Fostering Urban Growth Through Green Growth Practices in Secondary Cities

A Case Study of Uganda

Abstract

Uganda is urbanising fast and this phenomenon is largely found in the country’ secondary cities. These secondary cities struggle to cope with the demand of the population influx from the country-side; they are poorly serviced with the necessary infrastructure to support the fast-growing population, are largely unplanned, poorly financed and ill managed, and are unprepared for the challenges they are to face in the immediate and long-term future. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to investigate ways through which secondary cities in Uganda can achieve sustainable development based on green growth development principles. The study employed an exploratory desk research methodology, examining Uganda’s Green Growth Development Strategy to foster sustainable growth through analysis of secondary sources, focusing on the country’s secondary cities. Official documents and publications on the topic of study formed the main source of information. Results show that Uganda’s secondary cities are facing high population growth largely due to rural-urban migration. These cities are poorly serviced with infrastructure and services, poorly planned and governed, and struggling with high unemployment and fragile economies that are under the threat of climate change effects. Hence, at the moment Uganda is ill prepared to undertake its green growth and development strategy and achieve the objectives set forth. To realise its objectives, the study recommends that the country should focus on addressing threats to decentralisation. Government should enhance productivity of the economy; tackle issues of high informality of the economy, poor economic infrastructure and high infrastructure investment costs; and address threats of climate change, while prioritising environmental protection.