In this report, ESCAP explores the future of urbanization in Asia and the Pacific, focusing on the dynamic shifts in the region’s urban landscape. It highlights the region’s demographic transformations, including population ageing, and the persistent challenges of urban poverty and inequality. The analysis covers urban areas of all sizes, …
Arguably sound land governance is the key to achieving sustainable development and to supporting the global agenda of the MDGs. Even in terms of standard indicators such as corruption, land has long been known to be one of the sectors most affected by bad governance, something that is not difficult …
The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation refers to sustainable consumption and production (SCP), along with poverty eradication and conservation of the natural resource base, as essential precondition for sustainable development. The idea of sustainable development contains within it the completion of three transitions: demographic, development, and decoupling. The demographic transition is …
Rapid urbanisation in developing countries intensifies the challenges of making sufficient food available for the increasing urban population, and managing the related waste flow. Unlike in rural communities, there is usually little or no return of food biomass and related nutrients into the food production process. Most waste ends up …
The world's urban population now exceeds the world's rural population. What does this mean for the state of our cities, given the strain this global demographic shift is placing upon current urban infrastructure? Following on from previous State of the World's Cities reports, this edition uses the framework of 'The …
Exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular disease and lung cancer. In this study, we used size fractionated PM samples (3?7, 1.5?3, 0.95?1.5, 0.5?0.95, and <0.5 ?m), collected at four contrasting locations (three urban sites, one remote background) in the UK with a Sierra-Andersen …
The greater Indus valley was home to Neolithic cultures starting from 7000 BCE. They formed the antecedents of the urban Harappan civilization, whose rise and decline are dated to 2600 BCE and 1900 BCE respectively. At its peak, the Harappan civilization covered an area of more than a million square …
International Standard for determining GHG emissions for cities announced by UNEP, UN-HABITAT & World Bank at 5th World Urban Forum in Rio de Janeiro. The world's cities now have a common method for calculating the amount of GHGs produced within their boundaries. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) advices …
Governments across the world have done well collectively to lift 227 million people out of slum conditions, surpassing the Millennium Development target by 2.2 times. The achievements of China and India in particular have been spectacular, commends the UN-HABITAT report on the
France was only 55 per cent urban in the 1940s; so were large parts of Europe. Today, France, Italy and Spain, not to mention Germany and Scandinavia, are only 2-3 per cent rural. This is an indication of their prosperity. Latin America has just driven in to the smart set. …
This document contains the presentation by Ranjit Kumar on Aerosol chemistry and climate change and public health at an Indo Gangetic Plain in India, presented at National climate research conference, IIT Delhi, March 5-6, 2010. Major irritants of the environment are global warming, climate change, ozone depletion, acid rain, visibility …
Many of the lakes in the city have 'disappeared' along with their water-spreads due to the rapid and unbridled urbanisation here, a study said. The research study, published by city-based Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), paints a grim scenario with further worsening of the water-bodies if the state …
The Liveability Index 2010 is a methodical index of quality of living conditions in Indian cities. The report is brought-out after a comprehensive study on 37 cities, ranked on the basis of eight pillars like demographics, education, health & medical standards, safety, housing, socio-cultural political environment, economic environment and natural …
The analytical report on international climate financing architecture for cities & local governments in the developing world. Says that cities need to be informed on their options, provided with a supportive framework and right tools to utilize sustainable solutions. This Climate Analysis report builds upon 38 Interviews from local governments, …
The Outline Perspective Plan (OPP) 2010-2021 fulfils a long felt need of the country. In the past there were attempts to formulate Perspective Plan but without success. The eventful dawn of the twenty first century with the deepening of globalization, challenges of realizing Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the threat of …
This document presents national and international best practices on solar water heater and reviews the building sector policies and regulations in India in the context of solar water heating (SWH) system promotion & assesses their effectiveness. This report has three distinct sections, section I deals with National and International best …
This recent HBF publication focuses on the role of cities in solving the climate crisis and presents models of sustainable architecture and urban planning. Visions of how cities should be built or transformed reflect the diversity of views and perspectives on how people will and should live in cities, since …
This new UN report presents challenges of unregulated wastewater discharged into rivers and seas. Calls for transforming wastewater into clean and economically attractive resource & details strategies that focus on sustainable water management. The world is facing a global water quality crisis. Continuing population growth and urbanisation, rapid industralisation, and …
Climate projections for India suggest that impacts are likely to be varied and heterogeneous, with some regions experiencing more intense rainfall and flood risks, while others will encounter sparser rainfall and prolonged droughts. Among the more substantial effects is a projected spatial shift in the pattern of rainfall towards the …
The paper presents results obtained in a monitoring study on environmental noise pollution in the city of Aligarh which is a rapidly developing urban centre and a hub of lock industries.
