The cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) on Thursday shed light on a report – issued by the United Nations Human Settlements Program – which highlighted growing demand for decent housing.
The report focused on achieving the Sustainable Development Goal to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”.
“Humanity’s present and future is urban. Now is the time to think, plan and act urban. Urbanization—how cities develop and grow—is now central to determining people’s quality of life,” the report noted saying that creating the conditions for environmentally sustainable, economically prosperous, and socially equitable and just cities and human settlements is of paramount importance for present and future generations.
UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif said: “I stand before you to address an urgent matter that requires our immediate attention and action The achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 11 in just seven years demands bold and decisive policy interventions as well as substantial investment in sustainable urban development.”
The report asserts that SDG 11 is critical to achieving the 2030 Agenda’s broader vision of global development, stressing that cities and human settlements are the locus of opportunity to accelerate progress on the 5 Ps of the SDGs: people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships.
Housing is the biggest challenge. Globally, 2.8 billion experience some form of housing inadequacy. 165 million more slum dwellers have emerged globally over 20 years, reaching almost 1.1 billion in 2020. Housing is a problem in the global North as well, at least 318 million are homeless, the report added.
Source: State Information Service Egypt