Governance of Urban Green Infrastructure in Informal Settlements of Windhoek, Namibia

Amayaa Wijesinghe,Jessica P R Thorn

doi:10.3390/su13168937

Abstract

Facing increased rural-urban migration, population growth, climate change impacts, and cascading natural, security, and health hazards, many municipalities in sub-Saharan Africa are beginning to consider the benefits of urban green infrastructure for improving the resilience and wellbeing of residents living in informal settlements. However, present governance systems are often ill-equipped to deliver the scale of planning needed. Integration of urban green infrastructure into local government mandates, spatial planning and targeted action plans remains limited, further inhibited by scarce empirical research on the topic in Africa. Taking Windhoek, Namibia, and specifically Moses ǁGaroëb, Samora Machel, and Tobias Hainyeko constituencies as a case study, we fitted key informant interview (n = 23), focus group (n = 20), and participant observation data into existing governance theory to investigate (a) benefits and trade-offs of present urban green infrastructure in Windhoek’s informal settlements; (b) urban green infrastructure governance in terms of institutional frameworks, actors and coalitions, resources, and processes; and (c) the key desirable pathways for future urban green infrastructure governance in informal settlements. To this end, we used five green infrastructure initiatives to dissect governance intricacies and found diverse opportunities for innovative governance mechanisms. The urgent need for climate resilience in Namibia offers a policy and practice window to adopt context-specific approaches for multifunctional urban green infrastructure. However, for these initiatives to succeed, collaborative governance platforms and clearly delineated mandates are necessary, with explicit integration of urban green infrastructure into strategies for in-situ informal settlements upgrading and green job growth.

Highlights

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is among the world’s fastest urbanising regions, and the global proportion of African urban dwellers is projected to rise from 11.3% in 2010 to 20.2%by 2050 [1]
urban green infrastructure (UGI) that holds value for informal settlement residents and other actors is predominantly riparian dryland-adapted vegetation adjacent to the ephemeral Arebbusch and Gammams river networks that runs through Windhoek and drains into the Goreangab Dam
Other key forms of UGI are found in meeting areas, sports grounds, hilly slopes, urban farms, small garden plots, and green fences interspersed among dwellings

Summary

Introduction

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is among the world’s fastest urbanising regions, and the global proportion of African urban dwellers is projected to rise from 11.3% in 2010 to 20.2%by 2050 [1]. Demographic changes driven by rural-urban migration and natural population growth interact with challenges such as widespread poverty and unplanned informal settlement expansion [2]. These challenges are exacerbated by governance systems ill-equipped to deliver the scale of planning needed to deal with burgeoning informal settlements [3], which feature high densities of temporary structures built with low-cost materials such as corrugated iron sheets. At a local government level, the lack of expertise, funds, and data on urbanisation continues to hinder efforts to improve living conditions and implement sustainable natural resource use [5].

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Discussion

Conclusion