Burundi government in collaboration with UNDP and Singapore Cooperation plans to extend the city of Bujumbura by adding the provinces of Bujumbura and Bubanza.
The new project aims to change the Burundi image by 2045
The new project “City Centre Urban , design proposal , Greater City of Bujumbura, Master Plan 2045” has been launched this 28 November to extend the city of Bujumbura.
Freddy Mbonimpa, Bujumbura City Mayor, says some neighborhoods were built following legal measures implemented by competent institutions while others were erected without any reference due to different crises that Burundi has been going through. “Building owners did not refer to any city standards,” he says.
Mbonimpa says Bujumbura will change its image following the standards and adds that the protection of the environment will be taken into account in the Master Plan 2045. The administration will easily control or follow closely recalcitrant people, he says.
Garry Conille, UNDP Country Representative, says this ambitious and courageous plan for 30 years projects a solid bridge over the space of the visions and ambitions for the future of Bujumbura City.
“UNDP will support the project through the “Sud-Sud” cooperation to handle various issues related to the demographic growth, environment as well as economics”, he says.
Environment Minister, Célestin Ndayizeye says Bujumbura City will be extended to 913,4km2 in 2045 instead of the current surface of 121 km2. The Minister expects that the new project will also create jobs. “We expect to have 4,1millions of population with 2, 4 million job opportunities”, he says.
Minister Ndayizeye says the project intends to improve the city and any person will not be obliged to leave their piece of land. “People will have to work in synergy to erect solid infrastructures,” he says.
President Pierre Nkurunziza says two sister cities will better to build, according to the studies, in order to make easy the movement of people in Bujumbura City. For this reason, he says, the provinces of Bujumbura and Bubanza will be added to Bujumbura City.
Both provinces will significantly contribute to the improvement of Bujumbura City. He says the city will be a shared project among three provinces. In the western region (Gihanga), the project intends to extend the city for agricultural, livestock and industrial activities.
The center (the current city) will be rehabilitated for administrative and trade activities while the southern region will be built as a tourist destination.
Since the ongoing project started in May 2014, President Nkurunziza says the UNDP has already committed USD 2,225million for it to be successful. He also adds that natives of the three provinces will be the first to support the project and make it a success.
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