedicated to raising awareness on urban challenges, successes and sustainability, faced by cities and human settlements around the world, I am delighted to learn that an unprecedented number of global celebrations marking this month have taken place around the world. This month, over 100 events have taken place across almost 50 cities and nearly 30 countries.
