Cities struggle to keep pace as war and climate define urban futures, WUF13 delegates warn

War and climate change are reshaping cities faster than governments can rebuild them, delegates at the World Urban Forum in Azerbaijan's capital warned on Wednesday, as a Ukrainian official said his region alone had restored nearly 30,000 damaged or destroyed structures since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. "When it comes to the Kyiv region, we have been leading the way in reconstruction," Mykola Kalashnik, head of the Kyiv Regional Administration, told Euronews in Baku. "Thanks to our

The total number of restored facilities now stands at 24,000." Kalashnik said Azerbaijan had become a direct partner in that effort. "Azerbaijan is helping us rebuild the Kyiv region. Two projects have already been completed: a school in Irpin, as well as a hospital and a shelter, because our area is dangerous and we need safe underground spaces, which our partners helped us build." Azerbaijan, with SOCAR among the partners, is involved in delivering a further four projects, he said, including a multi-unit residential building, an arts centre, a sports school for children and youth, and a social infrastructure project. The cooperation extended beyond construction. Irpin, one of the most heavily damaged cities in the Kyiv region, has established a partnership with Lachin in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region — itself rebuilt after years of conflict. Kalashnik said 100 children from the Kyiv region would attend a health retreat in Azerbaijan this summer. Climate change was the other dominant theme of the day. Dr Moges Tadesse, chief resilience officer for Addis Ababa, told Euronews the consequences for African cities were already severe. "Climate change is a global challenge, but it doesn't affect only housing. It affects the economy, it affects also the human life, and it is very disastrous," he told Euronews, calling for greater international investment to help vulnerable countries absorb costs generated largely by wealthier nations. “I think the global community should invest a lot in order to mitigate the impact of the climate change,” he said. The demographic pressure arriving alongside the climate crisis is considerable, experts say.

Key points

• The total number of restored facilities now stands at 24,000." Kalashnik said Azerbaijan had become a direct partner in that effort.
• "Azerbaijan is helping us rebuild the Kyiv region.
• Two projects have already been completed: a school in Irpin, as well as a hospital and a shelter, because our area is dangerous and we need safe underground spaces, which our partners helped us bui…
• The cooperation extended beyond construction.
• Irpin, one of the most heavily damaged cities in the Kyiv region, has established a partnership with Lachin in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region — itself rebuilt after years of conflict.