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f o e r u t u f e Th s e i t i c e l b sustaina e g n a h c e t and clima
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Barcelona: A model for sustainable urban transport
Prepaid water meters: A solution to urban water crises? How to achieve sustainable cities in Africa
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Smart cities and sustainable entrepreneurship By: Zachary Mikwa
fertile environment for innovation in ideas, technologies and processes. Leveraging on provisions within the Kenya’s National Climate Change and Adaptation Plan (NCCAP) II, Nairobi can benefit from strong action on reducing emissions and better utilizing resources through a unique mix of co-benefits. These include: increased efficiency; innovation; reduced noise; reduced congestion; reduced pollution; and an attractive environment for skilled labor, entrepreneurs and innovative firms. But again, Nairobi is also vulnerable to costs of inaction- especially risks from climate impacts such as heat, water shortages and floods. Its size and economic complexity means that specific problems such as congestion, waste, poor access to education and crime require considered, locality- specific public intervention. The important role of entrepreneurs in achieving smart cities
Cities will be at the center of the resource efficiency story in the coming century. They are home to half the world’s seven billion population, produce 70 per cent of the world’s GDP, and 75 per cent of total greenhouse gases. By 2050, 75 per cent of the world’s population is projected to be living in cities. Nairobi, the Kenya’s capital city,
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has clearly played a major role in the creation of the problem of anthropogenic climate change and therefore it forms a central part of the mitigation agenda. The city is also well placed to lead the process of low carbon innovation; it combines a mix of specialization and diversity derived from a concentration of people and economic activity that generates a
We are aware of the unprecedented challenges that Nairobi is facing including: climate change, resource constraints, economic volatility, over and under nutrition, widening inequality, and political conflicts that are increasingly aggravated by these issues. Yet, even as awareness of the causes and potential solutions to these challenges has never been higher, overall progress remains frustratingly slow or nonexistent. Understandably, many of us have looked to politicians and donors, multinational companies, universities and other large-scale institutions to provide leadership; while their efforts have been earnest and sometimes substantial, they have so far failed to make very much difference.
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It is not hard to see why this is the case. We know that achieving environmental, social and economic sustainability in Nairobi will require novel approaches to and combinations of technology, public policy and financing- and major shifts in both individual and organizational behavior- all playing out. But, the larger the system, the harder it is to consciously bring this about. No matter how well we understand the problems and their likely solutions, we are simply overwhelmed with too much complexity, too little feedback and not enough shared vision and trust to enable big changes to take hold.
Kenya Climate Innovation Center Strathmore Business School, P.O. Box 49162-00100 Nairobi, Kenya. +243703034701 About KCIC The Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) provides holistic, country-driven support to accelerate the development, deployment and transfer of locally relevant climate and clean energy technologies. KCIC provides incubation, capacity building services and financing to Kenyan entrepreneurs and new ventures that are developing innovative solutions in renewable energy, water and agribusiness to address climate change challenges. Editor Alise Brillault info@kenyacic.org Contributors Fred Adick Zachary Mikwa Michelle Mung’ata
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LIVE GREEN This is one reason why we now see, and will continue to see, so much leadership and innovation emerging at smaller scales: from activists and entrepreneurs, from schools, hospitals and community organizations and, crucially, from the communities and neighborhoods they are a part of. Adopting a decentralized approach, therefore, has the capacity to make some significant change at the city level. This is because the challenges play out in more specific ways, solutions are more rapidly tested and refined, and communities are better able to unite to support and adopt new ways of doing things. And what takes hold in one city often becomes a model for what is possible in others. Get done with Nairobi and then move to Mombasa! The need for sustainable business models and innovations becomes ever more urgent. But local entrepreneurs cannot do it alone. Investors and donors are critical in helping groups like KCIC scale up sustainable entrepreneurship for sustainable cities and communities. Collectively, the partners can work within the urban ecosystem to create a system of products, services, networks or actors and supporting infrastructure that is developed to be competitive, satisfy customers and be more environmentally sound than traditional business models. There are a number of smart city projects that will benefit from immediate demand from consumers, which sustainable entrepreneurs can be supported to exploit within their localities: 1. Sustainable urban transport systems 2. Affordable clean water kiosks 3. Sustainable farmers markets 4. Sustainable urban agriculture 5. Development of climate-proof
