[sustran] African cities must utilise environmental funds

[Eric Britton]

Kenya: African cities must utilise environmental funds

Nairobi, 09/23 - Cities across Africa were Thursday urged to push harder to
access a growing range of global environment funds to help them finance
sustainable public transport systems up to cleaner, less pollution, energy
supplies. 

Achim Steiner, the UN under-secretary and executive director of the
Nairobi-based UN Environment Programme (UNEP) made the call Thursday at the
ongoing Africities Summit in Nairobi. 

"The streets and infrastructure of far too many of Africa`s cities are being
overwhelmed by traffic leading to rising levels of health hazardous air
pollution and impacts on economy," Steiner observed. 

An increasing number of cities in the developing countries of Asia and Latin
America are starting to introduce modern 21st century, rapid bus transit systems
alongside measures to boost safer cycling and walking, he cited. 

The GEF was established in the early 1990s to assist developing countries to
achieve sustainable development and was only some weeks ago replenished to the
tune of just over $3 billion. 

The financing of sustainable public transport systems up to cleaner, less
polluting energy supplies. 

Meanwhile the Clean development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol on Climate
Change offers a chance to better handle urban wastes. 

Gases emitted by big rubbish tips can be used to generate electricity and thus
can attract new streams of funding under these carbon credit schemes. 

In terms of sustainable transport projects, only Dar es Salaam in Tanzania is
taking advantage of GEF funding with a rapid bus transit system earmarked there.


South Africa is also hoping to use GEF funding to help its cities boost
sustainable public transportation for the 2010 World Cup. 

The UNEP boss asked Africa to consider the mistakes made by continents like
Europe which indicate that trying to build your way out of the problem by
constructing more and more roads can be expensive and deliver only short term
benefits. 

 

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