Eswatini New Eco-Green City Masterplan

 The Urban and Municipal Development Fund of the African Development Bank is partnering with the Eswatini Water and Agriculture Development Enterprise (ESWADE) to anticipate the urbanization of southern Eswatini, where a new irrigation project is expected to boost agriculture and related economic activities, attracting tens of thousands of workers.

The challenge is to accommodate the influx of workers stimulated by the growth of the agro-industrial complex. A well-planned new eco-city is expected to provide a high quality of services for people, stimulate economic diversification, create sustainable employment and reduce poverty in the area while safeguarding the environment.

Further studies are needed to design the Eco City and identify the non-agricultural development demand in the area, including but not limited to energy and transportation. The support from the Urban and Municipal Development Fund will be key to provide sound designs of an overall spatial development plan.

Once implemented, the project is expected to generate long term impacts with sustainable economic growth, creation of decent jobs and a livable climate-resilient low emission city able to attract talents. Linking closely agriculture, industrial and urban development, the project shows   an original way how the African Development Bank cross-cutting approach can participate in economic diversification, poverty reduction, and balanced rural-urban development.

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