Hasan Suver: WUF13 theme overlaps with OTS activities

The theme of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, "Sustainable and Inclusive Cities," overlaps with activities carried out within the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in the areas of environment, climate change, urban planning and sustainable development.

Report informs that Turkish Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Hasan Suver said this at the OTS High-Level Urban Dialogue held as part of WUF13.

According to him, they have gathered in Baku today to discuss the future of cities, people's quality of life, joint efforts to combat climate change and the Turkic world's vision for sustainable development:

"Cities are no longer merely areas where populations are concentrated; they are centers where the impacts of climate change are most clearly seen and where solutions are also produced. Issues such as climate change, drought, desertification, land degradation, biodiversity loss, water scarcity and waste management are common challenges that directly affect economic development, social welfare, food security and the right of future generations to live.

"As Türkiye, we are a country located in the Mediterranean basin and highly exposed to the impacts of climate change. For this reason, we resolutely continue our activities aimed at protecting our natural resources, sustainably managing our lands, rehabilitating degraded areas and increasing our capacity to adapt to climate change."