Urbanization needs better city management, not evictions<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Bangkok<\/p>\n
Given the fact that urbanization is an unavoidable phenomenon of
\ndevelopment in several Asian countries, the city administration
\nshould prepare necessary measures for proper management instead
\nof evicting migrants, said a United Nations Development Program
\n(UNDP) official.<\/p>\n
Erna Witoelar, UNDP senior regional adviser for the Asia
\nPacific and recently appointed UN special ambassador the
\nMillennium Development Goals (MGDs), said here on Monday that
\nurbanization was undeniable because more people from rural areas
\nwere moving to cities in pursuit of a better life.<\/p>\n
\"People from rural areas will always try to improve their
\nlives in urban areas. Therefore, the city administration must
\nmanage the problem well, instead of trying to prevent it,\" she
\naddressed the 6th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative.<\/p>\n
Her statement came as the Jakarta administration stepped up
\nits efforts to evict squatters from across the capital.<\/p>\n
Quoting a Newsweek report, Erna said the population of some
\ncities in Asia would double by 2015.<\/p>\n
As part of efforts to manage rapid urbanization, she
\nrecommended that city administrations and residents reformulate
\nthe metropolis as a human settlement and a concentrated area of
\npopulation.<\/p>\n
Therefore, she said, cities must be developed into centers of
\neconomic activities with a high quality of life, while being
\nconscious of the environment.<\/p>\n
Erna, formerly minister of infrastructure and regional
\nsettlement, added that city administrations must see the
\nincreasing population not as a new burden, but as new resources
\nwith the potential to create opportunities for the city's future.<\/p>\n
Also speaking at the seminar were Dato' Mustapa Mohamed,
\nexecutive director of the National Economic Action Council of the
\nMalaysian Prime Minister's Department, Kosit Panpiemras,
\nexecutive chairman of the Bangkok Bank public company, and Peter
\nD. Garrucho, vice chairman of First Generation Holdings
\nCorporation in the Philippines.<\/p>\n
Dato' suggested that Asian countries determine a collective
\nobjective of how to strengthen the region and to improve the life
\nof Asia's people.<\/p>\n
He said there was an enormous gap between the West and the
\nEast in terms of economic development and progress.<\/p>\n
\"We must now work towards narrowing that gap and elevating the
\nquality of life for our people. If we capitalize on our strengths
\nas a region, and if we work together, we can achieve wonders.\"<\/p>\n
Urbanization Trend in Asia
\n======================================================
\nRank City Pop. in 2000 Pop. in 2015 % increase<\/p>\n
(in millions) (in millions)
\n======================================================
\n 1. Tokyo 26.4 27.2 3.0
\n 5. Mumbai 16.1 22.6 40.7
\n 7. Calcutta 13.1 17.0 29.8
\n 8. Shanghai 12.9 13.6 5.4
\n 9. Dhaka 12.5 22.8 82.4
\n10. New Delhi 12.4 21.0 69.3
\n12. Jakarta 11.0 17.3 57.3
\n13. Osaka 11.0 11.0 0.0
\n14. Beijing 10.8 11.7 8.3
\n16. Karachi 10.0 16.2 6.2
\n17. Manila 9.9 12.6 27.3
\n18. Seoul 9.9 9.9 0.0<\/p>\n
Source: UNDP<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/urbanization-needs-better-city-management-not-evictions-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }