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, …
As more and more families migrate from rural areas to Pacific capital cities, water, sanitation and health challenges in rapidly growing informal settlements in key Pacific capital cities are in urgent need of response, according to a new World Bank report. Released to coincide with World Toilet Day 2015, Unsettled: …
Since 1970, China’s terrestrial vertebrates have declined by half, while the nation’s Ecological Footprint has more than doubled, reveals WWF’s Living Planet Report China, 2015, a flagship research report on the country’s demand on nature. The fourth issue of the report, themed “development, species and ecological civilization”, tracked 2,419 representative …
Global dimming refers to the decrease in surface solar radiation (SSR) observed from the 1960s to the 1980s at different measurement sites all around the world. It is under debate whether anthropogenic aerosols emitted from urban areas close to the measurement sites are mainly responsible for the dimming. In order …
Existing policies and strong engagement by nations submitting their contributions ahead of the Paris climate meeting will limit anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030, but a new climate agreement can encourage further action to limit global temperature rise to 2°C by 2100, according to a new United Nations Environment …
Seeking a review of the policy to achieve 33 per cent forest cover in Delhi, the PWD, in its letter, pointed out that Delhi’s population is expected to rise from 18.2 million in 2011 to 23 million in 2021. Increasing the green cover in the capital from 20 per cent …
It is worth to mention that usage of plastic packaging’s and products has increased multi-fold in the last one decade due to its low price and convenience, however, general public is not aware about its impact on the human and environment on littering or dumping. In India, approximately 12 Million …
To assess and quantify the plastics waste generation and to reutilize the energy content of the polymer in an ecological and acceptable way, a Study was carried out on “Assessment and Quantification of Plastics Waste Generation in Major Cities” in collaboration with CIPET. The scope of the work comprises of …
This working paper examines the ideal role of city governments under a vertically integrated climate governance system designed to maximize urban mitigation potential. Action by city governments is essential for achieving deep reductions in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While many cities are already engaged in pioneering efforts to achieve …
This report uses relationships between cumulative carbon emissions, warming, and the future global sea level rise they lock in to assess implications in coastal regions worldwide. It lists global nations and urban agglomerations at risk by projected total population exposure, percent exposure, and differences in exposure under warming scenarios of …
Migration is not new. In recent decades however, human mobility has increased in numbers and scope and has helped fuel a global shift in the human population from predominantly rural to urban. Migration overall is a livelihood, investment and resilience strategy. It is affected by changes across multiple sectors and …
A fresh controversy is brewing over the way the Centre is planning to clear the “diversion” of a whopping 19,256 hectares of reserve forest area in Krishna and Guntur districts for the new capital, Amaravati. The Andhra Pradesh Government has been lobbying the Centre to clear up green hurdles to …
High rates of motorization and urbanization, particularly in developing countries, underpin strong growth in the transport sector. Global investment in transport infrastructure is expected to increase by more than 50 percent to meet demand over the next two decades. Burgeoning demand has made transport the world’s fastest-growing source of carbon …
A new WHO report highlights the urgent need to reduce emissions of black carbon, ozone and methane - as well as carbon dioxide – which all contribute to climate change. Black carbon, ozone and methane – frequently described as short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) - not only produce a strong global …
This paper shows empirical evidence on the economic effects of long-term climate change in Early Modern Europe during a 250-year period (1500-1750) of the Little Ice Age. It estimates the economic impact of climate change by factoring in the potentially mitigating effects of adaptation. Results show the negative economic effects …
The State of Asian and Pacific Cities 2015 is the second such report published by UN-Habitat (the United Nations Human Settlements Programme) and ESCAP (the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific). In capturing the region's rapid urban transformation The State of Asian and Pacific Cities …
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh and one of the world’s rapidly growing megacities, is an urban hotspot for climate risks. Located in central Bangladesh on the lower reaches of the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, the city faces the recurring phenomena of urban flooding and waterlogging following intense rainfall nearly every year. As …
A waste crisis is emerging in the Asia and Pacific region, fuelled by rising quantities of waste, on the one hand, and poor regulation and management, on the other. This crisis threatens to overwhelm the resources and capacity of local governments and communities alike. Within this crisis, however, is a …
Many of Europe’s migratory birds have changed anatomically; some just can’t adapt It takes the dexterity of a lacemaker to remove the tiny bird caught in nets strung between pine trees on Poland’s Baltic coast, a veritable paradise for dozens of migratory species. Polish ornithologist Jaroslaw Nowakowski delicately unravels the …
Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have warned that when suspended particulate matter (SPM) 2.5 increases in the atmosphere, symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis aggravate in a patient. This was found in a study conducted by the Institute on 500 patients who have been residing in Delhi …
This year’s Global Monitoring Report, produced jointly by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, details the progress the world has made towards global development goals and examines the impact of demographic change on achieving these goals. The report details the decline of those living in global poverty, which is …
