Within the framework of the GEO project and responding to the call of the Forum of Ministers of the Environment and activities related to the Johannesburg Summit, the GEO Cities project was launched in 2001 This project aims at promoting a better understanding at the dynamics of cities and their environments, providing local governments, scientists, policy makers and the public in general in the region with reliable and up-to-date information about their cities. The objectives of the project are to: - Recognize the links between environmental conditions and human activities, especially those related to urban development, - Contribute to build local technical capacities that will permit integrated assessments to be made on the state of the urban environment. Guide consensus building on the most critical environmental problems in each city and encouraging all sectors of society to engage in dialogue and participate in the decision making process, - Make it possible to formulate and implement urban strategies and plans that will help Cities improve urban environmental management, - Encourage the creation at institutional networks in the city.