Background and objectives
The National Urban and Peri-Urban Settlement Management Programme brings together experience from the implementation of five projects supported by UNCHS in Zambia.  The Programme has three components: Assistance in Promoting Low Cost Housing, Community Participation Training Programme and Urban Environmental Planning and Management, which constitutes the first phase of the Sustainable Lusaka Programme (SLP).  The main objective of the Programme is capacity building to strengthen the institutions and local communities, to improve and ensure effective delivery of housing, infrastructure and services; and to support the first phase of environmentally sustainable development and growth of Lusaka by strengthening local capacity to plan, coordinate and manage environment/ development interactions.  The initial stages of SLP included the preparation of the Environmental profile of the city of Lusaka, holding of the city consultation for the sustainable Lusaka programme and formulation of the working groups.  The EPM demonstration programme focussed on issues of immediate public health concern in the high-density areas such as solid waste management, water supply and sanitation, and congestion of the central business district.  A project document to cover further stages of the sustainable Lusaka programme was prepared and signed.

Activities
Activities of components one and two of the programme included provision of technical assistance to the preparation of the national housing policy and to the formulation of a national housing programme.  Training of selected artisans in the production and use of local building materials; training courses in fieldwork, organisation of seminars for resource persons on the principles of teacher training for community participation; the development of skills and awareness to enable communities to identify their own problems and priorities and formulate project proposals for settlement upgrading have also been undertaken.  The SLP prepared ground for the installation of an environmental management information system (EMIS) to be integrated in the Planning Department of the Lusaka City Council. 

Results
UN-Habitat support to components one and two of the programme has been completed.  The National Housing Policy for Zambia has been approved.  A National Housing Programme has been approved and several training programmes have been undertaken.  An environmental profile of the city of Lusaka has been completed, and the city consultation for the sustainable Lusaka programme was held in March 1997.  Issue-specific working groups have been formed and are working on defining strategies and action plans.  Project implementation in demonstration settlements commenced, solid waste management entrepeneurship training in demonstration settlements was conducted community training replicated in Linda, Bauleni and Kalingalinga, project replication in Linda (water supply) Bauleni (water supply), and Kalingalinga (solid waste management, construction of midden boxes).  UN-Habitat has provided technical support in the establishment of an EMIS and conducted a training in EMIS.