Now is the time to place housing at the heart of sustainable development. That was the message delivered on Monday by UN Secretary General António Guterres to participants at a global forum on urban sustainability under way this week in Baku. His video address set the tone for the 13th session of the World Urban…
Soaring housing costs, climate shocks and conflicts are leaving millions without adequate shelter – but what can be done? As the 13th UN World Urban Forum opens on Sunday in Baku, Azerbaijan, participants will grapple with solutions to a deepening global housing crisis. The conference, organized by UN-Habitat together with Azerbaijan, will bring together world…
African Union Commission Champions Adequate Housing and Urban Resilience at the Second Africa Urban Forum Adequate housing is a cornerstone of sustainable urban growth The African Union Commission (AUC) has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban development across the continent at the Second Africa Urban Forum, held 8-10 April 2026 in…
NAIROBI, 8 April 2026 Africa’s most consequential gathering on housing and urban development, Africa Urban Forum 2 (AUF 2), opened today in Nairobi, as African leaders and policymakers called for urgent, coordinated action to transform the continent’s rapidly expanding cities into engines of economic growth, social inclusion, and climate resilience. The three-day forum, running from…
As African cities experience some of the fastest urban growth rates in the world, China has become a major bilateral financier for urban infrastructure. From Nairobi’s elevated expressways to Lagos’s airport upgrades and Addis Ababa’s new riverside developments, Chinese-backed projects are transforming skylines and daily life across the continent. I study China’s economic engagements in…
On World Cities Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) calls on national and city leaders to transform urban areas into engines of health, equity and sustainability. More than 4.4 billion people, over half of humanity, now live in urban areas, a figure projected to rise to nearly 70% by 2050. In cities health, inequality, environment…
Africa’s most feared snake has found a new role as an environmental guardian, with researchers having discovered that black mambas can serve as detectors of air pollution. A new study shows the snakes – which are Africa’s most venomous – absorb heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury into their bodies. By clipping…
