By Zoleka Qodashe
But with this rapid urbanisation comes a myriad of challenges from inadequate housing and infrastructure to strained services and environmental degradation.
Data shows that Africa is urbanising faster than any other region, with the urban population projected to grow from 600 million today to about 1.3 billion by 2050.
This week, leaders, experts, and innovators are gathering in Ethiopia for the Africa Urban Forum, a platform aimed at shaping the future of Africa’s cities
African Union Chairperson of the urban development sub-committee Judith Nabakooba cast a spotlight on data by the African Development Bank (ADB) saying economic losses from climate-related disasters in Africa are projected to reach 50 million US dollars by 2050.
“Africa’s cities are on the frontlines of global crises facing unprecedented threats from floods, drought, heatwaves, landslides, water, scarcity, food insecurity and other climate-related disasters, rapid urbanisation, population growth and social inequality.”
ADB President Dr Akinwumi Adesina explains the importance of investments. “On average, the bank Board approves about two billion a year on projects and programmes that have a direct positive impact on urban areas in Africa. The Bank also includes the urban and municipal funds to provide technical assistance and capacity building for urban planning, and governance, especially on municipal fiscal management and raising municipal resources and project preparation.”
While local governments play an important role in the transformation agenda, in a striking paradox, municipalities in South Africa (SA), a country at the forefront of Africa’s urban transition, are returning unspent funds to the national Treasury, despite crying out for resources to address their own infrastructure backlogs.
SA’s Human Settlements Deputy Minister Tandi Mahambehlala says a change is needed in how municipalities utilise funds allocated to them by the government.
“In our country, we’ve got a challenge of capacity in terms of municipalities because remember, we give grants to municipalities, we allocate funding to them and the AG will come out and report that there is a particular underspending in a certain municipality and the money which was meant for the people, went back to Treasury.”
Despite this and other shortcomings, South and North Africa lead in urban growth.
While East Africa has the lowest rate of people living in cities. And just opposite the Adwa Museum in the Horn of Africa’s capital are the people who hope to benefit from these engagements.
Over and above the interventions already put in place by the Ethiopian government.
Dr Fitsum Assefa, the Urban Planning and Development Minister in Ethiopia, says they have programmes geared towards assisting citizens.
“We have housing programmes where we build corridors like hundreds of thousands of houses and transfer those to low-income citizens and at the same time, of course, other things are also subsided. These are all part of our programmes to ensure no one is left behind.”
--SABC--
