International workshop Venice - March 11-12 1999 Concepts and Paradigms of Urban Management in the Context of Developing Countries
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Batilda Burian (National Program Coordinator, Sustainable Cities Programme- Tanzania)

"Concept of a sustainable city in sub-saharan Africa"

Introduction

This outline attempt to discuss the concept of Sustainable City in Sub-Saharan Africa. Reference is drawn from a multilateral agency's perception of the concept of sustainable City in Sub-Saharan Africa. The outline goes on questioning the justification of the concepts from a Regional country and even City perspective, in terms of generic and specific priorities, potential and constraints.

The Concept of Sustainability:

"Sustainability' is like a buzzword' so frequently used that it is subject to a wide range of interpretations. Sustainability and for this matter, sustainable development, has been used to refer to the "environmental protection to meet the need of the present and future generation[1]. Other definitions on the other hand have incorporated the human perspective in explaining Sustainable Development[2]. Amongst the pioneers of this camp is the late Mahbub ul Huq (1995), who argued that;

"Sustainable development is not simply a call for environmental protection….It implies a process in which economic, fiscal, trade, energy, agricultural, industrial and all other policies are designed to bring about development that is economically, socially and ecological sustainable" ( 1995:76).

While there have been some efforts to interpret the concept, we in 'the Sustainable Cities Programme (SCP) in Tanzania have been imparted with the concept and we have continued using the term without really trying to come up with an operational definition of the concept.

The Origin of Sustainable Cities

Sustainable Cities Programme was launched in the 1990 as a follow-up to UNCHS-Habitat and UNEP Environmental Guidelines for Settlement Planning and Management. According to the UNCHS, the SCP framework represents one such approach that allows priority environmental issues in a city to be effectively managed (UNCHS (Habitat) /UNEP: 1998). Currently, UNCHS (Habitat)/UNEP supports more than 30 cities worldwide.

How UNCHS (Habitat)/UNEP defines a 'Sustainable City'

Sustainable City as defined by UNCHS (Habitat)/UNEP is:

• A city where achievement in Social, Economic, and Physical development are made to last.
• A city that has a lasting supply of natural Resources, on which its development depends (using them only at a level of sustainable yield).
• A city that maintains a lasting security from environmental hazards which may threaten development achievements (allowing only for acceptable risks).

The UNCHS (Habitat)/UNEP concept of Sustainable City is advocated through the Sustainable Cities Programme (SCP) which is considered as a practical response to the universal search for sustainable development.

SCP- A New Development paradigm.

It is believed that in order to achieve Sustainable Urban Development a new approach to city planning and management is required. This is regarded due to limitations of traditional urban management systems (mostly master planning) that have been observed, which include the following:

• Chronic failures in inter-departmental, cross-sectoral and inter-governmental cooperation and collaboration;
• Lack of effective strategic planning capabilities;
• Out-dated and ineffective urban planning;
• Inadequate mechanisms and practices for meaningful public participation;
• Lack of modalities for public-private collaboration;
• Weakness in municipal public finance;
• Shortage of appropriate skills and experience;
• Inadequate information availability;

While the mentioned are unquestionable, the approach leaves a lot to be desired. The SCP approaches the Concept of 'Sustainable City' in a 'piece-meal' fashion. The following are personal observation, which I think is worth mentioning:

1. Although SCP is emphasizing on city/municipal consultation and stakeholders' participation, it still operates at the project/ programme level, whereby, all elements that form part of sustainable development concept are broken down into a series of isolated programmes hence losing the actual meaning of the 'concept'. Some examples of these programme/ projects that are coordinated by the SCP and the Urban Management Programme (UMP) both under the UNCHS(Habitat)/UNEP include:
   • SCP: Urban Environmental component
   • UMP: Municipal finance and administration component
     • Urban infrastructure management component
     • Urban Land Management component
     • Urban Environmental Management component and
     • Urban Poverty Alleviation component.

2. Given the fact that SCP addresses issues of Urban Management, it nevertheless, emphasizes merely on Environmental Issues. One wonders as to whether all aspects of Urban Management could be easily reflected or translated from an environmental perspective.

3. It is also observed that while, for instance, the SCP-UNCHS /UNEP focuses on "More efficient and equitable use of natural resources and control of environmental hazards by promoting better urban governance, the Sustainable Cities Project of the European Union (also affiliated to UNCHS/Habitat) concentrates on an integrated approach towards sustainable urban development. [3]

Some of the priority issues that have emerged through Cities and municipal consultations (in few cities in Sub-Saharan Africa) under the SCP process Include:-

• Solid waste management/water supply and sanitation (e.g. Lusaka; Dar es Salaam, Moshi, Ibadan, Dakar)
• Air Pollution- Accra, Dar and Lusaka
• Unplanned settlements (Lilongwe, Dar es Salaam, Mwanza)

This is supported by the assertion that:

"For cities, a stress only on sustainability would imply large investments in reducing the use of fossil fuels, decreasing the throughput of freshwaters and non-renewable resources, controlling air and water pollution" (Mitlin, D and D, Satterthwaite: 199?: 2) [4]

Although I do not entirely support the above position, the authors were right in categorizing issues of priorities according to economic position of a city as quoted below:

"For cities with low levels of non-renewable resource use and waste generation (Which usually implies a relatively poor city), the priority is the achievement of social, economic and political goals, but within a commitment to minimizing the call on environmental capital. (Ibid. p.17, emphasis added).

A 'Sustainable City' from the Sub-Saharan Africa Perspective

The following is a list of items that together could be referred to as a concept of 'Sustainable City' in a Sub-Saharan Africa context:

• A city with economic growth together with political, cultural and social harmony that maintains and supports the quality human life and physical environment of the present and future generation;
• A city that constitutes base for Health, technical innovations, support for quality and equitable education, social life, investment, production (by supporting public, private sectors and the 'informal sector) and employment by putting people at the centre;
• A city that guarantees peace, security and civil rights to its Residents. A city that is gender responsive;
• A city that recognizes and support rural/urban dynamics. A city that is well serviced with utilities and proper road network system to reduce urban traffic.
• A city that derives its plans and programmes from its residents' participatory involvement.

Other Issues of Importance for a City to be considered sustainable:

Socio-Economic and Cultural Aspects:

• employment/ informal sector/ food security/ poverty eradication initiatives
• civil rights and development
• rural/urban linkages developed interaction
• private/public partnership/ ethics/corruption
• cultural/educational/ information
• migrant/refugees/ (civil wars)
• Health services and campaigns; especially on HIV/AIDS.
• Diversified sources of adequate revenue for urban management

Environment and Urban management

• infrastructure (transport/ and communication))
• Urban pollution
• Access to Water and sanitation
• Solid waste management, and improved drainage system

Political aspects:

• devolution and decentralization and democratization
• justice, equity and redistribution
• peace and security
• capacity building/institution/financial