Urban resilience and sustainability challenges : a case study on the City of Windhoek

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY : The concept of sustainable development resulted after a global connection in environmental problems was found. Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report, provided a strategic foundation to among others, the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro which led to the UNCED framework known as Agenda 21. Many countries are affected by climate change and sustainable development is being introduced into policy documents. Resilience is increasingly used in sustainable development policies, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.Urbanisation has occurred at a rapid pace in Namibia and many people from rural areas have migrated to Windhoek in search of better employment and an improved quality of life. The urbanisation has led to various sustainability challenges in the ecological-, social-, housing- and political environment.This study describes the sustainability challenges in Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia. Shortly after Namibia's independence in 1990, various environmental policies and development plans were put in place to guide environmental management in Namibia. These environmental policies and development plans of Namibia are reviewed to determine whether they are adequate for addressing sustainability challenges in Windhoek and to strengthen resilience in the City of Windhoek. The study concludes with recommendations on improving the sustainability of, and urban resilience for, the City of Windhoek.Lessons are also drawn from the sustainability success stories of the City of Seattle in the USA, Curitiba in Brazil and Bogotá in Colombia and for recommendations to assist the City of Windhoek in its journey towards sustainability and improved resilience.The study's findings suggest that sustainability forms part of the environmental legislation; however, the implementation has not been effective, such as in the case of the City of Windhoek. Resilience only surfaced in the latest development plan on Namibia.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University