Ethiopia: Ambo Urban Profile
Ethiopia: Ambo Urban Profile
Ethiopia: Ambo Urban Profile
ETHIOPIA:
AMBO
URBAN PROFILE
Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme in the African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries
Project designed and implemented by UN-HABITAT
and financed by European Union, Government of Italy, Government of Belgium and Government of the Netherlands
This report was prepared by Ethiopia UN-HABITAT Programme Manager Tewodros Tigabu and Consultant Girma Semu
elaborating on information collected through interviews with key urban actors in Ethiopia.
This project and report were managed by Mohamed El Sioufi, Alain Grimard and Kerstin Sommer. Important inputs were
provided by Alioune Badiane, Antonio Yachan, Farrouk Tebbal, Clarissa Augustinus, Mohamed Halfani, Lucia Kiwala,
Eduardo Moreno, Raf Tuts, Gulelat Gebede and Gora Mboup.
Review, editing and graphic design: Ib Knutsen.
Photographs by Girma Semu.
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city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries, or regarding its economic system
or degree of development. The analysis, conclusions and recommendations of the report do not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), the Governing Council of UN-HABITAT or its
Member States.
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AMBO
URBAN PROFILE
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
UN-HABITAT is the lead agency for implementation In Ethiopia, the profiling was undertaken under the leadership
of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7, Target 10 of national and local authorities. This initiative has been carried
(reducing by half the number of people without sustainable out locally in Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa and Ambo, as well as na-
FOREWORD - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
access to safe drinking water), and Target 11 (achieving tionally. The Ethiopia National Profile focuses on the findings
significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million of a desk-study, interviews with key actors, and country-wide
slum dwellers by 2020). consultations with key urban actors and institutions. Consul-
tation participants agreed to address the salient urban issues
As part of our drive to address this crisis, UN-HABITAT is including poverty, insecurity, corruption, pollution and crime
working with the executive Commission of the European - all problems that negatively affect investments and economic
Union (EU) to support sustainable urban development in development. A consensus was reached on priority interven-
African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Given the tions in the form of programme and project proposals to be
urgent and diverse needs, the agency found it necessary to implemented.
develop a tool for rapid assessment to guide immediate, mid-
and long-term interventions. In 2002, based on the European I wish to acknowledge the contributions of Mr. Mohamed El
Commission’s Consultative Guidelines for Sustainable Urban Sioufi, who developed the concept of RUSPS and is coordi-
Development Co-operation, UN-HABITAT successfully nating its implementation. I also wish to cite those members
implemented an Urban Sector Profile Study in Somalia for of staff for their role in helping produce this report. They
the first time. The Study resulted in the identification and include Alioune Badiane, Farouk Tebbal, Clarissa Augustinus,
implementation of three major programmes with funding Mohamed Halfani, Lucia Kiwala, Eduardo Moreno, Raf Tuts,
from a variety of donors. Gulelat Kebede, Gora Mboup, Alain Grimard, Tewodros Ti-
gabu and Kerstin Sommer.
In 2004, UN-HABITAT’s Regional Office for Africa and the
Arab States took the initiative to develop the approach further I would like to wish all those who have participated in and
for application in over 20 countries. This was achieved in supported this initiative every success in its implementation.
collaboration with other departments within the agency – the I also look forward to supporting further their efforts in the
Urban Development Branch with the Urban Environment development of Ethiopia.
Section, the Global Urban Observatory, the Shelter Branch,
the Urban Governance Unit, the Gender Policy Unit, the
Environment Unit and the Training and Capacity Building
Branch. This new corporate approach is known as Rapid Urban
Sector Profiling for Sustainability (RUSPS). The implementa- Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka
tion of RUSPS was launched thanks to contributions from the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations,
Governments of Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. and Executive Director,
UN-HABITAT
The idea behind RUSPS is to help formulate urban poverty
reduction policies at the local, national and regional levels
through a rapid, participatory, crosscutting, holistic and action-
OVERVIEW
Ethiopia is one of the least urbanized countries in Africa, with The main policy tool of the government is the Plan for Acceler-
some of the largest number of people living in cities. This ated and Sustained Development to End Poverty (PASDEP).
apparent contradiction is owed to our agricultural heritage, It follows up lessons learned from the first comprehensive
where the majority has been working the land. Rapid popula- poverty-reduction policy in 2002, the Sustainable Develop-
tion growth has since been countering this, ensuring that, of ment and Poverty Reduction Programme (SDPRP). It has
77 million people, over 12 million are now living in cities. been developed in a participatory manner with national and
international stakeholders under the auspices of the Ministry
The growth of Ethiopian cities presents enormous challenges of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED). The final
to the nation. Not only are the markets in cities essential for draft was shared again with line ministries and regional au-
the prosperity of rural areas, but they can also provide addi- thorities, before being adopted by the Ethiopian parliament
tional economic growth, opportunities, and improved access as a legal document guiding national development policy
to education and health. until 2010.
