By AD 2025, 4.3 billion people will be living in Asia, nearly 2.5 billion in the urban areas. Claustrophobic mayhem. There will be more people in Southeast Asia's cities scrabbling for vegetables than its villages will be able to squeeze out of a dessicated land.
Crushing demographic pressures, linked with high incomes and large industrial concentrations, are already creating giant environmental headaches in Asia's cities: 30 years from now is just a short step away.
| Naturing nature | ||
| extra environmetal investment | ||
(US$ billion needed per year by AD 2000) |
||
| East Asia | South Asia | |
| Water supply and sanitation | 7.0 | 5.4 |
| reducing emissions from energy generation | 2.0 | 0.7 |
| Changing to unleaded fuel; controls on vehicle polution | 2.9 | 0.9 |
| Reducing industrial pollution | 3.6 | 1.2 |
| Soil conservation and afforestion | 5.0 | 3.6 |
| Additional resources for agriculture andforestry research | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| Family planning | 1.4 | 1.0 |
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.