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Sources : National Commission on Population Govt. of India and U.S Census Bureau, International
Database.
The Young and working population of India is the biggest positive factor for India and its
growth in coming years – We have written about it many times earlier on this blog, and another
survey reiterates this fact again with some Interesting numbers !
Just to show you the amount of difference between other developing Countries and India –
Have a look at this graph.
Between 2010-2030, India will add 241 Million people in working-age population (and that
means the children who are currently in our education system), Brazil will add around 18
million, while China will add a meager 10 million people during the same time.
So even with all the drawbacks that India has, this particular Indian aspect is going to prove
pivotal in making India the world leader in coming years.
The demographic outlook for the BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – could
hardly be more different. In terms of the demographic transition model, India is at the
beginning of stage three (declining fertility, population growth), Brazil and China are at stage
four (low mortality and fertility, population trending towards stability), while Russia is
already at stage five (sub-replacement-rate fertility, declining population). Not surprisingly,
the differences in the projected change in the working-age population – the economically
relevant variable – are very significant in both absolute and relative terms. [Source: DB
Research]
The demographic developments in the BRICs over the next 10, 20, 30 years will vary greatly.
This will impact not only economic growth prospects, but also savings and investment
behavior and potentially – if somewhat difficult to quantify – financial market growth
prospects. India is demographically in a substantially more favorable position than China and
Russia.
So even though in current scenario, India may not exactly be mentioned in the same breath as
US, UK and China, the picture in next couple of decades will be quite different.
Even from our Financial Markets point of view – If you really have a long-long term view,
there is not better place to invest in stock Markets than in India !
India is developing into an open-market economy, yet traces of its past autarkic policies
remain. Economic liberalization, including reduced controls on foreign trade and investment,
began in the early 1990s and has served to accelerate the country's growth, which has
averaged more than 7% per year since 1997. India's diverse economy encompasses traditional
village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a
multitude of services. Slightly more than half of the work force is in agriculture, but services
are the major source of economic growth, accounting for more than half of India's output,
with only one-third of its labor force. India has capitalized on its large educated English-
speaking population to become a major exporter of information technology services and
software workers. An industrial slowdown early in 2008, followed by the global financial
crisis, led annual GDP growth to slow to 6.5% in 2009, still the second highest growth in the
world among major economies. India escaped the brunt of the global financial crisis because
of cautious banking policies and a relatively low dependence on exports for growth.
Domestic demand, driven by purchases of consumer durables and automobiles, has re-
emerged as a key driver of growth, as exports have fallen since the global crisis started.
India's fiscal deficit increased substantially in 2008 due to fuel and fertilizer subsidies, a debt
waiver program for farmers, a job guarantee program for rural workers, and stimulus
expenditures. The government abandoned its deficit target and allowed the deficit to reach
6.8% of GDP in FY10. Nevertheless, as shares of GDP, both government spending and
taxation are among the lowest in the world. The government has expressed a commitment to
fiscal stimulus in FY10, and to deficit reduction the following two years. It has increased the
pace of privatization of government-owned companies, partly to offset the deficit. India's
long term challenges include widespread poverty, inadequate physical and social
infrastructure, limited employment opportunities, and insufficient access to basic and higher
education. Over the long-term, a growing population and changing demographics will only
exacerbate social, economic, and environmental problems.
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia with
Europe and the Americas. It carries a particularly heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum products
from the oilfields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia. Its fish are of great and growing importance to
the bordering countries for domestic consumption and export. Fishing fleets from Russia, Japan,
South Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly for shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of
hydrocarbons are being tapped in the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and western
Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean.
Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and offshore placer deposits are actively exploited by bordering
countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
China
China's economy during the past 30 years has changed from a centrally planned system that was
largely closed to international trade to a more market-oriented economy that has a rapidly growing
private sector and is a major player in the global economy. Reforms started in the late 1970s with
the phasing out of collectivized agriculture, and expanded to include the gradual liberalization of
prices, fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, the foundation of a
diversified banking system, the development of stock markets, the rapid growth of the non-state
sector, and the opening to foreign trade and investment. Annual inflows of foreign direct investment
rose to nearly $108 billion in 2008. China has generally implemented reforms in a gradualist or
piecemeal fashion. In recent years, China has re-invigorated its support for leading state-owned
enterprises in sectors it considers important to "economic security," explicitly looking to foster
globally competitive national champions. After keeping its currency tightly linked to the US dollar for
years, China in July 2005 revalued its currency by 2.1% against the US dollar and moved to an
exchange rate system that references a basket of currencies. Cumulative appreciation of the
renminbi against the US dollar since the end of the dollar peg was more than 20% by late 2008, but
the exchange rate has remained virtually pegged since the onset of the global financial crisis. The
restructuring of the economy and resulting efficiency gains have contributed to a more than tenfold
increase in GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis that adjusts for price
differences, China in 2009 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US, although
in per capita terms the country is still lower middle-income. The Chinese government faces
numerous economic development challenges, including: (a) reducing its high domestic savings rate
and correspondingly low domestic demand through increased corporate transfers and a
strengthened social safety net; (b) sustaining adequate job growth for tens of millions of migrants
and new entrants to the work force; (c) reducing corruption and other economic crimes; and (d)
containing environmental damage and social strife related to the economy's rapid transformation.
Economic development has been more rapid in coastal provinces than in the interior, and
approximately 200 million rural laborers and their dependents have relocated to urban areas to find
work. One demographic consequence of the "one child" policy is that China is now one of the most
rapidly aging countries in the world. Deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil
erosion, and the steady fall of the water table, especially in the north - is another long-term
problem. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development. In
2006, China announced that by 2010 it would decrease energy intensity 20% from 2005 levels. In
2009, China announced that by 2020 it would reduce carbon intensity 40% from 2005 levels. The
Chinese government seeks to add energy production capacity from sources other than coal and oil,
and is focusing on nuclear and other alternative energy development. In 2009, the global economic
downturn reduced foreign demand for Chinese exports for the first time in many years. The
government vowed to continue reforming the economy and emphasized the need to increase
domestic consumption in order to make China less dependent on foreign exports for GDP growth in
the future.
Country Comparison :: GDP (purchasing power parity)
This entry gives the gross domestic product (GDP) or value of all final goods and services produced
within a nation in a given year. A nation's GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates is
the sum value of all goods and services produced in the country valued at prices prevailing in the
United States. This is the measure most economists prefer when looking at per-capita welfare and
when comparing living conditions or use of resources across countries. The measure is difficult to
compute, as a US dollar value has to be assigned to all goods and services in the country regardless
of whether these goods and services have a direct equivalent in the United States (for example,
the value of an ox-cart or non-US military equipment); as a result, PPP estimates for some
countries are based on a small and sometimes different set of goods and services. In addition,
many countries do not formally participate in the World Bank's PPP project that calculates these
measures, so the resulting GDP estimates for these countries may lack precision. For many
developing countries, PPP-based GDP measures are multiples of the official exchange rate (OER)
measure. The differences between the OER- and PPP-denominated GDP values for most of the
wealthy industrialized countries are generally much smaller.
India :: 5
The economy of Asia comprises more than 4 billion people (60% of the world population)
living in 46 different states. Six further states lie partly in Asia, but are considered to belong to
another region economically and politically.
As in all world regions, the wealth of Asia differs widely between, and within, states. This is
due to its vast size, meaning a huge range of differing cultures, environments, historical ties
and government systems. The largest economies in Asia in terms of nominal GDP are China,
Japan, India, South Korea, Indonesia and Iran. In terms of GDP by purchasing power parity, China
has the largest economy in Asia and the second largest economy in the world, followed by
Japan, India, and South Korea.
Wealth (if measured by GDP per capita) is mostly concentrated in east Asian territories such as
Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, as well in oil rich Middle Eastern countries
such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates. Asia, with the exception of Japan, South
Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore, is currently undergoing rapid growth and industrialization
spearheaded by China and India - the two fastest growing major economies in the world.
While east Asian and southeast Asian countries generally rely on manufacturing and trade for
growth, countries in the Middle East depend more on the production of commodities,
principally oil, for economic growth. Over the years, with rapid economic growth and large
trade surplus with the rest of the world, Asia has accumulated over US$4 trillion of foreign
exchange reserves - more than half of the world's total.
Economic development
[edit] Ancient and medieval times
Chinaand India alternated in being the largest economies in the world from 1 to 1800 A.D.
