Urbanisation and climate change: Local voices count in accelerating progress

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Intermediary cities have played a huge role in the actualisation of global development.

In recognition of this position, the European Union (EU) has a decision-making associate body where the entire local authorities under the union come together and give their opinion on policies to make sure that whatever is decided is beneficial and makes sense to the local people.

More people live in cities nowadays and the biggest problem with cities is actually in developing counties, particularly in Africa. Even though urbanisation is a global trend, cities in other parts of the world are not growing as rapidly as in Africa.

Cities are major emitters, so they have to be part of the solution if the socio-economic menace affecting Africa must be tackled. In the future, most people will live in urban areas, and it is their living conditions that would count in terms of the development of the planet.

The global tendency is that there are more metropolitan and mega cities that have very big challenges in the terms of service provision. And the population growth is such that service provision is always lacking three steps behind and getting worse because urban expansion is outpacing whatever can be provided in terms of service delivery.

So, to make those services sufficient for everybody and make them sustainable and green is a major obstacle that has to be resolved. This is even more challenging for secondary cities which many times don’t have the access to the resources that are required to make the change.

For this reason, a lot of small cities in many counties are experiencing brain drain, lack of resources, and limited capacities. Local authorities need to be supported to be able to step up their game and be proactive in the fight against climate change and foster sustainable development across the region.

Every lofty policy has to land somewhere, and where does it land, at the local level because this is where people live. People don’t live in the sky; they live in communities and that is where they feel whether a government is delivering or not.

In Kenya for example, because of its electoral processes, people are more interested in who becomes their next governor and mayor rather than the next president which they feel is so removed and will not make much difference in their lives. The so-called devolution has been rather successful, and this is because people are recognising this pivotal feat as decisive to their wellbeing, which is a sign of successful decentralisation.

However, the process of decentralisation is an evolutionary one; there is no end to it because it is a matter of sharing power and recognising local and regional authorities as key actors in the dynamics of development. Therefore, there is a need to assess whether the powers given to local authorities in Africa are concrete on the ground.

Depending on the country, it is important to discuss this issue because it surpasses power-sharing; it also involves the distribution of resources. Many nations have decentralised power in their constitutions, but not visibly on the ground. Therefore, it is essential to fix this problem to enable development partners to know how to intervene.

Decentralisation, according to the director of Development, Capacity Building with the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) of Africa, Dr. Najat Zarrouk, requires a lot of power, and clarification of competencies, as well as roles and responsibilities.

“Today we are talking about digital transformation; it is not easy to do,” she said.

Local people need resources and support from the central government, devolution services, donors, partners, and regional communities. The support is to enable them to carry out an action on small-scale changes in terms of renewable projects, and stability, involving neighborhoods, as well as city centres. They can make a difference, but not without policy backup and proper distribution of resources.

The 9th Africities summit in Kisumu, Kenya, clearly signifies the value of intermediary cities to sustainable living. It is the first time that the event would be taking place in an intermediary city and the idea is to prove that they can deliver if properly engaged.

“We have to keep in mind that without intermediary cities, they can be no decentralisation,” Dr. Zarrouk stated.

The European Union is supporting the decentralisation policy in all countries wherever possible. “But this is one of the most complex operations in any country because it is very difficult to decentralise,” says Ambassador Henriette Geiger, Delegation of the EU to Kenya.

She lamented that some countries have only seen a decentralisation of responsibilities, but not the money that goes with it, which makes it an impossible task and a failed project.

Another important issue that must be addressed is that of human capital. Elected officials or territorial managers cannot be empowered without a significant budget. There is a need to have an appropriate financial plan to empower people at the local and regional levels.

In Europe, countries allocate part of their budget to empowering local authorities, elected officials, and territorial managers. This is why you see them succeeding in the decentralisation and territorialisation of power.

This should also be among the priorities because one can transfer authority, responsibilities, and competencies, but who is applying and implementing, it is the human capital.

For Africa to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and African Union 2063 agenda, it is critical for the continent to have a united body that superintends over domestic affairs.

This is because local authorities have a big role to play, and their voices should be heard in central policy making. It is also vital because sometimes things are decided without consulting them, and when it comes to the implementation one finds out that it is not working.

By Etta Michael Bisong, Abuja

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