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, …
Daybreak in the city. The brief quiet of the night gives way to the low rumble of cars, trucks and industry, but one sound is notable by its absence. Gone is the familiar dawn chorus, with its rich mix of enchanting melodies and calls. In its place is a strangely …
The world has seen a dramatic shift to urban living. In 1900, only 10 per cent of the global population were urban dwellers; now it's more than 50 per cent. More than 95 per cent of the net increase in global population will be in cities in the developing world …
The government today said the country's agriculture land has marginally fallen in 2005-06, mainly due to diversion of farm land for non-agricultural purposes. Total cultivable land has declined to 182.57 million hectares in 2005-06 from 185.09 million hectares in 1980-81. During the same period, land under non-agricultural purpose went up …
Hunkering down is the safe option if leaving home is risky, but it's a strategy that could leave you out on an evolutionary limb. Surrounded mostly by concrete rather than fertile soil, urban weeds have evolved - in just a dozen generations - to keep their seeds close to home, …
The world now lives in cities. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report released recently, the world population has decisively turned urban. About 3.3 billion people live in urban areas and by 2030 that would increase to about 5 billion. This amounts to more than half of the …
Over 55 per cent of Indians will live in urban areas by 2050, a big change from now when only about 30 per cent of the country's population is urban, according to projections in a United Nations report. In terms of numbers, over 900 million people in India will be …
Half of them will live in urban areas by end of 2008:U.N. Half the world's people will live in urban areas by the end of this year and about 70 per cent will be city dwellers by 2050, with cities and towns in Asia and Africa registering the biggest growth, …
One of the outstanding phenomena of the 20th century was the huge migrations of population it witnessed. It is natural to think first of the effects of war, exacerbated by nationalism and beliefs about ethnicity. A major example is the forced displacement of millions of people in Europe and the …
The new MCD commissioner K S Mehra took over charge on Wednesday from A K Nigam. Mehra had served as the principal secretary (Urban development) before this and is a 1978 batch IAS officer. After taking over as commissioner, he promised to bring about more transparency and accountability in the …
Big, bigger Almost a third of the entire Nagpur district, that is 3,780 sq km, will be brought under the metropolitan region. Of this 1,520 sq km will be taken up under the first phase of development. About 70 per cent of this is agricultural land. The plan to expand …
Traditionally most urban areas in the country have grown out of rural settlements. Land use changes and population growth have precipitated urbanization in a lot of rural centres. Urbanization also has cultural connotations, more so today with the far reaching impacts of globalization. But there is another important aspect today: …
A positive fallout of the unveiling of the Nano, a low-cost (US$2,500) car by Tata Motors, is that it has re-ignited the debate about urban transport in India. Proponents of motorisation have argued that the advent of an inexpensive car will usher in a transport revolution in the country while …
The centre is the key facilitator of urban development despite it being a state subject. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), which was launched in December 2005, is the biggest driver in improving the quality of life for the target population of the 63 large cities (all million …
Urban growth in Hyderabad has underscored the need for restructuring urban services, starting with public utilities. This paper focuses on institutional changes with regard to the main service providers
Level of urbanization has been increasing in India since the last five decades. This trend is likely to continue in the near future. More people will become city residents, increased number of people will have to necessarily live on a limited amount of developed land. In this context, people will …
Nigeria has a total land area of 983,213 km2 occupied by about 120 Million people: The interaction of these millions of people with their environment has left indelible mark on the landscape. Urbanization, deforestation, desertification, over population and all kinds of pollution are some of the resultant effects of man's …
This paper provides an overview on what has been learned about urban poverty over the past decade with a focus on what is new and what the implications are for the World Bank going forward in an increasingly urbanized world. Coverage includes current nformation on the scope of urban poverty, …
This global screening study makes a first estimate of the exposure of the world's large port cities to coastal flooding due to storm surge and damage due to high winds. This study also investigates how climate change is likely to impact each port city's exposure to coastal flooding by the …
