Cebu City, Cebu – The United National Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), a specialized agency under the United Nations (UN) has named Cebu City as one of the eco-cities in the future of Southeast Asia.
Nida Cabrera, Cebu City Council, has made her statement shortly after receiving an invitation to represent Cebu City in Vietnam which will hold an environmental forum about climate change mitigation.
As one of five future eco-cities in Southeast Asia, Cebu will host an eco-city seminar in June 2014, with discussions focused on such subjects as transportation, water, air, housing and governance.
The four other cities in the list mentioned during a UNIDO conference in Japan last year identified Cebu City and the cities of Pintan in China, Iskandar in Malaysia, Map Ta Phut in Thailand, and Da Nang in Vietnam as future eco-cities.
Taizo Nishikawa, UNIDO’s Deputy to the Director General, said an eco-city is a city with all dimensions of urban sustainability, meaning improved environment, social cohesion and economic efficiency.
The UNIDO says an eco-city represents a hub of knowledge and experience that is of real value for cities around the world. “There is a need to invest in creating cooperative networks that cut across traditional territorial boundaries,” the UN body said.
UNIDO is the UN’s specialized agency for the promotion of industrial development, poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability.
Source: Manila Bulletin and Yahoo! News
