Urbanization Threatens Nature And Food Security - UN-Habitat Chief

2026-05-20 03:37:33

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20. Urbanization in a number of regions effectively consumes nature and agricultural lands while intensifying risks to food security, demanding an urgent overhaul of approaches to urban development, said Anaclaudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Trend reports.

The UN official made the remarks during a panel discussion titled "The Climate-Housing Nexus" held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.

According to her, a significant portion of climate impacts today results directly from unmanaged and unplanned urbanization. She emphasized that more than 1 billion people worldwide lack access to water and electricity, while millions live in conditions completely devoid of basic security.

She also noted that children face barriers to regular school attendance due to the absence of safe housing, and many families live in constant fear for their personal safety. The situation concerning informal settlements continues to deteriorate, and the international community has not yet successfully managed the task of reducing them.

Rossbach underscored the necessity of integrating the housing agenda into global climate negotiations and called for a thorough revision of urban growth models, including a shift toward more compact and sustainable urban development.

Today marks the fourth day of WUF13 in Baku.

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