Parallel Session 2.3 - A vision of sustainable & smart cities, circular urban economies, the role of new technologies and the impact of migration and displacement on environment

Through the New Urban Agenda and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, states committed to promote the conservation and sustainable use of water in urban and peri-urban areas and the environmentally sound waste management strategies. In addition, it has been acknowledged that increasing the use of renewable energy and embracing a waste-to-energy policy are vital steps to mitigate the impact of additional demand for services as a result of migration and displacement at the local level.

Cities across the globe are using digital tools, such as web portals and applications to improve access to public services, enhance responsiveness, better understand the needs of the populations they serve, and provide platforms for better civic engagement. Research has shown that disadvantaged groups, including refugees and other minorities, are high users of smartphones and social media and risk being deprived of essential services if systems don’t function effectively. Examples include the use of digital tools for improving access to services, tailored apps for new arrivals (translation, information on rights), on-the-ground reporting and smart residency cards.

This session addresses solid waste and wastewater management, renewable energy policies and use of new technologies, innovation and data management in the scope of mitigating the impact of migration and displacement on environment.

This session is structured around the following questions: In the context of migrant and/or refugee influxes, how have municipalities coped with sudden increase in demand for services? How can zero waste policies and practices be used to reduce the production of waste while creating livelihoods opportunities in such contexts? What examples do we have from SMART CITIES? What can be done by municipalities to support more effective waste and wastewater management and planning?

What are the new opportunities offered by digital technology to reach migrant and refugee communities? How have municipalities ensured that no one is left behind and that smart solutions do not work against the poorest or marginalized groups such as refugees? What can we learn from SMART Cities?

SPEAKERS

  • Seher Alacacı Arıner
    Seher Alacacı Arıner
    Assistant Resident Representative, UNDP Turkey
  • M. Cemil Arslan
    M. Cemil Arslan
    Secretary General, Marmara Municipalities Union
  • Cai Baodi
    Cai Baodi
    Director of Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of Shanghai Public Security Bureau
  • Baran Bozoğlu
    Baran Bozoğlu
    Director, Chamber of Environmental Engineers (TMMOB)
  • Sertaç Turhal
    Sertaç Turhal
    Project Manager, Syria Crisis Resilience and Response Programme, UNDP Turkey
  • Harold Logie Tucker
    Harold Logie Tucker
    Mayor of Bo, Southern Sierra Leone
  • Carmen Vélez
    Carmen Vélez
    Head of Planning and Evaluation Unit, Andalusian Agency for International Development Cooperation
Seher Alacacı Arıner
Assistant Resident Representative, UNDP Turkey

Seher Alacacı Arıner has been serving as Assistant Resident Representative responsible for the UNDP Program in Turkey since July 2017. She has been engaged in UN system since 2005 in different capacities. Throughout her career in UN, she had managed a series of Programmes that respond directly to social and political reforms in line with EC accession requirements. The main focus of her work had addressed targeted interventions to support national human rights mechanisms and transparent, accountable and efficient judicial systems for better access to justice. As a development practitioner, who started her career in working in South East Anatolia development projects, Seher Alacacı Arıner has more than 14 years of experience in development work in a variety of capacities, mainly in management, partnership building, resource mobilization, but also including programme and policy design, project implementation, advocacy and research. She has also strongly engaged with international community representatives and national partners in governments as well as loosely defined networks of non-governmental organizations and human rights advocates. She is also an active contributor of the integrated work of UN on human rights, democratization and SDGs. She was graduated from Bilkent University Department of Political Science and Public Administration and has an MA degree on European Integration, focusing on judicial and political ethics.

M. Cemil Arslan
Secretary General, Marmara Municipalities Union

He completed his undergraduate education at the Public Administration Department of Gazi University Faculty of Economics and Social Studies. He took his master’s degree on Marmara University Local Governments and Decentralization Program and Beykent University International Economic and Political Business Administration Program. He completed his Ph.D. in Marmara University Local Government and Decentralization Program. He continued post-doctoral language and finance studies in the UK.