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infrastructure 6. Technology for improved traffic management systems 7. Investments in infrastructure for nonmotorized transport systems Small players can make big ideas happen In 2012, Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) and its partners set out to prove a new concept—that entrepreneurs and the small and medium-sized businesses they create could make a profound impact in driving a country towards a sustainable development path. Six years on, the proof of our concept is demonstrated daily around the country and mostly within Nairobi County. As engines of economic growth and laboratories for environmental and social innovation, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are helping to build modern economies that improve people’s lives while conserving natural resources. Today, KCIC has more than lived up to its name. Our innovative model—helping entrepreneurs build solid business plans and skills, linking them with mentors, and showcasing them to investors—has taken root in more than 35 counties across Kenya. Companies we support have launched mold-breaking products and business models, ranging from enterprises that generate alternative and sustainable fuel sources to a Nairobi-based company that assembles solar-powered irrigation pumps. In all, KCIC has supported over 230 enterprises, 65% of which have been successful. It has facilitated over $45 million in investment, with average deal sizes ranging from $50,000 to $750,000. To date, the businesses supported by KCIC have collectively kept 215,000 tons of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere.
Enormous opportunities exist in the midst of various sustainability challenges in Nairobi. Be it in the transport sector, agriculture, water, or consumer and industrial waste management. All we need to do is empower aggressive entrepreneurs to grab these opportunities to transform Nairobi into a sustainable, smart city while making profits.
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Barcelona: A model for sustainable urban transport By: Alise Brillault
During my recent visit to Barcelona, Spain, there was one thing that struck me apart from the beautiful architecture and delicious paella: how easy it is to move around the city. With an efficient metro system, eco-friendly buses, a bikesharing program, and high levels of walkability, Barcelona has a lot to
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teach us about sustainable urban transportation. Efficient public transit renders car ownership unnecessary in Barcelona Car ownership is unnecessary in Barcelona, a city of 1.6 million inhabitants and 4.8 million residents in the metropolitan area. Rather, one can
conveniently and affordably get around using public transit. The underground metro system, inaugurated in 1929, currently consists of 12 lines. With 187 stations across the city and nearby suburbs, the average distance between each metro stop is about 800 meters. Annual ridership is massive at 426 million people. Wait times for the metro are typically just 2-5 minutes. Barcelona also has an extensive and modernized bus system. There are over 100 lines, allowing passengers to reach every corner of the city. Each bus stop is clearly designated with signs indicating which bus lines stop there and their exact routes. There is a screen that shows in real time in how many minutes each bus will arrive. Average wait times for the bus are 10 minutes or less. The city has also invested in 159 hybrid buses and is rolling out fullyelectric buses with the ZeEUS project (Zero Emission Urban Bus System, a European Union plan to promote electric city buses). Both the bus and the metro systems allow for safe transportation at all hours of the day. Sunday through Thursday, the metro runs from 5:00 A.M. until midnight. On Fridays, the metro runs from 5:00 A.M. until 2:00 A.M., and on Saturdays it runs all night long. When the metro is not available, there is a nit bus (night bus) that runs all through the night. Barcelona promotes cycling and walking as healthy means of transportation The city also encourages physical activity and environmental sustainability through its bike sharing program and emphasis on walking. The
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former, called Bicing, consists of 6,000 bicycles at 420 stations covering 70% of the city. Residents can pick up a bicycle from one station and drop it off in another. It costs €47.16 per year, and the first 30 minutes of use are included in this fee. Additionally, the city design and culture encourages walking. Barcelona has high density with approximately 15,926 inhabitants per square kilometer. Most buildings are also mixed-use, with residents living above businesses, schools, and government buildings. This means that it is convenient for people to walk when completing errands, going to work, meeting friends for social engagements, and so on. Furthermore, many of Barcelona’s neighborhoods consist of a main street called a rambla, or a pedestrian street that is lined with trees, benches, and restaurant terrazas. There are also plans to create “superblocks” in the city. The neighborhood of Eixample, for example, was built on a grid in the 19th century; superblocks would take chunks of the grid and convert them into mainly pedestrian zones in which cars can only travel 10 km/hour. Because Barcelona has invested in its public transportation and promotes cycling and walking, the average commute time for residents is relatively low. People spend an average of 50 minutes in total commuting per dayabout 25 minutes each way. In fact, only 21% of the population actually travels to work by car; 44% walk or bike, and 35% use public transport.
