Urbanization, Resources and Urban

Nexus in Asia & the Pacific

10 October 2016, UNCC, Bangkok

KK Philip Kang

Economic Affairs Officer, Sustainable Urban Development Section,

Environment and Development Division, United Nations Economic and

Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

Introducing ESCAP

ESCAP is the regional development arm of the UN that fosters:

Cooperation between its members for social and economic development in Asia-Pacific

Normative, analytical and technical cooperation at the regional level

UN ESCAP MEMBERS

ASSOCIATED MEMBERS

POPULATION IN ASIA-PACIFIC

WORLD’S POOR

WORLD’S LAND AREA

53

9

58%

40%

60%

Rapid economic

transition, but

great inequality

Significant

inefficiencies in

resource use

Increasing role

of urbanization

in economic

growth

Towards Sustainable Cities:

Sustainable Urban Development

Section

Normative: Conferences, Forums, Workshops, EGMs, Training

• Ministerial Conference on Environment & Development (MCED)

• Committee on Environment & Development (CED)

• Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD)

• Asia-Pacific Urban Forums (APUFs)

• SDG Week

• Regional Consultative Meeting on Good Urban Governance (GUG)

Towards Sustainable Cities:

Sustainable Urban Development

Section

Technical Cooperation: Projects in the field, close to people

• Pro-poor Sustainable Solid Waste Management (Gates Foundation)

• Integrated Resource Management in Asian Cities: the Urban Nexus (GIZ)

• Mainstreaming Climate Change Concerns Into National Urban –related Policies (DA)

• Water-resilient sustainable cities

• Eco-city/climate resilience

• Urban infrastructure

• Municipal governance & budget

• Etc.

Towards Sustainable Cities:

Sustainable Urban Development

Section

Analysis: SUDS Knowledge products, publications, reports

Cities as Drivers of Development

1,875

326

269

251

233

225

223

221

206

188

2,219

689

411

1,112

400

424

454

342

1,028

480

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500

Tokyo

Moscow

Sydney

Shanghai

Seoul

Hong Kong, China

Singapore

Melbourne

Beijing

Istanbul

Absolute total population numbers, by region, 2000-2050 (thousands)

Source: ESCAP, The State of Asia and Pacific Cities 2015

Source: ESCAP, The State of Asia and Pacific Cities 2015, FP, 2012

Estimated GDP for the Largest Urban Economies in the Region (USD billions)

2010 2025

4 BILLION GLOBALLY LIVE

IN URBAN AREAS

IN 2007 MAJORITY LIVED IN

URBAN AREAS

80% GLOBAL GDP

PRODUCED IN CITIES

60% OF

POPULATION LIVE IN URBAN

AREAS, BY 2030

Cities as Drivers of Development

Natural population growth, migration, informal sector

Modernizing and developing infrastructure for economic growth

Rapidly rising middle-class with conspicuous consumption life-styles

High concentration of services & commercial attractions (i.e. department stores, major hotels, tourism, banks, etc.)

Social status signifies wealth and achievements (i.e. luxury cars, expensive condos, gated communities, etc.)

Drivers of consumption in Asian-Pacific cities:

Cities as Drivers of Development

Asia’s working-age still a force for strong economic momentum

Even as majority of Asians are rural, the urban population is the largest in the world

Spatial & Territorial

Transformations of Urbanization

Urban expansion in the Jakarta, Indonesia, urban area, 2000-2010

Urban sprawl in

Kabul, Afghanistan has grown 7

fold since 2001

Urban Sprawl

Asia-Pacific cities tend to ‘radiate-out’ rather than be compact.

Global sample (1990’s)

3.7% annual rate of urban land cover expansion, urban population increase 1.6% (Angel, 2012)

Mega-regions

Pearl River Delta

Delhi-Mumbai Corridor

Greater Tokyo Area

Jakarta (Jabodetabek

Most cities are NOT shifting towards compact forms.

Blurring rural/urban interface: ecosystem, governance and land use planning dimensions.

Pearl River Delta Region, China

1979 2003

“ECONOMIC HUB OF CHINA – FACTORY OF THE WORLD”

• Population of 57 million • 9 largest prefectures of Guangdong Province • 8.7% of GDP • 35.8% of total trade • 29.3% utilized foreign capital (2001)

v

LARGEST URBAN AREA IN THE WORLD: 39,380 KM2 /15,200 SQ. MILES

Pollution & health: Waste-water containing chemicals with proven or suspected hazardous properties including beryllium, copper, manganese and heavy metals

v

Urban Resource Inefficiencies &

Footprints

By 2030, we will need at least 50% MORE FOOD, 45% MORE ENERGY, 30% MORE WATER.

