20ᵗʰ Annual Session of Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS 2025)

WMO Headquarters, Geneva   November 4-5 2025

Dr. Awni Behnam

Your Excellencies,   

Professor Celeste Saulo, Secretary General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 

 Mr Lu Haifeng, Secretary General, Global Forum for Human Settlements (GFHS) 

 The attraction of the seacoast since time immemorial as an ideal site for human settlement can also be associated with the link to the original evolution of life from the sea and this creates a profound link between humans and coastal settlements. Settling along large bodies of water such as seas, lakes and rivers has historically been a vital factor in the economic and demographic growth of cities. Some 75% of mega cities with populations over ten million are in this category.

 Climate change is placing increasing pressure at and beyond coastal regions which are already seriously affected by intensive human activities. This raises the question as to the extent that these areas will retain their residential, economic, commercial, social and physical values in the decades and centuries to come or whether they instead will pose a threat to the very survival of the human race.

 One undeniable existential threat is sea level rise. Clearly, this calls for a changed mindset and transformative governance tools beyond resilience, mitigation, adaptation, innovative technological solutions or adequate financial commitments. We also need human behavioural change in terms of a sustainable Blue Economy of living with and from the ocean sustainably. A concept first promoted through the IOI’s Ocean Academy so that through education, capacity development and awareness-raising, the necessary positive changes may be achieved at many scales.

I regret that due to work commitments I am not able to be with you in person and wish you a fruitful meeting.