The Ethiopian government has therefore partnered with UN- The Urban Profiling was handy to analyse policy thinking,
HABITAT to fully review the status of the cities, and see how focusing on urban sustainability through governance, insti-
Ethiopia best can facilitate for vulnerable groups, improve tutions and services. The participatory approach adopted
urban services, and support future growth. This publication in the process is also important to highlight issues that may
is the first step of this process, serving as both a base-line, otherwise not come to be identified. The continued support
and as an illuminator to what our areas of focus should be. from the Governments of Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, and
The second phase will build upon these insights, and identify the European Commission is welcomed as developing sus-
tangible projects and processes that municipal authorities, tainable cities is one of the world’s greatest challenges.
regional- and central government together with international
partners can implement to improve the situation for Ethiopi-
ans in general, and reducing urban poverty in particular.
3
E xecutive summa r y
Introduction The other tier of administration are the kebeles. The lowest
administrative unit, kebeles are responsible for administering
The urban profiling is a systematic and structured approach local issues including government owned housing, mobilis-
to the assessment of urban needs and response mechanisms at ing the community in development activities, and social and
city and national levels in Africa and the Arab states. security issues. Ambo has a town administration and three
kebeles.
The overriding aim of the study is to contribute to the ongo-
ing efforts of countries in the region in poverty reduction at
all levels - city, country and region. Slums
In doing so it is hoped that the assessment would provide an The poor quality of housing and inability of the administra-
opportunity to gage the gaps in implementing the United tion to increase supply could be taken as key indicators that
Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of coun- a wide reform is necessary. The town does not even have
tries in the region. adequate data on its housing stock and condition, making it
more difficult to provide a clear picture regarding the state of
AMBO urban PROFILE - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The urban profiling, initially implemented in over twenty urban land use and housing.
countries, is now a global programme. It is expected to pro-
vide critical inputs and benefits to the implementing partners, A National Urban Planning Institute projection from 1997
enabling the management of sustainable cities, with adequate estimated the housing stock of Ambo to be 5414 units. 45
shelter, health and basic services. percent were owned by the government, and administered
by the kebeles, and the remaining 55 percent were owner oc-
Urban Profiling in Ethiopia includes the profile of Addis Aba- cupied. With a national urban growth at 4.1 percent, and a
ba-the capital, Dire Dawa the second largest city and Ambo, backlog from ten years ago at 4 586 housing units, the town
a third level town each published as a separate report. is facing a critical housing shortage.
The themes included in the study are slum and housing con-
dition, gender, urban environment and urban governance. Gender
This report comprises the profile of Ambo town.
The situation of women in Ambo town is not different from
that of the national and the Oromiya region. The challenges
Background of women are thus structural, affecting their lives from birth,
through schooling, health, work, marriage and death.
Ambo town is located in the western Shewa zone of the
Oromiya region, some 100 kilometres west of Addis Ababa, Women constitute the higher proportion of the unemployed,
the capital. and, when active, it is usually in the informal sector. Oromi-
ya region have the highest incidence of harmful traditional
Established in 1889, Ambo is one of the oldest towns in practices, such as female genital mutilation and marriage by
Ethiopia. It is situated in the highlands at an altitude of 2 abduction, in the country.
100 metres above sea level. The mean temperature is 18.6
degree centigrade. While often carrying the highest health risks, women do
not have adequate access to basic health services. According
Ambo is among a few privileged towns of its time to have its to the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey of 2005,
own municipal administration since 1931, and a master plan women in Oromiya are more than five times as likely to carry
since 1983. It covers a total area of 1 320 hectares. the HIV virus, at 2.2 percent vs. 0.4 percent, respectively. As
the region is rural, the pattern is likely the same in Ambo,
The town is serving as an administrative, commercial and only with higher incidence rates. The Ethiopian Ministry of
transport centre of the western Shewa zone. The town was Health finds in its fifth report that Urban Antenatal Care
selected to be one of twenty in the Oromiya region to benefit facilities in Oromiya have a HIV/AIDS infection rate of 11
from a federal reform programme. percent.
Governance Environment
Ambo town is governed through the Oromiya region mu- The environment of Ambo town has been in a constant de-
nicipal establishment proclamation no. 65/95. The city has cline. Most of the solid waste is not properly collected, there
two tiers of administration. The highest level is the municipal is no a sanitary dumping site, and half of all houses have no
council, which is responsible for service delivery, administer- toilet facility. The municipality is not seen as in a position
ing funds and management of the city. to address the problem due to resource and capacity limita-
tions.
4
INTRODUCTION
The study is based on analysis of existing data and a series At the city level, key institutions like capacity building, health,
of interviews with all relevant urban stakeholders, including education, gender, housing, and micro-scale enterprise offices
local communities and institutions, civil society, the private have participated in the consultation, which was chaired by
sector, development partners, academics and others. the mayor of Ambo town.
This consultation typically results in a collective agreement At the national level, heads and experts of the key sections
on priorities and their development into proposed capac- of the lead ministry, again including gender, policy planning,
ity-building, and other projects, that are all aimed at urban the federal urban planning institute, land and housing and
poverty reduction. UN-Habitat Programme Manager have commented and
provided feed back.
The urban profiling is now being expanded from its initial
20 African and Arab countries, offering an opportunity for
comparative regional analysis, at present, between 38 coun- Report structure
tries. Once completed, this series of studies will provide a
framework for central and local authorities and urban actors, This report consists of:
as well as donors and external support agencies.