2012 REPORT ON UN SECRETARY-GENERAL’S HIGH LEVEL PANEL ON GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY

“

”

OCCUPY

3% OF

LAND SURFACE

PRODUCE

50% OF

GLOBAL WASTE

ACCOUNT FOR

60-80% GLOBAL GHG EMISSIONS

CONSUME

75% OF

NATURAL RESOURCES

GENERATE

80% OF

GLOBAL GDP

CITIES ARE

RESOURCE INTENSE

Source: UNEP, Global Initiative for Resource Efficient Cities

Consumption Behavior of

Resources

Correlation between high urbanization high resource consumption pattern economic development?

Or is it economic growth increases resource use attracts people to urban areas?

When capita GDP rises above $20,000, water consumption/litres/day declines.

However, electricity use is different: richer countries consume more because they are the largest consumer groups.

Resource Use per Capita

Asia Pacific was consuming just one third of the Rest of the World

Asia Pacific is now consuming as much as the Rest of the World

Domestic materials consumption per capita for the Asia-Pacific region, Rest of the World, and World, for the years 1970 – 2008

Water, Energy, Food Consumed

in Asia-Pacific

Source: UNEP, 2015. Resource use in the Asia-Pacific: A booklet of infographics

729 897

544 689

1970

2010

Developing countries Industrialized countries

Water Use Per Person KILOLITERS PER PERSON

1970

2010

15

47

93

184

Energy Use Per Person GIGAJOULES PER PERSON

Developing countries Industrialized countries

Undernourished People

1990- 1992

2014- 2016

MILLIONS

20 990.7

779.9 14.7

Developed countries Developing countries

Cities Provide Opportunities for Innovative Solutions

60% of future urban areas to be built by 2030

New urban middle classes a major social, economic & political force

High density of cities can bring efficiency gains & technological innovation while reducing resource and energy consumption

Bridge resource gaps: energy, water – waste to resource/circular economy principles must underpin future strategies

It is no longer possible or affordable to address these crises in isolation: integrated/nexus solutions are essential for eco-efficiency

QUANTITY QUALITY

URBAN TRANSFORMATION

EXPLOITATION INVESTMENT

Opportunities for Resource Gains in Cities

Coordination across sectors and

industries

Real time technology increases efficiency

Good urban planning prevents

infrastructure lock-in

Gains in specialized skill

sets and knowledge

Incentives: • Financial incentive and cost saving opportunities • Reduction of environmental impact • Healthier natural environment • New business opportunities between sectors, industries and entrepreneurs

Opportunities for Resource Gains in Cities

VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL COOPERATION INCREASES SYNERGY

Source: Symbiotic City, 2012

Source:6th Regional Workshop, 22 June 2016, Santa Rosa, Philippines by Adelphi

ESCAP & Urban Nexus

2013 2014

Phase I Phase II

2015 2016 2017 2018

ESCAP PROJECT

Integrate Resource Management in Asia Cities: the Urban Nexus

DONOR

EXECUTING AGENCY

PARTNER

7 TARGET COUNTRIES (12 secondary cities)

China India

Indonesia Mongolia

Philippines Thailand Viet Nam

ACTIVITIES TO DATE

6 regional workshops

7 outreach global events

Several national dialogues

Analytical study

Turning challenges into

opportunities

Climate change warning signs: We are much more environmentally conscious of consequences of our actions.

Proven technologies and know-how: We are smarter, quicker & richer.

Conserve & preserve: ‘Same or more with less’/1+1=3

Demand-side management: Natural resources, energy and water resource efficiency.

Time is not on our side: We need to take collective action, but differentiated responsibilities.

THANK YOU

For more about ESCAP’s work on sustainable urban development, please visit: www.unescap.org/our-work/environment-development/urban-development

“The principal message is that urban areas must offer better stewardship of the ecosystems on which they rely, including by generating multiple ecosystem services through design and restoration and reducing their environmental impact through improved efficiency of material and energy use and by making productive use of waste.”

UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL MR. BAN KI-MOON CITIES AND BIODIVERSIITY OUTLOOK, 2012