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Pushing for Pedestrianization in Dar es Salaam -The First Dar es Salaam Pedestrian Street Festival
Karimah Gheddai is one of our current CIDA IYIP interns based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Her work over 6 months will focus on tourism development. The Sustainable Cities International Network Africa Program (SCINAP) works closely with Tourism related organizations in Dar es Salaam such as Investours and DarTourism.
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A few months ago at a tourism exhibition I attended as part of promoting DarTourism (a destination marketing organization that promotes Dar es Salaam as a Tourist destination), an older ex-patriot gentleman approached our booth and asked me “ What is so appealing about sitting in traffic all day?” At the time I answered that every city has its problems and that Dar es Salaam had much more to offer than meets the eye, but after giving some thought to this, I realized that this negative impression of the city is something that would need to change in order to convince people that Dar es Salaam is a worthy tourist destination.
Imagining a Dar es Salaam without the dreaded traffic that the city is associated with may seem like wishful thinking, but on November 26th, 2011, The First Dar es Salaam Pedestrian Festival became a reality in a small section of the city center. One side of Lumumba Street (adjacent to the popular Mnazi Mmoja grounds) was shut down to cars and opened to pedestrians and other forms of non-motorized transportation. Pedestrians and operators of motorized vehicles alike were surprised and intrigued by the concept.
Karimah Gheddai. SCI Youth Intern, at the First Dar es Salaam pedestrian Street Festival
Previous SCI Intern Ryan Whitney first initiated the idea for the First Dar es Salaam Pedestrian Festival back in 2010. The festival that took place this year was implemented in partnership with DarTourism, The Dar es Salaam City Council (DCC) and the One Stop Youth center. The event was also made possible through financial contributions from DarTourism, The French and Danish Embassies, New Africa Hotel, Coastal Aviation, Afriroots, and the Kesho Trust.
The main objective of the festival was to provide temporary public space that was free of traffic and safe for the community to use at their leisure. The event also served to promote tourism in the city of Dar es Salaam through the celebration of local culture, as well as provide an income-generating opportunity for local vendors, artists and performers. Additionally, the event brought together numerous stakeholders who share similar convictions about pedestrianization and public spaces in Dar es Salaam.
The day began with an official ribbon cutting ceremony and an “Opening Walk”, which was attended by the Mayor of Illala Municipality Mr. Jerry Slaa, the City director Mr. Bakari Kingobe and representatives from DarTourism and the Danish Embassy. The opening walk was accompanied by a performance from the exceptionally talented Jembe group. It was a pleasant sight to see such an n enthusiastic group of people walking down what is normally a busy street over-crowded by motorized vehicles.
Other performances featured a local traditional dance group known as AMKA Productions; an acrobatics group from the Kigamboni area; as well as the Afrikats of the well-known Tanzania House of Talent (THT), who performed modern and local dances as well as an entertaining play on issues related to pedestrianization and public space in Dar es Salaam. This play was appropriately titled “Space” and was the springboard for a discussion amongst festival goers on issues faced by pedestrians in Dar es Salaam.
The festival also included a special artist exhibition by two groups of Painting Artists, 16Sanaa and the Shamba boys who both created special works of art based on the themes of pedestrianization and public space. Sir Alora of the 16Sanaa group created a remarkable painting piece that truly embodied the day.
Additionally, there were a number of vendors who attended the festival to promote their products and services. These included Wonder Welders (a group of polio victims who create jewellery and art using recycled products) and Afriroots (a tour company that offers cycling and walking tours of the city), Some of the groups were also organizations that have worked closely with Sustainable Cities in Dar es Salaam. These are Investours (an organization offering microfinance tours (the festival included woodcarvers who have been part of their loan program)), and Fasta Cycle messengers (a messenger service delivering parcels by cycling). Many of the groups that took part in the festival have created unique income generating opportunities for locals in the city and all embody the spirit of the pedestrian festival. It is hoped that with future festivals we will be able to identify more groups around the city that are involved in income generating projects and provide them with a space to sell their goods.
In conclusion, the First Dar es Salaam Pedestrian Festival was a great success and based on the positive responses of those who participated, efforts will be taken to ensure that the event becomes a regular occurrence so that tourists and locals alike can see that there is much more to Dar es Salaam than sitting in traffic all day. If you would like to find out more about this year’s festival you can take a look at the festival’s website at http://darpedestrianfestival.yolasite.com/
Posted in Dar es Salaam
Tagged dar es salaam, Investours, pedestrian, Tourism, transportation
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Climate Negotiations in Durban
Dane Labonte is one of our current CIDA IYIP interns based in Durban, South Africa. For the past couple of weeks he’s been experiencing the action at COP17 first-hand.
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The circus has arrived in town. Several blocks of downtown Durban have been transformed to accommodate the estimated 20,000 visitors. The UNFCCC negotiations, which attempt to create an international response to climate change, are notoriously slow paced and expectations for this conference were low from the outset. The hope is that the Kyoto Protocol would not die at this conference, as the first five-year commitment period is set to expire in 2012. However, it seems unlikely that this will be achieved.
