The Winning Formula - Partnering With and Transforming Communities through Locally-led Actions for Sustainable Human Settlement Development

Rapid urbanisation, climate change, localising financing, and the challenge of accessing and providing basic services intersect in a complex dance that urban communities are grappling with and governments have to address.

The Event will focus on the proactive initiatives, innovations/steps led by both government and organised grassroots/community-based groups to address these challenges. Both national and local Governments across the world together with the wide range of stakeholders – organised community groups, civil society organizations, philanthropies, academic-research-training institutions, the private sector, women, youth and others, have been striving to address urban challenges towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda. While the need for enhanced partnership, especially working with the local communities for locally-led development is acknowledged, many still face challenges in finding the “winning formula” to actualizing local development.

The Event will, therefore, showcase collaborative and partnership initiatives, that started with the government’s support in creating the enabling environment - with the example from Zambia, and those that are started by the community themselves, that led to the empowerment of the communities in addressing and meeting the challenges of urban issues and highlight efforts focused on sustainable urban development. These include the implemented strategies for settlement improvement, community-led initiatives for infrastructure development, particularly, housing, clean water, sanitation and innovative waste management, building community resilience, that feature inclusive participatory approaches in human settlement development. These efforts and initiatives not only improve the quality of life for residents but also contribute to the broader objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Number 11 of the SDGs on sustainable cities and communities.

The discussion will center on identifying the elements of the ‘WINNING FORMULA” – of such successful partnerships, the elements for the enabling environment, as well as the strategies to mitigate the challenges.

Ultimately, the event will create a platform for dialogue, exchange of knowledge and lessons learned, necessary for the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly, Goal Number 11.