Urbanization and foreing Aid, for the country of Angola - Essay Example

? Urbanization and Foreign Aid: Angola Estimation reveals that the population of the world will grow from the current seven billion to 9.2 billion with most of this growth occurring in urban areas (United Nations, 2008). This statement points to the fact that urbanization is poised to have as significant growth between now and then. Urbanization is the movement of the population from rural areas to urban centers or the increase in proportion of a population that resides in urban areas as compared to rural areas. Another possible definition of urbanization is the movement of people from communities with agriculture as the chief economic to communities whose primary activities are centered in government, trade, manufacture and allied activates. Urbanization is greatly picking up in developing countries, Angola inclusive and it brings its own sets of benefits and problems. The eminent problems are especially becoming a burden on central government and policy makers who experience a rough time in tackling them. This paper discusses three positive and three key negative effects that urbanization in Angola has brought explores the actions that its leaders are taking to address the severe problems through foreign aid. Angola has experienced fast rate of urbanization since its independence in 1975. With a majority 60 to 70 percent of Angolans thought to live in cities, Angola happens to be one of the most urbanized countries in the world (Vines & Weimer, 2011). Exact data, however, not available owing to the fact that census has not been done in the country. As at 2008, 57% of the country’s population was living in urban areas (Mongabay, n.d.). The annual rate of urbanization is approximately 4.4%. However, the large urban population attributes to the country long civil wars that lasted 27 years after independence. The current estimates put the country’s population to be close to nineteen million, a third of whom reside in the capital city Luanda (Vines & Weimer, 2011). Despite the unstable economy for many years, urbanization has led to increased investment as the country aimed to provide for its people. Most of the investments, however, had to wait until the year 2002 for the civil war to end. With the end of the civil war, the country began reconstruction process. Its population mostly in urban centers needed services such as good housing, water, electricity, social and recreation facilities and so on. Through its domestic oil-based economy and foreign a lot of investments notably banking, housing, and accommodation have come up especially in Luanda (Jover, Pinto & Marchand, 2012). Today, Luanda ranks among the most expensive cities in the world. Many of the investments in the urban areas have further led to the creation of employment opportunities. Many Angolans have found a source of income from the businesses that have been concentrated in urban areas such as in banking, insurance, health and education, hotels and accommodation and so on. Employment opportunities offer a source of livelihoods to many Angolans and their quality of life consequently improves. Increased investments in urban areas also have contributed to an improved economic growth. The country, for example, benefits immensely from the Luanda airport. However, urbanization in Angola has brought more negative impacts than good. One of the most severe negative effects in Angola has been an increase in informal settlements and homelessness (Vines & Weimer, 2011). This is in contrast to the high level of urbanization and rapid economic growth in the country. It is estimated that about two thirds of its urban population is poor and lives in informal settlements (Vines and Weimer, 2011; Ammassari, 2005, Mongabay, n.d.). This situation arose due to the civil war that forced people to escape into the urban areas in quest for peace. Most of these people left and lost their property on the way and with no documentation or land tenure; they were forced into informal activities to make a living. The rapid development of new poor neighborhoods coupled with a spread of shantytowns has created a strain on urban water supply and sanitation systems. The widespread housing problem in Botswana urban centers also leads to lack these basic services. This has created serious hygiene and health implications. Many dwelling places suffer from minimal or absence of maintenance (Ammassari, 2005). With the large population living in poverty, paying a mortgage to build better settlement structures is not a common practice, which means that the unhygienic living conditions only increases day by day. Rent in also happens to be exorbitant and landlords usually require one to pay in advance, which discourages most poor Angolans. Urbanization in Angola also led to increase in food insecurity creating a food crisis in the mid-1980s (Laffont, n.d.). This was because the population who flocked the urban centers looking for better living condition and as an escape from cir war was initially farmers. The settlement in urban centers affected negatively the agriculture production, and since the country did not have a stable economy at that time food insecurity was inevitable. Most of the urban population found they had no source of income and poverty prevailed. Despite the thriving oil-based economy, Angola has been a beneficially of foreign aid since the 1980. The rapid urbanization due to civil war coupled to drop in oil export earning led to an acute food crisis in Angola in the mid-1980s requiring foreign intervention. Angola was forced to appeal for over US$100 million in food aid from the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP). They received grant, but it could not solve the food shortage such that by 1986, the country experienced a shortage of more than 100,000 tons of cereals (Laffont, n.d.). In 1987, Angola benefited from an extra foreign aid of US$21 million in nonfood aid. Western based organizations provided most direct aid, and at the same time, Angola was working at enhancing her relations with individual western countries in order to gain favor for further assistance. The country was also able to reach agreements and get foreign aid from Germany and Portugal for its food crisis (Laffort, n.d.). Through the Lome Convention treaty, Angola also benefited from European Economic Community from 1985 through 1990 (Laffort, n.d.). Having realized the insecurity, high level of unemployment and the unhygienic living conditions in the informal settlements around Luanda, the government through its leaders has embarked in a program to resettle some of this population back to their original homes. This is seen as a priority to bring peace and stability and has been supported through foreign aid. The United States, for example, has also worked in a partnership with Angola aimed at helping war refugees return to their homes (Jose, Pinto & Marchand, 2012). More foreign aid for this course has also come from Zambia and DRC, as well as assistance of UNHCR, which has seen several thousand Angolans repatriated and resettled (Ammassari, 2005). Angola has also been working closely with China to improve the infrastructure of its urban centers. To improve the social amenities of the urban population and create more employment opportunities, Angola has also sought foreign aid from Soviet Union, Hungary and Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia provided significant foreign aid in the 1980s and 1990s in the pharmaceutical and automobile industries (Laffornt, n.d.). However, Angola has experienced sustained thriving economy in the past few years, with the extended period of peace and stability in its oil and diamond industry and now depends less on foreign aid (Jover, Pinto & Marchand, 2012). Angola has learnt to encourage foreign investment instead of seek foreign aid. References Ammassari S. (2005). Migration and development: New strategic outlooks and practical ways forward the cases of Angola and Zambia. International Organization for Migration. Retrieved November 11 2013, from www.queensu.ca/samp/migrationresources/.../Ammassari_migration.pdf? Jover, E., Pinto, A. & Marchand, A. (2012). Angola: Private sector country profile. United Kingdom: Printech Europe Laffont, J. P. Angola: A country study. Retrieved November 11 2013 from, http://community.marines.mil/news/publications/Documents/Angola%20Study_3.pdf Mongabay, n.d. Angola-Foreign Assistance. Retrieved November 11 2013, from http://www.mongabay.com/history/angola/angola-foreign_assistance.html United Nations. (2008). World urbanization prospects: The 2007 revision. New York: United Nations . Vines, A. & Weimer, M. (2011). Angola- Accessing the risks to stability. Washington, N.W: Center for Strategic and International Studies. Read More