The Hindu : National : Degradation outlook in Worldwatch report

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 14, 2007
ePaper

National

National

Degradation outlook in Worldwatch report

A. Srivathsan

The State of the World 2007 report

CHENNAI: The State of the World 2007 report cautions that about half of the projected 1.1-billion addition to the population of the world by 2030 will live in under-serviced conditions. The Worldwatch Institute report on `Our Urban Future' says development priorities should be reassessed if cities are serious about addressing poverty.

The report says unplanned urban growth is affecting people's health and the quality of the environment, contributing to social, ecological and economic instability in many countries. Some 1.6 million urban residents die each year due to lack of clean water and sanitation.

Molly O'Meara Sheehan, State of the World 2007 project director, has urged stepped-up investments in education, healthcare and infrastructure. Urban aid worldwide forms a meagre $60 billion (from 1970 to 2000), which is only 4 per cent of the $1.5 trillion in total development assistance.

Cities also face environmental degradation. They cover only 0.4 per cent of the earth's surface but generate the bulk of carbon emissions. Buildings seem to account for more than 40 per cent of total energy use and urban car travel in comparison with bus travel uses twice the quantum of energy. Here, the good news for India is that air pollution has dropped by 39 per cent in Delhi after buses were required to use compressed natural gas (CNG).

The report has identified the Orangi Pilot sanitation project in Karachi and the use of solar power in Rizhao, China, as examples of projects in cities that lead in shaping a sustainable future. It finds that community groups and local governments have addressed poverty and environmental concerns a lot better than national governments. It recommends that more resources be devoted to gather information on urban issues so that development priorities could be better assessed.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National