Lajana Manandhar
Moderator
The proposed partner-led event aims to highlight the crucial intersection between collective housing, safe sanitation, and the climate crisis. This is especially pertinent given the escalating threat of climate change, particularly in urban areas where 68% of the global population is projected to reside by 2050. The event seeks to explore pathways for localized climate action in cities by integrating these elements, focusing on uplifting urban poor communities through affordable technologies, innovative approaches, and inclusive dialogue among stakeholders.
Emphasizing the urgency of community-centered strategies, the event aims to advance sustainable and climate-resilient urban development. Discussions will encompass tangible aspects such as livelihoods and social practices, alongside intangible elements like future pathways to resilient communities. Serving as a catalyst for change, the event will inspire cities to accelerate efforts towards localized climate actions, ensuring sustainable and resilient communities for all.
The side event will feature keynote presentations, presentations from the experts in the event highlighting successful approaches and models from the ground and emphasizing the open discussions as well. Key themes include innovative climate-resilient housing, eco-friendly sanitation technologies, community engagement strategies promoting women’s leadership and empowerment, financial mechanisms supporting community priorities, network building, and inclusive policy frameworks for sustainable urban development.
Advocating for diverse stakeholder inclusion in decision-making processes related to local climate action, the event underscores the role of political will, institutional support, and financial mechanisms in empowering local administrations to effectively address climate change impacts.
This partner led event will be organized jointly by FANSA in partnership and collaboration with ACHR; Huairou Commission [HC] and SOHAG. This 90-minutes event will feature:
1. Keynote (5 mins): Setting the tone with expert insights.
2. Brief Presentations (30 mins): Perspectives from four speakers highlighting practical processes, current status, and successful approaches.
3. Voices from the Ground (30 mins): Community experiences in collective housing and safe sanitation, contributing reflections towards sustainable, inclusive and climate responsive and resilient practices with voices to prioritize the communities in the center of the development process.
4. Collective Discussion (20 mins): Participants engage in dialogue among participants, speakers, and community leaders on scaling up collective housing and safe sanitation, covering policies, financing, technologies, capacities, and institutional frameworks.
5. Summation (10 mins): Moderator summarizing key takeaways and inspiring action towards climate-resilient urban communities .
This event aims to foster actionable insights & collaboration, driving towards resilience & inclusivity.
The "Partner led Event" in "Voices from the Cities" aims to explore the pivotal role of community, practitioners and professionals and policy/decision makers to create pathway for inclusive and sustainable urban development through collective housing and safe sanitation and showcase innovative approaches for climate adaptation and mitigation.
Specific Objectives:
1. Highlight successful and innovative practices, models, and strategies for collective housing and safe sanitation solutions contributing to climate resilience, incorporating traditional knowledge and practices for improved living conditions. Explore innovative technologies and policies to enhance access to safe sanitation amidst climate challenges.
2. Promote, raise and strengthen Community voices to ensure people's rights to secure land tenure, sanitation, and finance. Partner with governments and stakeholders to address housing and sanitation issues, emphasizing policies for safe, dignified, and climate-resilient living environments by addressing climate crisis and promoting resilient, and equitable cities.
3. Strengthen collaboration for knowledge exchange among policymakers, urban planners, sanitation experts, & grassroots women leaders. Co-create solutions leveraging collective expertise.
4. Advocate for integrating climate resilience into policies, practices, & investments at local, national, & global levels. Provide communities with access to climate risk information to safeguard daily lives & livelihoods.