New challenges to urban jobs, housing, infrastructure as Africa, Asia lead in population growth – UN report

Africa and Asia together will account for 86% of all growth in the world’s urban population over the next four decades, according to a major United Nations report released April 7, 2012.

The report which described this population increase as unprecedented, added it will pose new challenges in terms of jobs, housing and infrastructure.

Africa’s urban population will increase from 414 million to over 1.2 billion by 2050 while that of Asia will soar from 1.9 billion to 3.3 billion, according to the 2011 Revision of the World Urbanization Prospects, produced by the UN Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).

The largest increases in urban population are expected in the following countries – India, China, Nigeria, the United States and Indonesia, the UN News Centre cited the report.

Over the next four decades, India will add another 497 million to its urban population, China – 341 million, Nigeria – 200 million, the US – 103 million, and Indonesia – 92 million, it indicated.

The projected increase in urban populations in India and Nigeria in the next 40 years will be higher than that of the past four decades, said the DESA in a news release.

“This unprecedented increase in urban population will provide new opportunities to improve education and public services in Africa and Asia, as more concentrated populations become easier to reach,” the release stated.

It added that this will also pose new challenges of providing urban jobs, housing, energy and infrastructure to mitigate urban poverty, expansion of slums and a deterioration of the urban environment.

By Ekow Quandzie