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 The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has renewed funding for the Sustainable Cities: PLUS Network Africa program for a second three-year period. Now entering its sixth year, the next phase of the program will build on the gains made in the three African members of the Network: Dakar, Senegal; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and eThekwini (Durban), South Africa, and internationally with the 40+ current members of the Sustainable Cities: PLUS Network.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of the 2009-2012 program is threefold:
- to improve governance through capacity building of local governments and their stakeholders, including women
- to address poverty and environmental impacts of rapid urbanization through community based initiatives, and
- to accelerate the transfer of learning from city to city through the Sustainable Cities: PLUS Network
PROGRAM COMPONENTS:
Governance
The first priority component is “Promoting Good Governance” which will be addressed through “local government institution and capacity building” by building capacity around participatory processes that extend democracy, increase public engagement and transparency and promote the equal participation of women and men in urban decision-making and access to resources that shape the sustainable development of their communities. Activities will include capacity building through peer exchanges, training and workshops, and multi-stakeholder and participatory processes at the local government level.
Environmental Sustainability
The second priority is “Advancing Environmental Sustainability”, which will “address the environmental impacts of urbanization”. In Dar es Salaam and Dakar local communities will be helped to improve their environment through community demonstration projects such as urban agriculture, water distribution, composting and energy projects, in alignment with their national and local commitment to poverty eradication and localizing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These activities will be supported by a Community Demonstration Project Fund administered at the local level, equally accessible to men and women. In Durban these community funds will be used to further the implementation of Imagine Durban, the integrated long-term planning process completed during the first phase of CIDA funding. Durban’s existing gender policy framework guides the implementation of this program. Activities will include planning and implementation Community Demonstration Seed Funds, capacity building through training workshops, and local peer exchanges particularly between women’s groups and youth groups.
Transfer of Knowledge
The third component of the program focuses on accelerating the transfer of knowledge between and beyond these cities. The program will improve local governance (a focus on participatory planning processes); advance environmental sustainability (a focus on practical demonstration projects); and accelerate the transfer of learning from city to city in Africa and elsewhere (a focus on sharing knowledge). The program addresses specific needs and opportunities that have been identified by the project partners, which align with their strategies and projects and were recommended in the recent program evaluation. Capacity building and empowerment of marginalized groups, particularly youth and women, has been identified as a priority need in Dakar and Dar es Salaam. Durban has successfully completed the visioning and strategic planning phase of its long-term planning process and is now moving into the implementation, monitoring and reporting phases. The nature of activities will vary by individual cities.
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