A Call to Action: Moving Hawassa Beyond Corridor Development

Hawassa stands at a defining moment in its urban history. The city’s expanding road networks and corridor developments are visible signs of progress and ambition, and they deserve recognition. These projects have reshaped parts of the city and improved mobility. Yet Hawassa must now confront a critical truth: physical transformation alone will not secure a livable, inclusive, and sustainable future. The city deserves more than roads and corridors. It deserves people-centered development grounded in equity, good governance, and environmental stewardship.

This is a call for Hawassa’s leaders, planners, and development partners to move beyond a narrow infrastructure-first approach and address the city’s most urgent structural challenges. Rapid urbanization and population growth have pushed the city into a severe housing crisis, with nearly half of residents relying on informal housing. Skyrocketing rents, weak land administration, and illegal peri-urban land transactions have created widespread tenure insecurity and deepened urban poverty. Immediate action is required to reform land governance, expand affordable housing, and protect residents from displacement.

At the same time, decisive measures must be taken to protect Lake Hawassa, the city’s most vital natural asset. Pollution from untreated industrial waste, medical facilities, and households, combined with soil erosion from deforested surrounding hills, threatens the lake’s ecological balance and economic value. Weak waste management systems and poor enforcement of environmental regulations are accelerating this decline. Safeguarding the lake must become a central pillar of urban development, not an afterthought secondary to corridor construction.

This call also extends to addressing the city’s glaring infrastructure and service gaps. Clean water supply, sanitation, and solid waste management remain inadequate in many neighborhoods, undermining public health and environmental safety. Transport challenges persist despite new roads, as public transportation remains unreliable and inaccessible for many low-income residents. Hawassa must invest in integrated service delivery systems that prioritize everyday needs rather than isolated flagship projects.

Equally urgent is the need to reclaim urban livability through the development of public parks and green spaces. Hawassa suffers from a critical shortage of accessible recreational areas and natural spaces, particularly in low-income and peripheral neighborhoods. The absence of parks undermines physical and mental health, limits children’s safe play areas, and reduces the city’s resilience to climate and environmental stress. Urban development must intentionally preserve and expand green spaces, including public waterfront access, neighborhood parks, and urban forests.

Unemployment; especially among educated youth, demands immediate and coordinated action. The reliance on low-wage industrial park jobs has failed to generate inclusive and sustainable employment opportunities. Hawassa must diversify its economy, invest in skills development, and strengthen linkages between industry, education, and local entrepreneurship. Without meaningful employment pathways, infrastructure investments will not translate into improved quality of life.

Fundamentally, this is a call for better governance. Inefficient public service delivery, lack of transparency, weak accountability, and limited citizen participation continue to erode public trust. The city requires competent, visionary, and merit-based leadership capable of long-term planning rather than short-term, project-driven governance. Strengthening coordination among federal, regional, and city administrations is equally essential to avoid fragmented development and lost opportunities.

Here is my take, Hawassa must place its residents at the center of decision-making. Inclusive urban planning, meaningful public participation, and targeted support for vulnerable groups; women, youth, informal workers, and low-income households are not optional; they are prerequisites for sustainable development.

This is the moment for Hawassa to choose substance over symbolism. Corridor development can open pathways, but only holistic, inclusive, and well-governed urban development can build a city that is just, resilient, and livable. The future of Hawassa depends on acting now; boldly, collaboratively, and with people at the heart of every decision.