Malawi Urbanization Review

Abstract

The Malawi Urbanization Review aims to
 provide fresh perspectives on urbanization in Malawi, by
 analyzing the current and potential contribution of
 urbanization to long-term national development and the
 current institutional and financial capacity of local
 governments to manage the process. Analyses presented in
 this report are particularly timely as Malawi is planning
 for the coming half decade through the Malawi Growth and
 Development Strategy (MGDS) III (2016-2020). Malawi is
 urbanizing at a moderate rate and has a good chance of
 proactively managing the urbanization process. Opportunities
 may arise from a positive structural change that Malawi’s
 economy is undergoing, whereby the driver of growth and job
 creation moves from agriculture to non-agricultural sectors.
 Faster urbanization, with strong linkages with rural areas,
 can contribute further to deepening such structural change.
 To unlock the potential of urbanization as a catalyst for
 long-term economic development, it is necessary to
 strengthen the capacity of urban local governments to
 generate revenues and meet the key infrastructure and
 service needs in urban areas, which remain challenging even
 at the current rate of urbanization.