New Delhi, Oct 07 (KNS): As India is initiating building ‘Smart Cities’ and countries in the world insist on rapid urbanisation, experts said that Asia will be faced with myriad challenges posed by urbanisation.
“Asia will be challenged by urbanisation since the continent has been pushing for modernising and creating more smart cities. 70 percent of the population of a country will be living in cities. So, the cities should work towards urban development,” Yuri Afanasiev, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in India, said while speaking during a plenary session here at India Habitat Centre on Sustainable Development goals and implication on cities.
The programme was part of the four-day World Sustainable Development Summit, 2016, organised by The Energy and Resources Institute here at the Indian Habitat Centre.
Afanasiev said that in 15-20 years, cities will be solution which the countries will be looking for sustainable development and providing services to people.
“We should focus on cities with futuristic development model, he added.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
“Since it is cheaper for governments to provide cheaper services in cities, so the countries are pushing for urbanisation. If the countries get the methods right, then cities are solution to sustainable development,” he said.
He insisted on interconnectedness of services in the cities and countries for achieving sustainable development goals.
Xueman Wang of World Bank’s Global Platform for Sustainable Cities, said that for sustainable development, countries should focus on equitable services for people in the cities.
Wang said that China’s urbanisation was fast in the world.
Dr Shipra Narang Suri, an urban planner and Vice-president of the
General Assembly of Partners towards Habitat III said, said for sustainable development role of all the stakeholders in urbanisation and civic management is vital.
Suri said that habitation is not a problem of rich and developed countries only but for poorer countries as well. (KNS)