Burgeoning cities face catastrophe, says UN: The new urban world: Urban dwellers to outstrip rural population next year Big rise in poverty, slums and

In the next year over half of the worlds population will be in urban areas. Asia and Africa is expected to have the largest population growth, with each week cities growing by the millions. This urbanization is said to happen so fast and the scale of people so large, that countries will not have time to prepare for this dramatic shift. Developing countries already face harsh conditions with water, housing, and sanitation, but these problems seem small in comparison with the future growth. Governments know the catastrophe that waits if they sit back and watch the rise in population. Something must be planned now to help lessen the impact, and maybe try to use it as an advantage to the city. Thoraya Obaid, executive director of the UN Population Fund, explains these possible advantages, “No country in the industrial age has ever achieved significant economic growth without urbanization. Cities concentrate poverty but they present poor people's best hope of escaping it . . . The potential benefits of urbanization, which include easier access to health centers and education, far outweigh the disadvantages."
Another problem that will result from this growth in cities is climate. This climate cycle is very vicious; because when the heat rises so does the output of air conditioners. The emissions given off by the air conditioners add to the greenhouse effect, which adds on the heat and can also spawn dangerous storms. Also given off by these cities is pollution. Pollution causes health risks for the cities and surrounding areas.
I think this article is trying to express the need for a plan in this upcoming urbanization growth. Without it these countries are doomed, especially the developing countries. Since the growth will occur in such large numbers cities must be prepared to build new centers, housing, and provide sanitary plumbing and water. However, in order to do so these developing countries must have the capability to build such structures, and in these areas of underdevelopment they do not. So my concern is, how are the developing nations going to provide livable conditions for millions of people when they can’t even achieve that with there current populations. As Obaid said government must devise a plan that will allow cities to support these large numbers of people. The governments know this growth is bound to occur, but it’s up to them to control the outcome of the situation.

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