1 A general background of the urban sector in Ambo,
based on a desk study, interviews, focus group consul-
Methodology tations with key stakeholders. (See back cover for a list
of participants in the city consultations and bibliography.).
The urban profiling consists of three phases:
The background includes data on administration, urban
Phase one is a rapid urban profiling at national and local planning, the economy, the informal and formal private
levels. The capital city, medium size city and small town are sector, urban poverty, infrastructure, water, sanitation,
selected and studied to provide representative samples of the public transport, street lighting, energy, health and edu-
urban sector in each country. cation;
The analysis focuses on four themes: Governance, Slums, 2 A synthetic assessment of four main areas – governance,
Gender and Environment. Information is collected through slums, gender and HIV/AIDS and environment – in
interviews and discussions with institutions and key inform- terms of the institutional set-up, regulatory frameworks,
ants to assess strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats and resource mobilisation and performance. This second
priorities (SWOT) of the national and local urban contexts. section also highlights agreed priorities and includes a
list of identified projects;
The findings are presented and refined during city and na-
tional consultation workshops and consensus is reached for 3 The third and last section includes a Strengths, Weak-
priority interventions. nesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis and
an outline of priority project proposals for each theme.
National and town reports synthesize the information col- The proposals include beneficiaries, partners, estimated
lected and outline ways forward to reduce urban poverty costs, objectives, activities and outputs.
trough holistic approaches.
5
AMBO URBAN PROFILE - BACKGROUND
6
A M B O I N D ATA
Ambo is a transport hub between the capital Addis Ababa and the wider western region of Ethiopia. The city follows
the same pattern as other Ethiopian urban centres. From a relatively well planned establishment, the city has devel-
oped - and grown - rapidly without governmental influence. The original structures, nationalised by the Derg military
government in 1974, are dilapidated and poorly maintained. New structures, often built without permit, are varying
from shacks to apartment blocks, but of unknown standard.
The population of Ambo has nearly doubled from 1996, to the present 50 000 inhabitants. Elections for local leader-
ship was held for the first time in 2007, and the new administration faces great challenges as well as expectations.
Apart from the main highway, few internal roads are paved, led alone drained. The city becomes difficult to traverse
during the rainy season, and public dumping of solid and liquid waste ensures that a constant bad smell is engulfing
the city.
There is no sewerage system in place, and the one suction truck owned by the municipality is in bad shape. The same
situation applies to the solid waste collection truck. Collection is random at best, and even then simply dumped in
the outskirts of the city.
The administration is thus not able to legitimise even the low service charges they apply, and is in a constant financially
strained situation. Land tax, another avenue for income generation, is also poorly applied, as there is no inventory of
land use or even an urban plan in place.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The urban local governments have the following roles and Governance model:
responsibilities as stipulated in the proclamation no. 65/03
issued by the Oromiya Regional State. As per the above proclamation the urban governance model
applied in Ambo town is a council-mayor systems, where
Objectives by the city council has the final authority on urban issues
whereas the highest executive powers are vested upon the
• Promote self-rule by encouraging the involvement of mayor and the mayor committee.
residents in the overall activities of the city/town and
facilitate conditions in which residents benefit from The urban local government proclamation 95/2003 has
the development. adequately covered all elements required to promote Ur-
ban good governance.
• Institute good governance in which effectiveness,
transparency and accountability to the residents. But as it has not been implemented as envisaged.
• Ensure the provision of efficient and equitable urban Holistic implementation of the provisions of the proc-
services to the residents in a sustainable manner. lamation along with the local elections to establish the
town council and the ongoing capacity building programs
• Promote social and economic development of the lo- designed by the federal Government are expected to have
cality in encouraging investment. considerable contribution to institutionalize urban good
governance in the town.
• Promote cooperative government.
The federal and the regional governments and stakeholders
• Promote a safe and clean urban environment. continued and sustained support to enable the local gov-
ernment dispose its responsibilities should be emphasized
• Promote close residents-government relationship and and remains critical.
partnership with the community.
7
P opulation Student to teacher ratios are currently 1:42 for primary school,
1:61 for secondary school, and schoolbooks to student is 1:2.
Over the past few years the population of Ambo town has These numbers are close to the national average.
been growing rapidly. In 1996, Ambo had a population of
30 499. Five years later, in 2001, it rose by 30 percent, to However, there is a lot to be desired. Over 40 and 60 pupils
39 161. According to the municipality of Ambo (which co- per class is harmful to teaching efficiency, and less able stu-
incides with the National Urban Planning Institute’s 1997 dents will not get the attention they need. Furthermore, only
projection), the current population is estimated at 50 284 half of the teachers fill the formal requirements for teaching,
inhabitants. and schools often run in two shifts because of space limita-
tions.
The municipality only counts registered residents of the town.
Given the transitory nature of the town, a large proportion is At the same time, Oromiya has been selected as a centre for
thought to be unaccounted for. higher education. A number of private collages have been
established, and public training institutions are expanding
The growth trend of the last ten years indicate that the town their capacity. This will likely impact population dynamics,
has been growing at an average rate of growth of 5 percent. including attracting a higher qualified work force.
