Developing Asia is urbanizing rapidly. The number of urban dwellers rose from 375 million in 1970 to 1.84 billion in 2017, equivalent to almost half of the region’s total population. Measured using nighttime lights data, the region’s urban area has expanded by 5% per year on average between 2000 and 2016. By 2050, approximately two-thirds of the population in developing Asia will be living in cities. However, some urban areas are growing faster than others while some are shrinking.
This report is based on a webinar that examined the challenges faced by cities in responding to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. It also highlights policy actions stakeholders need to adopt to make cities more resilient.
The webinar was organized by the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Southeast Asia Department (SERD) under its SERD Policy Talk (SPOT) webinar series, which features conversations on new ideas and development beyond office walls. It aims to inspire people to explore issues outside their normal area of work. It also encourages active interaction and debate among the participants with their varied perspectives and approaches.
Published August 2021.
Source: Asian Development Bank
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