News and Events
World Habitat Day in Kosovo, brings climate change to attention
Each year on World Habitat Day, the first Monday in October, UN-HABITAT organizes different events with counterparts and other partners. This year this day was marked with the Round Table Meeting with central and local government institutions in Kosovo, with the intention to discuss the issue of “Cities and Climate Change” with leaders, experts and relevant professionals.
The Round Table Meeting was honoured with the presence of Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Local Government, Slobodan Petrovic; Deputy Minister of Spatial Planning and Environment, Shpëtim Rudi; Country Director of Sida, Maria Melbing, Head of UN-HABITAT-Kosovo, Krystyna Galezia; representatives of Kosovo Municipalities and relevant ministries, experts and professionals as well as representative of civil society organizations . In their courtesy speeches, above mentioned representatives were giving facts and data on the actual situation on the climate change and emphasizing cities as contributors to this phenomenon.
The host of this round table, the Head of the UN-HABITAT’s Municipal Spatial Planning Support Programme, Ms. Krystyna Galeiza, among others highlighted the work that the MuSPP is doing on assisting Kosovo Municipalities to
tackle environmental issues related to urbanization and reduces its ecological footprint through their strategic documents.
As announced in the invitation, the round table was also focused on the lessons learned from the study trip in Sweden, which was organized this September with the representatives of MuSPP and partner municipalities. The aim of the study tour was to present Swedish experience in tackling emerging challenges and linking spatial and urban planning for reduction of climate change and environmental protection. The way how Swedish Municipalities deal with solid waste management, energy efficiency, transport and other aspects of urbanization was elaborated today by representative of MuSPP, Mr. Hasse Ericsson. As emphasized by participants, the visit to Sweden gave them opportunity to see one of the best examples of the sustainable development in Europe.
The round table concluded with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, Mr. Arben Citaku, who made an appeal to all Kosovo Municipalities to draft their strategic development plans, and take into consideration the environmental issues including the energy efficiency measures in design and construction.