UN-Habitat promoting new approaches to development of mountain communities

Developing optimal solutions for the sustainable development of mountain communities remains a key priority for UN-Habitat, reads a statement by Erfan Ali, Director of the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, which was delivered by Anastasia Mikhaylova, Head of UN-Habitat Office in the Russian Federation, at the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) at WUF13, Report informs.

The statement notes that a separate UN thematic program is dedicated to the development of mountain regions.

According to Erfan Ali, UN-Habitat promotes urban development approaches that take into account climatic conditions, cultural characteristics, the need to preserve biodiversity, and the protection of mountain landscapes. These approaches are aimed at creating a compact and interconnected urban environment that prevents excessive urban sprawl.

Key priorities include improving the resilience, safety, efficiency, and inclusiveness of mountain communities.

"UN-Habitat actively cooperates in this area with the representative offices of CIS countries, in particular Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan," reads the statement.