Emaciated Potential: Reflecting on How War and Natural Disasters Stunt Beira’s National-Regional Importance and What Could Be Done About It

Beira is a secondary city in Mozambique. It is important not only to Mozambique but also in terms of being a gateway to Central Africa and the rest of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). This latter opportunity for Beira’s growth appears to be underactivated. It is also not adequately discussed for other SADC secondary cities of appropriate, yet untapped regional significance. In the case of Beira, the growth has historically been held back by war and natural disasters. These two factors have affected the city and its hinterland, the Beira Corridor. This stunted growth is further exacerbated by gaps in regional urban policy for strategic secondary cities. The chapter explores the extent to which national and regional urban policies are connected in Mozambique. It draws on a review of relevant academic and policy literature at the Mozambican and SADC levels to illuminate strategic responses that may or may not elevate the national and regional importance of the city connecting its planning to other secondary cities in SADC and attracting regional attention to investment along the corridors connecting them and within the individual cities. In doing so, lessons are drawn for Mozambican and SADC urban development policy regarding secondary cities and regional infrastructural investment in general.