This rate of growth roughly matches the national average of
4.1 percent, putting the town among other fast growing cities
in the country. E mployment
Assuming this rate of growth to remain the same for the com- Unemployment in Ethiopian urban centres is a critical
ing ten years, the population of Ambo town will reach 81 908 problem due to lack of job creation in the formal sector. As
inhabitants by 2016. with other urban centres in Ethiopia, it is common to notice
streets full of unemployed youths hoping for opportunities.
E d ucation
AMBO URBAN PROFILE - BACKGROUND
8
economy
It is thus not surprising that the municipal revenues are lower Rivers, ditches and streets are serving as alternative waste
than both recurrent and capital budgets. This is usually im- dumping sites. The municipal abattoir is not provided with
pacting on the municipal ability to deliver services, reducing sanitary waste disposal system thus causing a health hazard,
the expenses to paying wages only. impoverishing land quality, and bad smell. Similarly, waste
products from informal slaughtering is common.
9
GOVERNANCE
Ambo is one of 20
reform towns in the
Oromiya region, and
among 75 in the country.
The current administra-
tion was elected in 2007,
replacing a council ap-
pointed by the zonal
administration in 1995.
The election was a step
in the process of deepen-
ing decentralization and
effectively respond to
the development needs
of the urban dwellers.
10
regulating municipalities since. Remaining legislation is AGREED PRIORITIES
now expected at the regional level. Major laws include: • Capacity building and leadership skills.
• Developing regulations, procedures and systems.
• Proclamations no. 41/91 and 4/95 gives the Ministry of • Set up land information and management system.
Works and Urban Development responsibilities in urban • Predictable and sustained fiscal transfer.
development, and reaffirms regions as the chief municipal • Technical support in areas of urban design and planning.
authority.
• Proclamation no. 272/00 revise existing legislation on ur- • The urban local governments have the following roles and
ban land lease administration. Number 455/05 addresses responsibilities as stipulated in the proclamation no. 65/03
compensation on property rights. issued by the Oromiya Regional State.
• Ambo town is organised based on the Oromiya region ur- • As regards participation the urban local government is
ban local government proclamation no. 65/2003. responsible to organise forums at least every three months
for the deliberation and debate of annual programs, plans
• According to this proclamation towns and cities of the projects and budget of the town in order to promote the
region are grouped in to four grades based on their popu- participation of its residents in decision-making processes.
lation size.
• The municipality has initiated the creation of a strategic
• Thus Ambo town is one of the third level towns which plan and management (SPM) programme to improve its
have a population size ranging from 10,000-44,999. long-term economic growth, and undertaking Business
Process Re-engineering activities to improve the opera-
tional climate for the private sector.
Resou r ce mobilisation
11
SLUMS
The Government of
Ethiopia recognises
the right of citizens
to decent living envi-
ronment and housing,
and commits itself to
implement interna-
tional conventions.
The problem is appalling, and may be the worst in the coun- The residents of the kebeles are protected, as an interested in-
try. In the case of Addis Ababa, where old kebele houses are vestor is required to build a replacement house exactly similar
concentrated, the percentage of houses without toilets is 25 to the ones to be demolished in terms of size and material
percent. on a new plot of land. The residents are relocated to the new
kebele houses, and the old houses will be demolished and the
Most of the kebele-owned houses are located in central areas land made available to the developer.
and are the oldest settlements of any city in Ethiopia. These
areas are generally dense, and lack of maintenance has ren-
dered infrastructures broken.
12
I nstitutional set - up AGREED PRIORITIES
• Increased capacity for land development, in particular in the
• The National Urban Planning Institute, organised under development of access roads to the expansion and existing
the Ministry of Federal Affairs, is responsible for develop- settlements.
ing the National Urban Development Policy. • Improved revenue collection from land development, this in
turn needs developing a well-organised cadastre system.
• The Ministry of Works and Urban Development (MWUD) • Development of an integrated development plan of the
town.
is in general responsible for overall policy, strategy formu-
• Develop a housing strategy for the town and mechanisms
lation and capacity building. to finance housing development.
• The National Policy Framework for Grading and Defin- Recou r se mobilisation
ing Urban Centres (awaiting formal endorsement by the
Federal Government); • Overall resource mobilisation in Ambo town is charac-
terized by poor revenue planning and collection. This is
• The Federal Urban Planning Law and Building Code caused by weak institutional capacity, lack of system and
(about to be completed); regulations.
• The Federal Housing Policy (preparatory activities are fi- • As a result investment on housing and slum improvement
nalized to start the study); is insignificant.
13
GENDER AND HIV / AIDS
It is a widely recognised
fact that promotion of
gender equality and de-
velopment of women is
indispensable for social,
economic and political
development in any so-
ciety. However, in Ethi-
opia, women continue
to suffer inequalities
and systematic forms of
discrimination.
Continued victimization
of women through harmful traditions and customs such as The gap gets wider when it comes to the proportion of teach-
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), marriage by abduction ers with degrees. The number of males are 2.5 times that of
are common, and among the worst in the country. women (65 percent male versus 26 percent female).
