“Currently, more than one billion people worldwide lack access to clean water,” said Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), during her speech at the session titled "The Climate-Housing Nexus: Can We Scale Climate-Resilient Housing Without Deepening Inequality or Displacement?", held within the framework of the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13).

According to her, the risks posed by climate change render housing and urban planning policy issues even more urgent.

"Azerbaijan demonstrated rapid response and readiness against extreme weather events during the heavy rainfall a few days ago. The precipitation was above normal levels. Nonetheless, we witnessed how the host nation effectively managed the situation. Today, millions of people around the world are deprived of access to basic services – not only water but also electricity," she emphasized.

The Executive Director of UN-Habitat noted that these critical matters will also be reflected in the mid-term review of the "New Urban Agenda." She added that the international community has not yet achieved the desired results in addressing the challenges associated with informal settlements, and the existing problems continue to deepen over time.

 

AZERTAC

2026, May 20