URBAN PLANNING AND LAND MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES IN EMERGING TOWNS OF ETHIOPIA: THE CASE OF ARBA MINCH

Abstract

Sustainability of urbanization requires planned development of urban centers, competent institutional frameworks in place and proactive management and governance strategies. In light of this, the paper examines the practice of master planning and the extent of its implementation and challenges of land management in Arba Minch as emerging regional town in the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR). The data for the study were generated by household survey of 340 household heads selected through systematic sampling, key informant interview with individuals actors in planning, management, informal land transaction in the town. Personal observation and extensive review of various policies, plans, and directives was made in order to assess the issues planning and management of urban land. The paper revealed that the master plans prepared so far for the town have been implemented; however, could not adequately achieve the primarily intended goals such as joining the two settlements i. e. Secha and Sikella in the first master plan, for instance. The study also showed that archaic land information management system, informal land acquisition, corruption, land speculation and land related conflicts have become the challenges of land management in the town. These problems are associated with top-down planning process and, weak institutional frameworks. These all imply that there is an urgent need for giving adequate attention to the planning approaches and management systems of urban land before things get out of control as it is the case with the oldest urban centers of varying size in Ethiopia. Therefore, the concerned bodies who are responsible of planning, implementation and management of land have to be curious whether what is being carried out is intended to bring sustainability or otherwise. This is mainly because the growth of the town is irreversible and the town is continue to expand spatially, socially and in economic spheres which all together will pose unforeseeable challenges.