Indicators such as access to education, health, employment The situation for health services show a similar negative trend.
and political participation largely favour men. For instance, Only 25 percent of women have access to antenatal services,
the primary enrolment ratio (1-8th grade) is 87 percent for and only 9 percent have access to postnatal care.
boys, while it is 58 percent for girls. For the secondary educa-
tion level (9-10th grade), the participation of boys it is 30 Enabling women in political decision-making is critically
percent, while for girls it is 14 percent. Similar trends are important for the realization, not only of their constitutional
observed as regards school dropouts. right, but also to identify the needs of half the population.
GENDER POLICY
Ensure the protection of human and democratic
Having realized the huge gender gap state, the rights as an instrument to realize abolition of gender
region has issued a gender policy with the following discrimination against women.
objective. Act in response to avoiding the whole aspects of
harmful traditional practices and attitudes working
OBJECTIVE
against women.
To strengthen the involvement of women in the pro-
cess of undertakings in Oromiya aimed at realizing Provide enabling environment that would ensure the
gender equality along with enhancement of their legislative measures taken by the Oromiya regional
participation and benefits in decision-making posi- state would protect gender equality and realize
tions at economic and political platforms including women’s interest in the whole provisions of human
policy making. and democratic rights.
EXPECTED RESULTS
Enhance women’s participation at all levels of educa-
tion and training.
Facilitate the setting out of standards and quality
health services that would help in solving the prob-
lems of women.
14
In spite of this fact involvement of women in key political AGREED PRIORITIES
positions continued to be insignificant.
• Take practical measure to empower women at all levels.
According to a study undertaken by the regional state, that • Allocate sufficient budget in a sustainable manner.
covered 17 woredas, no single woman was represented at the • Targeted and sustainable capacity building program, e.g.,
capacity building to set up database and documentation
cabinet level. Among the regional state’s cabinet, only one centre, undertake research and development.
out of 13 was a woman. As witnessed elsewhere in Ethiopia, • Support the establishment of Women’s groups.
women’s representation at lower levels is generally higher. For
• Raise awareness on gender issues among municipal staff.
instance, two out of the three kebele leaders are women.
Unlike other cities, like Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa (where At federal level The ministry of women’s affair is responsible
NGOs are concentrated, and providing substantial support to for policy formulation, capacity building and coordination
gender issues), there is not a single NGO working on gender
in Ambo town. The Oromiya regional state women affairs office is responsible
for regional matters including regulation, capacity building,
A recent reorganization of the local government structure, advocacy etc.
established a Women’s Affairs Office to promote women is-
sues and enhance the protection of their rights. The office is
staffed by four people, but suffers from a ridiculous budget; Regulato r y F r ame w o r k
5 000 Birr (about 575 USD) in 2005. It was even lower the
next year, 4 290 Birr (about 493 USD). • The National Policy on Women (1993) aimed to main-
stream gender into existing laws and government policies,
as well as change discriminatory practices and improve
T H E I N S T I T U T I O N A L S E T- U P awareness.
• The National Policy on Women (1993) established a • The 1994 constitution (Articles 7 and 35) affirms the
Women Affairs Departments in each Ministry, Regional rights of women, and accord women the same rights as
Women’s Bureaus in each Regional Administrative men.
Council, and a Women’s Coordination Desk at zonal and
district levels. The bureaus suffer from lack of mandate, • The paragraph is contradicted by the preceding Article
funding and staffing, leading to low mainstreaming of 34. It states that the constitution “shall not preclude the
gender in federal and regional policy making. adjudication of disputes relating to personal and family laws
in accordance with religious or customary laws, with consent
• A Ministry of Women’s Affairs has been established, re- of the parties”. The equality granted under the constitu-
placing a lower graded unit in the Prime Minister’s Office, tion is thus subject to discriminatory traditional laws, if
and is responsible for policy formulation, capacity build- the parties want it.
ing and advocacy.
• The Family Law amends discriminatory practices relat-
• Several NGOs focus on gender issues. The include The ing to marriage (Raising legal age from 15 to 18), divorce,
Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA), the children and joint property.
Network of Ethiopian Women’s Associations (NEWA),
and the Centre for Research Training and Information • The 2005 revision of the penal code included rape, mar-
for Women in Development (CERTWID). A number of riage by abduction (crime is not cancelled by subsequent
Women’s Associations exist for different regions, districts marriage, and rape will be included in charges), domestic
and urban centres. violence, female genital mutilation and abortion.
15
THE ENVIRONMENT
Ambo URBAN PROFILE - ENVIRONMENT
The population of Ambo has been growing rapidly the last Liquid waste, like solid, used to be dumped in the outskirts
years. In 1996, its population was 30 499. In 2001 it was 39 of the city, but is also facing growing resistance. Household,
161, and its current population is 50 000. butchery, and commercial wastes are therefore often dis-
charged directly into streets, ditches and rivers.
This rapid population growth has been putting a tremendous
pressure in terms of providing social and physical infrastruc- There is no plan to approach either the solid nor the liquid
tures. As a result the environmental situation of Ambo has waste problem in any systematic manner, and will likely con-
been deteriorating. tinue to impact health, agricultural and commercial output.
