GCH @ Global Forum on Human Settlements
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Description
High-Level Dialogue “Invigorate innovation and leadership towards greener and smarter cities”
| The High-Level Dialogue “Invigorate innovation and leadership towards greener and smarter cities” will explore how innovation, science, and technology can drive the transition toward resilient, circular, and sustainable cities. Bringing together local leaders, international experts, and private sector representatives, the discussion will highlight practical approaches to leveraging AI, digital tools, and nature-based solutions for greener urban futures. Panelists will also examine how international city networks and public–private partnerships can accelerate collective action on zero waste, climate adaptation, and resource efficiency. Finally, the session will focus on scaling local innovation, strengthening multi-stakeholder collaboration, and advancing inclusive governance to achieve global sustainability and resilience goals.
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Date: 4 November 2025
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Speakers
- Loretta Hieber Girardet, Chief of Risk Knowledge, Monitoring and Capacity Development at United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
- Dato’ Ir. Rajendran P. Anthony, Mayor, Penang Island, Malaysia
- Teo Eng Cheong, Chief Executive Officer, Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd.
- Orsolya Barsi, Head of the Climate Department of the Municipality of Budapest, Hungary
- Mohammed Ahmed Alrayees, Director of Waste Strategy and Projects Department, Dubai Municipality, UAE
- Anh Thu Duong, Co-Director, Policy and Partnerships, Global Cities Hub
Increasing Climate Resilience through Integrated Urban Heat and Water Resource Management
| Rapid urbanization, rising temperatures, and increasing water stress are intensifying the vulnerability of cities and their inhabitants to extreme weather events, like heat waves and droughts, particularly in the context of a changing climate. Urban areas, with their dense infrastructure and often limited green cover, experience amplified heat through the urban heat island effect, while growing populations, expansion of the built area and erratic rainfall patterns often strain water supply. In recent years various cities have endured extreme temperatures, while prolonged heat and drought have severely strained urban water supplies, forcing tighter restrictions and highlighting the deepening link between rising heat and worsening water scarcity in urban areas. The 2015–2018 Cape Town, South Africa drought demonstrated how urban systems can be pushed to their limits when water scarcity coincides with rising temperatures, even to the extent of nearly reaching a “zero-day” event when taps could run dry.
To raise awareness and share knowledge on urban climate resilience, WMO will host a session on “Increasing Climate Resilience through Integrated Urban Heat and Water Resource Management” at the GFHS 2025. This session will bring together experts in the fields of disaster risk reduction, drought and urban planning to discuss and share knowledge on how climate, weather, and water services can help cities address growing challenges from heat stress, water scarcity, and extreme events, showcasing innovative, science-based approaches to strengthen urban resilience and support sustainable development goals. |
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Date: 4 November 2025
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Speakers
- Johan Stander, Senior Director, Services Department, World Meteorological Organization
- Orsolya Barsi, Head of Department, Department for Climate and Environmental Affairs, City Hall of Budapest
- Sebastian Grey, Scientific Officer for Agrometeorology, World Meteorological Organization
- Nadia Verjee, Executive Director, Expo City Dubai
- Ronald Jackson, Head of Disaster Risk Reduction, Recovery and Resilience Building, United Nations Development Programme
Moderated by Anh Thu Duong, Co-director of the Global Cities Hub
Coastal Cities as Source and Solution: Shifting the Plastics Pollution Paradigm
| The panel discussion “Coastal Cities as Source and Solution: Shifting the Plastics Pollution Paradigm” will consider the links between plastic pollution, human behaviour and the sustainable development of coastal cities. This event will explore how coastal cities can transition from being sources of plastic pollution to drivers of innovative, safe and effective circular materials and waste management solutions. Speakers will elaborate on the role of multilateral environmental agreements and relevant global frameworks, such as the New Urban Agenda, the SDGs, and the ongoing Plastic Treaty negotiations (INC). Discussions will focus on strengthening the link between ocean health, urban development and the sustainable use of coastal resources.
Jointly organised by the International Ocean Institute (IOI) and Global Cities Hub (GCH), the session will explore:
Coastal cities are both hubs of economic activities and pivotal nodes through which land-based plastic waste tend to enter marine ecosystems. They are uniquely vulnerable to the very impacts they help generate: from degraded marine ecosystems to losses in fisheries, tourism and related trade, and risks to human health. As plastic degrades in landfills, waterways, and the ocean, it clogs sewage infrastructure, increases the risk of mosquito-borne diseases, and releases harmful chemicals and microplastics now detected in food webs, water supplies, air, and living tissues. |
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Date: 4 November 2025
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Speakers
- Régis Farret, Counsellor for Sustainable Development, Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations
- Antonella Vassallo, Managing Director of International Ocean Institute
- Graham Alabaster, Head of UN Habitat Geneva Office
- Gabriel Boichat, Head of Delegation of Catalonia in Geneva
- Dato’Ir Rajendran P. Anthony, Mayor, Penang Island, Malaysia
Moderated by Andras Szorenyi, Senior Policy Advisor at the Global Cities Hub
Registration for the GFHS
Register for the Forum on the GFHS website.