REGIONAL SLIDES

Asia and the Pacific

• Beijing, China• Delhi, India• Dhaka, Bangladesh• Karachi, Pakistan• Sydney, Australia• Tehran, Iran • Dust Storms over China• Bam Earthquake, Iran• Indian Ocean Tsunami, Indian Sub-continent• Drought in Australia, Australia• Gangotri Glacier, India• Landslide in Tibet, Tibet

Asia and the Pacific

• By 2015 Asian developing countries will hold three of the world’s five largest urban agglomerations: Mumbai, Dhaka and Delhi

• Asia now holds 61 per cent of the global population and its share of the global urban population has risen from 9% in 1920 to 48% in 2000 and is expected to rise to 53% by 2030

UNESCO 2006; UNISDR 2005

• Of all the world regions, developed and developing, Asia ranks lowest in almost all types of crime

• Australia is the driest continent, and has one of the most variable rainfall climates in the world

• Of the 10 countries most hit by natural disasters in 2005, 7 are in the Asian continent

Beijing, the capital city of China, is experiencing explosive growth since economic reforms in 1979

• 1978: Beijing in 1978

• 2000: Extent of urban expansion is clearly visible

Explosive growth in Beijing, China

1977-1999: The population of Delhi was at 4.4 million in 1975 that grew to 12.4 million in 2000

Tremendous growth in Delhi and its suburbsIndia

Phenomenal growth in Dhaka Bangladesh

1977-2000: the capital of Bangladesh, has grown from a city of 2.5 million to more than 10 million

Rapid urban growth in KarachiPakistan

• 1975: Karachi before the urban sprawl

• 2001: Note the change in aerial extent

A vibrant city yet vulnerable to bush fires – Sydney, Australia

1975-2002: Over the last several decades, Sydney has been expanding westward toward the Blue Mountain

Rapidly expanding Tehran, Iran

• 1975: The population of Tehran has grown three-folds since 1970

• 2000: Rapid expansion has had adverse impacts on the environment

Dust Storm over China

• 23 March 2002: a relatively clear day

• 8 April 2002: extremely dusty skies; dust obscures most of the surface

Earthquakes and Tsunamis

• According to long-term records (since about 1900), we can expect about 18 major earthquakes (7.0 - 7.9 on the Richter scale) and one great earthquake (8.0 or above) in any given year (NEIC 2003)

• The number of earthquakes and tsunamis resulting in fatalities has increased approximately in proportion to global populations

• The growth of giant urban cities near regions of known seismic hazard is a new experiment for life on the Earth

• Tsunamis are a threat to life and property for all coastal residents

A city destroyed by earthquakeBam, Iran

A 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Iran on 26 December 2003, killing over 40 000 people, injuring 16 000, leaving 70 000 homeless and destroying much of the city of Bam, the earthquake’s epicenter

Indian Ocean Tsunami and its aftermath

Dec 2004: Tsunami devastated the region of Banda Aceh

Drought in Australia

• 2002: Increasing price of grain due to the relative shortage of pasture land made the farmers sell their livestock and convert their lands to cropland in 2003

• 2003: Image showing the expanded crop area

Receding Gangotri Glacier

• Receding glacier tracked since 1780

• In last 25 years, Gangotri Glacier has retreated more than 850 m (2 788 ft)

Landslide in Tibet creates lake

• Area before landslide creates a natural dam blocking the Pareechu River

• 2004: Water begins to accumulate behind the dam creating an artificial lake

By 13 August 2004, the lake spreads over 188 hectares reaching a depth of 35 meters

One Planet Many People: Atlas of Our Changing Environment

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Asia and the Pacific