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At the heart of this transformation is the rapid urbanization of the region. Between 1970 and 2017, Asian developing economies outperformed the rest of the world in terms of both population expansion and growth rate. increasing the city’s population 3.4% per year, 2.6% in other developing countries and 1% in developed economies. The pace will continue in the coming years, with the region adding another 1 billion new inhabitants by 2050.
Today, the cities of Asia Pacific are gaining international popularity, with Auckland, Osaka, Adelaide, Wellington, Tokyo, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane forming eight of the top 10 teams. 2021 Global Livelihood Index By the Economist Intelligence Unit. But in the continent’s low-income geographies, citizens are among the toughest living environments in the world. In one 2021 classification Of the 100 cities in the world that are most at risk due to environmental factors such as pollution, extreme heat stress, declining water supply, natural hazards and vulnerability to climate change, 99 are in Asia.
The population of cities affected by climate vulnerability belongs to lower socioeconomic groups, which can live in dangerous and marginalized lands, in low-quality buildings that do not control flood measures and temperature. There may also be no access to facilities such as air conditioning and less financial buffers to deal with the revenue shocks caused by disasters such as floods.
As cities grow, they can often become more unbalanced as increased economic activity increases land values and pollution, which harms low-income citizens who are unable to move to better areas. Praiseworthy investments can also exacerbate the problem. For example, mass transit systems that reduce travel time to downtowns can also increase rents on the roads, forcing lower incomes. to relocate neighbors. Asian homes have become increasingly cheap for many. A study of 211 Asian cities He saw housing prices as very affordable for middle-income households. Due to the lack of affordable housing, many city dwellers are content with inadequate housing, with limited access to safe water and sanitation.
Despite the breadth and diversity of challenges, the region can take heart from its past and present. Singapore stands out as one of the most vibrant cities in the world, but it started from a hard start, recalled Khoo Teng Chyek, a former executive director of the Center for Stimulating Cities at the Singapore Ministry of National Development (MND).
“In the early 1960s, [Singapore was] fast-growing and overcrowded, housing shortages, many huts and people in poor and poor conditions. The Singapore River was an open sewer and the water was rationing. I remember when I was a kid they used to dry taps all day, but we used to have floods in the monsoons. All the urban problems you can think of, we’ve had them! Today, our population has tripled and yet the city has become more livable, attractive and resilient. ”
Now, they are moving forward to become more sustainable, resilient and inclusive in Asia Pacific. Cities are beginning to explore innovative responses to environmental challenges across the region, including taking advantage of nature-based resilience, such as reducing “urban sponges” flooding and improving air quality, renovating new “zero carbon clean” buildings and older buildings. which respond to the climate, and develop more sustainable transportation solutions.
By leveraging technology, it also helps cities address gaps in service delivery and proactively help the most vulnerable, such as digitization of land rights and geospatial mapping in areas without formal citizen address systems, for startups facing the challenge of urban security. applications and technological solutions for health care and support for the elderly.
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