A solid waste collection truck was purchased in 1996. More As in other sectors, the poor environmental management
than ten years later, it is still the sole collection vehicle, while is closely linked with inadequate resource mobilisation and
the population has nearly doubled. The social service team capacity limitations. Key factors include: No clear regulation
has a budget of 6 000 Birr, or about USD $ 650. The collec- for levying service charges, bad physical shape of machinery,
tion has dropped from once a week, to irregular. There are no low budget, little or no NGO involvement in environmental
public trash containers. protection.
The sanitary situation in Ambo town has likewise been de- • All governmental ministries and agencies, like Health, Wa-
teriorating. There is no central sewerage system, and lack of ter Resources, Road Authority and the Electric and Power
toilet facilities, water supply, clearing/suction, and abattoir Corporation have established Environmental Units. This
services are all adding to the complexity of the situation. procedure has been replicated at the regional level.
Ten years ago, a third of all houses lacked toilet facilities of • Ministry of Health and their regional counterparts are
any type. Now, half of all houses lack this basic utility. There responsible for ensuring sanitation in cities and towns.
is not a single toilet in the market area, and people are forced
to use nearby bushes, river-sides and ditches. • Urban administrations have sections for environment
protection.
The municipal suction truck, also purchased ten years ago, is
still the only liquid waste collection mechanism of the town.
16
• The Environmental Protection Authority, the Ministry of AGREED PRIORITIES
Works and Urban Development, The Ministry of Health,
and they Oromiya regional state are responsible for policy • Procurement of solid waste collection truck and containers.
formulation. • Procurement of suction truck.
• Developing sanitary land fill site.
• Ambo Municipality has a section responsible for waste • Capacity building programs.
regulation and management. • Adapt / draft a clear regulation for the provision and man-
agement of waste.
• There was no clear regulation and tariff rates for waste • Set realistic service fee in consultation with stakeholders
especially the community.
collection services.
• The Environmental policy of Ethiopia, • In the absence of regulations (there is no regulation for
environment protection) it will be hard for the munici-
• The Environmental Pollution Control Proclamation, pality to charge adequately for its services.
• The Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation, • Service delivery is difficult with inadequate machinery,
and lack of sanitary dumping site.
• The Environmental Organs Establishment Proclamation,
• Low, if any, fees are collected for the solid waste collection
• The National Sanitation Strategy, service.
17
S trengths W eak nesses O pportunities T h re at s P riorities
D E C E N T R A L I S AT I O N A N D D E V L O U T I O N O F P O W E R
• Power is decentralised • Lack of local by- • Existence of • Difficulty to fill • Developing regula-
to the local authority laws, regulations federal, regional vacancies as soon tions, procedures and
proclamation 65/2003. and guidelines. and international as possible. systems.
• The town administra- • Mismatch between the community support. • Predictable and sus-
tion is empowered to structure proposed tained fiscal transfer.
levy and assess taxes. by the proclamation
and the reality.
• Poor institutional
capacity-town and
kebele level.
• Elected council is
inexperienced.
P E R F O R M A N C E A N D A C C O U N TA B I L I T Y
• Existence of municipal • Lack of regular • The fresh elections • Improvement might • Capacity building
administration, report on plans and might help in the take some time due and leadership skills.
empowered through budget to public. improvement of to capacity limitation. • Set up Land informa-
proclamation no. 65/2003, • Lack of regular performance and tion and manage-
which fully empowers independent audit accountability. ment system.
local Governments and regular report • Technical support in
• Existence of capacity to the public. areas of urban design
building office lead • Lack of standards. and planning.
PROJECT PROPOSALS - GOVERNANCE
18
PROJECT PROPOSALS - GOVERNANCE
GOVER- Project proposal
NANCE
Land Database Creation and Training
N°1
LOCATION: Ambo town.
Part of this challenge lies in the fact that the urban admin-
istration does not have an accurate view of current housing
stock, land-use rights, and available land. Managing urban
services is dependent upon the municipality knowing who to
serve what, and where the gaps are.
19
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats PRIORITIES
R E G U L AT I O N A N D P O L I C Y
• Preparation is being • No housing policy. • Integrated housing • Increasing infor- • Develop a housing
made for building con- • Poor database. program is on top of mal settlements strategy for the town
dominium houses. the agenda of the fed- in the periphery. and mechanisms
• No clear regulation eral government. to finance housing
• Land is under prepa- for the management • Poor institu-
ration for housing. • The upgrading of the tional capacity. development.
of kebele houses.
• Slum houses are planned Addis Ababa Neke- • Resource limi-
• No upgrading regula- mt high way tra-
to be replaced by condo- tion and projects. tations.
minium houses gradually. versing Ambo.
• Poor knowledge and doc-
• Housing programs and umentation of existing
projects are integrat- regulations and policy.
ed with job creation
and capacity building.
P R O V I S I O N O F A D E Q U AT E S H E LT E R A N D S E R V I C E S
• There are projects aim- • No housing proj- • Federal government • High cost of infra- • Increased capacity for
ing at improving in- ect aimed at the urban support in condo- structure and ser- land development,
formal settlements. poor (who can’t afford minium project. vices provision. in particular in the
• Land for more than 200 any formal housing). • The process re-engi- • Increasing num- development of
houses and for 540 con- • No projects specifi- neering program. ber of poor people access roads to the
dominium buildings is cally aimed at improv- may not afford to expansion and exist-
• The experience of ing settlements.
under preparation. ing the living condition condominium from pay for services.
of slum dwellers. Addis Ababa. • Improved revenue
• Spatial plans do not collection from land
address the issue of development, this in
slum upgrading. turn needs develop-
ing a well-organised
• Poor infrastructure and ser- cadastre system.
vice delivery in slum areas.
