Are African Cities and Towns Seriously Pursuing Sustainable Development Goals Yet? Must They?

Local authorities, cities and towns are critical players in the successful action on the sustainable development goals including the goals of sustainable cities and communities and climate action. Cities and towns are so important because the population densities pose development challenges and the rate of urbanisation means the majority of the people will live in urban areas into the future. In many parts of the world, local authorities and their cities and towns are critical in the implementation of national programs, initiatives and policies; they are an important implementation arm of government. This means that there can not be successful transition to sustainable development without the adoption of sustainable development goals by local authorities, cities and towns.

Many African cities and towns, if not most, are facing serious problems that could be best developed through adopting and integrating sustainable development goals in their policies, plans and urban management and development programs. At the minimum, the cities and towns are facing severe problems in the following areas;

1. Solid and liquid waste management
2. Waste water management
3. Air pollution
4. Potable water provision
5. Transport
6. Housing
7. Energy
8. Social service
9. Ecologically sustainable spatial development
10. Sustainable local economics
11. Urban Governance and Leadership
12. Financial sustainability

Yet there are very few, if any African cities and towns have seriously adopted the sustainable development approach and integrated sustainable development goals.

The majority of cities and towns have not even adopted the goal of sustainable cities and communities which is supposed to be the central goal for driving cities and towns around the world toward a sustainable path.

The big questions are

1. Why are African cities still not taking the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals seriously?
2. Can the cities and towns overcome their current and future challenges without using the sustainable development approach?
3. What has to happen for African cities and towns to adopt and integrate sustainable development and contribute to making sustainable development a reality?
4. Do African cities have what it takes to successfully play their part in driving the sustainable development goals?

Now is the time. Lets make sustainable development a reality.

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?Simon Bere, 2024