The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, launched the Regional Action Program for Green Cities in Africa.
Two Portuguese-speaking cities: Cidade da Praia in Cape Verde and Quelimane in Mozambique participated in the ceremony to sign a letter of intent.
The goal is to bring innovative solutions to capital cities and make rapid urbanization a chance to build more resilient, more sustainable cities with access to healthy food.
Besides the cities of Mozambique and Cape Verde, Antananarivo in Madagascar, Kigali in Rwanda, Kisumu and Nairobi in Kenya have also signed.
Under the proposal, the six cities will enter the pilot phase with another thousand municipalities around the globe by 2030.
FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said that it is possible to redesign cities with a more sustainable and healthy system of food production, green spaces and lifestyles with work for citizens.
He reminds that with the right policies and planning and innovative solutions, communities can build resilience and improve the well-being of all in urban centers and peripheries.
The FAO called on the authorities to involve city dwellers in the project, as well as youth, the business and technology community so that smart strategies to combat climate change can be created.
Currently, 55 percent of the world’s population lives in cities, and this number is expected to rise to 68 percent by 2050. The vast majority come from low-income countries especially in Africa and Asia.
