Outcome of the Thematic Sessions
Speakers at the Water and Green Growth event. Photo © UN-HABITAT
the Rio +20, 2012 through the Marseille World Water Forum. Environmental, economic as well as social factors have been intermingled and finally green growth became the product of these processes.
Water – The Urban Challenge Conveners: Global Water Partnership. Purpose: i. Address the growing impacts of an urbanizing population on the water sector. ii. Explore opportunities to enhance affordable green growth for all while reducing adverse effects on the disadvantaged and improving the quality of life for people and the environment.
Main messages i. ‘Cities as organisms’ - they use resources and generate wealth and waste. The key is getting the best and reducing the worst impacts. ii. Informal settlements are here to stay. They are the engine – through human labor - that drives the cities and economies. Rather than discriminate, governments at national level and local level need to work with the energy and creativity of people in these settlements to build a better life for themselves and in situ upgrading with service provision is feasible but needs high levels of community involvement. iii. Nearly all the speakers emphasized the importance of multi-stakeholder consultation in planning processes at all levels.
World Water Day 2011
Water and Urbanization
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