Summit should inspire plans for better cities
All eyes are on Kisumu, which has in the past several days been hosting the 9th Africities Summit, a continental conference on management of urban areas. Since it opened on May 17, the delegates have been debating solutions to the challenges posed by the rapid urbanisation on the continent.
The summit is meant to discuss the numerous problems faced by the hordes of people flocking urban centres in search of greener pastures. This is the first time the summit is being held in an intermediary city. These are described as towns with a population of between 50,000 and one million people that connect rural and urban areas to basic facilities and services.
The Pan-African Organisation of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) chose as its theme, “The role of intermediary cities of Africa in the implementation of Agenda 2030 of the United Nations and African Union Agenda 2063”.
Both Vision 2030 of the UN and the Agenda 2063 of the African Union seek to enhance prosperity through better planning, provision of services and elimination of extreme poverty. As the population in urban centres grows, proper planning is a must.
There is an urgent need to develop resilient and sustainable cities on the continent, as it has become evident that by 2050, the majority of the African population will be living in towns. The majority will, of course, settle in the intermediary cities. These urban centres should be more energy-efficient, with low carbon emissions, more inclusive and resilient to cope with the increasing demand.
To ease life in the urban centres, it is important to prioritise simple requirements such as sanitation and infrastructure and address issues such as inadequate sewerage, poor roads and markets.
This should serve as a springboard for African cities to attain global standards. Conferences such as the Africities conference must not be mere talking shops. They should be forums where tangible solutions to the underlying problems of urbanisation are effectively tackled.
