The rapid rate of urbanisation ongoing in developing countries presents a complex and urgent set of challenges for cities to accommodate future jobs, housing and other public services and infrastructure demands. Although cities have the potential to be economic hubs of productivity and prosperity, formal jobs in developing cities are scarce, partly due to the lack of industrialisation. In this ‘decade of action’ towards the attainment of UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, policymakers have to focus on promoting sustainable development policies whilst addressing existing challenges of slow economic growth, unemployment, informality and poverty, compounded by the global climate change crisis.
Ahead of World Cities Day, IGC hosts an online event that explores what key measures are needed to create more sustainable jobs in developing cities. The panellists also discuss how to connect local incentives and global objectives for climate action and reflect on key solutions to position developing cities on a green growth path, including through global green value chains.
Meet our speakers and moderator
Sarah Colenbrander (@s_colenbrander) is the Director of ODI’s Climate and Sustainability programme. She is an environmental economist who has supported policy-makers across Asia, Africa and Latin America to develop low-carbon development strategies. Before joining ODI, Sarah was Head of Global Programmes for the Coalition for Urban Transitions – a network of 35 organisations (including ODI) that supports national governments to identify and implement the deep structural shifts needed to foster productive, inclusive, sustainable cities. She was the lead author of Climate Emergency, Urban Opportunity, the report that underpinned the Infrastructure, Cities and Local Action track of the 2019 UN Climate Summit.
Laura Naliaka is a trade policy fellow at the Africa Trade Policy Centre at United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Her areas of expertise include development economics and international trade. She previously worked at the African Economic Research Consortium where she oversaw a project on mitigating the adverse effects of COVID-19 in East Africa on various sectors. Prior to that, she was a consultant at the ECA sub-regional office for East Africa focusing on, inter alia, the AfCFTA, regional integration, trade and balance of payments. She holds an MSc in Development Economics from the University of Sussex.
Miles Bwalya Sampa (@MilesSampa2) is a Zambian politician and the former Mayor of Lusaka, having been elected in August 2018. Previously, he served as Member of Parliament for Matero Constituency from 2011 to 2016. Miles stood for member of parliament in 2021 for Matero constituency which he won.
Kgomotso Tolamo (@KgomotsoTolamo) is the Programme Manager for Productive Cities at the South African Cities Network. The programme is focused on supporting South Africa’s largest cities with rethinking urban economies, job creation a skills development, as well as revitalising township and informal economies. Prior to this, Kgomotso worked on a series of FCDO funded programmes which focused on increasing investment in affordable housing across Sub-Saharan Africa. And, using financial inclusion as a vehicle for job creation and better livelihoods for all within the SADC region. She has implemented projects in agriculture finance, MSME finance, housing finance, human settlements development, and most recently, Supplier Development Pilots in Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho.
Kagiso Tshukudu (@kagiso_tshukudu) is an urban development practitioner with over 20 years’ experience. He has led and participated in numerous ground-breaking urban studies in Botswana, including recently, the country’s first national spatial plan.
Kagiso Kagiso is a Cities Research and Policy Officer at the IGC, and he is very passionate about Urban Policy and sustainable urbanisation in his country Botswana and Sub-Saharan Africa generally. He is currently a scholar at the African Centre for Cities – University of Cape town, specialising in Urban Studies. He is the Vice President of Commonwealth Association of Planners representing Botswana, and is the President of Botswana’s Pula Institute of Town Planners.
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