Zambia Calls for Global Support Towards Provision of Decent Housing
Zambia has called for Global support towards addressing challenges of informal human settlements with a focus on provision of decent housing, municipal services and social amenities in informal settlements.
Zambia is participating at the 12th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12) in Cairo, Egypt, which was officially opened on Monday 4th November 2024, by the host President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, under the theme “It All Starts at Home: Local Actions for Sustainable Cities and Communities.”
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called for strengthened partnerships among Nations in implementing the New Urban Agenda, and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relating to human settlements and sustainable cities.
Zambia is being represented by Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, Eng. Charles Milupi, and Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Gary Nkombo.
Speaking when he paid a courtesy call at the Zambian Mission, Mr. Nkombo called on stakeholders, including private financiers to partner with Government through the Ministry in providing finances for the upgrading of unpanned settlements using the Private-Public Partnerships (PPP) models.
“We are calling for more stakeholders to partner with us in providing more decent access to housing, municipal services and social amenities in informal settlements using the triple P models,” Mr. Nkombo stated.
He underscored Government’s commitment to providing sustainable human settlements as demonstrated in the development of 116 Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) in all the 116 Districts.
Mr. Nkombo said the development and implementation of IDPs is in line Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 11, which seeks to promote resilient and sustainable cities and human settlements.
“Zambia’s participation is also informed by its commitment to realizing the objectives of the New Urban Agenda, whose aim is a well-managed urbanization by 2030.”
“In line with SDG No. 11, Government has embarked on the Urban Renewal Programme aimed at upgrading unplanned settlements with Kanyama Compound in Lusaka being first among many other unplanned settlements,” he added.
He further said Government is accelerating the implementation of the decentralization agenda through devolution by moving both functions and fiscal capacity to Local Authorities, in a quest to reduce development inequalities between the rural and urban development.
Mr. Nkombo highlighted how Government had significantly increased the allocation of resources to communities through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in order to encourage a locally driven development agenda.
And Eng Milupi said Zambia is looking for more investors to partner with the Government in putting up more decent housing units to address the Country’s housing deficit currently standing at 1.5 million.
Meanwhile, Zambia’s Ambassador to Egypt, Retired Major-General Topply Lubaya stated that the WUF12 is an important platform for the country to attract potential investors to leverage Government policy on PPP models for promoting infrastructure development, including providing decent housing units.