China was a major economic power and attracted many to the east,[1][2][3][4] and for many the
legendary wealth and prosperity of the ancient culture of India personified Asia[5], attracting
European commerce, exploration and colonialism. The accidental discovery of America by
Columbus in search for India demonstrates this deep fascination. The Silk Road became the
main East-West trading route in the Asian hitherland while the Straits of Malacca stood as a
major sea route.
[edit] Pre-1945
Prior to World War II, most of Asia was under colonial rule. Only relatively few states managed
to remain independent in the face of constant pressure exerted by European power. Such
examples are Siam and Japan.
Japan in particular managed to develop its economy due to a reformation in the 19th century.
The reformation was comprehensive and is today known as the Meiji Restoration. The Japanese
economy continued to grow well into the 20th century and its economic growth created
various shortages of resources essential to economic growth. As a result the Japanese
expansion began with a great part of Korea and China annexed, thus allowing the Japanese to
secure strategic resources.
At the same time, Southeast Asia was prospering due to trade and the introduction of various
new technologies of that time. The volume of trade continued to increase with the opening of
the Suez Canal in the 1860s. Manila had its gallion or Manila galleon wherein products from the
Philippines were traded to Europe. The Philippines was the first Asian country to trade with
Latin America via Acapulco. Tobacco, coconut, corn, and sugar trade was the most in demand
during that time. Singapore, founded in 1819, rose to prominence as trade between the east and
the west increased at an incredible rate. The British colony of Malaya, now part of Malaysia, was
the world's largest producer of tin and rubber. The Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, on the
other hand, was known for its spices production. Both the British and the Dutch created their
own trading companies to manage their trade flow in Asia. The British created the British East
India Company while the Dutch formed Dutch East India Company. Both companies maintained
trade monopolies of their respective colonies.
In 1908, crude oil was first discovered in Persia, modern day Iran. Afterwards, many oil fields
were discovered and it was learnt later that the Mideast possesses the world's largest oil stocks.
This made the rulers of the Arab nations very rich though the socioeconomic development in
that region lagged behind.
In the early 1930s, the world underwent a global economic depression, today known as the Great
Depression. Asia was not spared, and suffered the same pain as Europe and the United States.
The volume of trade decreased dramatically all around Asia and indeed the world. With
falling demand, prices of various goods starting to fall and further impoverished locals and
foreigners alike. In 1941, Japan invaded Malaya and thus began World War II in Asia.
[edit] 1945-1990
Following World War II, the People's Republic of China and India, which account for half of the
population of Asia, adopted socialist policies to promote their domestic economy. These
policies limited the economic growth of the region. In contrast, the economies of superiors
Japan, South Korea and the other tigers Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong--were economic
successes, and the only successful economies outside of North America, Western Europe and
Australia. The Philippines from the post-World War II until the late 1970s had the second
largest economy in Asia. The Philippine economy during the 1980s was marked by stagnant
growth as a result of political instability and incompetence of the succeeding government.
One of the most pronounced Asian economic phenomenons during this time - the Japanese
post-war economic miracle greatly impacted the rest of the world. After World War II, under
central guidance from the Japanese government, the entire economy was undergoing a
remarkable restructuring. Close cooperation between the government, corporations and banks
facilitated easy access to much-needed capital, and large conglomerates known as keiretsu
spurred horizontal and vertical integration across all industries, keeping out foreign competition.
These policies, in addition to an abandonment of military spending, worked phenomenally
well. Japanese corporations as a result exported and still export massive amounts of high
quality products from The Land of The Rising Sun.
Another amazing economic success story is that of South Korea's, also referred to as the Miracle
on the Han River. The country was left impoverished after the Korean War, yet was able to
recover at double digit percentiles. Many conglomerates, also known as Chaebols, such as
Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia, SK, and more grew tremendously during this period. South Korea has
now become the most wired country in the world.
Taiwan and Hong Kong experienced rapid growth up till the 1990s. Taiwan became, and still
remains one of the main centers of consumer electronics R&D as well as manufacturing.
However, unlike in Japan and South Korea, the bulk of Taiwan's economy is dependent on
small to medium sized businesses. Hong Kong, on the other hand, experienced rapid growth
in the financial sector due to liberal market policies, with many financial institutions setting
up their Asian headquarters in Hong Kong. Till today, Hong Kong has been ranked as the
world's freest economy for many years running, and it remains among one of the world's top 5
leading financial centers.
