Facing Environmental Issues in World's Megacities

Jakarta, Dhaka, Lagos, Mumbai, Tokyo and Mexico City are among the world's megacities that are face major environmental and social challenges.

1 minute read

October 14, 2005, 2:00 PM PDT

By Michael Dudley

"[B]y 2030, more than half of all Asians and Africans will live in urban areas. Latin America and the Caribbean will at that time be 84 percent urban, a level comparable to the U.S. As urban population grows, rural populations will shrink. Asia is projected to lose 26 million rural dwellers between 2000 and 2030.

"Mega-cities suffer from a catalog of environmental ills. A World Health Organization (WHO)/United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) study found that seven of the citiesâ€"Mexico City, Beijing, Cairo, Jakarta, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo and Moscowâ€"had three or more pollutants that exceeded the WHO health protection guidelines. All 20 of the cities studied by WHO/UNEP had at least one major pollutant that exceeded established health limits."

FULL STORY: Cities of the Future: Todayâ€™s â€œMega-citiesâ€ are Overcrowded and Environmentally Stressed

Friday, October 14, 2005 in E The Environmental Magazine

Environment World

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