FAO at the World Urban Forum - Urban agrifood systems transformation in Near East and North Africa: towards reconnecting cities with nature and mitigating the impact of climate change on urban communities.
08/11/2024
Location: ONE UN Room B at Egypt International Exhibition Center
As cities in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region rapidly expand, urban populations are expected to reach 73 percent by 2050, totaling over 450 million people. This growth places substantial strain on infrastructure, natural resources, and food systems, leading to environmental degradation and diminishing agricultural land in a region already impacted by resource scarcity and climate change. Additionally, the intensifying threat of Sand and Dust Storms (SDS) in the NENA region exacerbates these pressures, affecting ecosystems, economies, and food security. Annually, the region generates about 94 million tonnes of dust, with SDS causing up to USD 13 billion in economic losses, damaging crops, and leading to increased food loss, particularly affecting staple crops like cereals and dates. Sustainable approaches, such as tree planting and urban greening, offer viable solutions for mitigating these impacts by stabilizing soils and creating natural dust barriers.
This session will explore how green infrastructure and sustainable urban initiatives can help mitigate SDS impacts and address food loss and waste management, directly supporting SDGs 11, 12, 13, and 15. By showcasing successful urban greening projects in the NENA region, the session will highlight strategies for enhancing land cover and urban food systems resilience in response to climate and environmental challenges. Discussions will also include examples of municipal-level food loss and waste management, underscoring the potential for circular bioeconomy initiatives and job creation in these sectors. This collaborative dialogue aims to strengthen FAO’s policy and technical efforts, foster urban agrifood system resilience, and support the scaling of effective practices across regions facing similar challenges.
Agenda:
Time | Duration | Content | Potential Speaker |
13:00- 13:05 | 5 mins | Moderator’s welcome | Moderator: Mr Ahmad Mukhtar, Senior Economist, FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (FAO-RNE) |
13:05- 13:20 | 15 mins | High level opening remarks | Dr Manal Awad Mikhael, Minister of Local Development, Ministry of Local Development, Arab Republic of Egypt (TBC)
Mr Abdel Hakim Elwaer, Assistant Director General, Regional Representative for Near East and North Africa
Ms Carol Chouchani Cherfane, Director, Arab Centre for Climate Change Policies; Cluster Lead, Climate Change and Natural Resource Sustainability Cluster, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) |
13:20- 13:30 | 10 mins
| The FAO Urban Agrifood Systems Programme: Greening Cities to tackle food loss and waste and combat Sand and Dust Storms (SDS) in NENA | Ms Fidaa Haddad, Senior Programme Officer, FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (FAO-RNE)
|
13:30- 13:40 | 10 mins | Climate modelling for SDS and socio-economic impacts | Mr Tarek Sadek, Water Resources and Climate Change Officer, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
|
13:40- 14:05 | 25 mins
| Panel discussion: Countries’ promising lessons learnt towards a regional roadmap on urban agrifood systems transformation and Green Cities
| Moderator: Mr Ahmad Mukhtar, Senior Economist, FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (FAO-RNE)
Panelists: Jordan
Bahrain
Saudi Arabia
Mr Moustapha Mohamed, Food Safety and Quality Officer, FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (FAO-RNE)
Ms Sara Granados, Urban agrifood systems senior specialist, FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean. Case of Santiago, Chile |
14:05- 14:25 | 20 mins | Q&A | Moderator: Mr Ahmad Mukhtar, Senior Economist, FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (RNE)
|
14:25- 14:30 | 5 mins | Take Home Messages - Global perspectives on Green Cities Initiatives
| Mr Simone Borelli, Forestry Officer, FAO
|
Contact
Fidaa Haddad
Senior Programme Officer at FAORNE and Regional Priority 3 Lead