ESKİŞEHİR METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY FOLLOWED THE AGENDA ON CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY AT WUF13

Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality participated in the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13), organized by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and recognized as one of the world's most significant international gatherings. Held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, the forum brought together more than 57,000 participants from 176 countries.

Held under the theme "Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities," the forum focused on key issues including the impacts of climate change, disaster-resilient living environments, sustainable environmental policies, renewable energy practices, and the role of local governments in climate action.

Representing Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality, Dr. Vural Yıldırım, Environmental Engineer Cemresu Banar, and Biologist Murat Erkaplan from the Department of Climate Change and Zero Waste participated in panels, workshops, and thematic sessions held throughout the forum. They had the opportunity to closely examine environmental and climate-oriented practices implemented in different parts of the world. Discussions focused on solutions developed by local governments to address the climate crisis, efforts to reduce carbon emissions, and projects carried out in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Within the framework of the forum, meetings were also held with representatives of MedCities (the Mediterranean Cities Network) to discuss sustainable urban development, combating climate change, and opportunities for cooperation among Mediterranean cities. The discussions addressed intercity knowledge exchange, possibilities for developing joint projects, and international cooperation processes.

At the forum, where the responsibilities undertaken by cities in the face of the growing impacts of climate change were evaluated, topics such as green infrastructure investments, the protection of water resources, energy efficiency, nature-based solutions, and environmentally friendly transportation systems were also discussed extensively.

Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality stated that the knowledge and experience gained during the forum would contribute to the city's ongoing efforts in the fields of environment, climate, and sustainability. It was emphasized that following good practice examples shared on international platforms presents an important opportunity for developing local policies to address the climate crisis.

The forum concluded with the adoption of the "Baku Call to Action," which aims to strengthen global cooperation for the creation of sustainable and resilient living environments. The declaration emphasized the need to reinforce the role of local governments in combating climate change, support environmental sustainability, and work collectively towards building more livable settlements for future generations.

Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality will continue to closely follow international developments and strengthen knowledge and experience sharing in order to advance its environment- and climate-focused initiatives for a more sustainable future.