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8/3/2019 Constraints to providing services and infrastructures in Pacific towns and cities

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Dr. Paul Jones, Senior Lecturer and Program Director,

Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Architecture,

Design and Planning,

University of Sydney

Wednesday,

16 November, 2011



Presentation Aims:

Set the urban context for Pacific towns and cities – the ADB Pacific Developing Member Countries (PDMCs =14countries)

Outline the main constraints to providing efficientservices and infrastructure

Summarise the challenges in moving forward to meeturban growth demands



The Pacific Region

7,500 plus islands

Covers largest expanse of water in

world

Over 20 plus island nations

PACIFIC SETTING



Pacific PDMC Population

2011– 11.1 m

• Melanesia 8.3 million (85% oftotal PDMC population)

• Polynesia 314,000 persons

• Micronesia 291,000 persons

• Timor Leste 1 million persons

Urban - 2 to 3 million people

Squatters – up to 45-50% of citypopulations

PACIFIC CONTEXT – understandingMelanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia

Melanesia Polynesia

Micronesia

Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia - 3 main social,

cultural, ethnic and geographical groupings of the Pacific



PACIFIC TOWNS AND CITIES – KEYURBAN INDICATORS

Average rate of urbanization of 14 PDMCs – 43.5 %

Number living in towns and cities – official figure is justover 2 million -20.3% of total PDMC population (1 in 5)

More likely 3 million including peri urban areas

Excluding PNG, 37% live in urban areas

Higher rates of urbanization in Polynesia andMicronesia

Lower rates of urbanization in Melanesia, yet .. Highest urban growth rates and biggest urban rates in

Melanesia



PACIFIC TOWNS AND CITIES – A TALE OF 2 TYPES OFTOWNS AND CITIES .. BUT WITH COMMON FEATURES

The bigger towns of Polynesia and Micronesia (smallislands) - high rates of urbanisation, homogenous inethnic makeup, generally low levels of settlements, lowlevels of urban security concerns, varying

levels of urban livability conditions

Cities and towns of Melanesia - largest urbanpopulations, largest concentrations of squatters and

settlements, wide diversity of ethnic, cultural andlinguistic groups, declining urban livability conditions

Urban deterioration most pronounced in Melanesia - versus Polynesia and Micronesia



PACIFIC TOWNS AND CITIES – A TALE OF 2 TYPES OFTOWNS AND CITIES .. BUT WITH COMMON FEATURES

Common features of towns and cities:

All have increasing urban security concerns - Port Moresby 137/140

All subject to the impacts of climate change and natural disasters

Increasing environmental degradation - ‘mining’ the environment

Low to mediocre economic performance

Varying levels of governance - some more ‘weak’ than others

Rising numbers of squatter and informal settlements

Varying levels of fragility - isolation, conflict, governance issues,etc

Urban poverty increasing and increasing



RISING URBAN POVERTY IN ADB PDMCS

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Cook Is.2005/06

Fiji Is.2002/03

Kiribati2006

FSM 2005 Palau2006

PNG 1996 Samoa2002

SolomonIs.

2005/06

TimorLeste 2001

Tonga2002

Tuvalu2005

Vanuatu2006

%

PDMCs - Urban and Rural Basic Needs

Poverty Incidence

Urban

Rural



CONSTRAINTS TO PROVIDINGSERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Common issues seen in all PDMC towns and cities:

• shifts in funding sources – loans to TA and grants

• coordination with development partners - not all

aligned on same page forurban sector

• poverty impacts – meeting long term versus shortterm - impact on project design and implementation

• socio cultural issues ‘‘cultural permeability of urban

areas’ - ownership care, responsibility, social services– impact of drivers of ‘social equity



CONSTRAINTS TO PROVIDINGSERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE

• mixing policy and institutional reform into hard onthe ground projects for water and sanitation

• political caution – uncertainty over “unintendedconsequences” (who benefits, who losses)

• features of customary land - “problematic”• local stakeholder unity - the beneficiaries - divided

or united?

• limited human resource - technical capacity:

willingness but no capacity to manage etc• reality = partnerships and projects require hard work

over time



FINANCING ISSUES - SERVICESAND INFRASTRUCTURE - PNG Pilot Projects in Land Development –water, sanitation,power, drainage and roads

Aim – making serviced land available for urban expansion

* Accessing Urban Customary LandFaniufa, Goroka, Eastern HighlandsTaurama, National Capital District

* Rural Service Centre DevelopmentMinj, Western Highlands (Jiwaka)Tari, Southern Highlands (Hela)



FINANCING ISSUES - SERVICESAND INFRASTRUCTURE - PNG • Urban Pilot projects - Central government funded

• National steering committee including Finance,

National Planning, Physical Planning, etc

• Policy reforms agreed – land reforms

• Implementation by Office of Urbanisation-

follows project cycle - concept design,

feasibility, formal planning processes, etc

• $18 million kina 2011 – rolling program• Implementation Issues – capacity, formal

• process times, local governance issues

Proposed Housing Models Tarauma Valley



Proposed Housing Models-Tarauma Valley



TARAUMA VALLEY PILOT PROJECT – LAUNCH ON 12 MARCH, 2010



THE REALITY – LOCAL ISSUES

FINANCING SERVICES AND



FINANCING SERVICES ANDINFRASTRUCTRE – EXAMPLE OF THE

INNOVATIVE PNG URBANISATION

CHALENGE FUND• Implementation of National Urbanisation Policy throughcommencement of Urbanisation Challenge Fund in 2012.

• Challenge Fund – based on co financing and working

together with local government• Funding for local government to fund urban services and

infrastructure based on criteria - e.g., reducing poverty,funding trunk infrastructure, new land fronts, upgrading, etc

• Total Budget request by Office of Urbanisation K100 millionfor 2011 – 2015

• Offers new funding options, partnerships, rewards those keen

• for change in urban reform



PNG Land Development Projects



SUMMARY - SERVICES ANDINFRASTRUCTURE – INCLUSIVE CITIES?

• broader governance issues contain project planning andfinancing – planning and funding in non-inclusive‘FRAGILE – FRACTURED’ environments

• fragile states means caution at all levels - social, economicand social – despite the benefits improved services andinfrastructure brings

• land issues - especially customary land - pervade allPDMC water, sanitation and other urban projects

• Partnerships essential including development banks withtrack record, expertise, long term commitment