Affordable housing, smoother commutes, cleaner waste collection, flood control and job creation — the shift toward sustainable cities is opening up real possibilities to raise living standards. In Cotonou, the fourth edition of the International Forum on Living Environment (FIC), which wrapped up on 10 October 2026, brought the stakes of urban development into sharp focus, weighing environmental protection against economic progress and citizens’ basic needs.
In Benin, as across much of Africa, the future of cities hinges on their ability to answer the everyday concerns of residents. Finding decent housing, getting around more easily, living in a healthier environment or simply being less exposed to flooding — these are the challenges that put spatial planning at the heart of development policy.
That was the backdrop for the fourth International Forum on Living Environment, held in Cotonou from 8 to 10 October 2026. Organised around the theme “Economy of African territories: accelerating the transition to carbon sobriety”, the gathering set out to explore what a greener, more locally attuned model of urban development could offer.
Beyond the talk of cutting carbon emissions, the real goal is to turn the ecological transition into a driver of concrete improvements in daily life. A sustainable city is not defined only by its infrastructure or its environmental performance, but by its ability to give residents a healthier, more accessible and safer living environment.
Reactions from the ground: what citizens expect from better-planned cities
The quality of a living environment starts with how urban spaces are organised. When housing, workplaces, schools and essential services are poorly distributed, travel becomes longer and more expensive. By contrast, coherent urban planning can bring services closer to people and ease their daily routines.
Improving mobility is therefore a major issue for Beninese cities. User-friendly facilities, better-organised travel and greater attention to pedestrians and public transport can make urban areas function more effectively.
The project dedicated to the Fifa bus stop, designed by Willson Edwin Mardochet ADJOVI and Mohamed BAYDOUN, was among the initiatives recognised at the hackathon held alongside FIC 2026. It illustrates young people’s appetite for tackling practical mobility and urban planning problems.
The challenge now is to encourage solutions that meet users’ needs while respecting technical, financial and environmental constraints. Better-designed mobility can, in time, ease some daily difficulties and improve access to essential services.
Housing that lasts: an economic and social equation
Housing is another pillar of a better living environment. For households, the quality of a home is measured as much by its solidity as by its comfort, its fit with climate conditions and the costs it generates over time.
In this light, making the most of local materials is a promising avenue. When used according to proper quality criteria and standards, they can support national production chains and encourage local skills development in construction.
This approach can also open economic opportunities, particularly for craftspeople, building firms and material producers. Yet its benefits for households will depend on several factors, including production costs, resource availability, workmanship quality and durability.
At the forum’s closing session, Ismaïl YASSO, Director General of Construction and Housing, stressed the need to standardise and certify local materials. This is essential to build user confidence and encourage their integration into construction practices.
The aim is to promote housing suited to the country’s realities without separating sustainability requirements from concerns about cost and affordability.
What comes next: turning forum pledges into results on the ground
The effects of inadequate planning also show up in poor stormwater drainage, mounting waste and sanitation problems. For residents of exposed neighbourhoods, these situations can disrupt travel, weaken homes and degrade living conditions.
Integrated urban planning that accounts for land, infrastructure, flood risk and ecosystem preservation therefore appears indispensable. It allows constraints to be anticipated and interventions coordinated rather than problems handled in isolation.
Wastewater management is a key issue here. The project presented by Nelly Mahouna GBAGUIDI and Meryl AGNIKPE, rewarded at the FIC hackathon, reflects the interest in this problem.
Tailored solutions could help improve neighbourhood sanitation and limit polluting discharges into the environment. Their effectiveness will, however, depend on implementation, the resources mobilised and how well the services responsible for running and maintaining them are organised.
Waste management and the preservation of natural spaces serve the same ambition: building cities where environmental concerns translate into visible benefits for local people.
Carbon sobriety as an opportunity for the local economy
The transition to carbon-sober territories is not limited to reducing the environmental impact of human activity. It can also stimulate new economic activity in sustainable construction, recycling, sanitation and the valorisation of local resources.
These sectors are likely to generate jobs and strengthen national skills. The participation of young people in the FIC hackathon illustrates the innovation potential that new generations bring to urban challenges.
Still, ideas must be able to move beyond competitions and professional gatherings. Financing, technical support and project maturation are essential steps to turn proposals into genuinely useful services or infrastructure.
This is precisely one of the points raised by Ismaïl YASSO, who insisted on the need for sufficiently prepared projects to facilitate access to funding. Carbon sobriety can thus become a lever for economic development, provided its benefits are assessed on the basis of concrete achievements.
The challenge after FIC 2026: from debate to delivery
The tree-planting event held at the Fidjrossè public primary school ahead of the forum’s close was a reminder that transforming the living environment can also begin at the level of neighbourhoods and schools. Such initiatives help raise citizens’ awareness of protecting natural heritage, even if their effects depend on follow-up and care of the plants.
At the end of this fourth edition, Georges ALE, Minister of Living Environment and Transport, urged participants to translate the recommendations from the proceedings into precise actions, with clearly defined responsibilities and resources.
That call highlights the main challenge of FIC 2026: ensuring continuity between the discussions launched and the transformations expected on the ground. For local people, results will have to be measured through tangible improvements — whether in access to housing, mobility, sanitation or reduced environmental risks.
In Benin, the ambition of sustainable cities will only take on its full meaning if it translates into a perceptible improvement in living conditions. The success of this approach will depend on the ability of public authorities, local councils, economic actors and citizens to turn the forum’s orientations into feasible, accessible and lasting projects. Because beyond carbon sobriety, the real challenge remains building cities that are more pleasant to live in — where development directly benefits the people.
