Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono has expressed hope that Indonesia can build better urban areas by commemorating World Habitat Day 2023.

"Hopefully, this year's World Habitat Day will inspire us to build better urban areas," he remarked during a fun walk in Jakarta on Sunday.

He noted that Indonesia still has many slum areas that need to be improved to create better environments for residents.

The New Urban Agenda (NUA), agreed upon by 140 countries, including Indonesia, encourages countries to develop urban areas while taking into account societal aspects, such as gender and age, to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Hadimuljono said that implementating the agenda requires collaboration between the government and all related parties.

According to the ministry's eight books of practical guidelines to the NUA implementation, the Indonesian government is aiming to implement the NUA by focusing on seven points.

The seven points involve access to housing and basic services, disaster and urban environments, urban governance, urban transportation and mobility, spatial planning and urban area development, development of local economies, as well as social, cultural, and health development.

Hadimuljono stated that the ministry has been striving to provide the Indonesian people with access to clean water, sanitation, and proper housing as part of their efforts to implement the NUA.

Indonesia is aiming to achieve all the SDGs by 2045, he added.

Hadimuljono also emphasized the need to raise people's awareness of the importance of properly maintaining their environments from an early age.

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Translator: Aji C, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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