Background and Objectives:
As a follow-up to the national action plan, UN-HABITAT has been implementing the urban component of an umbrella UNDP support project to Madagascar’s National Poverty Reduction Programme for two regions (MAG/97/008). The first phase of the project helped to reinforce local capacities to design and implement programmes for urban poverty reduction through partnerships and participatory approaches. The current project is a follow-up with the formulation of national policies and strategies and new pilot initiatives in three municipalities: Ivato-aéroport, a District of Tananarive Metropolitan Area and the municipalities of Moramanga and Tulear.
The main objective of the project is to assist the Government of Madagascar to formulate national policies on regional planning, informal settlement upgrading and housing and package support. This objective aims to improve local capacities in urban governance, urban upgrading, and secure tenure in selected pilot municipalities.
Activities:
Main activities include:
Setting-up coordination teams at national level and at the three beneficiaries’ municipalities;
Elaborating upon the regional planning policy including its implementation and funding mechanisms;
Designing and implementing a national strategy for elected officials training;
Preparing national strategies for informal settlement upgrading and housing and implementing pilot support packages through regularisation of existing informal settlements in three municipalities (Ivato-aéroport, Moramanga and Tulear).
Results:
National policy documents on regional planning and housing produced. The revised documents have been sent to the cabinet for endorsement;
A national policy document compiled on regularization and informal urban settlements;
Proposals to mobilise resources for programmes and projects at provincial levels;
A national programme for training locally elected people formulated. The National Institute for Administration (ENAM) has been identified as an anchoring institution for the implementation of the national training strategy;
Training manuals developed based on UN-HABITAT’s tools for Madagascar context and training sessions for trainers have been conducted as well as pilot training of elected officials;
ENAM is now taking the lead in expanding the training country wide;
Project coordinators recruited for the three municipalities;
Cooperation agreements signed with municipalities of Ivato-aéroport and Moramanga in order to regularize informal settlements and assist in the preparation of municipal strategies. This has improved access to land and basic urban services. Similarly, a cooperation agreement with an NGO is under way to assist the municipality of Tuléar.
