Pathways to Urban Recovery, Reconstruction, and Resilience-building in the Arab Region

Cities throughout the Arab region, primarily in Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Sudan, are facing the complex and compounding effects of protracted conflict, economic crisis and climate change. The direct consequences of these crises include the destruction and collapse of housing, basic services and other urban systems, local governance arrangements and social cohesion. Indirect effects, such as supply chain disruptions and influxes of displaced persons which place pressure on host communities and spur competition for generally scarce resources, can also be felt across cities in the region and the world. Recurring crises and protracted humanitarian responses have, in many cases, failed to build the resilience of communities or catalyze long-term recovery and sustainable development in afflicted cities. Due to the geographic concentration of populations and functions, urban areas are complex systems that become especially vulnerable in times of conflict and crisis. However, governance systems in the Arab region remain largely centralized, limiting the response capacities of local actors in such circumstances. At the same time, experience has shown that recovery processes are most effective and sustainable when they are locally led and ensure strong participation and integration of the community at all stages. These factors provide a strong rationale for an explicit urban focus and area-based approach to recovery, anchored firmly in the geographic, demographic and governance-related realities of the local context. This session explores critical considerations for supporting participatory, inclusive, multi-sectoral and evidence-based recovery processes that can lead to coordinated, comprehensive and long-term responses to the variety of shocks faced by Arab cities and their residents.