Building sustainable cities in Asia

AT the onset of the 21st century, major Asian cities experienced much economic growth, which, at the same time, brought forth environmental deterioration. For one, the growing urban population and consumption levels in energy and other resources imposed greater burdens on the environment. As agricultural lands, forests, wetlands and other fragile ecosystems were lost through conversion for residential, industrial and tourism developments, the influx of people to cities followed. One of the consequences has been air pollution, aggravated by the uncontrolled increase in the number of motor vehicles, plying the streets of urban areas. The ultimate toll is on the urban population, which has to contend with health risks and worsened living conditions.

This brought about the Kitakyushu Initiative for Clean Environment promoted by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Unescap). It is a mechanism to promote effective implementation of a regional action program, relating to environmental quality and human health with specific reference to urban areas. It envisioned effective policies and programs, mainly through local initiatives, civil society and the private sector for advancing environmental management in major cities of the region. The intended beneficiaries are the national and local governments, environmental nongovernment organizations, community-based organizations and other urban stakeholders and urban communities at large.