Leaders press for funds to boost urban life in Africa

Citation

(2007), "Leaders press for funds to boost urban life in Africa", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 18 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/meq.2007.08318aaf.001

Leaders press for funds to boost urban life in Africa

Cities across the developing world are being urged to push harder to access a growing range of global environment funds able to assist in the financing of sustainable public transport systems, up to cleaner, less polluting energy supplies. The investments, which are so far benefiting some five cities in Latin America, including Mexico City and Panama City, and others underway or in the pipeline in Jakarta and Hanoi in Asia, are being catalyzed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The GEF was established in the early 1990s to assist developing countries to achieve sustainable development and was only some weeks ago replenished to the tune of just over US$3 billion. Meanwhile the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change offers a chance to better handle urban wastes. Gases emitted by big rubbish tips can be used to generate electricity and thus can attract new streams of funding under these carbon credit schemes.

In terms of sustainable transport projects, only Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania is taking advantage of GEF funding with a rapid bus transit system earmarked there. South Africa is also hoping to use GEF funding to help its cities boost sustainable public transportation for the 2010 World Cup. Other cities in Africa are expected to follow suit.

According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) it is a fact that the streets and infrastructure of far too many of Africa’s cities are being overwhelmed by traffic, leading to rising levels of hazardous air pollution and impacts on the economy. Africa should consider the mistakes made on continents like Europe which indicate that trying to build your way out of the problem by constructing more and more roads can be expensive and deliver only short-term benefits. While the GEF funding is aimed at reducing pollution linked with climate change, the wider benefits could transform the daily lives of Africa’s urban citizens, reduce poverty and help in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Further details on the projects being funded are available from UNEP at: www.unep.org