IHS at the World Urban Forum (WUF12)

The 12th World Urban Forum (WUF12), held in Cairo, Egypt between 4-8 November was a significant event that brought together over 25,000 participants from 182 countries. This event, the largest since its first edition in 2002, returned to Africa, where the Forum originally began. The central theme, “It all starts at home: Local actions for sustainable cities and communities”, set the tone for five days of dynamic discussions on urban challenges and solutions. IHS, with its active role and engagement in these topics, has once again demonstrated its commitment to advancing sustainable urban development.

Dynamic dialogues

During WUF12, the IHS delegation actively engaged in a variety of sessions that spotlighted urban development challenges and sustainable solutions. The Opening Ceremony set the tone with speeches from regional leaders focused on local actions for sustainable cities. In UN-Habitat's Grassroots Assembly, international NGOs strategised on their roles in urban growth, with Jan Fransen presenting on the empowerment of grassroots organisations. UN-Habitat also launched the World Cities Report 2024, highlighting urban climate action with IHS General Director David Dodman participating in the press conference alongside Anaclaudia Rossbach, UN-Habitat's Executive Director. Dodman also gave the speech at a session on Investing in the nexus of climate and biodiversity at the urban scale, discussing climate investments that prioritise marginalised groups, while another panel featuring Dodman tackled inequality in housing during Rising to the global challenge of finding: Somewhere to live.

Further sessions followed this momentum. In Climate Resilient Cities: Local actions, financing, and community-focused technology, panellists, including Jan Fransen, explored climate solutions in Malaysia, Turkey, China, and Kenya. Maartje van Eerd moderated India's missions for mainstreaming innovations into practices, discussing urban initiatives like the PMAY and Smart City Mission. IHS's recent PhD graduate Tannya Pico and David Dodman participated in Tackling urban climate risks, highlighting nature-based solutions for city infrastructure. Represented by Alonso Ayala, IHS co-hosted a training session titled Housing policy practices and tools, which explored best practices for affordable housing. IHS also engaged in a closed-door session to develop a Global coalition for urban data. David Dodman also delivered a keynote address at the One UN Academia Roundtable event, discussing the Mobilizing Knowledge and Data for Climate Action.

Alongside all events where IHS staff was speaking, we also led a number of sessions. Jan Fransen organised an event jointly with UN-Habitat, SwissContact and the Government of Bangladesh on Local economic development in secondary cities to discuss how to create sustainable livelihoods in cities with limited capacities and resources. The IHS Alumni Impact Award was also part of WUF and participants were introduced to the Theory of Change concept. The training also featured projects developed by the three finalists and Zamikaya Mgwatyu was awarded for his development programme Contractor & Developer Academy in South Africa. Lastly, the Unleashing the creativity of marginalised communities session, with Jan Fransen as a panellist, showcased the adaptive potential of marginalised communities.

These sessions collectively underscored IHS' commitment to inclusive urban solutions. Through its active participation, IHS brought forward innovative approaches to tackle global urban challenges, setting a foundation for meaningful partnerships and strategies moving forward.

External engagements

Building on the sessions mentioned above, the IHS delegation also pursued several key external engagements, further expanding its influence and collaborations within the global urban development community. David Dodman and Maartje van Eerd met with Indian government officials to discuss capacity-building initiatives and explore potential training collaborations with HUDCO. The IHS delegation also attended a reception at the Embassy of the Netherlands, where they connected with other Dutch representatives participating at WUF, including Utrecht's Mayor Sharon Dijksma.

At a special joint Alumni reception, IHS and ISS former students and (former) staff reconnected, celebrating their ongoing contributions to urban development and justice worldwide. These engagements not only solidified IHS' strategic partnerships but reinforced its presence in global conversations on sustainable urban development.

IHS-ISS-LEARN Booth

Following a series of impactful engagements and sessions, IHS further strengthened its presence at WUF12 with a joint booth at the Urban Expo alongside the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) and Leiden-Delft-Erasmus East Africa Research Network (LEARN). The booth provided attendees with a deeper understanding of the institute's work on sustainable cities and urban development. It showcased the institute's advisory, research and education services.

Staff engaged with visitors, explaining our approach to challenges like housing policy and climate resilience, and it also offered alumni and potential collaborators a dedicated space for connection. This combination of visibility and direct engagement helped IHS strengthen its network and raise awareness about its impactful projects on a global scale, ensuring that the audience feels informed and engaged with IHS's initiatives.