At the World Bank, our teams working on social development, urban development, disaster risk management, and land issues have endeavored with countries and cities worldwide throughout the year to achieve a common goal: building inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities and communities for all. How did they do? From our “Sustainable Communities” newsletter, we have captured 12 moments that mark the major accomplishments and lessons learned in 2017—and inspire our continued work to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity in 2018. Below the first 6 moments are described. Tomorrow will het other 6 moments follow.

#1: Africa’s Cities: Opening Doors to the World
Released in February 2017, our report on cities in Africa notes that, to grow economically as they are growing in size, Africa’s cities must open their doors and connect to the world. Improving conditions for people and businesses in African cities is the key to accelerating economic growth, adding jobs, and improving city competitiveness. Two more reports released in 2017 also shined a light on inclusive urban growth in East Asia and the Pacific and in Europe and Central Asia respectively.

#2: Hydromet: Investing in better weather services to save lives
Hydromet – hydrological and meteorological – hazards are responsible for 90% of total disaster losses worldwide. As we celebrated World Meteorological Day on March 23, we reflected on how the World Bank worked with partners such as the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to improve hydromet services in developing countries in Africa and elsewhere – and build their resilience to their economic, environmental, and social challenges.

#3: Why land matters for poverty reduction
Only 30% of the world’s population has a legally registered title to their land. As discussed at the Land and Poverty Conference in March 2017, secure land rights are important for reducing poverty and boosting shared prosperity at the country, community, and family levels. Learn how the World Bank supports countries to secure land rights for their populations, especially women, Indigenous Peoples, and other vulnerable groups. The next Land and Poverty Conference will take place at the World Bank in March 2018 with the theme of “land governance in an interconnected world.”

#4: Cities, where the future is being built
At the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings in April 2017, thought leaders, national and city policymakers, and civil society leaders engaged in a live discussion to highlight the role of cities and metropolitan regions in being vanguards for inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Replay the event, and learn more about the three key roles cities play in building an inclusive, resilient, productive, and sustainable future for all.

#5: Why SOGI and LGBTI matter
On May 17, International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT), we learned three things about sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), as well as why and how our work on LGBTI data matters for the people and the economy in developing countries around the world.

#6: The road to refuge
On World Refugee Day (June 20), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced that there were 22.5 million refugees and 40.3 million displaced internally due to conflicts by the end of 2016, as well as many more forced to move due to natural disasters. Watch our video blog and learn how the forced displacement crisis affects the displaced and their host communities around the world.