This period was also marked by military conflict. Wars driven by the Cold War, notably in
Vietnam and Afghanistan, wrecked the economies of these respective nations. When the
Soviet Union collapsed in 1990-91, many Central Asian states were cut free and were forced to
adapt to pressure for democratic and economic change. Also, several of the USSR's allies lost
valuable aid and funding.
[edit] 1991-2007
After the liberalization of the economy of India, the Indian economy coupled with the Chinese
economy to power Asia into being one of the hotspots for world trade. The Chinese economy
was already booming under the economic measures undertaken by Deng Xiaoping, in the
1980s, and continuing under Jiang Zemin in the 1990s. In 2007, China's economic growth rate
exceeded 11% while India's growth rate increased to around 9%. One of the factors was the
sheer size of the population in this region.[citation needed]
Meanwhile, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore emerged as the Four Asian Tigers with
their GDPs growing well above 7% per year in the 1980s and the 90s. Their economies were
mainly driven by growing exports. The Philippines only began to open up its stagnated
economy in the early 1990s. Vietnam's economy began to grow in 1995, shortly after the
United States and Vietnam restored economic and political ties.
Throughout the 1990s, the manufacturing ability and cheap labor markets in Asian
developing nations allowed companies to establish themselves in many of the industries
previously dominated by companies from developed nations. Asia became one of the largest
sources of automobiles, machinery, audio equipment and other electronics.
At the end of 1997, Thailand was hit by currency speculators, and the value of the Baht along
with its annual growth rate fell dramatically. Soon after, the crisis spread to Indonesia,
Malaysia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and many other Asian economies, resulting in
great economic damage on the affected countries (Japan largely escaped the crisis). In fact,
some of the economies, most notably those of Thailand, Indonesia, and South Korea actually
contracted. This later would be known as the Asian financial crisis. By 1999, most countries had
already recovered from the crisis.
In 2004, parts of Sumatra and South Asia were severely damaged by an earthquake and the
subsequent tsunami. The natural disaster wiped out huge amounts of infrastructure throughout
the affected area and displaced millions.
[edit] Future
Asia's large economic disparities are a source of major continuing tension in the region.[citation
needed]
While global economic powers China, Japan, India, and South Korea continue powering
through, and Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam have entered
the path to long-term growth, regions right next to these countries are in need of severe
assistance.
Given the large number cheap and amply available labor in the region, particularly in China
and India, where large workforces provide an economical advantage over other countries, the
rising standard of living will eventually lead to a slow-down. Asia is also riddled with
political problems that threaten not just the economies, but the general stability of the region
and world. The nuclear neighbors—Pakistan and India—constantly pose a threat to each
other, causing their governments to heavily invest in military spending.
Military intervention by the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan has also inflamed extremism
and resulted in several terrorist attacks in a number of Asian countries. Another impending
crisis is the depletion of oil reserves in the Middle East. Most of these economies have
traditionally been over-dependent on oil and have had difficulty establishing another pillar in
their economies.
Yet another potential global danger posed by the economy of Asia is the growing
accumulation of foreign exchange reserves. The countries/regions with the largest foreign
reserves are mostly in Asia - China (Mainland - $2,454 billion & Hong Kong - $245 billion,
June 2010), Japan ($1,019 billion, June 2009), Russia ($456 billion, April 2010), India ($284
billion, July 2010), Taiwan ($372 billion, September 2010), the Republic of Korea ($286
billion, July 2010), Singapore ($206 billion, July 2010). This increasingly means that the
interchangeability of the Euro, USD, and GBP are heavily influenced by Asian central banks.
Some economists in the western countries see this as a bad thing, prompting their respective
governments to take action.
The economies of Asia are expected to be unequally divided for a long period of time. East
Asian nations such as economic leaders China, Japan and South Korea will continue to
flourish. Japanese products such as Sony and Hitachi are commanding premium prices in the
western world. South Korean conglomerates Samsung and LG are respectively the second and
fifth largest in Asia in terms of annual revenues. These two rivaling countries are expected to
be joined by new economic competitors such as China and India. On the other hand, the
Middle East and a few parts of South East Asia are will be in a state of trouble.
