Urbanization In Ethiopia

Urbanization in Ethiopia is not only a recent phenomenon but also at a very low pace until the early 1990s. Then after, Ethiopia is experiencing one of the fastest urbanization in the world. This rapid urbanization is accompanied with both positive and negative impacts. Like other developing countries, urbanization of Ethiopia is also characterized by many socio-economic, environmental and political problems such as informal developments, poverty, unemployment, etc. Because of this urbanization of developing countries is considered as “urbanization without growth” contrary to urbanization of the developed countries. Related to this, there are arguments for and against urbanization of the developing countries. Therefore, this paper tries to

However, in Africa, this seems not to apply. The connection between urbanization and income are comparatively weak at low levels of development. Urbanization in Africa over the past years has been accompanied by sluggish economic growth. Similarly, the World Bank (2000) argued that African cities are exceptional in failing to serve as drivers of growth instead they are part of the cause and a major symptom of the economic and social crises that have surrounded the

For instance, the high rate of rural-urban migration together with the existing high natural increase worsened the existing urban problems in Ethiopia seriously. This will create a further problem in cities and towns which are still overburdened (Mason, 1989). Therefore, not all aspects of urbanization are economically advantageous. Overcrowding, congestion, unemployment, slum, and proliferation of squatter settlements, extreme poverty, inadequate transportation, and communication will cost heavily cities which grow haphazardly without good planning and management. Similar with the urbanization of other developing countries, urbanization in Ethiopia is not backed by economic development (Ashenafi, 2001). This form of urbanization is considered as a phenomenon that brings unemployment, over crowdedness, and formation of a slum. He argued that, urbanization of developing countries is a different process; since it is not backed by industrialization. Urban growth in such countries is progressing at a rapid rate so that many of the traditional tools and methods of urban planning and associated settlement, development policies have proved ineffective in coping with the scale of the