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LIVE GREEN Improving physical and environmental health through sustainable transport Getting people out of cars is a key way of enhancing urban sustainability at the levels of environment, health, and the economy. For one, it reduces air pollution from vehicular exhaust and CO2 emissions- benefitting both the atmosphere and respiratory health. Making cities more pedestrianand cyclist-friendly promotes physical activity, which can cut down on obesity and other public health problems. Cars are even associated with a phenomenon called noise pollution, which the Australian Academy of Science says can lead to stress, poor concentration, productivity loss, sleep disturbances, and more serious issues such as cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, tinnitus, and hearing loss. Reducing the number of cars on the road can help alleviate these problems for urban dwellers. The economic gains of mass transit Enhancing public transportation, walkability, and cycling can even boost the economy. The traffic jams that occur in car-dependent societies costs cities millions of dollars in terms of lost productivity. In Nairobi, for example, the city loses about USD 578,000 per day due to traffic. This is because time spent sitting in a car could be spent working or attending meetings, for example. Idling on the road also increases the cost of transporting goods and wastes fuel.
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On the contrary, investing in public transportation systems creates jobs and attracts business. According to the organization UITP (Union Internationale des Transports Publics, or the International Association of Public Transport), “Capital investment in public transport sparks a chain reaction in economic activity up to three of four times the initial investment.” In addition to creating jobs, public transport systems attract businesses, private investment, and even tourism. Urban development tends to proliferate near important metro and bus stops, and having efficient systems improves the overall “global appeal” of a city. Cities that are more walkable also have higher property values. In the U.S., for example, a study by CEOs for Cities demonstrated that “each additional walk score point resulted in home values increasing between $500 and $3,000.” Furthermore, having reliable mass transit tackles one of the biggest issues that urban metropolises face: income inequality. A Harvard study on upward mobility in the U.S. has shown that commuting time- even above such factors as crime rates and elementary school test scores- is the single strongest factor in escaping poverty. A separate study by New York University focusing on the state of New York demonstrated that neighborhoods with some (but inefficient) access to transportation had the highest rates of unemployment and the lowest incomes. As cars tend to be unaffordable for working-class people, having to depend on unreliable public
transportation to get to work acts as an additional hurdle in their quest to improve their financial situation. The evidence is clear that cities which are car-dependent are not sustainable for the economy. If more cities can follow the example of Barcelona- investing in fast, efficient, and eco-friendly metro systems and buses; creating bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly streets with bike sharing programs; and promoting mixed-use developments that combine businesses with residences-, then we can achieve an urbanization that benefits the health of humans, the environment, and our wallets.
