Accessible housing, smoother mobility, smarter waste management, flood prevention and job creation: Benin’s push for sustainable cities has reached a decisive turning point that could reshape daily life for millions. At the fourth edition of the International Forum on Living Environment (FIC), which concluded on October 10, 2026, in Cotonou, participants made it clear that urban development must now balance environmental protection, economic progress and the essential needs of citizens.
Why the urban shift matters for everyday life
Across Benin, as in many African nations, the future of cities depends on their ability to address the concerns that people face every day. Finding decent housing, moving around more easily, living in a cleaner environment or being less exposed to flooding — these are the challenges that place urban planning at the heart of development policies.
The fourth edition of the International Forum on Living Environment, held from October 8 to 10, 2026, in Cotonou, took place against this backdrop. Organized around the theme “Economy of African territories: accelerating the transition to carbon sobriety,” the gathering highlighted the possibilities offered by a more environmentally friendly urban development model tailored to African realities.
Beyond discussions on reducing 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 solely by its infrastructure or environmental performance — it also must provide residents with a healthier, more accessible and safer living environment.
Better-planned cities that make life easier
The quality of the living environment depends first on how urban spaces are organized. When housing, workplaces, schools and essential services are poorly distributed, travel becomes longer and more expensive. Conversely, coherent urban planning can bring services closer to people and simplify their daily activities.
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 spaces 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 concrete mobility and urban planning challenges.
The challenge now is to encourage solutions that meet user needs while taking into account technical, financial and environmental constraints. Better-designed mobility can, in time, help reduce certain daily difficulties and improve access to essential services.
Sustainable housing: an economic and social priority
Housing represents another pillar of improving the living environment. For households, the quality of a home is measured as much by its solidity as by its comfort, its adaptation to climate conditions and the costs it generates 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 artisans, building companies and material producers. However, its benefits for households will depend on several factors, including production cost, resource availability, the quality of works and their durability over time.
At the close of the forum, 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 promote the integration of these materials into construction practices.
The goal is to promote housing adapted to the country’s realities, without separating sustainability requirements from concerns about cost and accessibility.
Preventing floods and cleaning up neighborhoods
The effects of inadequate planning also show up through difficulties in draining rainwater, waste accumulation and sanitation problems. For residents of exposed neighborhoods, these situations can disrupt travel, weaken homes and degrade living conditions.
Integrated urban planning that takes into account land use, infrastructure, flood risks and ecosystem preservation therefore appears indispensable. It allows for better anticipation of constraints and coordination of interventions rather than treating problems in isolation.
Wastewater management is a major issue in this regard. The project presented by Nelly Mahouna GBAGUIDI and Meryl AGNIKPE, who were rewarded during the FIC hackathon, reflects the interest in this problem.
Adapted solutions could help improve neighborhood sanitation and limit polluting discharges into the environment. Their effectiveness, however, will depend on their implementation, the resources mobilized and the organization of the services responsible for their operation and maintenance.
Waste management and the preservation of natural spaces contribute to the same ambition: building cities where environmental concerns translate into visible benefits for people.
Carbon sobriety: an opportunity for the local economy
The transition to carbon-sober territories is not limited to 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 represent in the face of urban challenges.
Still, ideas must be able to go beyond competitions and professional gatherings. Financing, technical support and project maturation are essential steps to transform 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 evaluated based on concrete achievements.
From forum to reality: the post-FIC challenge
The tree-planting event organized 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 citizen 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.
This call highlights the main challenge of FIC 2026: ensuring continuity between the discussions initiated and the transformations expected on the ground. For residents, results must be measured through tangible improvements — whether in access to housing, mobility, sanitation or reducing 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 actors and citizens to turn the forum’s orientations into feasible, accessible and sustainable projects. Because beyond carbon sobriety, the real challenge remains to build more pleasant cities to live in, where development directly benefits the people.