The UN Development Programme (UNDP) released on 9 September 2013 a Strategy Paper on 'Sustainable and Inclusive Urbanization in Asia Pacific,' outlining potential activities and points of entry for UNDP to support governments and local communities in achieving inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities.
9 September 2013: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has released a Strategy Paper on ‘Sustainable and Inclusive Urbanization in Asia Pacific,’ outlining potential activities and points of entry for UNDP to support governments and local communities in achieving inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities.
The strategy paper, dated 30 June 2013 and released on 9 September, notes that the scale and pace of urbanization in the region has caught many governments and communities unprepared, as demand for land, shelter, energy supplies and social and environmental services has outstripped supply. It recommends that UNDP encourage cross-sectoral implementation through focusing on: urban governance and empowerment, especially in secondary cities and peri-urban areas; poverty and vulnerability; environmental sustainability, energy efficiency and climate resilience; and disaster risk reduction (DRR).
Attachments to the paper provide comparative data, including growth rates and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rankings by city. [UNDP Press Release] [Publication: Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper: Sustainable and Inclusive Urbanization in Asia Pacific] [UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre]