Topic outline

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  Why does it matter?

  Why does it matter?

  • Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) is focused on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. This goal is crucial as the World Bank estimates that more than half of the world's population now live in urban areas, and this figure is expected to rise significantly in the coming decades. The UN estimates that 68% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050. Urbanisation presents both opportunities and challenges, and SDG 11 aims to address these by promoting sustainable urban development.

    There are key interconnections between SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and other SDGs especially biodiversity and life on land (SDG 15) and human health (SDG 3). Rapid urban spread and urban development is a key driver of biodiversity loss. This leads to habitat breakdowns and ecosystem declines. This process brings humans into closer contact with nature and other wildlife factors, which the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) identifies as significant contributors to increasing pandemic risks.  

    In addition, the UN Intergovernmental Science‑Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) have warned that human-driven deforestation, land‑use change, and wildlife exploitation will be leading to a wide variety of future pandemics, which could expose humans to hundreds of previously unknown viruses. They have stated in their IPBES Transformative change assessment that “Urban key biodiversity areas should be safeguarded” to provide nature-based solutions for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals in cities and advancing global sustainability.

    The 2025 World Health Organization (WHO) fact sheet on biodiversity estimates that over 75% of emerging infectious diseases, such as Ebola or Nipah virus, are zoonotic and often arise in areas where ecosystems and habitats have been disrupted by deforestation or land-use change. This decrease in biodiversity weakens the "dilution effect," increasing the incidence of zoonotic diseases in humans.

    The Eklipse Report on Biodiversity and Pandemics highlights the most critical research gaps that require urgent attention. First, there is a need to better understand the wildlife-domestic-human interface, which are drivers that increase contact between wildlife, livestock, and people. Second, the report identifies the importance of investigating the dilution effect, calling for more research into how biodiversity influences zoonotic risk in different contexts.

    These examples show the importance of SDG 11 and how thoughtful urban planning, plays a pivotal role in preserving biodiversity and reducing health risks.

    Cities are often the engines of economic growth, innovation, and cultural exchange. However, rapid urbanisation can lead to overcrowding, inadequate infrastructure, and increased pollution. SDG 11 seeks to tackle these issues by promoting sustainable urban planning and management, ensuring access to safe and affordable housing, and improving public transport systems. By doing so, cities can become more liveable and environmentally friendly, enhancing the quality of life for their inhabitants.

    For more detailed information, you can refer to the United Nations' official page on SDG 11 and the UN Habitat's resources on sustainable urban development.

    The targets for this goal are:

    • Ensuring access to basic service and adequate, safe and affordable housing, for all
      
      
    • Improving road safety by providing safe, affordable and sustainable transport systems for everyone
      
      
    • Strengthen inclusive and sustainable urbanisation and grow capacity for sustainable human settlement planning around the world
      
      
    • Protect and safeguard the world’s natural and cultural heritage
      
      
    • Reduce the number of deaths and people affected by disasters and decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by these disasters
      
      
    • Improve air quality and waste management, within cities
      
      
    • Provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, for women and children, older persons and people with disabilities

    SDG 11 showcases the importance of safeguarding cultural and natural heritage, which can be threatened by urban expansion. It also emphasises the need to reduce the adverse environmental impact of cities, particularly concerning air quality and waste management. By achieving these targets, cities can become more resilient to disasters and better equipped to handle the challenges posed by climate change.

• Supporting initiatives

  Supporting initiatives

  • 1. UN-Habitat's Urban Agenda: UN-Habitat promotes sustainable urban development through its New Urban Agenda, which focuses on integrated urban planning and improved infrastructure.
       
       
    2. The Global Platform for Sustainable Cities (GPSC): Supported by the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility, GPSC helps cities integrate sustainability into their planning. Details are available on the World Bank's GPSC page.
       
       
    3. ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability: International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) is a network committed to sustainable development, offering advocacy and technical assistance to local governments. Visit ICLEI's official site for more information.
       
       
    4. C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: This network of megacities focuses on climate change actions. You can learn more on the C40 Cities website.
       
       
    5. 100 Resilient Cities: This programme, initiated by the Rockefeller Foundation, helps cities develop resilience strategies. Although the initiative has concluded, its resources are archived on the 100 Resilient Cities website.
       
