TOKYO, Japan – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have strengthened their commitment to working together to support the IDB’s Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative, a program thathelps growing cities in Latin America and the Caribbean make more informed planning decisions and take immediate actions towards smart and sustainable urban development.
The IDB and JICA signed today a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on four areas tied to sustainable development:
- Exploring new opportunities to help Latin America and the Caribbean foster a more favorable environment for sustainable urban development investments;
- Identifying and preparing urban development projects in areas including energy, land use, citizen security, solid waste management, transportation, and water and sanitation;
- Preparing tailored Action Plans for cities that map out the strategic and integrated approach for a more sustainable growth; and
- Developing and sharing knowledge and actionable insights on urban development.
“Partners are key to our ability to not only provide cities with actionable and timely sustainable urban planning recommendations, but to also identify the appropriate financing options to bring those recommendations to life,” noted Ellis Juan, Coordinator of the Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative at the IDB. “We look forward to this deepened collaboration with JICA in support of the region’s emerging cities.”
The Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative applies a multidisciplinary approach to deal with the challenges faced by emerging cities in Latin America and the Caribbean. The approach integrates environmental sustainability and climate change, fiscal sustainability and good governance, along with comprehensive urban development to deliver participating cities informed, prioritized and practical sustainable urban development Action Plans. To date, action plans have been developed for 12 cities.