PROJECT PROPOSALS - SLUMS
I N S T I T U T I O N A L S et - up A N D C A PA C I T Y B U I L D I N G
• The set up of an indepen- • Weak institutional capac- • Federal government • The existing or- • Development of an
dent municipal admin- ity of the municipality. has put local capac- ganizational integrated develop-
istration is a good step. • Critical human re- ity building as one structure may ment plan of the
• The existence of capac- source shortage. of its priorities. not be sufficient town.
ity building department. • There is a urban de- to handle all
• No research and doc- the programs.
umentation on slum velopment capacity
and housing. building office (UD-
CBO), within the Min-
• Poor data base and istry of Works and
data management. Urban Development.
• The assistance of the
regional government.
20
PROJECT PROPOSALS - SLUMS
Project proposal Project proposal
SLUMS SLUMS
Provision of Public Toilets and Baths
N°1 Access Road Provision to Existing Settlements N°2
LOCATION: Ambo town. LOCATION: Ambo town.
BACKGROUND: Major roads in Ambo town lack basic BACKGROUND: The city of Ambo has no sewerage system,
elements, such as tarmac and drains. Even where drains are and, only half the city’s houses have a toilet. Solid and liquid
present, they are clogged due to their function as a waste waste is dumped in any vacant plot, river or ditch.
dumping site.
The houses lacking this basic facility are generally owned by
Internal access roads are totally inaccessible in the rainy sea- the government, and are concentrated in central areas of the
sons, creating an additional flood hazard. That is why the town. The biggest open market of the town, which accom-
national highway, traversing the town, is the one used by modates hundreds of people and animals in the market day,
people and cars at all times. is surrounded by dilapidated government houses, and has no
single public toilet.
The development of the town is also concentrated along this
high way causing unbalanced spatial growth, and straining As a result, both residents, visitors and local traders, have to
infrastructures. endure poor smell, and risk an acute sanitary cesspool, repre-
senting also a health hazard.
OBJECTIVE: Improve access roads through the construc-
tion of tarred roads and provision of closed drainage system. OBJECTIVE: Improve sanitation through the construction
of public toilets with efficient drainage the market and slum
ACTIVITIES: Identification of strategically important roads, areas of the town. They will operate on a small fee, to ensure
design preparation, bidding, selection of contractors, con- sustainable running of the facilities.
struction.
Trash cans will also need be installed of sufficient size, given
EXPECTED OUTPUT: Major access roads asphalted with that otherwise trash will be thrown into the toilet.
efficient water drainage.
ACTIVITIES: Undertake need assessment with kebele lead-
REQUIRED STAFF: Planners, engineers, surveyors, con- ers in public forums. Identify maintenance staff, payment
struction supervisors. structures, municipal participation and responsibility. Esti-
mate capacity and strategic locations. Design and bid docu-
ment preparation. Bidding. Construction.
21
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Priorities
GENDER AND HIV/AIDS POLICY
• The existence of a • Women are margin- • Global institutions and • The city government • Allocate sufficient
Women Affair’s Of- ally empowered. There federal government are may lose focus on budget in a sustain-
fice at town level. is no women cabinet keen to support wom- the issue, as it has too able manner.
• The regional govern- members of the town. en empowerment. much commitments. • Raise awareness on
ment has a clearly ar- • Insufficient politi- • Existence of decen- • Stereotyped attitude gender issues among
ticulated policy. cal support. tralised structure. towards women may municipal staff.
• Two out of three kebele need some time.
leaders are women. • Male domination is
embedded in both
formal and informal
culture, and will con-
tinue for some time.
PROJECT PROPOSALS - GENDER and HIV/AIDS
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT
• The Women Affairs Of- • Poor data base. Even • As it is a global agen- • Full political sup- • Take practical
fice of Ambo has been available data in the da, much can be port and commit- measure to empower
trying to do its level town are not collect- learned from oth- ment may take time. women at all levels.
best, despite a ridicu- ed and documented. er’s experiences. • Resource limitation.
lous budget (USD $ 500). • Lack of perfor- • Availability of feder-
• Gender related chal- mance standards. al and regional gov-
lenges are identified. • Insufficient research. ernment’s support.
• Insufficient integra-
tion and coordination
among different ac-
tors-women affair of-
fice, police, courts.
• Poor law enforcement.
• Insufficient gender
mainstreaming.
I N S T I T U T I O N A L S E T - U P A N D C A PA C I T Y B U I L D I N G
• Existence of dedi- • Weak institution- • Capacity building on • It might be time • Targeted and
cated institution. al capacity. the agenda of the taking due to re- sustainable capacity
• Existence of capacity lim- • Insufficient support international com- source limitation. building program.
itation is a felt problem. from the region. munity, federal and re- E.g. capacity building
gional governments. to set up database
• Inadequate aware- and documentation
ness creation. center, undertake
• Absence of NGOs research and devel-
working on gender. opment.