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Prepaid water meters: A solution to urban water crises? By: Alise Brillault
Africa’s urbanization rate is the fastest in the world. With city populations expanding by 3.5% annually, the percentage of Africans living in urban areas is set to reach 50% by 2030. Unfortunately, this puts a huge strain on resources such as water, and states that lack strong institutions are often unable to meet the demands. In Nairobi, for example, the Nairobi City Water and Sewage Company (NCWSC) claims that only half of city residents have direct access to piped water; of existing customers, only 40% are able to receive water on a 24-hour basis. Inadequate water provision in urban slums The migration of rural people into the cities has also led to the creation of informal settlements, where there is often inadequate or nonexistent water provision. In Sub-Saharan Africa, a whopping 72% of urban residents live in slums; according to the World Health Organization, slum population will rise to 400 million by 2020 unless decisive action is taken. Effective development of water and sanitation infrastructure is impeded by poor urban planning in shantytowns. According to Development Initiatives, “Unclear ownership or insecure land tenure patterns prevent investment in water and sanitation facilities in informal settlements.” Residents in these areas thus have to find other ways of obtaining
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water, such as purchasing it from vendors or even stealing it from NCWSC’s pipes. This has even given rise to “water mafias” who are able to operate lucrative businesses by fiercely guarding their territory. Water service providers, for their part, struggle with not receiving payments from poorer customers and needing to ration water. The city has had to impose water rationing to deal with a water supply that cannot meet the demand. Maji Milele’s prepaid water meters Maji Milele is a KCIC client who confronts many of the issues inherent in unsustainable water service provision. They offer prepaid water meters that can be used in communities, individual households, and in conjunction with purified water ATMs. The meters are linked to mobile payment and come with an online monitoring system for tracking daily payments and water consumption. Online monitoring helps to detect leakages and illegal connections and greatly reduces non-revenue water. Prepaid meters for individual connections work just like prepaid electricity meters. Users pay up front using mobile money for the exact amount of water that they want. When the user is almost out of water, they will get 2 alerts; if they then do not top up in time, the valve will automatically close. For water service providers this means: no need for water meter
reading, no need for sending bills, and no need to disconnect people/institutions that don’t pay. They actually disconnect themselves and can reconnect again by paying via Mpesa. Benefits of prepaid water meters Kenneth Wendo, director of Maji Milele, explains how their prepaid water meters benefit both the water service providers and companies: “Our system ensures transparency in the water collection and provision process. We cut down on labor and logistics costs because the technology doesn’t require kiosk operators or someone to check the meters. They can also be fixed remotely.” Furthermore, the meters reduce non-revenue water to less than 10%whereas the average in urban areas in Kenya is as high as 40%.
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For customers, they have 24-hour access to the meters and do not have to queue. As such, collecting water is a much more convenient process that is done entirely with mobile money. Variable pricing options, such as a progressive pricing structure, also enable the poorest communities to have affordable access to water- while, at the same time, water service providers don’t incur losses from customers who are unable to pay their water bills. Rising urbanization, coupled with climate change, will only put more strain on dwindling sources of water in Kenya and beyond. Innovative solutions, like that of Maji Milele’s, can help to meet Sustainable Development Goal 6 of providing universal access to safe and affordable drinking water.
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Rooftops and balconies: The future of sustainable farming By: Alise Brillault
Urban farming is becoming an increasingly popular method of “greening” cities and making them more sustainable. Lacking in space and fertile grounds, urban farmers are coming up with creative solutions to grow fresh produce and herbs as close to city dwellers as possible. In Kenya, such innovations are tackling issues of food
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security, health, and climate change in Nairobi and other major cities. One innovator in this field is KCIC client Ukulima Tech. This women-run enterprise designs, fabricates, and installs vertical gardens for urban and peri-urban customers. The systems can be placed on balconies and rooftops or can even be hung along perimeter
walls. Another benefit is that they are mobile; if a customer moves house or wants to transport their system, they do not need to cut down the vegetables. Vertical farming experiment becomes a business The first vertical farming system that co-founders Brenda Anne and Elizabeth Achieng had assembled was actually done as an experiment without the intention of creating a business. They were trying to see if they could grow vegetables on their balcony using different materials. However, what started as a hobby became a business when they posted some photos on Facebook and someone responded to order a system. Since 2015 when they registered their company, they have been serving mostly individual households in addition to some institutions such as schools. Community benefits of vertical farming Through vertical farming, Ukulima Tech has been contributing positively to the environment. For one, allowing urban customers to grow fresh produce at their own homes mitigates emissions linked with transporting, packaging, and selling food. Furthermore, Columbia University claims that “compared to traditional agriculture, vertical farming uses 70 to 95 percent less water and over 90 percent less land, while harvesting 80 percent more per unit of area.” The controlled system meets many challenges faced by urban and traditional farmers, including pest and weed controlwhich normally has negative environmental consequences. Ukulima Tech encourages their clients to maintain organic farming practices, and they also avoid the use of chemicals at installation. Ukulima Tech’s system is also a way of combating issues of malnutrition and
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other health concerns. According to Anne, “We realized that the kinds of vegetables that our clients were consuming from the market were grown along sewer lines and contaminated with lead and other harmful minerals. Our system, however, allows clients to grow their own organic, safe vegetables.” Growing one’s own vegetables also offers a constant access to nutritious food, which many vulnerable communities lack. Finally, the enterprise also makes a point to raise awareness about the issues they are confronting. Specifically, they provide agronomical training for their clients and give them information about climate adaptation and rain. KCIC supports Ukulima Tech in growing their business Recently, the company innovated even further by developing a mobile app to allow customers to monitor and irrigate their farms remotely. They were able to do so through a POC grant they had received from Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC). Since becoming KCIC clients, Ukulima Tech has also benefited from trainings about marketing, accounting, and pitching as well as ongoing assistance with writing proposals. They have also been able to create local employment for 4 permanent employees and 6 casuals. In the future, the enterprise wants urban farming to become the norm in Kenya. As Anne proclaims, “We want to see most buildings covered with plants growing out of them!”
