BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20. A session titled
"Building Nature-Positive Cities Housing, Resilience, and
Sustainable Urban Futures" is underway within the framework of the
World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Trend reports.


The event features the presentation of the Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) analytical report
titled "Advancing Nature-Positive Cities (NPCs): Overcoming
implementation challenges and unlocking solutions."


Nature-positive approaches and the development of urban green
infrastructure emerge as core municipal policy strategies, ensuring
synergy across various urban development tracks. As urbanization
accelerates, built-up areas in 80 percent of functional urban areas
across OECD countries grew faster than their populations between
2000 and 2020. This trend led to a reduction in urban green spaces,
elevated risks of extreme heat and flooding, biodiversity loss, and
diminished resource availability.


In particular, tree cover in major OECD cities declined by 72
percent from 1992 to 2018, while 44 percent of global GDP (USD 31
trillion) faces risks due to biodiversity loss and environmental
degradation. The OECD study on nature-positive cities, initiated
last year, identified key deployment challenges and potential
policy mechanisms to overcome them.


The session presents the main findings of the report alongside
examples of innovative international practices. These cases
demonstrate how nature-based solutions integrate into urban
planning, infrastructure, housing policy, and climate resilience
strategies under varying conditions.


The discussions focus on practical implementation issues,
including managing trade-offs related to land use and social
equity, developing technical standards and guidelines, mobilizing
sustainable financing, and strengthening assessment and monitoring
frameworks. For instance, if poorly designed, nature-based measures
such as green roofs can increase initial construction expenses; in
Italy, their cost stands at 140–250 euros per square meter compared
to 80–100 euros for traditional roofs, potentially exacerbating
housing affordability issues despite long-term advantages.


In line with the overarching theme of the 13th session of the
World Urban Forum, "Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities
and communities," the session emphasizes that housing construction,
when properly planned and managed, can serve as a vital instrument
for promoting nature-positive and sustainable cities.







The event brings together representatives of international
organizations, national governments, municipal and metropolitan
authorities, as well as experts and practitioners, providing a
timely platform to deepen the understanding of nature-positive
approaches and discuss innovative solutions.


Today marks the fourth day of WUF13 in Baku.


The first day included a ministerial meeting dedicated to the
New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, assemblies for women
and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban
prosperity. An official ceremony marking the raising of the UN and
Azerbaijani flags also took place.


The second day stood out for the inaugural Leaders' Summit,
featuring high-level discussions on the global housing crisis,
urbanization policy, and urban resilience. Concurrently, the
opening of the Mexico City pavilion took place, serving as a
significant platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin
American region and preparing for WUF14.


The third day of WUF13 featured a comprehensive program of
events covering the global housing crisis, the formation of safe
and inclusive cities, climate resilience, artificial intelligence
and urban governance, green urbanization, social equity, and
sustainable transport.


WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered
participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held
under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and
communities,” the forum brings together governments, international
organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to
strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban
development.