BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. Special attention
must be paid to water resources issues in urban development,
Dilfuza Shiriyeva, a representative of the State Committee for
Construction of City of Arkadag under the President of
Turkmenistan, told Trend on the sidelines of the World Urban Forum
(WUF13) in Baku.


She shared her experience of participating in an international
forum and discussed key priorities in modern urban development.


Shiriyeva noted that participating in the forum was her first
experience of its kind, and the organization of the event in Baku
received high praise. She emphasized the broad representation of
countries and the opportunity for an open exchange of opinions in
an informal and professional atmosphere.


"Many countries are represented here, including some we may not
have heard about very often. This is an important platform for
exchanging experiences," she said.


Responding to a question about urban development priorities for
the next 10 years, she highlighted environmental friendliness and
safety as key areas. Particular attention, she said, needs to be
paid to water resources and their rational use.


As an example, she cited practices implemented in Turkmenistan,
including rainwater collection and reuse systems for irrigating
green spaces.


"Speaking about the Arkadag city project, I would like to
emphasize that it's the first 'smart city' in Turkmenistan built
from scratch, which has enabled the implementation of modern
environmental and infrastructure solutions – from wastewater
treatment facilities to eco-friendly transportation, including
electric buses and eco-taxis," said Shiriyeva.

She called for active participation in such international forums,
emphasizing their importance for professional growth and the
exchange of experience between countries.


Today marks the fifth 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.


One of the highlights of the third day was the signing of a
sister-city memorandum between the Azerbaijani city of Shusha and
the Turkish city of Trabzon.


The fourth day of WUF13 featured a broad program of events
dedicated to urbanization, climate change, inclusive urban
development, housing policy, and sustainable governance.


One of the important events of the UN Special Programme for the
Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) Cities Forum, held on the fourth
day, was the announcement of Almaty’s official accession to the
“Declaration of Intent on the Establishment of the SPECA Smart
Climate-Resilient Cities Forum.”


Also, for the first time in WUF history and at Azerbaijan’s
initiative, the “WUF13 NGO Forum: Global Partnership and
Decision-Making” was held.


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.