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The future of sustainable cities and climate change By: Fred Adick
Sustainable cities are designed in such a way that they consider the social, economic and environmental effects of anthropogenic activities for resilient habitats and ecosystems of the existing populations around the location- without compromising the ability of future generations to obtain the same ecosystem benefits. These cities are dedicated towards minimizing their necessity inputs on energy, water, food, and waste and maximizing the benefits of the resources- hence reducing pollution in the environment. Rural-urban migration and the growth of slums In recent decades, there has been a rapid growth of cities in the developing world, due to the fact that people are moving from rural to urban areas in such of better living opportunities. Since 1990, about 10 million people have been moving into cities each year, leading to the rise of megacities..
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Therefore, more than half of the world’s population now lives in urban areas. By 2050, the urban population will have risen to 6.7 billion people- that is twothirds of the total people in the world. This means that we must significantly transform the way we build and manage our urban spaces for sustainable development. The rural-urban migration has resulted in extreme poverty concentrating in the urban spaces, causing national and city governments to struggle to accommodate the rising population in these areas. These governments have duties of making cities safe places by ensuring access to safe and affordable housing, upgrading slum settlements and increasing access to reliable social amenities. It has come to our realization that extreme environmental degradation is coming from urban set-ups due to large population growth, with more
than one billion people living in slum areas. The number of slum dwellers increases each day, making it difficult to plan and manage to achieve sustainable cities. This dynamism of cities’ growth has posed governments with the challenge of ensuring that growing cities can create jobs spaces, offer better livelihoods, increase economic growth, improve standards of social amenities, and hence promote sustainable economic growth. At the same time, they must seek to protect local and regional ecosystems, thereby accelerate progress towards achieving SDG no. 11. The rise of sustainable cities Sustainable cities create efficient gains of greater productivity and innovation capacity with lower costs and reductions in environmental impact. This will provide secure and healthy urban environments, where both people and nature can prosper and ensure continuity for future generations. For example, some five cities of the world have been considered to have ensured sustainable development- i.e. Copenhagen, which is one of the cities often ranked the greenest city on the planet. The city has focused on reducing energy use in many ways; for example, almost all of the households there have innovative cooling systems that save 70% of energy compared to other cooling methods. Secondly, San Francisco has innovated a tech-hub and home for most of its companies- i.e. Salesforce, Airbnb, and Uber.. These technologies help boost efficient energy use within buildings and transportation systems in the city. Vancouver, Canada, and Stockholm, Sweden are some of the other cities considered to be greener. Challenges and solutions to achieving sustainable cities However, to achieve sustainable cities is not an easy task. The main challenge is that people do not settle in a homogeneous way. There is periodic movement in and out of the cities, hence making it
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difficult to plan and budget for the exact population. This leads to poor planning, resulting in environmental problems due to increased air pollution, lowering groundwater recharge and discharge, which intensifies pollution in water bodies. However, the most severe environmental challenges experienced in our time is climate change, which has complicated access to basic human needs. Moreover, the rapid urban and population growth has led to environmental pressures, which can negatively impact economic growth. Finally, all these consequences contribute to increasing poverty and societal inequality, hence stunted sustainable growth of the cities. To counteract these challenges, the use of green innovation should be given a priority in our cities- especially in developing nations where these challenges are intensively felt. For example, traditional energy sources like coal and oil (natural gas) and charcoal need to be replaced by more sustainable energy sources like solar and wind.Growing water demand and supply of basic necessities in growing cities are of great concern. Thus, there are efforts to include a variety of Internet-software innovations aimed at managing water supplies and challenges such as flood control, rainwater management, waste water and sanitation management. City dwellers around the world should be mobilized to create awareness on reducing the environmental footprint of consumption. This can be started by increasing practices such as carpooling and sharing of ownership of resources. In conclusion, sustainable cities provide an opportunity for fostering employment opportunities while allowing for the efficient use of resources. In this way, cities and their growing populations will be able to benefit from economic growth and increased incomes but still mitigate the menace of climate change. This will allow for truly sustainable urban growth.
