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Dar’s uncontrolled growth a headache to planners
2006-02-22 07:58:34
By Guardian Reporter
Uncontrolled growth coupled with limited capacity in the provision and maintenance of basic infrastructure and other services in Dar es Salaam are issues of major concern to planners and city dwellers.
This has resulted into unguided and uncoordinated infrastructure investment and development leading to sub-optimal use of limited resources for urban management and infrastructure development.
Prof Wilbard Kombe of the University College of Lands and Architectural Studies (UCLAS) made the observation in Dar es Salaam in connection with the workshop on infrastructure and urban growth due to be held in Dar es Salaam for two days from tomorrow.
The workshop, to be officiated by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.
( Local Government) Mizengo Pinda, is organized by UCLAS in collaboration with German’s Dortmund University.
According to Prof Kombe, the workshop would focus on application of trunk infrastructure namely water supply, electricity and road network on urban growth in the rapidly urbanizing world.
Prof Kombe further explained that excessive densification in the informal settlements and their expansions into the periphery have become the dominant pattern of urban growth under poverty.
Said he: ’This trend has drawn the attention of scholars from the two countries (Tanzania and Germany) as reflected in the Research and Development project in progress, dealing with trunk infrastructure and urban growth, with a focus on the management of rapid urbanization under poverty.’
He added that Dar es Salaam, one of the fastest growing cities in sub-Saharan Africa during the last decade, is featuring most of the phenomena and problems of rapid urban growth in poverty.
Being one of the first candidates of the UN-HABITAT Sustainable Cities Programme, Dar es Salaam is representative for many rapidly growing agglomerations in sub-Saharan Africa posing practical challenges for harmonization, said Kombe.
Prof Kombe also informed that workshop participants would be drawn from ministries and institutions responsible for infrastructure and utilities, City and Municipal officials, Development Partners and scholars from the University of Dortmund and UCLAS.
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