Aims to “Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable”.
Let's learn a little more about SDG 11.
10
Targets
4
Campaigns
2984
Pledges
3679
Actions Taken
19
Reading Material
6
Quiz
With over half of humanity living in cities and urbanisation further expected to grow in the coming years, addressing vital issues of development and sustainability within cities is an urgent need. Here, SDG 11 focuses on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
In his 2016 Peace Proposal SGI President Daisaku Ikeda highlights the role that cities can play in addressing key sustainability issues:
“I would like to propose that the world's cities work together in paving the way toward promoting the goals set out in the Paris Agreement. Although the world's cities only occupy 2 percent of the Earth's land area, they account for 75 percent of carbon emissions and more than 60 percent of energy consumption. While this means that cities' environmental footprint is disproportionately large, it also reflects the reality that if cities change, the world will change.”
Because of their high concentrations of population many cities are also very vulnerable to natural calamities, social unrest etc. Since 2008, over half of the world’s population has been living in urban environments and that share is set to rise to 60 percent by 2030. One of the key driving forces behind this increase has been the fact that cities are the engines of economic growth, contributing about 70 percent to the global GDP.
The rapid urbanisation, however, has also become a source for intensifying inequalities and environmental challenges, leading to growth in urban slums, inadequate and overburdened infrastructure like roads, transport, waste collection, water and sanitation systems and worsening air pollution. According to estimates by the United Nations, over 1 billion people live in slums today and with over 90 percent of urban growth forecasted to happen in Asia and Africa in the next 30 years, there is an urgent requirement to create sustainable urban spaces, especially in developing countries.
Although the challenges emanating from the growth of cities and urban settlements are immense and pose multiple obstacles to the achievement of SDGs, there is also great opportunity for innovative solutions. Due to their density, urban spaces present great opportunities to create synergies between the economy, environment and social benefits.
SGI President Daisaku Ikeda particularly places emphasis on individual action. In his 2011 Peace Proposal, he writes:
“The confidence and joy of knowing that our daily action, dialogue and engagement are moving the world in a better direction--this unleashes hitherto unimagined energy and power from within people's lives. We are moved by the knowledge that each of the world's seemingly ordinary individuals can be a protagonist in the creation of a new era. No force can match that of a fundamental transformation in the human spirit.”
Half of humanity – 3.5 billion people – lives in cities today and 5 billion people are projected to live in cities by 2030.
95 percent of urban expansion in the next decades will take place in developing world.
828 million people live in slums today and most them are found in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia.
The world’s cities occupy just 3 percent of the Earth’s land, but account for 60-80 percent of energy consumption and 75 percent of carbon emissions.
Cities account for between 60 and 80 percent of energy consumption and generate as much as 70 percent of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions.
90 percent of urban growth is forecasted to happen in Asia and Africa in the next 30 years.
By 2050, 70 percent of the world population is predicted to live in urban settlements.
By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.
By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons.
By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.
Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
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.
Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning.
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, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels.
Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials.
378 Pledges
731 Pledges
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Let’s learn about SDG 11 i.e. Sustainable Cities & Communities through this short quiz.
Take this fun quiz to test your knowledge about the SDGs.
Take this fun quiz to test your knowledge about the SDGs.