According to the World Bank, China may become the largest economy in the world sometime
between 2020 and 2030.[6]
This is a list of Asian countries sorted by their 2009 gross domestic product at market or
government official exchange rates (nominal GDP) and PPP map is for year 2009. 2009
figures are estimates. Data produced by the International Monetary Fund as of October 2009.
Country or GDP nominal GDP PPP GDP PPP per capita
Location
territory millions of USD millions of USD USD
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a group of Pacific Rim countries who meet with
the purpose of improving economic and political ties
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a political, economic, and cultural
organization of countries located in Southeast Asia. Founded in 1967, its aim is to foster
cooperation and mutual assistance among members. The countries meet annually every
November in summits.
The current member countries of ASEAN are Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Thailand, Cambodia,
Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Timor Leste and Indonesia. Papua New
Guinea is given an observer status.
In 2005 ASEAN was instrumental in establishing the East Asia Summit (involving all ASEAN
members plus China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand) which some have
proposed may become in the future a trade bloc, the arrangements for which are far from
certain and not yet clear.
The Asian Currency Unit (ACU) is a proposed currency unit for the ASEAN "10+3" economic
circle. (ASEAN, the mainland of the People's Republic of China, India, Japan, and the Republic of
Korea).
The Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) is an economic agreement between the
People's Republic of China and both the Hong Kong SAR government (signed on 29 June 2003),
and the Macau SAR government (signed on 18 October 2003), in order to promote trade and
investment facilitation.
The main aims of CEPA are to eliminate tariffs and non-tariff barrier on substantially all the
trade in goods between the three, and achieve liberalization of trade in services through
reduction or elimination of substantially all discriminatory measures.
[edit] Arab League
The Arab League is an association of Arab countries in Africa and Asia. The Arab League
facilitates political, economic, cultural, scientific and social programs designed to promote
the interests of its member states.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an association of 8 countries of
South Asia, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and
Afghanistan. These countries comprise an area of 5 130 746 km² and a fifth of the population
of the world.
The South Asia Free Trade Agreement is an agreement reached at the 12th South Asian Association
for Regional Cooperation summit. It creates a framework for the creation of a free trade zone
covering 1.6 billion people in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and the
Maldives.
[edit] Currency
This article's factual accuracy may be compromised because of out-of-date information.
Please help improve the article by updating it. There may be additional information on the
talk page. (January 2010)
Below is a list of the currencies of Asia, including all fully Asian states plus Russia, with
exchange rates between each currency and both the Euro and US Dollars as of 9 December 2004.
Country Currency worth in Euro worth in USD Central bank
Bangladesh
Bangladesh Taka 0.0167723 Bank
Brunei
Currency and
Brunei Brunei Dollar 0.455736 0.606944 Monetary
Board
National Bank
Cambodia Riel 0.000305774 0.000260068 of Cambodia
Central Bank
New Taiwan of the
Taiwan 0.0233412 0.0310945
Dollar Republic of
China
Reserve Bank
India Indian Rupee .0175701 .0253710 of India
Bank
Indonesia Rupiah 0.0000819210 0.000109059 Indonesia
Central Bank
Iran Iranian Rial 0.0000847274 0.000112852
of Iran
Central Bank
Iraq Iraqi Dinar 0.000513340 0.000683737 of Iraq
National Bank
Kazakhstan Tenge 0.00576997 0.00768610 of Kazakhstan
North
North Korea 0.341229 0.454545
Korean Won
South
South Korea 0.000711045 0.000947424 Bank of Korea
Korean Won
Central Bank
Kuwait Kuwaiti Dinar 2.54691 3.39425 of Kuwait
Kyrgyzstani
Kyrgyzstan 0.0181059 0.0241177
Som
Lebanese
Lebanon 0.000495695 0.000659979
Pound
Bank Negara
Malaysia Ringgit 0.197525 0.263219 Malaysia
Sheqel
Palestine 0.17 0.23 Bank of Israel
(Israeli)
Bangko
Philippine
Philippines 0.0133941 0.0178531 Sentral ng
Peso Pilipinas
Central Bank
Russian
Russia 0.0267806 0.0356723 of the Russian
Ruble
Federation
Saudi Arabia Saudi Riyal 0.200178 0.266660
Monetary
Singapore
Singapore 0.455762 0.607083 Authority of
Dollar Singapore
Tajikistani
Tajikistan 0.269553 0.359066
Somoni
Bank of
Thailand Baht 0.0189565 0.0252245 Thailand
Central Bank
United Arab
of
United Arab Emirates Emirates 0.204394 0.272301 the United
dirham
Arab Emirates
Uzbekistani
Uzbekistan 0.000715188 0.000952628
Som
Asia is by a considerable margin the largest continent in the world, and is rich in natural
resources. The vast expanse of the former Soviet Union, particularly that of Russia, contains a
huge variety of metals, such as gold, iron, lead, titanium, uranium, and zinc. These metals are
mined, but inefficiently due to continued use of poorly maintained, obsolete machinery left
over from the communist era. Nevertheless, profits are high due to a commodity price boom in
2003/2004 caused largely by increased demand in China. Oil is Southwest Asia's most
important natural resource. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait are rich in oil reserves and have
benefited from recent oil price escalations.
