As part of the Twelfth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12) in Cairo, Egypt, the UNCCD G20 Global Land will host an event titled, “Nature, Land, and Cities: What Nature Positive Cities Look Like in the Arab Region.” The event will take place on Wednesday, 6 November 2024, at 13:00-14:30 in the Action room B.

Participants will focus on how Arab cities can integrate Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to strengthen urban resilience and combat land degradation. This is in line with the G20’s commitment to reduce degraded land by 50% by 2040.

Co-organized by the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Arab States, the League of Arab States, and the High-Level Climate Champions, the session will explore actionable strategies for Arab cities to adopt sustainable land management practices.

The key highlights include discussions on adapting global frameworks to the regional context, exchanging best practices and addressing challenges in developing nature-positive urban environments. Participants will engage in an interactive format to gain insights from tools, case studies and success stories that demonstrate the potential of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis.

This event represents a crucial moment in advancing the G20 Global Land Initiative’s goals of restoring land and reducing its degradation, with an emphasis on the role of cities. Highlighting the importance of integrating NbS into urban planning is also a vital step towards regional transformation ahead of the upcoming UNCCD Sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to be held from 2-13 December 2025.

Participants can expect to come away with innovative ideas and actionable strategies for integrating nature into urban landscapes, strengthening urban-rural linkages and fostering sustainable development across the Arab region.

Event details

Date and time: 6 November 2024, 13:00-14:30

Location: SDGs in Action room B, Twelfth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12), Cairo, Egypt

Moderators & Speakers

Dr. Karen Sudmeier-Rieux	Mohamed Hegazy

Ms. Johanna Alcala & Dr. Marwa Khalifa	Dr. Thomas Forster & Dr. Simone Sandholz
Dr. Karen Sudmeier-Rieux & Mr. Ehab Eid	Ms. Nadine Bitar & Eng. Nisreen Daoud