Urban and Rural Infrastructure

Urban and Rural Infrastructure efforts are working to promote low emission and climate resilient urban and transport infrastructure.

In this outcome area, UNDP-GEF aims at promoting low emission urban and transport infrastructure and systems by enhancing the quality, affordability and security of energy and optimize its use. It does this in various ways, by integrating energy efficiency in buildings; by promoting sustainable, climate resilient urban and transport system planning and design, clean energy production, waste management and synergies in select industries, in particular those using Ozone Depleting Substances. 

A major emphasis of the team's work in this programme is on promoting energy efficiency in buildings, in particular through the introduction of codes. Seeking greater coherence and substantive justification of projects the team prepared a Programmatic Framework in 2008, defining specific directions for UNDP's EE buildings portfolio. The projects fall within six targeted areas of activity:

  • Establishing requirements of policy implementation;
  • Promoting and increasing uptake of regulations;
  • Using public buildings and municipalities as promoters of energy efficiency;
  • Developing and promoting EE technologies, building materials, and construction practices for housing;
  • Providing indicators and financing for ESCos and EE buildings; and
  • Climate-proofing the built environment: boosting synergies between mitigation and adaptation activities in buildings.
     

Projects

Monrovia Metropolitan Climate Resilience Project

Liberia’s capital city Monrovia is extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise and the increased frequency of high-intensity storms. These climate change-related impacts are contributing to coastal erosion and shoreline retreat, putting lives and livelihoods at risk, and affecting efforts by the Government of Liberia to reach the targets outlined in the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals.

Enhancing Whole of Islands Approach to Strengthen Community Resilience to Climate and Disaster Risks in Kiribati

The Republic of Kiribati is a small island state with 33 low-lying and narrow atolls dispersed over 3.5 million km² in the Central Pacific Ocean and a population of approximately 110,000 people. 

Climate change and climate-induced disasters are projected to exacerbate the vulnerability of Kiribati’s people by causing more frequent inundations leading to damage of coastal infrastructure and exacerbating already problematic access to clean water and food.

Landscape restoration for increased resilience in urban and peri-urban areas of Bujumbura in Burundi

The proposed "Landscape restoration for increased resilience in urban and peri-urban areas of Bujumbura in Burundi" project will strengthen integrated watershed management and flood management of the Ntahangwa river connected to Bujumbura to ensure the resilience of both upstream highland communities and downstream lowland communities living in urban areas.

Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Sustainable Development Pathways of Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s flat topography, low-lying delta ecosystem and tropical climatic features, combined with its population density and socio-economic environment, make it highly vulnerable to climate change and variability.

Community-Based Climate-Responsive Livelihoods and Forestry in Afghanistan

Around 71 percent of Afghans live in rural areas, with nearly 90 percent of this population generating the majority of their household income from agriculture-related activities.

In addition to crop and livestock supported livelihoods, many rural households depend on other ecosystem goods and services for their daily needs, for example water, food, timber, firewood and medicinal plants.

Safeguarding rural communities and their physical assets from climate-induced disasters in Timor-Leste

In Timor-Leste, increasing climatic variability and unpredictability – particularly related to rainfall and extreme weather events – present a significant risk to the lives and livelihoods of rural people.

Climate-induced hazards, such as floods, landslides and drought, frequently impact families’ lives and livelihoods while also damaging critical rural infrastructure including water supply and drainage, embankments, roads and bridges. These damages leave rural populations without basic services and often in full isolation. 

Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems for Climate Resilient Development and Adaptation to Climate Change in Guinea

Despite considerable natural resources, including rich biodiversity, fertile soil, forests and mineral deposits, the West African nation of Guinea remains one of the world’s least developed countries due in part to the poor management of climate variability over past decades.