Asia is home to some four billion people, and thus has a well established tradition in
agriculture. High productivity in agriculture, especially of rice, allows high population density
of many countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, southern China, Cambodia, India, and
Vietnam. Agriculture constitutes a high portion of land usage in warm and humid areas of
Asia. Many hillsides are farmed in a terrace method to boost arable land. The main
agricultural products in Asia include rice and wheat. Opium is one of major cash crops in
Central and Southeast Asia, particularly in Afghanistan, though its production is prohibited
everywhere. Forestry is extensive throughout Asia except Southwest and Central Asia, with
many of the items of furniture sold in the developed nations made out of Asian timber.
Fishing is a major source of food, particularly in Japan.
The manufacturing sector in Asia has traditionally been strongest in the East region -
particularly in China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. The industry varies from
manufacturing cheap low value goods such as toys to high-tech added value goods such as
computers, CD players, Games consoles, mobile phones and cars. Major Asian manufacturing
companies are mostly based in either South Korea or Japan. They include Samsung, Hyundai, LG,
and Kia from South Korea, and Sony, Toyota, Toshiba, and Honda from Japan. Many developed-
nation firms from Europe, North America, Japan and South Korea have significant operations in
the developing Asia to take avantage of the abundant supply of cheap labor. One of the major
employers in manufacturing in Asia is the textile industry. Much of the world's supply of
clothing and footwear now originates in Southeast Asia and South Asia, particularly in
Vietnam, China, India, Thailand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Indonesia.
A view of the Tidel Park in Chennai. Software industries of late, have been outsourced to Asian cities
as such for good infrastructure, efficient man-power & cheap labour.
Asia has seven important financial centers, located in Dubai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hong Kong,
Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. India has been one of the greatest beneficiaries of the economic
boom. The country has emerged as one of the world's largest exporters of software and other
information technology related services. World class Indian software giants such as Infosys,
HCL, Wipro, Mahindra Satyam and TCS have emerged as the world's most sought after service
providers. Call centers are also becoming major employers in India and Philippines due to the
availability of many well educated English speakers. Here again India holds close to 60% of
the trade share. The rise of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry has seen the rise
of India and China as the other financial centers. Experts believe that the current center of
financial activity is moving toward "Chindia" - a name used for jointly referring to China and
India - with Shanghai and Mumbai, Bangalore becoming major financial hubs in their own right.
Other growing technological and financial hubs include Dhaka (Bangladesh), Chennai (India),
New Delhi (India), Pune (India), Hyderabad (India), Shenzhen (China), Kolkata (India), Jakarta
(Indonesia), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Karachi (Pakistan), Lahore (Pakistan), Manila
(Philippines) and Bangkok (Thailand).