It is not particularly inspiring to be a Canadian during these international climate talks. While the discussions are challenged for multiple reasons, Canada is seen as a roadblock that is uncommitted to progressing negotiations. This article gives quite a good idea of the Canadian approach. Having had the opportunity to travel, I can honestly say this is the first time I have had people react negatively on hearing I’m Canadian. I’m not certain that Canadians at home understand the degree to which our international reputation is being tarnished. It’s been a shock for me to discover.
That being said, fortunately there are a lot of interesting things happening in and around the conference at the local level. Imagine Durban partnered with the Institute of Democracy in Africa (IDASA) to host a two-day conference called Africans Dealing with Climate Change: Citizens Approach to COP17. The event was well attended, including many youth and civil society members from throughout the continent. The conference closed by developing a list of recommendations based on the discussions and suggestions from the participants, which were then given to Honourable Cyprian Awudu Mbaya of Cameroon who agreed to take the recommendations to the negotiations.
Another promising local event came from Asiye eTafuleni, a local NGO which is implementing an Imagine Durban demo project funded through Sustainable Cities International, who held a public event to showcase their work. Asiye eTafuleni works with informal recyclers in the inner city. They do this by designing carts to ease the collection of recyclables, giving recyclers uniforms to improve their presentation, and running a Friends of the Recyclers Program which aims to improve the relationship between the recyclers and local businesses. The project has been successful in increasing the recyclers’ weekly income, improving co-operation among recyclers, and lifting their ability to interact with other members of the public. At the event, the recyclers were able to meet with other recyclers from India and Brazil who had come to the conference with their own supporting NGOs. Recyclers discussed issues such as managing illegal metal scavenging, group organization, and the various price differences for recyclable materials. These events build the pride for their work and allow them to gain a broad scope for how their work contributes to waste management.
Finally, the talks have also motivated the Municipality to invest in various green initiatives like bike lanes that will ultimately improve the livability of the city.
Personally, I question the effectiveness and cost of the COP process. However, it’s difficult to deny that the conference facilitates the convergence and networking of passionate people. I suspect that this is where the real gains are made even though they will not be mentioned in the public statement on December 10th.
Posted in Durban
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Community reforestation project lights the way!
By Amanda Botes, Durban, South Africa
One of the flagship climate change response projects on show by the city of Durban during COP17 is the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation Project. This project has been selected by the United Nations as one of ten lighthouse projects in developing countries that demonstrates a commitment to helping the world to become more climate resilient but at the same time improve lives. This project is an initiative by eThekwini Municipality’s Durban Solid Waste, and Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department (EPCPD) as well as a local NPO, the Wildlands Conservation Trust.
The project involves the reforestation of the buffer zone of the Buffelsdraai landfill site and the improvement of community livelihoods in the area through a tree propagation programme. Indigenous trees are planted in the buffer zone to replace sugarcane fields and invasive alien plants, and grasslands and wetlands in the area are being rehabilitated. Since October 2008, 250 000 trees have been planted in the buffer zone contributing to the restoration of biodiversity in the area and providing a sink for carbon.
Saplings grown by community members ready for planting at the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site
The project is an example of both a climate change mitigation and adaptation response intervention. The trees are all locally propagated by “Tree-preneurs” in the surrounding community. Wildlands Conservation Trust run an Indigenous Trees for Life Programme where community members are given training on how to collect seeds, propagate and transplant the plants at their homesteads. Once the trees reach a certain height they are bartered for items such as basic foods, school uniforms, building materials and bicycles. These trees are then planted in the buffer zone. 85% of the tree-preneurs that contribute to the Buffelsdraai reforestation project are women and 65% are youth. 500 tree-preneurs provide trees to the project. When mass planting needs to be done temporary jobs are created and community members are given cash for these services. Community members are also educated on the value of conservation and about looking after the environment for the future. The tree-preneurs are rewarded with visits to national parks after a certain number of trees are grown.
Senzo, a community member that has benefited from the tree-preneur programme acted out a poem in isiZulu about how his behaviour towards nature has changed since becoming part of the programme. He has developed a greater respect for nature and is proud that he is contributing to conservation.
Senzo reading out his poem about his respect for nature
The Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation Project began in 2008 as the city of Durban, and other host cities in South Africa, prepared to host a carbon neutral 2010 FIFA World CupTM. The buffer zone around the landfill site was selected for reforestation in order to offset some of the carbon emissions emitted from the event. The project was successful in mitigating some of the carbon emissions from the 2010 FIFA World Cup and through the Wildlands tree-preneur programme has increased the capacity of local communities to adapt to climate change. Reforestation has continued post the World Cup and the project serves as an innovative example of how the city of Durban is wrestling with the challenges posed by climate change and responding through mitigation and adaptation interventions.
Posted in Durban
Tagged Climate Change, Durban, Environmental planning, eThekwini, Reforestation
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Carbonn Launches First Climate Registry Report for Cities
By Margaret McKenzie, Senior Associate, SCI CIDA Africa Program
COP17 is in its second week and there is increasing uncertainty about the possibility of clear agreements on global action to present climate change. The launch of the first annual report of the Cities Climate Registry at the COP17 precinct in Durban underlined that while there may not be global agreement, it is possible for cities to lead the way with local responses to climate change.