He started his career in Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in 1995; he worked as an Auditor, Director of Expenditures, Head of Financial Services Department, member of Executive Committee as well as the Chairman of the Board of Belbim Co., Bimtaş Co., and Istanbul Transportation Co. Since 2014, he has been working as Secretary General of Marmara Municipalities Union.

Cai Baodi
Director of Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of Shanghai Public Security Bureau

Cai Baodi was born in 1968 in Shanghai, China. He has spent most of his career in the immigration system, and is currently the director of Foreigners’ Visa Department of Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of Shanghai PSB. He is now responsible for foreigners’ visa and permanent residence application, issues concerning nationality and immigrants’ integration. After years of perseverance and study, He is now an expert in immigration area in Shanghai. Mr. Cai holds a BA in English Literature from Shanghai International Studies University and an LLM degree from Shanghai Jiaotong University.

Baran Bozoğlu
Director, Chamber of Environmental Engineers (TMMOB)
Sertaç Turhal
Project Manager, Syria Crisis Resilience and Response Programme, UNDP Turkey

With more than 16 years of experience, out of which 7 years in UNDP, Sertaç Turhal’s focus was environment, local development and resilience. With UNDP Turkey, he is currently working as Project Manager of Turkey Resilience Project, Municipal Service Delivery Component. The Project aims give infrastructure and technical support Municipalities which is heavily affected by large number of refugees.

Harold Logie Tucker
Mayor of Bo, Southern Sierra Leone

Harold Logie Tucker is currently the Mayor of Bo City, Southern Sierra Leone. He is also currently serving his second five years term. Mr.Tucker was involved in grassroots youth empowerment and entrepreneurship which graduated him into a community politician belonging to the Sierra Leone People’s Party. He served in senior project management positions in both local and international organisations for over 15 years before setting up his own Local Non- Governmental Organisation with interventions in Child and maternal issues, telemedicine, youth development, women’s development and empowerment and financial services training as a professional business coach.  He was nominated to represent all local NGO’S on the World Bank projects approval committee, a fund managed by the National Commission for Resettlement, reconstruction and rehabilitation after the end of the eleven years war in Sierra Leone. He studied Geography and Linguistics and several post graduate interventions in Project Development and management, Community Psychosocial development, Leadership Trainings for Chief Executives in the private sector. He taught for one year as an outstanding teacher at Saint Andrews Secondary school Bo City and pursued Business and fish farming. He was honoured best Mayor’s award for 2016 and 2017 among 19 chairpersons and Mayors in Sierra Leone. His Council has constantly won the best Council of the year. He has presented professional papers in leadership and development in institutions of higher learning in and out of Sierra Leone. His Council is in collaboration with Lamington and Warwick Cities in UK for waste Management research and implementation. He is 49 years old and married with four children.

Carmen Vélez
Head of Planning and Evaluation Unit, Andalusian Agency for International Development Cooperation

Carmen Vélez is the Head of the Planning and Evaluation Unit of the Andalusian Agency for International Development Cooperationsince 2008. She also teaches economy at the University of Seville. Specialized in evaluation, before jointed the Agency, she carried out several evaluation work for both the European Union and the Spanish Central Administration, the regional government of Andalusia and various Local Administrations (Town Halls, Associations and Provincials), related to various programs, projects and initiatives. Among them, it is worth noting the Monitoring and Evaluation of the Equal Iniciative in Andalusia and the direct participation in the elaboration of three evaluation handbooks: “Managing Evaluation Handbook for the Spanish International Cooperation Policy”, “Guide for the Evaluation of Public Policies” and “Planning and Evaluation Guide for Local Development Agents ” He also has extensive experience in the organization and delivery of courses and seminars on Monitoring and Evaluation in Spain and Latin America.