Baku: Over 1 billion people worldwide currently live in slums or informal settlements, as highlighted by Anacl¡udia Rossbach, the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). Rossbach made these remarks during the Ministerial Meeting on the New Urban Agenda, part of the World Urban Forum 13 (WUF13).

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Rossbach stressed the importance of aligning climate policy with nationally determined recommendations, which has increased the urban planning component from 49% to 80% by 2025. Despite this progress, she noted that it remains insufficient, with uneven implementation and a pressing need for sustainable investment.

Rossbach further identified the global challenge of over 1 billion people residing in slums or informal settlements, with more than 150 million born into such conditions. She underscored the impact of climate change and disasters, such as floods, droughts, and hurricanes, which have affected over 80% of the urban population in the last two decades.