Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
priority going forward. More than half of respondents with knowledge of
urban management see improved planning as the priority for solving city
problems, compared with only 12% that prioritise increased funding. In
addition to more strategic planning, there is also a strong focus on manag-
ing infrastructure and services more efficiently. Both these goals will require
cities to make the step from passive administration of existing services to a
more active style of managing systems that focuses on improved efficiency
and more measurable outcomes [8].
There is also a relationship between the scale of the environmental bur-
dens and the appropriate roles of different levels of government. Some
governance failures can be traced to a mismatch between the scale of the
problem and the scale at which the response has been articulated. Local
governance should not be expected to reduce carbon emissions voluntarily,
although it can be a very appropriate level for driving local water and sanita-
tion improvements. Global governance, on the other hand, is clearly needed
to help develop institutional mechanisms to reduce contributions to global
climate change, but it is inappropriate for developing institutional mecha-
nisms for managing local water and sanitation systems. On the other hand,
reducing local environmental burdens often requires support (or at least
the absence of opposition) from global processes and institutions, while
responses to global burdens often need to be rooted in local agency [102,103].
Moreover, cities and their needs are complex, and the traditional, depart-
mentally organised approach to city governance needs to be rethought to
enable more holistic solutions on the one hand and more responsiveness and
accountability to citizens at a local level on the other [8].
The search for improved efficiency may require megacities to contract out
the management of more services to the private sector. One of the more sur-
prising findings in the survey is the fact that the main perceived advantage
of private sector operation is improved efficiency (more than access to fund-
ing). Where cities do increase private sector involvement, they will need to
create the right framework for success. There is a variety of models available,
where ownership and operation of services can be shared. But when enter-
ing into partnerships with the private sector, the consequences must be well
thought through, and success will require a 'context-sensitive' approach to
privatisation, with overall control (and responsibility) resting with the pub-
lic sector. If comprehensive governance models and efficient management
structures are put in place, economic attractiveness, environmental protec-
tion, and quality of life for all citizens need not be contradictory goals [8].
Today, there is almost universal recognition in governments at all levels
that it is essential to incorporate environmental considerations into urban
planning and management. This provides significant benefits in every area
of urban life, cutting across issues such as health, poverty, security, and eco-
nomic development. Moreover, there is an essential call for better communi-
cation within the government and with other stakeholders involved in city
planning and operation.
