Urbanisation challenges

GOVERNMENT is committed to addressing urbanisation challenges, says Minister for Local Government, Housing and Community Development Premila Kumar.

She said her ministry was doing this through integrated planning, strengthening urban governance, and balancing rural-urban developments.

She highlighted this during the World Cities Day celebration at Albert Park in Suva, yesterday.

Mrs Kumar said it was important for policymakers and urban managers to engage communities in urban planning, implementation and monitoring to create the cities of the future.

“With rapid urbanisation exerting pressure on water supplies, sewage, solid waste collection, the living environment, and public health, we need to work together to design solutions that meet real needs of our communities,” she said.

“Cities being a collection of individual suburbs — simply means if a policy is going to benefit a city — it has to start by benefiting a suburb.”

Mrs Kumar also said making Fiji’s towns and cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable must be the focus of every Fijian.

“After all, towns and cities are the engines of our economy and act as catalysts for creativity.

“But it is also a place where persistent problems occur, such as unemployment, drugs, crime and overcrowding.

“Urban development policies therefore are central to this.”

Mrs Kumar said the theme for this year’s World Cities Day was “Better City, Better Life”.