U.N. Predicts Rise in Urbanisation

By Aarthi Gunnupuri Reprint | | Print |

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 7 2013 (IPS) - In a few decades, 65 to 70 percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas, said Joan Clos, executive director of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). “It is a huge transformation of life experience,” he added, highlighting the importance of increasing access to a range of services, including health, education and mobility.

However, services like mobility should be sustainable, Clos said, and added that sustainability should take into account the environment and also the economic sustainability of policies and programmes.

Speaking at press briefing Friday, commemorating World Habitat day, scheduled for October 7,  Clos reiterated the challenges and opportunities associated with rapid urbanization worldwide.

Clos spoke of specific problems faced by developing countries, where urban congestion meant that commuting a few miles could take up to several hours. Urban design is just as essential as transport systems in addressing this issue, he said.  “When we admire a good city, we admire the work of the human society…  There is no good city without good human design.”

The book Urbanization, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Challenges and Opportunities, which was launched during the press briefing, was produced by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, along with UN-Habitat and some 200 scientists from around the world.

Thomas Elmqvist, the scientific editor of the book, said it is the first global assessment exploring the link between rapid urbanization and its effects on biodiversity and ecosystems. By 2050, “a lot of prime agricultural land will be covered by buildings, roads and other infrastructure” said Elmqvist  pointing out that this will have an enormous global impact on food security.

Sharing a few findings, Elmqvist said 25 percent of the world’s protected areas are within 17 kilometers of an urban area. But this gap is set to reduce threatening global biodiversity patterns.

The book also emphasises opportunities said Elmqvist, and that 60 percent of the urban areas expected to be developed by 2030 is yet to be built. Future urban development can focus on improving and enhancing human health, food security, water security and efficient and sound climate change adaptation.

In response to a question about the link between climate change and hurricane Sandy which caused major devastation in New York City and its surrounding areas last year, Clos said the storm was improbable and could have been due to climate change. Both rapid urbanisation and climate change are set to trigger an increase in such events, he warned.