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Sustainable African Cities
Seminar:
Launch of the Worldwatch
Institute’s State of the World Report 2007: Our
Urban Future
Date: 30 May 2007; 10:00 –
17:00
Venue: Eastcape Training Centre, Nelson Mandela Bay
(Port Elizabeth), South Africa
Background
The
South African
Cities Network (SACN), a learning network set up
in 2002 by the South African Minister of Provincial
and Local Government and the Mayors of the 9 largest
cities, has a programme focused on promoting
sustainable urban development and management
practices. As part of this focus, the SACN is a
partner in an intergovernmental Urban Environmental
Management Programme. One of the more immediate
priorities that has emerged through both the SACN
work programme and the UEM programme steering
committee discussions is the need to improve the
monitoring of sustainable urban development.
The
Worldwatch
Institute’s latest publication,
State
of the World 2007: Our Urban Future,
provides a good example of sustainability reporting.
The clear coincidence in thematic focus, and the
quality of the monitoring and reporting done by the
Worldwatch Institute means that a discussion on the
content of this report would add great value to a
seminar on monitoring sustainability. This seminar,
co-hosted by the SACN, Worldwatch Institute and the
Cities Alliance, will serve the purpose of launching
this report for the African continent.
Objectives for the event
The Sustainable
African Cities Seminar should:
-
Allow leaders and
managers from cities in Africa to gain a better
understanding of how to measure progress towards
sustainable city ideals.
-
Explore the
evaluation presented in the State of the World
Report 2007 and encourage African cities to
focus on those strategies that make the greatest
contribution to achieving sustainable city
ideals.
-
Encourage leaders
and managers from cities in Africa to share
their experiences in promoting and monitoring
sustainable urban development.
-
Raise awareness of
the findings of the State of the World Report
through media reports.
Draft
Agenda
|
REGISTRATION AND TEA – 09:30 to 10:00 |
|
10:00 |
Welcome,
introductions and meeting objectives
|
South
African Department of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism |
|
10:15 |
Sustainable African Cities in context
|
UCLGA |
|
10:30 |
Overview
of Worldwatch Institute and reporting
processes |
Worldwatch
Institute |
|
11:00 |
Presentation on the content of the State
of the World Report by contributing
writers from the African Region: Topics
include urban agriculture and civil
society |
Contributing writers from Sierra Leone,
Ghana and South Africa |
|
|
Comment
and discussion |
|
12:00 |
Lunch |
|
13:00 |
Presentation and discussion on
monitoring sustainable cities in South
Africa |
Tshwane
University of Technology and University
of Cape Town |
|
14:00 |
Site visit
to sustainable community projects in
Nelson Mandela Bay |
Nelson
Mandela Bay Municipality |
Please contact
Sadhna Bhana at
Sadhna@sacities.net or at +27 11 407 6404 for
further information and registration.
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