EHAAR International

How best to compare the relative cost of food, health & education around the world? NEW #data from the International Comparison Program captures the cost of living around the world in 2021 using new purchasing power parities: https://lnkd.in/gaTwvvXU #ICPPPP

Our Cities4Children Newsletter is out!📨 Find out more about the latest Cities4Children updates, upcoming events, recent blogs and more! 📰 Read it here: https://lnkd.in/dHKjKxRP

Great source!

It is time to act!

“Cities are not problems. They are solutions.”   That was the general consensus after the two-day international seminar on Sustainable Cities in Costa Rica which took place in April which VNG International co-organized. Between 70% and 80% of all people are expected to live in urban areas by 2050. Consequently, smart city planning and urban development strategies are instrumental in achieving sustainability and resilience. Local governments around the world struggle with the complexity of these tasks, but many solutions have already been found. When properly implemented, regional collaboration for connectivity between cities and regions allows for greater efficiency in terms of capacity, (natural) resources and has the ability to provide people with the freedom they need and deserve.    This is why VNG International is proud to be a part of Proyecto mUEve, together with the Union Nacional de Gobiernos Locales in Costa Rica and the Spanish Municipality of Fomento de San Sebastian. Proyecto mUEve seeks to promote the integral urban development of 15 municipalities located with the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica in line with the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development, and during our trip the Dutch delegation, including Jan van Zanen, Mayor of The Hague, and Christine Pirenne, Dutch Ambassador to Costa Rica had the possibility to first hand experience the current challenges that the San Jose metropolitan area faces. Congestion, lack of connectivity, safety issues, biodiversity loss… all challenges that the Netherlands faces too. We are proud to be able to exchange knowledge with our Costa Rican peers and look forward to continue to build on sustainability in the broadest sense, serving as a foundation for a balanced development model aimed at enhancing people’s quality of life while safeguarding the future of a region. Claudia de Laaf Finn Speulman christine pirenne UNGL mUEve mUEve CR UNGL Unión Nacional de Gobiernos Locales Donostia Sustapena - Fomento San Sebastián Gemeente Den Haag VNG International #BuildingBetterFutures #LocalGovernment #SustainableCities

Thank you to those who joined the CRP-organized panel on Strategies and Tools for Risk-Informed Urban Land Management at The World Bank 's #LandConf2024 in Washington DC yesterday, where Ross Eisenberg and others discussed developing resilient and livable cities through risk-informed urban and land use planning.   City Resilience Program is supporting two further sessions today:    -- Land and Property Valuation for Sustainable Urbanization, featuring Anthea Stephens of the #NationalTreasury of South Africa’s Cities Support Programme, a longstanding CRP counterpart. Anthea will speak about her experience developing the capacity of municipalities in #SouthAfrica to implement strategies for #resilience and sustainability.   -- Causes and Consequences of Informality in Peri-Urban Land Markets, at which CRP's Rui Su will present recent research on #urbanization and #foodproduction.   Further details below! ____________________________________________________ -- Land and Property Valuation for Sustainable Urbanization 📆 16:00-17:30 (MC 4-800)   Discover how cities improve their climate resilience through enabling an intergovernmental fiscal system and policy environment leveraging the inherent value of land as a financial asset. Listen to Anthea Stephens from the #NationalTreasury of South Africa sharing her insights on how to support sustainable urbanization in practice. Case studies from #SouthAfrica, #Colombia, and the #Philippines will also be showcasing challenges and lessons learned.   Speakers are:  - Anthea Stephens, Climate and Resilience Lead for the #CitiesSupportProgram at the #NationalTreasury  - Uri Raich, Senior Urban Specialist at The World Bank - #GustavoMarulandaMorales, General Director of #IGAC Chair: Stamatis Kotouzas, Senior Land Administration and Geospatial Specialist at The World Bank *** -- Causes and Consequences of Informality in Peri-Urban Land Markets: CRP presenting: "ClimateChange, Urban Expansion and Food Production”    📆 16:00-18:00 (MC 8-100)   Where and how cities grow will influence food production and the risks challenging it. Learn how future urban expansion in 2040 and 2100 is estimated to overlap with current crop and livestock production under different climate scenarios. CRP will present the results of its investigation into the projected effects of global #urbanization on #agriculturalproduction, alongside three other presentations.   Presenters are: - Hina Sherwani, Analyst, Global Engagement Unit- Agriculture and Food Practice, The World Bank - Felipe Dizon, Senior Economist, Global Engagement Unit- Agriculture and Food Practice, The World Bank - Rui Su, Urban Resilience Analyst, The World Bank The World Bank City Resilience Program Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) #LandConf2024 #CitiesSupportProgramme #Urbanization #Foodproduction

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IDA stands as a partner in Africa's growth, focused on a brighter future for every nation and its people. At IDA's Heads of State Summit, Ajay speaks on the World Bank Group's commitment to accelerating progress. #IDAworks #IDA21 http://wrld.bg/cqTl50RqpKy

I'm honored to be moderating a discussion with H.E. Dr. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat (2018-2024), alongside my esteemed colleague, Elisabeth Belpaire, President-Elect of ISOCARP. Join us for a captivating conversation on pressing urban development issues! 📆 on May 2 at 15:00 CEST. Don't miss this opportunity to hear insights from a global leader in sustainable cities! #UNHabitat #UrbanDevelopment #ISOCARP

The Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and The World Bank have successfully concluded. My most memorable thoughts - not in any particular order: ◼ "Economic activity has proved more resilient than expected in many parts of the world, but medium-term global growth prospects remain weak." This is the macro-conclusion. Given the state of world affairs - not too bad. ◼ The share of capital flows going to the United States has risen to 33% from 18% pre-pandemic. And EU’s per-capita income is now one-third lower than in the US. The Fund recommends deepening the EU Single Market. Tough job ahead for EU. ◼ Emerging Markets are withstanding global shocks, without a major (economic or financial) crisis taking place. But as Larry Summers and NK Singh published - capital outflows from emerging markets have intensified in 2023 to alarming levels. PM Mia Mottley called this "an inditement" to global financial architecture. Basel III prudential norms and their impact on EMDEs were mentioned a lot. ◼ "We must make ‘Development Investable’ rather than ‘Investment Developmental’." - wrote Africa investor. Could not be said any better. In all-dreams-come-true scenario, MDBs could finance and mobilize 10% of the total needs of #EMDEs, and maybe another 10% if all imaginable actions are taken by shareholders of these institutions. Investing in #GreenIndustrialization and #CircularEconomy in EMDEs should be seen as smart global business opportunities. ◼ "Spring Meetings felt like Washington DC Climate Week", as many noted. This makes sense as the divide between finance and climate finance should eventually fade away. The global economy and growth can only go forward in the manner that is fair to all and consistent with earth's resource constraints...and hence climate scenarios. Climate cannot be seen as impediment to growth. ◼ The Bank and the Fund have incredible leaders at the helm. Ajay Banga put forward promising new initiatives - Global Solutions Accelerator Platform and Livable Planet Fund. Kristalina Georgieva remains the most positive force of nature in global fora. Her appointment for the second term was perhaps the best news of the Spring Meetings! (https://lnkd.in/ekb6-V_E) (https://lnkd.in/eMgbVxek)