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, …
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, …
With global population increasingly concentrating in urban areas, cities are driving national economic growth, while also grappling with challenges such as inequalities, affordable housing shortages, extreme weather events, pollution, and loss of green space. National Urban Policies (NUPs) can play a key role in managing these challenges and unlocking the …
Global megatrends such as income inequality, climate change, demographic shifts, technological progress, and urbanisation are shaping the future of societies. Yet, their quantitative impacts on development are neither well understood nor established. This paper examines the individual and combined effects of these global forces on poverty, using both cross-section and …
The EEA report ‘Urban adaptation in Europe’ highlights the urgent need to adapt European cities to climate change and provides an overview of actions they are taking. The report provides a rich source of information to support climate adaptation policies across Europe, from EU to municipal level. As European cities …
Based on WRI India’s work in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala, the report drives the case for integrating equity into climate action planning, enabling Indian city officials, planners, consultants and community members to deepen their understanding of urban climate hazards, its causes and its impact on communities. The report introduces the …
Wetlands are important ecosystems that provide benefits such as flood control, water purification, and biodiversity conservation. In India, however, wetlands are threatened by pollution, encroachment, and rampant real estate development. This brief assesses the East Kolkata Wetlands to illustrate the challenges of preserving urban wetlands in India. It also presents …
By 2050, an additional 2.5 billion people will be living in the world’s towns and cities, with almost 50 per cent of that growth taking place in the Commonwealth. Member States, both large and small, are facing the impacts of climate change and rapid urbanization. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded …
Given their frequent recurrence in Indian cities, the problem of urban flooding is gaining focus in policy discussions. Indeed, urban floods can cause massive loss of infrastructure, property, and lives, and have a substantial economic impact. To ensure they remain functional and secure, Indian cities must tackle the issue of …
As the world rapidly urbanises, the imperative to forge resilient cities capable of withstanding the formidable challenges posed by climate change has never been more urgent. Climate-resilient cities are not merely a conceptual framework; they embody our collective commitment to creating sustainable, adaptable, and equitable urban spaces that can endure …
Research on migration and urban development in Africa has primarily focused on larger cities and rural-to-urban migration. However, 97 percent of Africa’s urban centers have fewer than 300,000 inhabitants, and a sizable share of urban migrants come from other urban areas. A more holistic and dynamic perspective, incorporating migration flows …
The urban heat island (UHI) effect, especially when considered together with climate change, represents a serious and growing threat to the competitiveness, livability, and inclusiveness of East Asia’s cities. However, because it is a local effect, the leaders of these cities can significantly mitigate its impact on local temperatures while …
Extensive transformations of urban areas in rapidly urbanizing developing countries can be a powerful vehicle for advancing low-carbon urban growth that supports global decarbonization goals. The scale of urban growth in these countries underscores the need to pursue low-carbon urbanization pathways and avoid carbon-intensive development. The report highlights the urgency …
Africa is home to the world’s youngest population and the world’s fastest growing cities. City planners and policy makers across the continent are addressing the challenges that these demographic trends pose to the creation of an environment in which young people can thrive. As the policy brief, From Pollution to …
The Smart Cities Mission in India, launched in 2015, is a unique experiment undertaken with the aim of improving people’s quality of life in cities. It bypasses traditional institutional approaches and employs innovative methods to achieve its targets. This brief provides an overview of the work initiated under the mission …
Urbanisation is the mega trend reshaping Africa. The continent’s population is rapidly growing and is expected to reach 4 billion people by the end of the century. This is coupled with unprecedented rural-to-urban migration, driven largely by young people. As a result of this demographic confluence, the number of people …
A 25% rise in food insecurity increases the risk of conflict by 36%, while a 25% increase in the number of people without access to clean water increases the likelihood of conflict by 18%, says Institute for Economics and Peace. The Ecological Threat Report (ETR) analyses ecological threats globally and …
Urban forests, trees and green spaces play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of urban life, but their benefits are still not equally accessible to all, according to this new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Launched at the 2nd World Forum on …
In this report, the transformation of 100 cities across India as part of Smart Cities Mission (SCM) is examined through the lens of SDGs. The mission has reached the lives of more than 100 million urban dwellers in India. The 100 Smart Cities are representative of India’s urban geography. SCM …
The case study aims to take a snapshot of the municipal waste management ecosystems of certain countries in the Global South, particularly focusing on private sector-led good practices, inclusive growth and sustainable financing. The countries were selected upon criteria such as GDP, total waste production and geographic variety. The study …
This study proposes an actionable framework to guide government stakeholders (state or national) that are either at the ideation stage or the early stages of implementing Urban Employment Programmes (UEPs) in India. It analyses the local and global experiences of UEPs pertaining to jurisdictional forms, eligibility criteria, portability, gendered implications, …
