Strategies for Urbanization and Economic Competitiveness in Burundi

This report argues that urbanization
brings significant opportunities for both rural and urban
areas and that Burundi needs to prioritize issues of
economic growth and job creation. Based on a diagnostic
evaluation of the current urbanization and spatial growth,
GDP, and job potential, the report highlights the importance
of prioritizing policies and investments to address
deficiencies in Burundi urbanization. These remedial actions
will help prepare Burundi for coming urban growth and help
leverage agglomeration effects, minimize negative
externalities associated with rapid urbanization, and
potentially reap the demographic dividend of this
transition. Getting urbanization right will need to be
associated with targeted implementation strategies for
growth in the agribusiness and tourism sectors. A rapid move
to cities is a central element of Burundi development
strategy, including an increase in the urbanization rate
from 11 percent to 40 percent by 2025. Burundi vision 2025
aims to aims to promote urbanization via rural-urban
migration, freeing arable land, providing nonagricultural
urban employment opportunities, and in turn, reducing the
risks for social conflict and economic fragility. This
report shows that while the Vision 2025 target of rate 40
percent is unrealistic, Burundi urbanization rate may
already be higher than expected due to limitations in the
current urban classification and the agglomeration of
households along major transport corridors. This uncertainty
further underlines the need for government to address the
key issues that will affect whether Burundi will achieve
effective urbanization or not.