Abstract

TAIT, Louise  and  EUSTON-BROWN, Megan. What role can African cities play in low-carbon development? A multilevel governance perspective of Ghana, Uganda and South Africa. J. energy South. Afr. [online]. 2017, vol.28, n.3, pp.43-53. ISSN 2413-3051.  http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2017/v28i3a1959.

Cities' ability to mainstream climate goals into their activities is, to a large extent, influenced by the vertical divisions of responsibilities across different levels of government. This study examined how cities' agency to steer low-carbon urban development is enabled or constrained by multi-level governance arrangements in Jinja in Uganda, Ga East in Ghana, and Polokwane in South Africa. In both Uganda and Ghana, uneven progress with implementing decentralisation reforms greatly limited local government action, and there was poor alignment of sectors they could influence and those with significant emissions reduction potential. In Polokwane, however, a highly devolved governance structure afforded the municipality authority and autonomy over a much wider range of functions. Across all three cases, however, systemic capacity and resource constraints constrained the potential to develop proactive climate governance. Highlights: • In Uganda and Ghana, uneven progress with implementing decentralisation reforms greatly limits local government action. • South Africa's highly devolved governance structure and supportive national frameworks support greater local governance of low-carbon development. • Systemic capacity and resource constraints within municipalities suggest a more collaborative mode of climate governance is required in African cities.

Keywords : decentralisation; urban climate governance; climate change mitigation.

        · text in English     · English ( pdf )