Cities Key to Tackling Poverty, Climate Change

State of the World 2007 Home Page

As urban populations continue to expand, the world can expect rising environmental pressures but also the emergence of innovative responses to climate change and poverty, the Worldwatch Institute reports in its latest book, State of the World 2007: Our Urban Future. According to the study, in 2008, for the first time, more than half of the world's people will live in cities, and slum populations are expected to swell 50 percent by 2030. But, according to Worldwatch president Christopher Flavin, there are many examples of cities taking on the problems associated with urban living. "The task of saving the world's modern cities might seem hopeless—except that it is already happening," he says.

Today, 1 billion urban dwellers live in "slums," or areas where people do not have access to basic necessities such as clean water, a nearby toilet, or durable housing. But despite such obstacles, residents are finding creative ways to get by. In Karachi, Pakistan, people have linked hundreds of thousands of homes in low-income informal settlements to good quality sewers. By managing the pipes themselves, local residents pay only a fifth of what the official water and sanitation agency would have charged. And residents recovering from civil war in Freetown, Sierra Leone, are successfully meeting much of their city's food demands with urban agriculture.

To combat poverty and climate change effectively, cities will need to address a wide range of issues and draw on a variety of resources, says Molly O'Meara Sheehan, State of the World 2007 project director. "Policymakers need to address the 'urbanization of poverty' by stepping up investments in education, healthcare, and infrastructure," she explains. From 1970 to 2000, urban aid worldwide was estimated at $60 billion—just 4 percent of the $1.5 trillion in total development assistance.

Innovative government programs in place in a handful of cities today will need to be replicated in urban areas across the globe, the authors of State of the World 2007 agree. In Rizhao, China, a staggering 99 percent of households are outfitted with solar water heaters. And in Bogotá, Colombia, the TransMilenio bus rapid transit system has reduced air pollution and increased the quality of life for residents.

State of the World 2007 contributors from left to right: Janet L. Sawin, Dana Firas, Molly O'Meara Sheehan, Peter Newman, and Chris Flavin.

This story was produced by Eye on Earth, a joint project of the Worldwatch Institute and the blue moon fund. View the complete archive of Eye on Earth stories, or contact Staff Writer Alana Herro at aherro [AT] worldwatch [DOT] org with your questions, comments, and story ideas.