World Peace Day 2016: - GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities -Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities -Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

THE FACTS:Cities are hubs for ideas, commerce, culture, science, productivity, social development and much more. At their best, cities have enabled people to advance socially and economically. However, many challenges exist to maintaining cities in a way that continues to create jobs and prosperity while not straining land and resources. Common urban challenges include congestion, lack of funds to provide basic services, a shortage of adequate housing and declining infrastructure.

THE FIGURES:

• By 2030, almost 60 per cent of the world’s population will live in urban areas
• 95 per cent of urban expansion in the next decades will take place in developing world
• 828 million people live in slums today and the number keeps rising
• By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities
• By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, develop and implement a holistic disaster risk management at all levels

WANEP acknowledges that the challenges cities face can be overcome in ways that allow them to continue to thrive and grow, while improving resource use and reducing pollution and poverty. The future we want includes cities of opportunities for all, with access to basic services, energy, housing, transportation and more.