re-engineering settlement structure in sub-saharan africa

Re-engineering Settlement Structure for growth in Sub-Saharan Africa : 

Re-engineering Settlement Structure for growth in Sub-Saharan Africa TM Ruhiiga Geography & Environmental Science, Mafikeng Campus, North West University, Mmabatho 2735 Paper Presented at the Faculty of Agriculture, Science & Technology Research Day, Centre for Animal Science, 27th October, 2010 FORMAT OF PRESENTATION 1. Introduction 2. Materials & Methods 3. Results & Analysis 4. Discussion 5. Conclusion & References

1.Introduction : 

1.Introduction Settlements result of interaction: physical-institutional-social environments Contemporary literature: hardly any mention of settlement as a factor in the growth equation Research Question: how to situate settlement in a wider location-production context in order to understand economic growth & strategies for poverty reduction Objectives: need to re-define settlement, to conceptualize S+L+P in growth process, comment on infrastructure & services, identify growth limitations, suggest alternative model

Study Area : 

Study Area

Table 1: Status of Infrastructure : 

Table 1: Status of Infrastructure

Infrastructure & services : 

Infrastructure & services Lowest road density & grid power lines Lowest fixed line telephone connectivity Extremely low level of access to water Problems of remoteness for landlocked countries No formal settlement planning Problems of market access

Location, production & growth : 

Location, production & growth Distance, travel time & wasted opportunity Production sites linked to accessibility, connectivity & higher population density Two schools of thought: relationship between settlement structure & development. (1) western school and wholesale application of theories & approaches to address inefficiences to raise productivity (2) need to understand diversity of SSA and limitations of imported ideas & simplistic assumptions

2. Materials & Methods : 

2. Materials & Methods Perception at household level: determines reaction to, responses & deployment of resources into income activities; therefore behaviour in space-time Assume a uniform social landscape: similar resource endowments everywhere; introduce P-in- t-factor & resulting patterns show spatial variability in turn economic potential Settlement (S), resources (R), households (H), natural limits to growth (E), investments per square unit of area(I), and relative role of technology (H) =are configured to show growth Problem= how to focus production nodes

Optimizing settlement location : 

Optimizing settlement location (D) (P) (R) (0) BS (A) Interaction Ideas Information Flows Movements Nodes & Networks OPTIMAL SETTLEMENT

3.Results and Analysis : 

3.Results and Analysis Expression 1: S=(R.P.H.E.I)t gives rate of settlement growth & potential for economic growth. Limits to growth arise due to (E) Expression 2:P=(L.O.R.G.H.C)t where L(land),O(labour),G (organisation) and, H (technology), C (capital) ; normal factors of production Expression 3: GPR=(R.P.M.H)t gives outcome of merging expressions 1&2 where GPR=growth of rural production, R=expanded resources, M=market, t=time, H=changing technology.

Results and analysis cont’d : 

Results and analysis cont’d Statistics on infrastructure in SSA show a mismatch between population density, agricultural potential, and gross geographical production (GGP)? Planning failure Data aggregation at national level misses internal regional variations & raises questions of reliability Methodologies for demarcating individual settlements are problematic beyond nucleated villages The system of National Accounts ignore the household economy whose output is commonly not quantified: hence doubts as to whether GDP, GGP etc measure all production

Efficient settlement structure : 

Efficient settlement structure Input elements: Population size, market size, consumption per capita, distance to nearest town, distance to nearest all-weather road, transport efficiency, gross geographical productivity, transport cost to nearest processing centre for primary raw materials, natural resource endowment per square unit of area-measured by market replacement value Result: certain types of settlement structure are conducive to increased production

4.Discussion : 

4.Discussion Planning for economic growth through re-ordering settlement structure Resource allocation refocused on few production centres to maximize impact of infrastructure and services Target= to lower regional income inequalities through concentrating production in high population areas & Engineer linear and corridor population re-distribution to priority clusters in national space Result: alternative landscape geared for growth

5. Conclusion and References : 

5. Conclusion and References Problems of transforming rural production systems are linked to the failure to plan an efficient settlement structure for SSA. The rural production model developed here offers a viable vehicle for achieving economic growth and reducing poverty. References IMF, 2009. Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa IRIN, 2004. Ethiopia: rural resettlement programme criticized. 1st March, Addis Ababa: IRIN IRIN, 2010. Mali: reducing vulnerability to future drought. 11 October, Bamako: IRIN Miller, GT, Jr. (2009). Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections, and Solutions, London: Thomson Brooks/Cole Naudè, W.2009. Density, Distance, and Divisions in Sub-Saharan Africa. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWDR2009/Resources. Accessed 19/10/2010. Ruhiiga, (2000) Rural settlement and retail trade business in the Eastern Cape, Development Southern Africa, vol 17(2):189-2008. ECA(Economic Commission for Africa),2007. Optimizing UN Resources for the Development of Africa’s Energy Sector, UN system-wide support to AU/NEPAD, 2, Addis Ababa: ECA Habitat, (UNO) 2009.Report on Human Settlements, 2009. New York: UNO THANK YOU