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How to achieve sustainable cities in Africa By: Michelle Mung’ata Sustainable cities, also referred to as ecological or ‘eco’ cities, are designed to have little impact on the environment. The need for sustainable cities is an urgent concern. Cities generate nearly half of the world’s production and are the engines of economic growth that create employment opportunities for millions. This is a major contributor to the rural to urban migration. Africa’s population will double by 2050, largely affecting the city slums as the poor continue to be drawn to better opportunities. Economic growth and a rapidly growing population indicates more urbanization in Africa than in any other continent. The rapidly growing population is already struggling with environmental pollution, traffic congestion, inadequate housing, unreliable water supply, poor sanitation, and a lack of proper waste management. Carbon footprints of cities are quite alarming and need to be addressed now to sustain the economic development and poverty alleviation rates. Africa’s urban environments are prone to flooding, which lead to outbreaks of diseases such as malaria. Ensuring economic growth- while creating sustainable cities for all- is the biggest urban challenge facing Africa today. Since 80 percent of the GDP comes from its urban areas, the quality and efficiency of African cities will determine the continent’s long-term productivity and
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stability. The following techniques can be focused on to ensure a sustainable city is achieved. Renewable energy Popular techniques, such as solar, wind, hydroelectricity, geothermal power and biogas are all achievable in existing cities willing to invest in the technologies. The renewable energy sector in Kenya is among the most active in Africa, leading in the number of solar power systems installed per capita. Kenya was also the first geothermal producer in Africa, with Ethiopia now the only other producer. Urban agriculture Vertical farming, hydroponic farming and rooftop farming are viable agricultural practices that can ensure that food is grown within the urban centers. This also saves on energy, time, and finances used in transporting food into the cities. Public transport Improving the standard and availability of sustainable public transport reduces carbon emissions from motorized vehicles, which are major pollutants in cities. This requires a fully integrated approach to town planning to reduce the influence on businesses. There is a need to promote non-motorized vehicles in Africa such as the bicycle, considered a rural transport system.
Green Buildings Green buildings are structures that are resource efficient and are environmentally responsible. Green buildings are resource efficient from the design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction phases. They are designed to improve on the use of energy, water, and other resources more efficiently; and reducing the overall impact on the environment. Partnerships Partnerships among governments, the private sector and other civil society groups can help to achieve resource efficient and environmentally sound production patterns, sustainable lifestyles, circular economy and spur new businesses with additional jobs focusing on green technologies and environmental services.
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Private sector participation through various mechanisms, such as public-private-partnerships, will help to improve the level of investments and efficiency of urban environmental management. Ending slums High on our agenda in achieving sustainable cities is improving on urban housing to provide safe settlements for the rapidly growing urban dwellers. Sub-Saharan Africa has a slum population of 199.5 million with the biggest slum, Kibera situated in Nairobi, Kenya. Kibera has an estimated population of 1 million people. Africa requires around 4 million housing units per year mainly, for urban settlers. Implementing effective planning policies will help cities manage the growth of informal settlements and provide a map for future development while promoting economic growth.
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