The UN released new demographic projections Thursday that forecast India's urban population will more than double in the next thirty years. UN Under Secretary General Joan Clos said there is an urgent need to discuss urban issues in response.
Clos, who is also executive director of UN Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT), was talking to reporters at a press conference ahead of Word Habitat Day Oct 3 and expressed concern over the land crisis in urban India.
"For any population, land is the first asset and there is a need for sustainable growth of cities. We require better urban planning and designing as it is crucial for the future growth of the city," he argued. India's rapid population growth, or demographic dividend, will be sustained much longer than China's because of the lack of legal demographic constraints like a one child policy. This presents a unique opportunity for India to create cities of an unprecedented scale in the next decades.
FULL STORY: Indian Urban Population to Double in Thirty Years
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