Urbanization needs better city management, not evictions

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Bangkok

Given the fact that urbanization is an unavoidable phenomenon of development in several Asian countries, the city administration should prepare necessary measures for proper management instead of evicting migrants, said a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) official.

Erna Witoelar, UNDP senior regional adviser for the Asia Pacific and recently appointed UN special ambassador the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs), said here on Monday that urbanization was undeniable because more people from rural areas were moving to cities in pursuit of a better life.

"People from rural areas will always try to improve their lives in urban areas. Therefore, the city administration must manage the problem well, instead of trying to prevent it," she addressed the 6th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative.

Her statement came as the Jakarta administration stepped up its efforts to evict squatters from across the capital.

Quoting a Newsweek report, Erna said the population of some cities in Asia would double by 2015.

As part of efforts to manage rapid urbanization, she recommended that city administrations and residents reformulate the metropolis as a human settlement and a concentrated area of population.

Therefore, she said, cities must be developed into centers of economic activities with a high quality of life, while being conscious of the environment.

Erna, formerly minister of infrastructure and regional settlement, added that city administrations must see the increasing population not as a new burden, but as new resources with the potential to create opportunities for the city's future.

Also speaking at the seminar were Dato' Mustapa Mohamed, executive director of the National Economic Action Council of the Malaysian Prime Minister's Department, Kosit Panpiemras, executive chairman of the Bangkok Bank public company, and Peter D. Garrucho, vice chairman of First Generation Holdings Corporation in the Philippines.

Dato' suggested that Asian countries determine a collective objective of how to strengthen the region and to improve the life of Asia's people.

He said there was an enormous gap between the West and the East in terms of economic development and progress.

"We must now work towards narrowing that gap and elevating the quality of life for our people. If we capitalize on our strengths as a region, and if we work together, we can achieve wonders."

Urbanization Trend in Asia ====================================================== Rank City Pop. in 2000 Pop. in 2015 % increase

(in millions) (in millions) ====================================================== 1. Tokyo 26.4 27.2 3.0 5. Mumbai 16.1 22.6 40.7 7. Calcutta 13.1 17.0 29.8 8. Shanghai 12.9 13.6 5.4 9. Dhaka 12.5 22.8 82.4 10. New Delhi 12.4 21.0 69.3 12. Jakarta 11.0 17.3 57.3 13. Osaka 11.0 11.0 0.0 14. Beijing 10.8 11.7 8.3 16. Karachi 10.0 16.2 6.2 17. Manila 9.9 12.6 27.3 18. Seoul 9.9 9.9 0.0

Source: UNDP