World Resources 1996-97
(A joint publication by The World Resource Institute, The United
Nations Environment Programme, The United Nations Development
Programme, and the World Bank)
(Data edited by Dr. Róbinson Rojas)
6. City and Community: Toward Environmental Sustainability
INTRODUCTION
Managing environmental resources during this era of global urbanization
is one of the greatest challenges facing the world's cities. With the fastest urban growth
occurring in the cities of the developing world, the impact of urban and industrial growth
on the environment is no longer limited to a handful of rich countries. It is rapidly
becoming a problem shared around the world. In addition, the growing problem of urban
poverty is a serious confounding factor in the effort to manage the urban environment and
provide essential urban services.
The previous chapter outlines a range of policy options for tackling
many of the direct environmental threats facing the world's cities. None of these policies
will work, however, if there are insufficient administrative legal resources, or
insufficient political will and public support to implement these policies effectively
(1). Meeting this urban challenge will require the concerted actions of everyone with a
stake in the world's cities-- governments at all levels, nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs), private enterprises, communities, and citizens.
First among these actors must be government. A powerful argument
remains for a strong government role in environmental management (2). Governments are
needed to plan for growth, to regulate polluting activities, to harmonize competing uses
of the urban environment, and to address questions of equity that purely market- oriented
approaches miss.
In efforts to improve the urban environment, local governments are
especially critical. Local governments are responsible for most aspects of environmental
management at the city level, from the provision of urban infrastructure and land use
planning to local economic development and pollution control. To properly fill this role,
local governments must develop their capabilities far beyond their current levels. In both
the developing and the developed world, local governments are under severe stress from
rapid urban change--either population growth or decline--fiscal pressures, growing demand
for services, and increasing pollution. They often have neither the mandate nor the money
or resources to cope with their mounting problems. This is especially true in the
developing world, where urban growth is most rapid and governments tend to be underfunded
and institutionally weak.
Equally important is the need to build on the efforts of low-income
communities to improve their own environments. Community mobilization is by no means a
substitute for government intervention; government action is essential in tackling the
interconnected problems of poverty and environmental degradation. But the potential for
communities to help themselves can be a major force for change. Indeed, over the past
three decades, most urban "success" stories have involved projects that have
incorporated community action, from the Orangi Pilot Project in Karachi, Pakistan, to the
Zabbaleen in Cairo, Egypt.
As described in the previous chapters, some of the most severe
environmental degradation is occurring in cities of the developing world, with the poorest
citizens being the most severely affected. This is where the most concerted action for
urban environmental improvement is needed. For that reason, this chapter focuses primarily
on the developing world, examining the challenges facing local governments and strategies
for enhancing their capacity as managers of the urban environment. It then looks at
strategies for empowering and encouraging low-income communities and giving them access to
the resources they need to improve their own lives. Community mobilization is by no means
limited to cities in developing countries, however. This chapter also describes related
initiatives in developed country cities such as New York City and Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Finally, it concludes by examining the vital role that cities must play in achieving the
goals of sustainable development.
Topics Covered in Chapter 6
•Strengthening Local Governments in Developing Countries
•A Community-Level Approach to Environmental Management
•Setting Priorities
•Cities and Sustainable Development
Boxes
•Cities Take Action: Local Environmental Initiatives
•The Orangi Pilot Project, Karachi, Pakistan
•Housing Program for Cali's Poor Encourages Self-Help
•Citizen Participation Leads to Better Plan for the Bronx, New York
•Nigeria's Community Banks: A Capital Idea
•International Urban Environment Programs
References and Notes
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