NAIROBI, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The UN Habitat, World Green Building Council (GBC) and Chatham House on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop guidelines to promote climate resilient societies in the Middle East.
Erfan Ali, regional director for the regional office of Arab States at UN Habitat said that urban areas and essential infrastructure in the Middle East and North Africa have suffered large scale damage and destruction due to recent and on-going conflict.
"In this respect, UN Habitat, World GBC and Chatham house have agreed to sign a MOU to join forces to develop a regional agenda for sustainable recovery, regeneration and reconstruction for the Arab region in which the re-built environment contributes to healthy, resource-secure and climate-resilient societies," Ali said during the first UN Habitat Assembly.
He said that the guidelines should be in place at the end of 2019 and will be implemented in a number of countries including Libya, Yemen, Iraq and Syria.
Ali said there are no current procedures specifically tailored to monitor infrastructure reconstruction efforts in conflict areas in the Arab world although these aspects will be fundamental to long term peace, stability and inclusive economic growth.
"Without international efforts to account for climate resilience when at the recovery stage, planning for reconstruction, and implementing projects on the ground, it is likely financiers of reconstruction will lose value for money," he added.
According to the UN official, the guidance will apply criteria of sustainable development, taking into consideration the changing political and economic environment of the Middle East.
