E D I T O R I A L

Our Polluted World

Thousands of experts, politicians, policy planners, slum dwellers and social activists who met in world’s most livable city, Vancouver for five days shared their concerns about our unlivable cities. Thousands who watched and listened to the intense debate where all the nations of the world were represented, were equally alarmed at the increasing  poverty and  lack of basic amenities like water, sanitation and clean air. Increasing ecological imbalance was paralysing life.

The United Nations and its UN-Habitat section that organized the conference with the help of Canadian government, has estimated that by 2007 more than one half of world’s population would be in urban centers. And, within 50 years, two third of world population would be in cities.  Projections also showed world’s urban population would grow by more than two billions in the next 30 years; the equivalent of one city the size of Vancouver where the World Urban Forum III had its five day session. It had last met there 30 years earlier also. Nearly 180,000 people are being added to the cities every day. And, tragically 70 per cent of these migrants would be slum dwellers. 20 cities now boast of population exceeding 20 million each compared to just two in 1950.

If the present indications and experience is any guide not many countries particularly in the Third World and even some in the developed West have any credible policy  to meet the challenge. People migrate to cities in search of work and better living conditions, but most of the time both are missing. They do no get enough work and   consequently not much food to sustain them and living conditions are appalling and the real estate sharks and corrupt government officials who have the patronage of the ruling classes often make their living hell.

Infrastructure like houses, water supply, electricity, health care, sanitation and roads otherwise missing in many of the urban centers across Asia, Africa and many other areas are not on the agenda of many governments and civic bodies.  For those whose poverty and lack of resources make urban life a necessity, the problems of increasing urbanised globe is a very stifling. This leads to all types of social tensions, crime and ghettoisation of civil life. For majority of the people who migrate to the cities it often leads to poverty, homelessness and tragedy. Only some realize their dreams and build good future.

Yet as a leading Indian activist, a former slum-dweller Jockin Arputham criticised the forum's location and delegates who he said were keener on writing reports than ending poverty.” We are very, very critical about this kind of conference,"  Arputham, president of India's National Slum Dwellers Federation maintained  adding ,"The amount of time and money spent on this World Urban Forum - how many consultants have been employed for carrying out this kind of conference?" He said international gatherings like the Vancouver meeting should be held in cities like Mumbai or Cairo, among the urban poor whose problems are being debated. He was also critical of the U N for failing to stop forced evictions of poor city dwellers by private developers and government-sponsored aid programmes. He also found the UN as a toothless body.  The applaud at the conference showed that many agreed with him, although Anna Tibaijuka, head of the UN settlements agency UN Habitat, defended the gathering: "A forum like this provides a chance for people to know, to connect with the rest of the world, to know that people care.”

Some 8,000 delegates also focused on the environmental and social challenges facing the world's largest cities. World Urban Forum III was indeed sending some real message when it asked the delegates “not to let our leaders off the hook."

We feel that these conferences do serve a purpose and bring awareness and act as pressure on the rulers to do something.

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