Mediterranean: IPALMO Conference on urban development, the new challenge
ROME, Italy, October 26, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Sustainable urban development in cities, especially those of North Africa and the Middle East, is one of the principal challenges for the entire Mediterranean area. This issue was discussed during the international symposium on “Mediterranean Cities Sustainable Development: Challenges & Opportunities” [sic], which took place from 20 to 22 October at the Foreign Ministry in Rome.
By the 2050s there will be more people living in the 12 countries of the Middle East than in Southern Europe, and by 2025 75% of the population of North Africa will be living in cities. “The ability to manage cities well will depend, therefore, on the economic, political and social development of that region”, underscored Gianni De Michelis, President of the Institute for Relations between Italy and the Countries of Africa, Latin America, and the Middle and Far East (IPALMO). The aim, he added, “must be to overcome the division between the ‘official’ and the ‘informal’ city, i.e. the shanty towns”.
A first key issue is governance. The debate between representatives of various Mediterranean countries (for example Beirut, Marseilles, Barcelona and Algeria) revealed a number of factors that are needed for the development of the urban environment. These include a strategic vision of the city as a whole (centre and outskirts); and competent administrative bodies acting autonomously with respect to the central authority, and who work in contact with local economic operators and citizens. Urban policies should also be coordinated at the national level, with new cities being built to relieve crowding in the older ones.
Another issue is infrastructure, for which public-private partnerships will increasingly be needed. In North Africa, investment amounting to over 100 billion dollars is currently under way for residential and service-sector projects. On this front, enormous opportunities are opening up for European businesses.
Lastly, the sustainability challenge. The new, highly urbanised, Mediterranean cities will need to tackle the growing scarcity of resources. A focus mustbe placed on the efficient management of water and other local resources, and on the use of renewable energy.
SOURCE
Italy – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
