Balen Shah, head of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, has left for Brazil to attend the meeting of the Metropolis Board of Directors. He departed on Monday to participate in the meeting to be held in Sao Paulo on June 5th and 6th (June 19th and 20th, 2024). After the meeting concludes, he will return to Nepal on June 8th. Shah is accompanied by infrastructure consultant Sunil Lamsal.

As a member of the Metropolis Board of Directors, Mayor Shah will address the meeting. The main topic is urban housing and buildings, focusing on providing decent and comfortable housing to meet challenges in metropolitan areas. On Wednesday, Shah will present his views as a panelist in the 'Metropolis Policy Debate' related to housing, land, metropolitan welfare, and improving living standards.

The policy debate aims to bring together key stakeholders from major cities worldwide, international organizations, and financial institutions. It will focus on dimensions, scarcity, and impacts of urban housing along with global common programs to reduce climate risks, ensure adequate infrastructure, lower carbon footprints, and employ inclusive approaches to meet diverse community needs.

The meeting will observe Sao Paulo's efforts to provide decent, affordable urban housing. It will facilitate sharing knowledge among political leaders from major cities on innovative housing and land management solutions based on different local experiences, efforts, results, and evidence of the global environment.