WUF13: Land issue identified as key factor in overcoming housing crisis in Africa

Land remains a key obstacle to resolving Africa's housing crisis, and sustainable urban development will be impossible without reforms in this area, Anaclaudia Rossbach, executive director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), said at the regional ministerial meeting for African countries during the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Report informs.

According to her, access to land and effective land management are the foundation for expanding housing construction and improving living conditions.

"Efficient, transparent, and inclusive land management systems must be created to increase the supply of land for housing and improve living conditions in informal settlements. UN-Habitat's African team placed land at the center of the concept of transformative change in its State of African Cities update," Rossbach emphasized.

She noted that rapid urbanization on the African continent is increasing the strain on infrastructure and the housing market, while the lack of clear land governance mechanisms often leads to the growth of informal settlements and social inequality.

According to the head of UN-Habitat, to achieve sustainable urban development, countries need not only to expand the housing stock but also to ensure equitable access to land, basic services, and urban infrastructure.