The report, produced by Carbonn, the Bonn centre for local climate action and reporting, summarises climate response information from the initial batch of 51 cities that have disclosed information on the Cities Climate Registry. The registry provides an opportunity for cities to record their climate change responses in three key areas:
1. Reporting of Green House Gas Inventories
2. Commitments to reductions in Green House Gases
3. Actions to reduce Green House Gas emissions
Together the fifty-one reporting cities have represented 81 million inhabitants in 19 different countries. On an annual basis the cities have reported a total of 447 million tonnes of carbon equivalent emissions. A total of 107 measurable commitments to reduce green house gas emissions were registered by the cities along 555 separate actions to respond to climate change.
One of the key issues highlighted by the report is that most city actions focus on technological investments and there are limited actions in the areas of legislation, capacity building and awareness raising. The Carbonn report encourages cities to increase actions in these areas as they can assist in making significant progress in GHG reductions and climate adaptation.
The cities that registered their information on the registry in the first year are highly diverse and include a number of cities in the Sustainable Cities International Network such as Durban, Calgary and Metro Vancouver. Over time it is expected that the number of reporting cities will increase and the quality of information will improve. From now onwards Carbonn plans to officially submit the Cities Climate Registry report to the UNFCCC COP on an annual basis to showcase the contribution of cities to climate change response efforts at a national and global level.
“Friends of the Recyclers” Event at COP17 – December 7th
To all individuals, officials, delegates, formal and informal professionals and students interested to participate in mitigating Climate Change during COP 17!
You are invited to the ‘Friends of the Recyclers’ event to be held on 7 December 2011. See the invite below for details of the venue, dates and times.
The NPO Asiye eTafuleni has been commissioned by eThekwini Municipality through its Imagine Durban Demonstration Fund, a joint initiative between the Municipality and Sustainable Cities International, to implement an Inner-City Cardboard Recycling Project with two groups of existing informal recyclers. As part of the Project’s ‘Friends of the Recyclers’ Programme which has been running for 2 years, we invite all individuals interested to participate in mitigating Climate Change during COP 17 to donate paper and cardboard waste to Informal Recyclers.
In the process, you will not only contribute to improving the livelihood of an informal recycler and experience the process, but you will also learn about this valuable livelihood strategy that is a part of the green economy and contributing to a zero-waste environment. There will also be presentations made by Asiye eTafuleni staff and the Recyclers from the streets, where the work happens. In addition, you will be able to view the Priority Zone project which is exhibiting work showcasing Climate Change innovation, including their own innovative roof garden.
Asiye eTafuleni staff pictured with some of the Inner-City Informal Cardboard Recyclers (Photo courtesy of Thomas Ferreira)
Please RSVP to Tasmi Quazi on tasmi@aet.org.za or by calling 031 309 3880, and feel free to spread the word.
Posted in Durban
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Growing the City: Institutionalizing and Legitimizing Urban Agriculture in Copenhagen, Denmark and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
This is the first posting of SCI’s newly launched Affiliated Researcher Program. Led by Alex Aylett, SCI’s Research Director, the ARP is a collaborative initiative that brings together top-level international graduate students with the projects and expertise of SCI network member cities. Aimed at doctoral or masters students designing research projects focused on urban sustainability, the ARP gives students access to innovative urban sustainability leaders and projects. Following a competitive selection process, successful applicant work with SCI and local project staff to plan and implement their research program.
SCI provides Affiliated Researchers (ARs) with guidance and helps facilitate their research work on the ground. For their part, ARs feed their research back into the SCI network, providing analytical insights into the strengths, weaknesses, and larger context for work going on in SCI member cities. Our first AR is Afton Halloran a former SCI intern now based at the University of Copenhagen. Afton will begin her research on urban agriculture in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) in the new year.
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Growing the City: Institutionalizing and Legitimizing Urban Agriculture in Copenhagen, Denmark and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
In many ways Copenhagen and Dar Es Salaam couldn’t be more different. But there is at least one issue that connects them: urban agriculture.
In both cities I have interviewed urban planners, municipal representatives and urban farmers. Interestingly enough some of the same attitudes about urban agriculture (as seen below) exist in both cities. Their comments show significant disparities in the way in which urban agriculture is viewed within the urban context. With so many competing perceptions of urban agriculture, there is a need for a better understanding of the activity, the rules and regulations that govern and legitimize it , as well as its general acceptance and institutionalization .
Urbanizing Agriculture
In a rapidly urbanising world (Table 1) urban agriculture has become one of many solutions to food insecurity, as well as unemployment, climate change and social cohesion. With over half of the global population living in cities urban areas are gaining significance in relation to the food system. Cities are known as net consumers of resources, but in many cases they too can produce a lot of food themselves.
Posted in Affiliated Researcher Program
Tagged dar es salaam, tanzania, University of Copenhagen, Urban Agriculture
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