L.Victoria Rept - UN-Habitat

OpportunitiesThe opportunities that exist in reducing urban poverty are:❖❖❖❖❖Regional cooperation, including taking advantage of the East Africa CommunityUsing the already existing modalities for information sharingIncrease in human traffic that will enhance trade opportunitiesDecentralization policies, that allow decision-making at local levels, as is the case in UgandaUnderstanding that the poor have answers to their problems and utilizing the potential ofthe poorc) Upgrading of Slum AreasCommon Issues and trends• Population increase• Lack of planning for slum upgrading• Lack of collaboration in urban and rural planning• Lack of good governance – lack of accountability mechanism• Ownership of land – various tenure systemsLimiting factors❍❍❍❍❍❍Poor enforcement of existing lawsLack of policy governing provision of shelterLack of planning between councils and investorsLack of capacity in the planning department (human, material and financial resources)Personal/political interestsLack of information and Land Information Systems (LIS)Opportunities❖❖❖❖❖Policy governing slum-upgrading should be enforcedPersuade landlords to put up better houses (participatory planning)Existing NGOs and private sector should be tapped for their capacities, resources andparticipatory skills and probably encouraged to improve some infrastructuresStrengthening and improving council revenue collectionCouncils are institutions that can spearhead the upgrading initiatives as they already havethe mandate.d) Involvement of Civil Society and Private SectorCommon Issues and Trends• Increased recognition and acceptance of Civil Society and Private Sector in developmentprocesses and activities• Generally poor communication between the various stakeholders• Poor coordination between councils and the private sector• Mistrust between the various sectors• Lack of good governance, as demonstrated by the lack of transparency, corruption andmistrust, amongst other factors• Poor resource management• Lack of an enabling environment for local authority/civil society/private sector engagementLimiting Factors❍❍❍Restrictive urban management approachesRestrictive legal frameworkLack of transparency22Cities Development Strategies for Improved Urban Environment and Poverty Reduction in the Lake Victoria Region