Syed Imran Sardar
Syed Imran Sardar is Research Officer at the Institute of Regional Studies.
DOI: http://DOI Number
Keywords: South Asia, Urbanization, Population growth, urban issues, poverty, underdeveloped, rural, GDP
Abstract
South Asian economies are transforming, rapidly expanding into new fields including manufacturing and services. As a result, more and more people are leaving the countryside for the city. Regional population data shows that as of 2010, 30.1% of the region’s residents called a city home, up from 15.6% in 1951. If current trends continue, by 2030, 800 million people will be living in metropolitan South Asia, and by the turn of the millennium, more than half of Asia’s whole population will be located in urban areas. The economic and political development of a nation is largely dependent on its major cities. The growth of cities does seem to correlate with more advanced civilization. The average GDP per person rises as the total population does. This trend toward individualised and disorderly expansion is significantly more harmful to the health of the human population as a whole. It will be some time before urbanization’s economic benefits are completely realised in the region. Urban areas have the potential to drive economic expansion, but only if we devise strategic plans to address the myriad challenges they currently face. In the absence of proper regulation of rapid urbanisation, the study claims, slums would proliferate and urban poverty will intensify. Therefore, expecting the Millennium Development Goals to be completed by 2015 is unrealistic. This paper will discuss the recent rise of the region’s urban population, challenges and suggestions for advancing urbanization.
First Published
September 25, 2012
How to Cite
Syed Imran Sardar, “Looming Urban Sprawl and its Implications: An Overview of South Asian Urbanization,” Regional Studies 30, no.4 (Autumn 2012): 53-68, https://regionalstudies.com.pk/wp/article/looming-urban-sprawl-and-its-implications-an-overview-of-south-asian-urbanization/
Issue
Volume 30, Issue 4