       
    6. The Urban Resilience Hub: This initiative provides tools and resources for coastal cities to enhance their resilience. More information is available on the Urban Resilience Hub website.

    
    

• Importance for actuarial practice

  Importance for actuarial practice

  • Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) is important to actuaries and the actuarial practice for several reasons, as it intersects with risk assessment, financial planning, and long-term sustainability - all key areas for actuaries:

    1. Risk management: Actuaries are skilled in assessing risks, which is crucial for SDG 11's focus on creating resilient cities. Urban areas face various risks, including natural disasters, climate change impacts, and infrastructure failures. Actuaries can contribute to modelling these risks, helping cities plan for and mitigate potential adverse events.
       
       
    2. Insurance and Financial Planning: As cities grow and develop, the demand for insurance products that protect against urban risks increases. Actuaries play a key role in designing these products, ensuring they are financially viable and meet the needs of urban populations. This includes developing insurance solutions for property, health, and environmental risks, which are essential for sustainable urban living. Actuaries are also integral in shaping the development of cities, for example, by designing insurance policies that encourage cities to expand in a sustainable and resilient way. A recent article by Gallagher shows that insurance plays a crucial role in financing city resilience and ensuring that future risks and costs can be better mitigated. In this way, actuarial expertise can support sustainable growth strategies.
       
       
    3. Long-term sustainability: Actuaries are comfortable with long-term financial forecasting and planning, skills that are invaluable for sustainable urban development. They can help cities and organisations plan for future financial needs, ensuring that infrastructure projects and urban initiatives are financially sustainable over the long term.
       
       
    4. Data analysis and modelling: The actuarial profession relies heavily on data analysis and statistical modelling. These skills are crucial for understanding urban trends, such as population growth, migration patterns, and environmental changes. Actuaries can use their expertise to analyse data related to urbanisation and contribute to evidence-based policy-making and urban planning.
       
       
    5. Public policy: Actuaries can support and influence public policy by providing insights into the economic and social impacts of urban development. Their analyses can help policymakers understand the implications of urban policies on social welfare, housing affordability, and public health, thereby supporting the goal of making cities inclusive and equitable.
       
       
    6. Climate change and environmental impact: SDG 11 highlights reducing the environmental impact of cities. Actuaries can contribute to this goal by evaluating the financial risks associated with climate change and guiding on strategies to reduce carbon footprints and enhance sustainability. Actuaries may support by contributing to modelling, scenario analysis, stress testing and transition planning.

• Relationships to other goals

  Relationships to other goals

  • There are strong links to other SDGs including:

    • SDG 1 (No Poverty): Urbanisation can aid in poverty reduction through improved access to jobs and services, but it can also lead to poverty if not managed properly.
      
      
    • SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Sustainable cities can enhance public health by reducing pollution and providing better healthcare access. There are key connections between biodiversity, and human health. Fast urban expansion could lead to biodiversity loss, and as highlighted in actuarial research, this increases the risk of zoonotic disease transmission and future pandemics. By integrating biodiversity considerations into urban planning, sustainable cities can play an important role in safeguarding the health of the public and reducing pandemic risks.
      
      
    • SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): Effective water management and sanitation systems are crucial for sustainable urban areas. In a recent report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) services vary between dimensions of inequality and between communities with and without access to roads, across different types of households, showcasing how proper facilities and sustainable planning is key for clean water and sanitation.
      
      
    • SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy): Cities are major energy consumers, and transitioning to clean energy is vital for sustainability.
      
      
    • SDG 13 (Climate Action): Cities significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, and sustainable urban planning can mitigate SDG 15 (Life on land): SDG 15 aims to conserve and restore the use of terrestrial ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, drylands and mountains. This directly links to SDG 11, which aims to create sustainable and resilient cities. As cities grow, the demand for land and resources increases pressure on the surrounding ecosystems. However, by integrating nature into urban planning, this can support local biodiversity and improve the quality of life for the community. Singapore’s “City in Nature” strategy provides a good example of this in action.

• Other

  Other

  • For further reading please refer to the following resources:

    • IPBES report on the link between biodiversity and pandemics, outlining how urbanization increases risk of infectious diseases being transferred from animals to humans and then spread rapidly through large susceptible populations.
      
      
    • The World Organisation for Animal Health’s “One Health” approach and initiatives