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, …
This brief reviews and connects SEI’s recent work at the city scale on water resources, sanitation, climate, and sustainable lifestyles. Given the pace of urbanization, the development paths that cities take and how they use esources are critical issues for sustainability. SEI examines resource use in cities not only under …
Urban Sustainable Index (USI) 2013 builds upon the work carried out in USI 2011. USI 2013 has expanded and upgraded the indicators used in USI 2011. The analysis deploys 23 metrics, which cover four categories: economy, society, resources and environment. Ranked 185 cities, of varying sizes and at different stages …
The Global Cities Index provides a comprehensive ranking of the leading global cities from around the world and includes the companion Emerging Cities Outlook (ECO), which measures the potential of cities located in middle- and high-income countries to become even more global.
Human interference with the climate system is occurring, and climate change poses risks for human and natural systems (Figure SPM.1). The assessment of impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability in the Working Group II contribution to the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (WGII AR5) evaluates how patterns of risks and potential benefits are …
The weekly digest of important reports, research, policy documents, regulations, studies, court cases, protests,conflicts, initiatives, photos, data, statistics, infographics, presentations on the India Environment Portal, 20 March 2014 - 28 March 2014.
China's energy-hungry, high-polluting industries continued to grow too fast in 2013, putting "huge pressures" on the environment and causing air quality to worsen, the country's pollution agency said on Tuesday. Premier Li Keqiang "declared war" on pollution in a major policy address this month, but China has long struggled to …
From taxi tailpipes in Paris to dung-fired stoves in New Delhi, air pollution claimed seven million lives around the world in 2012, according to figures released Tuesday by the World Health Organization. More than one-third of those deaths, the organization said, occurred in fast-developing nations of Asia, where rates of …
The state Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has cleared construction of 14-kilometer long tunnel at Zojilla pass to ensure all-weather connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh. Minister for Forest and Environment Mian Altaf said FAC cleared the construction of Rs 9090 crore tunnel last month. The FAC is headed by the Chief …
The National Green Tribunal, while hearing the application of environmentalists on Monday, instructed the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) to follow procedure as per the law while felling trees. It asked applicants to submit their objections after the NMC issues notices about the trees. Justice V R Kingaonkar and Justice Abhay …
A new report recommends that China curb rapid urban sprawl by reforming land requisition, give migrants urban residency and equal access to basic public services, and reform local finances by finding stable revenues and by allowing local governments to borrow directly within strict central rules. As China’s people are increasingly …
The Sri Lankan Government has received a US$ 40 million loan from Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) of Korea to fund the improvements of several roads in the hill country. The funds will be utilized towards the cost of improvements on the 46.75 km Hatton - Nuwara Eliya section of …
After months of bickering among officials, on March 16th the government revealed a long-awaited plan for managing what has been the world’s largest migration of rural residents into cities. The document admitted that much was going wrong: the spread of “urban disease” with worsening congestion and pollution and a rising …
The World Water Development Report 2014 focuses on the interdependence between the management of water and energy and says that a sustainable approach to the management of both freshwater and energy resources is extremely essential to provide modern, affordable and environmentally sound energy and drinking water services for all. The …
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed two housingsocieties – Shubhada and Sukhada, where several politicians and bureaucratsreside, Maharashtra government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)to reply to a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging corruption inpermissions granted to the buildings. A division bench of Justices Anoop Mohta and M S …
The process to upgrade the 20-km Kathmandu-Sisdole road stretch has begun, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City says. The stretch links Kathmandu with the Sisdole landfill site in Nuwakot. "The civic body has begun works to upgrade about 10-km section," said Rabin Man Shrestha, chief of the Environment Management Division at the …
The Punjab government has diverted Rs1 billion development funds for Rawalpindi district to Metro Bus Project for twin cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad. As a result, the district government had to abandon different development projects including a burn unit at Holy Family Hospital, 60-bed hospital in Rawat and water supply schemes at …
Industry Minister Karna Bahadur Thapa today laid the foundation stone of Maure-Kailashmandu and Maure-Toli-Chatara road sections in Bajura. The District Development Committee’s Rural Access Programme is undertaking the road construction work. Minister Thapa said all the VDCs in the district would be connected with road network. “I will also take …
Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Qaim Ali shah directed the authorities of Work and Services Department to ensure the construction of 1200 kilometer roads by completing at least 150 ongoing road development schemes by the end of this financial year. He also directed to speed up the work on Nawab-Shah …
The government has so far released Rs. 191.807 billion under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for various projects against total allocations of Rs. 540 billion for the fiscal year 2013-14. According to the latest data of Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms, Rs. 37,250.403 million has been released for various …
The 400-km-long Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway, expected to cost Rs 27,000 crore, is among the four expressways that may be scrapped unless the state governments concerned are prepared to take care of the land cost that includes resettlement and rehabilitation of the affected families under the new acquisition law, making completion of …
