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It's #WorldCitiesDay2020! Good opportunity to reflect on some of the challenges facing cities in low-and middle-income countries and think about how urban policymakers and their partners can chart innovative pathways towards more inclusive urban futures.
Essential urban services such as energy, water, or sanitation are often unreliable, unaffordable, or simply not accessible, particularly for the urban poor. In our recent report, we highlight how innovative solutions can help address this challenge: https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/resources/digital-solutions-for-the-urban-poor/
Though urban energy access is generally higher than in rural areas, unreliable and lacking access to energy remains a key challenge for cities in countries with low urban electrification rates and frequent power outages such as D.R Congo, Nigeria, or Madagascar. #WorldCitiesDay
It is therefore insufficient to merely equate urban with grid, and rural with off-grid solutions. Off-grid solar providers are already serving urban customers and businesses in D.R Congo and Nigeria to provide access or alternatives to diesel generators: https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/blog/why-off-grid-energy-providers-are-increasingly-paying-attention-to-urban-areas-insights-from-the-drc-and-beyond/
On this check out the great work of Nuru in Goma: "DRC: Nuru connects 1.3 MW solar off-grid hybrid in Goma" https://www.afrik21.africa/en/drc-nuru-connects-1-3-mw-solar-off-grid-hybrid-in-goma/ #Afrik21
Access to clean cooking is also key. Population growth is now four times the number of people gaining access. The #M4DUInnovationFund has provided key catalytic support contributing to the sector's largest private equity investment: https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/programme/m4dutilities/circle-gas-has-acquired-clean-cooking-payg-technology-and-are-launching-it-in-kenya/
When it comes to urban #water access, residents of informal settlements are increasingly reliant on expensive private tankers. Meanwhile, the proportion of urban poor with access to at least basic water services has actually decreased in several African countries. #WorldCitiesDay
Check out this great report by @WRI looking at the cost of water from private tanker trucks versus piped water across different cites: https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/unaffordable-and-undrinkable_0.pdf
Though greater focus on access to #water and #sanitation has always been important, #COVID19 has highlighted that many cities need to do a lot more. https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/programme/m4dutilities/an-effective-response-to-covid-19-requires-innovative-water-and-sanitation-services/
More on this here: "Investing in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is a no-regret policy for developing countries in the fight against COVID-19." #WorldCitiesDay https://www.theigc.org/publication/water-sanitation-and-hygiene-policy-in-the-time-of-covid-19/
Informal settlements account for up to 60-70% of the total urban population across many African cities. Finding innovative solutions to non-sewered sanitation is therefore integral to reaching Basic Sanitation for All and Sustainable Cities For All (SDGs 6&11). #WorldCitiesDay
Lastly, tagging some orgs doing great work on urban development and beyond (leaving out many important ones - just tagging what comes to mind). @WRIRossCities, @IGC_CtW, @UrbanAfricaACC, @utopiacities, @c40cities, @ludi_org, MIT City and Infrastructure Lab, @UCLGAfrica.
