CUDE holds workshop
Ethiopian Civil Service University (ECSU) College of Urban Development and Engineering (CUDE) held a workshop on draft report of research project entitled “Trajectories of Urbanization and Urban Transformation in Ethiopia: Lakeside Cities Focus” on January 21, 2022 at Hidasse Hall. The workshop was organized to gain valuable input from reviewers and participants.
In his opening speech, Dr. Belew Dagnew, Vice Dean for Research and Community Service under the College of Urban Development and Engineering , welcomed the participants and said this is an opportunity to develop the proposal for Trajectories of Urbanization and Urban Transformation in Selected Lakeside Cities of Ethiopia. He also noted that the world has experienced unprecedented level of urbanization and the rapid urbanization has its own opportunities and challenges. To fill the gaps observed at lakeside cities of the Country, Ethiopian Civil Service University, particularly College of Urban Development and Engineering is undertaking a wider research aimed to bring workable strategies that would enable to manage successfully the transformation of lakeside cities that are engendered by the fast rate of urbanization that invariably entails more significant, diversified and intensive changes in the use of both land and water Dr. Belew added.
According to Dr. Kassa Moges, presenter and Team Leader of the Research, the research was conducted for the last two years and has raised a new and broad thematic area that was developed by considering the unique and dynamic future of urbanization. It was conducted on six selected lakeside cities; Bahirdar, Hawassa, Arbaminich, Bishoftu(Debrezeit), Haik and Ziway(Batu).
As indicated by the research findings, the population and urbanizations are rapidly growing in these six selected cities while vegetation and agricultural practices are decreasing. The pollutant discharges of liquid and solid wastes from hotels, resorts, and residential areas are very high. The development potential of tourism is less developed and given less attention by concerned bodies. The urban planning practices do not consider the potentials and opportunities of the lakes and the lakefront areas as well as the comparative advantages of the towns. Even though there are some improvements, the overall public participation and mobilization in these lakeside cities is very low.
The reviewers of the research on their part presented their comments, ideas and suggestions by categorizing the subject matter investigated by the research under sub-themes to further validate the research.