Multistakeholder Pledge: Climate Resilient Sustainable Human Settlements for refugees and their hosting communities

Key outcomes

• Promote and implement a sustainable and integrated approach to environmental and climate action mainstreaming, shelter and housing, access to basic services (water, sanitation, hygiene, renewable energy, connectivity) governance and improved urban planning and management for the development of climate resilient sustainable human settlements for refugees and their hosting communities.
• Mobilize states, individuals, private sectors, NGOs and international/national organizations to raise visibility and ensure coordinated efforts to implement individual and multistakeholder commitments that result in Climate Resilient and Sustainable Human Settlements.

Background

The last decade has witnessed escalating frequencies and scales of crises which has led to unprecedented levels of refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced and stateless people who require protection and assistance.

Some 18% (15.3 million) of Persons of Concern (POC) currently reside in camps or camp-like situations worldwide, including over 60% of all UNHCR assisted refugees in Africa and over 35% of those assisted in Asia. The long rates of protraction, lack of sufficient resources and inadequate policies pose massive challenges in addressing their needs.

Additionally, 70% of refugees and 80% of internally displaced people originate from countries on the front lines of the climate crises, and millions of refugees, displaced and stateless people live in climate “hotspots” lacking the resources to adapt to or mitigate increasingly inhospitable environments.

This poses unique and urgent challenges which need to be met with new, innovative, and sustainable responses that go beyond sector-technical and siloed solutions.

Pledge description

This multistakeholder pledge aims to mobilize significant support for climate resilient sustainable Human Settlements which is an integrated approach to environmental and climate action mainstreaming, shelter and housing, access to basic services (water, sanitation, solid waste and sewerage management, hygiene, renewable energy, connectivity), governance and improved urban planning and management for refugees and their hosting communities.

Further it aims to galvanize support through close collaboration with other initiatives and Groups of Friends on the adoption of enabling Policy and Legislation for enhanced human settlements, economic inclusion and self-reliance, access to basic services including health and Education, connectivity, and safe movement within and between settlements.

To improve on the process and outcomes several strategies will be employed to ensure that the multistakeholder pledge is inclusive, high quality, efficiently realized and focuses on specific high-level outcomes.

These strategies include

• Framework to guide stakeholders on the structure, coverage, and type of high-quality commitments in each focus area that are expected
• Facilitate multistakeholder Strategic partnerships, common analysis, and planning for a collaborative approach using the comparative advantage of stakeholders involved
• Leveraging proven private sector and market-based solutions to complex human settlement related challenges by facilitating multi-stakeholder partnerships, including with refugees, for systems change

Related pledges to match

GRF-00516 - Government of Ethiopia - Provide market-based and sustainable household and facility-based energy solutions for three (3) million people through promoting clean, renewable energy sources. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00405 - Government of Chad - Renforcer l’approche “hors camp” en intégrant tous les potentiels nouveaux réfugiés dans les villages hôtes et transformer 30% des camps de réfugiés en villages Reinforce the “out of camp” approach by integrating all potential new refugees in the host villages and transform 30% of the refugee camps into villages. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00616 - Government of Malawi - Inclusion in National Development Agenda. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00633 - Government of Mali - Elargir l'accès aux solutions durables Expanding access to durable solutions. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00708 - Government of Namibia - Management of Refugees (3). Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00779 - Government of Nigeria - Nigeria pledges to include refugees, IDPs, returnees and their host communities in National Government development plans. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00910 - Government of Rwanda - Ensure sustainable use of natural resources by providing clean and renewable energy solutions in refugee and host community households, in order to discourage the use of firewood. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00924 - Government of Rwanda - Undertake environmental protection and rehabilitation in refugee hosting areas; Build resilient refugee settlements that promote conscious land use and reduce adverse impact on environment. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00969 - Government of Somalia - Relocation and Reintegration of Refugees, Returnees and IDPs 2020-2024. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-01019 - Government of Uganda - Promote inclusive and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-01033 - Government of Zambia - Connect electricity to all refugee settlements and the local integration schemes. Find out more about matching this pledge.

Leadership

• Government of Ethiopia
• UN HABITAT

Supported by UNHCR.

Contact details

Charles Campbell [email protected] and Ivana Unluova [email protected]

Calendar

• Group of Friends Launched on 30th May 2023
• Bi-Monthly Group meetings (July – November)
• Ad hoc Group/subgroup meetings as required (July – November)
• Meetings with small groups/individual organizations to support pledge development (June – October)
• Presentations and briefings to enhance interest, visibility and understanding of Human Settlements and their thematic focus areas (August – October)