Africa Training Course Alumni Newsletter
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UNCRD N C R N C R D U D U ATC AlumniAlumni Newsletter I ssue N os . 18 & 19 J uly 2 0 0 8 – J une 2 0 0 9 Senior Policy Seminar on Climate Change, Housing; and Livable Cities in Africa and Asia Asfaw Kumssa (Coordinator, UNCRD Africa Office) Deputy Mayor, City of Yokohama Introduction of Planners organized a senior policy seminar from 25 to 27 June 2009 in Singapore to Table of Contents The United Nations Conference on address the issues of climate change, Environment and Development held in Rio in Senior Policy Seminar on Climate Change, Housing and housing and livable cities in developing Livable Cities in Africa and Asia ............................................ 1 1992 recognized the importance of African and Asian countries. Letters to the Editor ............................................................... 2 environment and called on countries to work UNCRD-Singapore-JICA Training Course on Urban & towards sustainable development. The Focus of the Seminar Regional Development Planning & Management Millennium Declaration, 2000, has been the in Singapore .......................................................................... 3 culmination of a series of major conferences The overall focus of the Senior Policy Participatory Planning: Lessons from Singapore ................... 5 and resolutions of the 1990s, which placed Seminar was to discuss, exchange Training Workshop on Vision, Strategy and Programme Formulation in Plan Preparation for ENNDA Region .............. 6 emphasis on environmental concerns and information and draw important lessons Borrowing a Leaf from the East .............................................. 8 poverty reduction, especially in sub-Saharan from best practices in combating the adverse Lessons for Ghana from the Singapore Training Course .........9 Africa and developing Asian countries. The effects of climate change; and come up with Workshop on Human Security and Conflict in Northern United Nations Centre for Regional effective polices and strategies to address Kenya: Problem Identification, Project Implementation Development (UNCRD) has been in the climate change and create livable cities. The and Methodology ................................................................. 10 forefront in promoting sustainable seminar thoroughly discussed and examined Study Tour of North and South American Cities .................. 12 development through its professional the causes and effects of climate change and Benefits of the Singapore Training Course .......................... 13 The Role of Public Enterprises in Development research and training programmes. UNCRD is its impact on the economies and cities of the Planning and Management .................................................. 14 keenly interested in promoting an developing countries of Africa and Asia, with Training Workshop on District and Regional Development understanding of the impact of climate special emphasis on housing, livability; and Planning & Management in Botswana ................................. 16 change on urban development to mitigate sustainable urban development. Training of Trainers (TOT) Workshop on Regional Development Policy and Practices in Namibia: Phase III ..... 18 C R the adverse effects of climate change on N Alumni Profiles ................................................................... 19 Dcities in developing countries. In this regard, The specific objectives of the Seminar were: U Calendar of Events .............................................................. 20 UNCRD Africa Office and Singapore Institute • To provide senior policymakers and ISSUE NOS. 18 & 19, JULY 2008 – JUNE 2009 • Letters to the Editor C R I write to express my extreme gratitude and appreciation to the organizers of N D the training workshop on Urban and Regional Development Planning and U Management held in Singapore in April 2009. The course was very educative and topics were carefully selected to cover relevant areas of interest to an urban and regional planner. It was evident that a lot of thought and experience went into the selection of course topics, resource persons, field visits and even the extra curriculum activities like the visit to Sentosa. Kudos to the staff of UNCRD, JICA, and Singapore Civil Service College who played key roles in putting together this interesting and educative training programme. So much of my appreciation also goes to the staff of the Singapore Civil Service College and Mr. Chen for the wonderful and professional manner in which they handled the participants. I can say positively, on behalf of all participants, that we were very impressed. Doris Tettey (5th ATC) Ghana Director of UNCRD, Mr. Onogawa with some of the participants I was one of the participants selected to attend the Urban and Regional Planning course in Singapore. The course was an eye-opener for me in a experts from selected African and Asian number of areas that I am responsible for, including the preparation of long- term and short-term spatial plans. I hope to apply the knowledge I acquired in countries with a forum to discuss and my country. I am also very grateful for the chance I got to attend the 11th ATC in exchange experiences and approaches to Kenya. The training course gave me knowledge and skills to execute my duties climate change; effectively, not only on theoretical concepts, but also practically as we visited different sites related to urban and regional planning. The experience I gained • To address the problem of climate change in from lectures and country case studies presented by other participants gave me Africa and develop strategies to mitigate valuable lessons to apply in my own country. Lastly, let me thank Dr Kumssa for greenhouse effects, and to discuss effective being our mentor, and Ms Francesca for her motherly love. Keep up the good methods of adapting to climate change; work; African planners still need your guidance and assistance. Let’s keep up the spirit of brotherhood and we will make Africa a tree of life where our people • To provide the participants with the will never suffer poverty. Finally, I am wishing UNCRD Africa the best of opportunity to exchange experiences in cooperation and urge her to continue equipping African planners with the effective urban planning and design of much-needed capacity. I am happy and proud to be a member of such a big urban spaces that withstand the potential family of ATC Alumni. threats of climate change; and Julia N.N. Kakwambi (11th ATC) Namibia • To provide policymakers and experts from Dear All, It has really been a long time. How are you all doing? I attended the Africa and Asia a forum to learn from best 9th ATC in Kenya when I was a Regional Economic Planner at Khomas Regional practices in planning for housing and livable Council. That training sharpened my skills in Regional Planning and cities. Development to such an extent that my work became part of my life. The skills To achieve these objectives, UNCRD Africa Office obtained from there helped me to get a number of promotions. Kind regards. and Singapore Institute of Planners invited over Alberts Kulobone (9th ATC) Namibia 100 senior scholars and policymakers from several African countries (Botswana, Ethiopia, I thank the UNCRD and the governments of Singapore and JICA for giving me Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, and C R an opportunity to participate in the Singapore ATC and the ITC in Nagoya, Uganda) as well as from Asian countries (China, N D Japan. I am now re-positioning myself for more impact-oriented planning, and I Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, U want to begin by perfecting reforms in the water sector. Although Thailand, and Vietnam) to present papers and to Singaporeans import water, they have enough; while Kenya extracts water from attend the seminar, which was also attended by the ground and yet our glasses are not full. To those of us whose skills have representatives of the World Bank, the various been revolutionalized by ATC, we may have to exercise patience in order to deal UN agencies and the Housing and Urban with temporary hiccups, bottlenecks and disappointment; but we shall surely Development Department of the US; among get there and succeed in creating real change. Once more, I thank the ATC other organizations. The delegates presented Coordinator Dr Asfaw Kumssa and his colleagues and partners, especially the Civil Service College of Singapore, for their efforts in making ATC a success their reports and shared with the participants story. The course has given us hope that there is still time for us to contribute to their country case studies on various issues a better planned Kenya and Africa. Please keep up the good work and keep ATC related to climate change and livable cities. in motion; and always remind our planners that there is no substitute for strategy and careful planning. Beatrice Olwa (12th ATC) Kenya p (Cont’d on p. 15) 2 • ISSUE NOS. 18 & 19, JULY 2008 – JUNE 2009 UNCRD-Singapore-JICA Training Course on N C R DUrban and Regional Development Planning and U Management in Singapore Asfaw Kumssa (Coordinator, UNCRD Africa Office) Introduction successful experiences of Singapore, the course aimed at assisting African The United Nations Centre for Regional planners and administrators to Development (UNCRD) Africa Office, the acquire the skills and competences Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore; required in designing and and Japan International Cooperation implementing effective urban Agency (JICA), in collaboration with the development