Bulawayo joins Green Cities Initiative
BULAWAYO City Council has become the first city in the country and seventh in Africa to sign the green cities initiative contract with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The city will receive funding from FAO to conduct assessment of areas of intervention in the city aimed at improving food security, nutrition, and quality of life in urban and peri-urban areas.
A smart city uses information and communication technology (ICT) to improve operational efficiency, share information with the public and provide a better quality of government service and citizen welfare.
These projects would generate employment and improve the economy of Bulawayo.
Sources within the local authority say the former ascot race course and an industrial site in Cowdray Park have been identified for the establishment of the smart cities.
The green cities initiative which was introduced in 2020 by FAO focuses on improving the urban environment, strengthening urban-rural linkages, and resilience of urban systems, services, and population to external shocks.
Speaking during a signing ceremony on Monday, Patrice Talla Takoukam FAO subregional coordinator said it was aimed at improving the well-being of people living in urban areas.
“The green city initiative is aimed at improving the city’s wealth through increase and availability of and access to product and services provided by sustainable urban agriculture, forestry systems. The green city initiative is in line with FAO global strategy to support the transformation of more efficient, inclusive and resilient sustainable systems for better production, better environment and a better life.
Bulawayo mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni said the initiative will help the city address some of its challenges relating to livelihoods.
“Its water scarcity due to droughts, poor tillage and bad water infrastructure. We need to take advantage of ICTS in shaping our cities and finding our destiny in Bulawayo and revive our industry which will create jobs.”
Also present during the ceremony was the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Judith Ncube who emphasized that the initiative will help reduce greenhouse emissions.
“We need to address greenhouse emissions which contribute to environmental degradation. Escalating greenhouse emissions from landfills due to the city’s poor waste disposal methods need to be addressed. Greenhouse gases contributed to global warming which then brought out climate change. There is therefore a need to monitor greenhouse gas emissions from the waste management activities and to come up with measures to mitigate this,” said Ncube.