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Rural-Urban Transformation or Transition (RUT), that is, urbanization processes, have for
decades been continuously influenced by globalization, regional contexts and local
situations. In Tanzania, many rural villages are being transformed from rural (villages) into
urban (townships) entities. The factors driving their transformation are many and varied,
but the most important are residential history, geographical location, the rate of population
growth from both immigration and natural increase and the announcement of township
status. Within formal administrative units like townships and village centres, Emerging
Urban Centres (EUCs) have been rapidly growing both demographically and economically.
EUCs represent urban centres at the initial stage of centre development, characterized by
having experienced a process of change from a ‘large village’ to a ‘small town’ with an
above-average increase in economic activity and population growth during the last decade.
Rapid growth within EUCs has consequently led to land use changes with various
implications. There has also been an increase in the demand for land for urban functions
like roads, housing, industrial and social institutions, the demand for domestic water from
multiple users and the rate of solid waste generation with varied composition. However,
despite rapid growth, urban planning and governance mechanisms are not keeping pace
with these rapid socio-economic transformations. Therefore, the rapid demographic and
economic growth within emerging urban centres has led to major governance challenges
related to land, domestic water and solid waste. The broad objective of this study was to
identify how governance practices (public and private) in relation to land; domestic water
and solid waste management have developed in supporting processes of rural-urban
transformation. Specifically, the study analyses the dynamics of the emergence of urban
centres with a focus on their densification and spatial expansion, as well as government
decision-making structures at the district, township and village levels, resource availability
(land and water) and examining recent past developments in resource governance (land,
water and waste), including service provision.
The study was conducted in Ilula and Madizini Emerging Urban Centres (EUCs), two sites
that are at different stages in their administrative transition along a rural-urban continuum.
This study hypothesized that, the level of administrative transition has impacts on
governance structures and practices in respect of accessing resources (land) and service
provision (domestic water and solid waste collection) for rapidly growing populations. A
combination of research methods was employed to collect data, including 468 household
surveys (323 in Ilula and 145 in Madizini), 97 informants’ interviews, 39 in-depth
household interviews, transect walks and spatial analysis of water points. Households for
survey were proportionally selected according to the number of households reported in the
national census for 2002 for each individual EUC. Key informants were purposively
selected on the basis of their administrative or decision-making role and knowledge about
land, domestic water and solid waste management practices within EUC and the township
at large. Households for in-depth interviews were purposively selected on the basis of
observed variations and commonalities in the household survey data responses.
Descriptive analysis was used to analyse quantitative data from the household surveys,
while content analysis was applied to analyse qualitative data from qualitative interviews.
Spatial analysis was conducted to document land-use changes from 2007 to 2017 within
the two EUCs. Mapping of public domestic water points was also conducted. Binary
logistic regression analysis was carried out to assess the factors determining the likelihood
of households having access to land within EUCs. A multinomial logit (MNL) model was
used to determine the factors influencing households in choosing solid waste disposal
practices.
Results indicate that in the last decade EUCs have experienced changes in land use in the
form of the conversion of land-use classes, housing densification and spatial expansion. In
both sites, the built-up area has increased while agricultural land has declined. For
example, in Ilula EUC, the built-up area increased from 149 ha (22.82%) in 2007 to 318 ha
(48.7%) in 2017, an increase of 168 ha (113% increase), while agricultural land declined
from 425 ha (65.08%) in 2007 to 246 ha (37.67%) in 2017, a decrease of 179 ha (-42%
decrease). In Madizini EUC, the built-up area increased from 68 ha (22.2%) in 2007 to 151
ha (49.5%) in 2017, an increase of 83 ha (122% increase), while agricultural land declined
from 192 ha (62.9%) in 2007 to 147 ha (48.1%) in 2017, a decrease of 45 ha (-24%).
Generally, land-use dynamics within EUCs in the last decade has implications for the
planning of service provision and future urban development, especially where there is
limited public land. Similarly, governance structures and practices related to township
administration, land, domestic water and solid waste management have changed in support
of rural-urban transformation. However, the transformation process has occurred
differently in the two case studies, with Ilula being in the advanced stage of Madizini
where the process is still in its early stage. Changes in the governance structures includes,
for example, the dissolution of village government and village land councils following the
establishment of new governance institutions like a Township Authority (TA) and the
appointment of a Township Executive Officer (TEO) to replace village governance
structures in Ilula township. Results revealed that 76% of surveyed households have access
to land. Binary logistic regression results indicated that, age, EUC of residence and
occupation were significantly associated with household access to land (P<0.05).
Households have acquired land through different sources, with social relations (52%) being
the main source of land access. Households own about 79% of land, but only 43% of
household land and housing has registered title.
Furthermore, village water committees have been changed through the establishment of
water utility authorities to correspond to the increased domestic demand for water.
Moreover, results of the household survey indicated that 75 % of surveyed households’
access domestic water from a tap, 23 % from a well and 2 % from other sources. Only 21%
of domestic water sources are located inside household compounds, 74% being located
outside. The location of domestic water points has implications for the costs of accessing
water and productive labour time. In solid waste management domain, results of the
household survey indicated that, 70 % of households’ dispose of their solid waste in
garbage bins on their compounds, 12 % in burning pits on their compounds, 17 % in public
waste dumps and 1 % in both garbage bins and by burning on their compounds. MNL
results revealed that, EUC of residence, household size and membership of waste
management committees were statistically significant regarding households’ choices of
solid waste disposal practices (P<0.05).
The study concludes that EUCs are rapidly growing in term of population growth, the
concentration of economic activities and the development of social services but that local
government authorities are lagging behind in planning service provision (establishment of
functional institutions and infrastructures development) for the rapidly growing population
within both EUCs. The study recommends that, the respective government authorities
facilitate the formal administrative transition to township status to give local government
authorities within townships autonomy in decision-making and in planning service
provision for the rapidly growing populations of both EUCs. The government should pay
special attention to the EUCs in resource allocation for service provision and
infrastructural development so as to tap the development potential associated with rapid
growth within EUCs. Effective synergies between the government, the private sector and
local communities should be initiated with regard to resource mobilization for planning
and service provision within EUCs. |
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