Affordable housing, smoother commutes, better waste collection, flood prevention, and job creation: the shift toward sustainable cities is opening new paths to improve everyday life. In Cotonou, the fourth edition of the International Forum on Living Environment (FIC), which wrapped up on October 10, 2026, brought into focus what it takes to balance environmental protection, economic progress, and the basic needs of residents.
In Benin, as in many African nations, the future of cities hinges on their ability to address the daily concerns of the people who live in them. Finding decent housing, moving around more easily, living in a cleaner environment, and being less exposed to floods are all challenges that put spatial planning at the heart of development policy.
It was against this backdrop that the fourth edition of the International Forum on Living Environment took place in Cotonou from October 8 to 10, 2026. Held under the theme “Economy of African Territories: Accelerating the Transition to Carbon Sobriety,” the gathering shed light on the possibilities offered by a more environmentally conscious urban development model better suited to African realities.
Beyond discussions on cutting carbon emissions, the real challenge is to turn the ecological transition into a driver of tangible improvements in daily life. A sustainable city is not defined solely by its infrastructure or environmental performance; it also matters how well it provides residents with a healthier, more accessible, and safer living environment.
How better-planned cities can make daily life easier
The quality of the living environment starts with how urban spaces are organized. When housing, workplaces, schools, and essential services are poorly distributed, commutes become longer and more expensive. Conversely, coherent urban planning can bring services closer to residents and make daily activities more manageable.
Improving mobility is therefore a key issue for Beninese cities. User-friendly facilities, better trip organization, and consideration for pedestrians and public transport can help make urban areas more functional.
The project dedicated to the Fifa bus stop, led by Willson Edwin Mardochet ADJOVI and Mohamed BAYDOUN, was among the initiatives recognized during the hackathon held alongside FIC 2026. This proposal illustrates young people’s interest in the concrete challenges of mobility and urban planning.
The task now is to encourage solutions that can meet users’ needs while taking into account technical, financial, and environmental constraints. Better-designed mobility can, over time, help reduce certain daily difficulties and improve access to essential services.
Sustainable housing: an economic and social challenge
Housing represents another pillar of improving the living environment. For households, the quality of a home is measured as much by its sturdiness as by its comfort, its adaptation to climate conditions, and the costs it entails over time.
In this perspective, promoting local materials is a path worth exploring. When their use is based on quality criteria and appropriate standards, it can support national production chains and encourage the development of local skills in the construction sector.
This approach can also open economic opportunities, particularly for craftsmen, building companies, and material producers. However, its benefits for households will depend on several factors, including production costs, resource availability, the quality of the works, and their long-term durability.
During the forum’s closing session, the Director General of Construction and Housing, Ismaïl YASSO, stressed the need to standardize and certify local materials. This step is essential to strengthen user confidence and encourage the integration of these materials into construction practices.
The goal is to promote housing adapted to the country’s realities, without separating durability requirements from concerns about cost and accessibility.
Preventing floods and cleaning up neighborhoods
The effects of inadequate planning also show up through stormwater drainage problems, waste accumulation, and sanitation issues. For residents in exposed neighborhoods, these situations can disrupt travel, weaken homes, and degrade living conditions.
Integrated urban planning that takes into account land tenure, infrastructure, flood risks, and ecosystem preservation is therefore essential. It allows for better anticipation of constraints and coordination of interventions rather than tackling problems in isolation.
Wastewater management is, in this regard, a significant issue. The project presented by Nelly Mahouna GBAGUIDI and Meryl AGNIKPE, who were recognized at the FIC hackathon, reflects the interest in this problem.
Adapted solutions could help improve neighborhood sanitation and limit pollutant discharges into the environment. Their effectiveness will, however, depend on implementation, the resources mobilized, and how well the services responsible for their operation and maintenance are organized.
Waste management and the preservation of natural spaces serve the same ambition: building cities where environmental concerns translate into visible benefits for residents.
Carbon sobriety as an opportunity for the local economy
The transition to low-carbon territories is not just about reducing the environmental impact of human activities. It can also foster the emergence of new economic activities in sustainable construction, recycling, sanitation, and the valorization of local resources.
These sectors are likely to generate jobs and strengthen national skills. The participation of young people in the FIC hackathon illustrates, in this respect, the innovation potential that new generations bring to urban challenges.
The key is for ideas 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 stressed the need for sufficiently prepared projects to facilitate access to funding. Carbon sobriety can thus become a driver of economic development, provided its benefits are assessed based on concrete achievements.
From forum to reality: the post-FIC challenge
The tree-planting event held at the Fidjrossè public primary school ahead of the forum’s closing served as a reminder that transforming the living environment can also start at the neighborhood and school level. Such initiatives help raise citizens’ awareness about protecting natural heritage, even if their effects depend on follow-up and plant maintenance.
At the end of this fourth edition, the Minister of Living Environment and Transport, Georges ALE, called on 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 initiated and the transformations expected on the ground. For residents, results will need to be measured through tangible improvements, whether in access to housing, mobility, sanitation, or the reduction of environmental risks.
In Benin, the ambition of sustainable cities will only fully make sense if it translates into a perceptible improvement in living conditions. The success of this approach will depend on the ability of public authorities, local governments, economic stakeholders, and citizens to turn the forum’s orientations into feasible, accessible, and sustainable projects. Because, beyond carbon sobriety, the real challenge remains building more livable cities where development directly benefits residents.