The countries in North Africa share an arid and semi-arid environment with high diversity: mountainous areas run alongside maritime areas and desert. The population of the region was estimated at 160 million people in 2005 and is expected to be more than 270 million in 2030. Most of the population will live in urban areas. Currently, urban dwellers in North Africa represent more than 50% of the population and are expected to be more than 60% by 2030. However, the urban system in North Africa is suffering urban primacy.

Southern Africa is one of the most well endowed regions in the continent in terms of mineral and natural resources. However, the region is facing serious environmental challenges such as land degradation, deforestation and water stress in specific areas.

LPI Goal 

The principle goal of the LPI is “to assist member states in the implementation of the AU Declaration on land Issues and challenges in Africa, in accordance with the Framework and Guidelines on Land Policy in Africa, in order to achieve socio-economic development, peace and security, and environmental sustainability” 

The Framework and Guidelines on Land Policy is a joint product of the partnership and collaborative effort of the African Union Commission (AUC), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) to promote Africa’s socioeconomic development, through inter alia, agricultural transformation and modernisation. Initiated in 2006, the aim of the Land Policy Initiative (LPI) was to examine land policy issues and challenges in Africa with a view to developing a framework to strengthen land rights, enhance productivity and improve livelihoods.

This article addresses the problems of
governance in municipalities in Africa. The concern has been
to adapt traditional systems of governance to the needs of
modern urban management. This article investigates the need
for a new analysis of the twin problems of urban land and
urban management in sub-Saharan Africa. This need is based
on the apparent paradox between the dynamic, city-creating
activities of civil societies in all of these countries, and

This report provides an integrated view
of Sri Lanka's long term development challenges for
sustainable growth and poverty reduction. Sri Lanka's
substantial achievements in human development are well
known. In several dimensions - such as universal primary
enrollment, gender equality, infant and maternal mortality -
the country is well positioned to meet the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). In addition, housing conditions

Urbanization, which is almost completed
now in developed countries and even in Latin America, is now
proceeding in much of Asia at an unprecedented rate. Many of
the countries in the region have up to half their population
now living urban lifestyles and increasingly also living in
urban regions. The forms that urbanization is taking in the
developing countries, however, are problematic. Towns and
cities that were never planned to have large populations are

With three quarters of its population
living in cities, Latin America is now essentially an urban
region. Higher urbanization is usually associated with a
number of positives, such as higher income, greater access
to services, and lower poverty incidence, and, Latin America
is no exception. Today, urban poverty incidence, at 28
percent, is half that of in rural areas; extreme poverty, at
12 percent, is a third. Despite this relatively low poverty

The economy of the Philippines is open
to trade and capital inflows, and has grown rapidly since
2002. Over the last 10 years, however, domestic investment,
while stagnant in real terms, has shrunk as a share of GDP.
In an open and growing economy, why the decline? Three
reasons explain the puzzle. First, the public sector cannot
afford expanding its investment at GDP growth rates.
Second, the capital-intensive private sector does not find

Danang City is the capital and economic
hub of the central region of Vietnam. As in all of the major
urban centers of the country, Danang is currently
experiencing rapid urbanization fueled by consistent
economic growth and the resultant steady increase in
population, much through rural-urban migration. For this
reason, central and city government has been increasingly
concerned with the urban development and housing sectors.

The recent surge in food and fuel prices
has prompted countries with high dependence on food imports
to try and lock in future food supplies through direct
investment in agricultural production in other countries.
The price surges also led to a wave of proposals to invest
in biofuels investments in agricultural land. While such
investment can provide large benefits, it also carries
considerable risks both to investors and citizens in the

Kosovo's economic growth in the
past decade has been solid, yet, with a gross domestic
product (GDP) per capita of 1,760, the country remains one
of the poorest in Europe. The end of the conflict, output
was growing at double-digit rates, driven by the
donor-funded reconstruction efforts. Since 2005, annual
growth has decelerated to below 5 percent. However, the
other countries in Southeast Europe have been growing