• Support the estab-
lishment of women’s
groups.
22
PROJECT PROPOSALS - GENDER and HIV/AIDS
GENDER Projects proposal
HIV/AIDS
N°1 Credit Facility for Women
The attempt of micro and small scale enterprises office and the
Ambo town Women’s Affair Office have not been successful
in organizing women to benefit from the microfinance credit
system. This is mainly due to strict financial regulations and
procedures. Private banking is not allowed in Ethiopia.
23
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Priorities
E N V I R O N M E N TA L P L A N N I N G A N D R E G U L AT I O N
• The urban local gov- • Lack of local urban en- • The issues receives na- • Increasing urban • Adapt / draft a clear
ernment proclama- vironment regulation. tional attention, and a population may gen- regulation for the
tion puts environment • Poor solid and liq- federal policy is existing. erate more waste. provision and man-
protection as one of uid waste collection. • It is a global issue and in- agement of waste.
the key activities of ternational organizations • Set realistic service
the municipality. • Poor institution-
al capacity. are interested to support. fee in consultation
with stakeholders
especially the com-
munity.
INSTITUTIONAL SET-UP
• The existence of a sec- • Poor coordination • Much can be learned • Poor institutional ca- • Procurement of
tion in charge of envi- among the different ac- from the experience pacity may be a limi- solid waste collection
ronment protection. tors and the community. of Addis Ababa. tation in organising truck and containers.
• Lack awareness cre- • Availability of labour force all stakeholders in • Procurement of suc-
ation system. to be organised and mo- an efficient manner. tion truck.
• Poor institutional capacity. bilised in solid waste col- • Developing sanitary
lection and disposal. land fill site.
PROJECT PROPOSALS - ENVIRONMENT
• Poor coordina-
tion of actors.
R E S O U R C E M O B I L I S AT I O N A N D C A PA C I T Y B U I L D I N G
• Few private collec- • Low/marginal budget. • National and interna- • Increasing number of • Capacity building
tors are operating. • Poor fee collection. tional institutions are informal settlements. programs.
keen to provide training.
• The community can
pay waste collection
fee provided they re-
ceive efficient service.
24
PROJECT PROPOSALS - ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRON- Project proposal ENVIRON- Project proposal
MENT MENT
Procurement of Waste Collection Trucks and Construction of Sanitary Land fill Site
N°1 Waste Disposal Units N°2
LOCATION: Ambo town. LOCATION: Ambo town.
ESTIMATED COST: USD $ 2.5 million. ESTIMATED COST: USD $ 500 000.
BACKGROUND: The rapid population growth in Ambo BACKGROUND: Waste collection and disposal is perhaps
town demands an increased effort from the municipality in the largest challenge of the Ambo municipal administration.
terms waste collection. There are no waste disposal containers Even with an efficient collection mechanism, dumping is still
in the city. Ten years back the city had one solid waste col- random, and presents health challenges, let alone pollution
lection truck. It is currently in bad repair, and needs mainte- of river and soil. The absence of a well treated and sanitary
nance. In addition to repairing the existing truck, another is dumping site is acute in Ambo.
necessary for collection of organic and inorganic trash.
The municipality used to damp wastes in an open field outside
The sanitation problems have been worsening from infre- the city, but nearby residents and farmers are complaining
quent trash collection. about smell, pollution and rodents. Hence the municipality
must dramatically revise its approach to waste disposal.
OBJECTIVE: Improve the solid and liquid collection effi-
ciency of the town. OBJECTIVE: Construction of sanitary land fill site.
ACTIVITIES: Develop clear regulation/guidelines for waste ACTIVITIES: Preparation of project proposal/document
disposal and collection. Set tariff on a cost recovery basis. Mu- based on detail study. Particular attention will be paid to pos-
nicipality should debate suitable dump site, and possibilities sibilities of sorting organic, inorganic and hazardous wastes,
for sorting organic, inorganic and hazardous waste. It must as well as possible water pollution of the new site. Public fo-
also develop and commit a budget for regular maintenance rum on alternate sites. Get approval. Preparation of contract
of units. Prepare a procurement document. Auction for sup- document. Bidding. Construction.
plier. Purchase of equipment and machinery. Providing the
services. EXPECTED OUTPUT: Sanitary dumping site with sorting
mechanism for wastes.
EXPECTED OUTPUT: An improved solid and liquid
waste collection. REQUIRED STAFF: Team of experts including engineers,
soil experts, hydrologist, planners.
REQUIRED STAFF: Procurement/finance experts.
25
B ibliog r aphy
AT T E N D A N C E L I S T
Yehualashet Amde
Head, Women’s Affairs Office
C O N TA C T S :
Alioune Badiane, Chief, Regional Office for Africa and the Arab States, e-mail: alioune.badiane@unhabitat.org.
Alain Grimard, Programme Manager and Focal Point for Ethiopia, e-mail: alain.grimard@unhabitat.org.
PSUP@unhabitat.org
ETHIOPIA TEAM:
Tewodros Tigabu, Girma Semu.