^{31 October 2017}

RISE is supporting the implementation of the New Urban Agenda by pioneering a healthier and more environmentally friendly Water-Sensitive Cities approach to urban water management in 24 informal settlements in Makassar, Indonesia and Suva, Fiji.

Adopted in 2016 at the Habitat III Conference in Ecuador, the New Urban Agenda provides a 20-year roadmap for how to harness towns and cities as drivers of development. The Agenda is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with particular focus on SDG11: “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”.

Today is World Cities Day, designated by the United Nations to emphasise the need for countries and cities to collaborate in addressing the challenges of urbanisation to achieve sustainable urban development.

“Today we consider not only the challenges that rapid urbanisation brings, such as expanding informal settlements and poor access to safe and secure water for all, but also the opportunities for economic and social development which urbanisation can bring if managed in an inclusive way,” said Professor Pascale Allotey, RISE Chief Investigator and Director of the International Institute for Global Health at the United Nations University (IIGH-UNU).

A key challenge that developing countries face when experiencing rapid urbanisation is limited capacity to manage water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) needs, especially in informal settlements. In these communities, polluted water and inadequate water supply is responsible for an estimated 80% of diseases and one in four deaths. RISE aims to address this issue through a nature-based approach to clean up the environment and provide essential water services.

The 2017 World Cities Day theme ‘Innovative Governance, Open Cities’ highlights inclusivity as a key pillar of the New Urban Agenda. To be truly inclusive, cities must ensure those living on the margins of society are provided the basic human right of access to clean water and secure sanitation facilities. The New Urban Agenda requires countries to commit to ensuring equal opportunities for all, sustainable resource management, and promoting green initiatives to develop cleaner and more resilient cities.

With the understanding of the potential of urbanisation to strengthen global development and support social and economic inclusion, RISE aims to support Fiji and Indonesia advance implementation of the New Urban Agenda utilising innovative approaches to water and sanitation management.

^{RISE Inception Workshop in Suva, Fiji}

^{RISE Inception Workshop in Makassar, Indonesia}