City Networks: Learning through Patnerships

1. City Networks:Learning through Patnerships Zaragoza, Water Tribune 2008 Mila Freire The World Bank

2. Outline • Cities in Development – shifting paradigms • Urbanization: from burden to opportunity • The role of public policy – easying the process • The challenges of servicing fast growing cities • Cities and global goods – climate change • City Networks • Rapid growth in number and themes • Sector issues, policy concerns • Reaching the less able; sharing the fruits of knowledge

3. Cities in Development • Old paradigm • Too rapid urbanization; too large cities; • Increasing slums and poverty • Discourage migration to cities • New paradigm • Economic growth and change in structure happens with concentration of people in towns • Density is needed for productivity growth • The challenge: how to ease urbanization process, while minimizing congestion costs • City population expected to double in 30 years • Climate change – the new urgent agenda

4. Richer countries are denser GDP per capita grows with urbanization Non-linear relation More rapid in the beginning Slower at higher levels of development Richer countries have higher urbanization and density rates

5. Secondary sector increases its share in GDP; tertiary sector even more. Dispersed activities (i.e. agricultura) are replaced by more concentrated activities – manufacturing Services become a predominant sector Change is common in developped and developing countries Economic growth brings change

6. Cities: engines of growth and service providers • Within the uneveness of development some basic rules to help urbanization process • Basic services need to be provided to everyone regardless whether in lagging or leading regions • Lack of services (access to water, education, health) should not be the determinant for migration; but differences in productivity and income. • Provision of water - part of the poverty-alleviation and part of the ammenity and business climate agenda • As urbanization continues, investment in connectivity (urban transport) is required • Targetted policies to promote inclusion (slums or informality) become the main policies. • Again, availability of water and sanitation is the most effecive way to improve well-being at lower income levels,

7. Preparing for the future: • Cities expansion: sprawl? Density? • Angel projects a trippling of built land for a doubling of urban population? • Accurate of not, makes one think. • Increased demand for land? • Consequences on need for infrastructure, including water? • Is water availability a variable in the way our cities are and will be growing? • Is water being priced correctly? • Lessons from Los Angeles or Phoenix • Water disputes in West California.

10. The big challenge: A billion in slums

11. Sustainable Cities • Cities contribute for 60-70% of C02 emmissions • The relation of C02 (per capita) grows at first but then declines as consumers become more aware of th need to be energy efficient • Industrialzed cities have initiated very important initiatives to curb influence of cities in CO2 emissions: • Urban transport • Building codes • Encouragement to density (against sprawl) • Adaptation: the challenge for cities in poored countries • Arid cities – lack of water • Coastal cities – possible flooding and loss of assets • The challenge: knowledge and governance

12. Urban vulnerability to climate change DIRECT IMPACTS • Sea level rise • Flooding and landslides • Heat waves • Water scarcity • Decreasing water quality • Worsening air quality • Ground ozone formation Djibouti-Ville flooded in April 2004

13. Urban vulnerability to climate change INDIRECT IMPACTS • Frequency, intensity of natural disasters • Accelerated urbanization • Environmental refugees • Increased energy demand for heating or cooling • Epidemics, worsening public health • Availability and pricing of foodstuff Environmental refugees Djibouti, October 2004

14. 2. City Networks • City networks emerge from the need and “joy” to share knowlege, experiences and successes. • Can be national, regional and global. • At present one has more than • 20 global city networks • More than 30 Regional networks • More than 100 National Netowrks • With webb pages, publication and regular stream of information. • Probably thousand of twin-cities arrangements, ad-hoc meetings and exchange programs. • Excludes networks focused on specific sectors

16. Global Networks • Are organized by themes • Eclei, C-40 for environment • CA for urban upgrading and city development strategy • UCLG to represent a whole range of matters of concern to municipalities, probably the most representative of the global networks • Have increasing political voice • Often associated with UN • Financed by bilateral and multilateral donors • Technically important

17. Sector City Networks GHG abatement initiatives • ICLEI “Cities for Climate Change” program • C40 cities partnership • Clinton Foundation • World Economic Forum • Carbon financing, carbon trading markets • DOE “Clean Cities” • EU incentives system for local governments

18. Regional Networks • Important to share issues typical of each region • Special important in • Europe including Eurocities • Latin America • Asia • Africa has a continental progrqam (MDP) • UCLG has chapters in each Region

19. Country Networks • Particular active in Asia (37) • Philipines (4), Indonesia (5), Japan (9), India, Australia (3), South Korea • Latin America (16) • Brazil (3), Argentina (3), Mexico (2), El Salvador, Chile (2), Bolivia • Europe and Central Asia (21) • Bulgaria (3), Poland (2) • Europe (24) • North America; USA (3), Mexico (1), Canada (1) • Africa • South Africa has two active associations • Most African countries have municipal associations • Very important role played in the Rwanda reconciliation process

20. Country networks (cont.) • National networks are particularly important in matters of decentralization, tax policy and policy reform • Brazil municipal associations were fundamental to give municipalities full power as federative entity during 1988 constitutional reform • Honduras and Philipines associations have major role in discussing revenue share, and progressive decentralization of responsibilities

21. Water-city Networks • Water city networks were probably the first networks to be created in the world • Water rights and negotiations have been among the first documents to be found • How to use, allocate and solve dispute water uses have illustrated and facilitate the exchanges accross cities • At present, most of the global, regional and country networks have chapters focused on water issues. • And thousands of cities, regions and NGOs have their own associations dealing with water and watr management. • EUKN, Eurocities, Urbact, and other networks are associated • The major challenge for most of the networks – from a development view point is whether local knowledge can be leveraged and shared especially with poorer municipalities and local governments.

22. Thanks