Economy of Asia
During 2008 unless otherwise stated
US$24.077
GDP (PPP) (US$):
trillion (2009)
$16.774 trillion
GDP (Currency) (US$):
(2009)
GDP/capita (Currency)
$4,629 (2009)
(US$):
Annual growth of
7.5% (2010)
per capita GDP:
Estimated female
income:
Urbanization involves excessively forceful impact on habitats, often including their extinction and replacement with
artificial structures. These transformations disrupt flow paths of energy, water and matter, within and between adjacent
ecosystems, re-directing them into unsustainable, human-originated tracks. These transformations pose major
ecological consequences for ecosystems functioning. Changes of hydrological, biogeochemical and ecological processes
in catchments are reflected in freshwaters - the receivers of deregulated, extreme runoffs and accelerated flow of
matter from disrupted natural cycles. Additionally, degradation of water habitats handicaps their resilience - the ability
to maintain oscillations within boundaries defined by steady state. Consequently, ecosystems functions and ability to
provide services may be permanently amended.
Organizing the flow paths pursuing rules governing natural ecosystems in some parts of the city catchments, may
compensate effects of their degradation in others. Reduction of impacts, such as minimizing pollution or water
detention, together with rehabilitation of freshwater habitats are the foremost and fundamental conditions. It is also
necessary to take measures toward augmenting absorbing capacity of ecosystems.
"Urban aquatic habitats in integrated urban water management" Activity aims in improving knowledge and
methodological base for the integration of urban aquatic habitats and water based amenities into urban water
development and management strategies. It also tests the proposed approaches in the set of selected case studies
addressing various water related issues all over the world.
Urbanization process is a domain of developing countries. One of the results of the extremely high densities of fast-
growing populations is "wild development", leading to such negative social and ecological effects as: formation and
growth of slums and intense pressure on the environment and its resources (e.g., water and space).
At the same time, an inverse process, so called sub-urbanization, take place and has an important meaning in highly
developed countries. Disperse of the human population to the cities' outskirts and surrounding lands results with
increase of the antropopression on expanding extra-municipal areas, changes in the structure of the space organization,
increased pressure on water resources and green areas. The final effect of this process is formation of so called
Megalopolis, e.g. BosWash, where the area of approx. 146 thousand km2 is inhabited by a population of above 45
millions.
Several water related problems, such as: modification of microclimate, changed environmental conditions for water
cycling in landscape, reduced capacity for water retention thus increased vulnerability to extreme events (e.g., long-
lasting droughts and extreme floods) and deteriorated quality of water resources are become burning issues and
challenges in the new global urbanized world. Rapid development of landscape an housing often result with physical
modification of habitats, which often results with degradation of the ability of ecosystems to maintain theirs structures
and properties, thus providing ecosystem services.
The global proportion of urban population increased from a mere 13% (220 million) in 1900 to 29% (732
million) in 1950 and, according to the 2005 Revision of World Urbanization Prospects
(http://www.un.org/esa/), reached 49% (3.2 billion) in 2005.
Over half of the world's population will live in cities by year 2010, a large part in an increasing number of
mega-cities.
Since the world is projected to continue to urbanize, 60% of the global population is expected to live in cities
by 2030.
The rising number of urban dwellers give the best indication of the scale of these unprecedented trends:
According to the latest United Nations population projections, 4.9 billion people are expected to be urban
dwellers in 2030 - http://esa.un.org/unpp/
United Nations, DESA, Population Division.World Urbanization Prospects: The 2005 Revision
http://esa.un.org/unpp/
MEGA-CITIES
Among the six most populous mega-cities in the world in 2005 - Tokyo, Ciudad de México (Mexico City), New York-
Newark, Sao Paulo, Mumbai (Bombay) and Delhi - Ciudad de México (Mexico City), Mumbai (Bombay) and Delhi had
annual population growth rates above 2.4%. Compared to 1950, the population of Delhi in 2005 was about 11 times
larger; that of Sao Paulo was 8 times larger, and that of Ciudad de México (Mexico City) was almost 7 times larger. 1
In the future, the growth of the major mega-cities is projected to slow down, both in the more as well as less
developed regions. However, there will be more variation in growth rates in less developed regions. For example, It
is anticipated that Mumbai (Bombay) and Delhi will be growing faster than Ciudad de México (Mexico City) and Sao
Paulo. Both Tokyo and New York-Newark will experience very low population growth, resulting in the virtual stagnation
of their population size.
SLUMS
The growth of
slums in the last 15 years has been unprecedented. In
1990, the World was inhabited by almost 715 million of slum
dwellers. The slums population had increased to 912 million by 2000
and to approximately 998 million by today. UN- HABITAT
(http://www.unhabitat.org/) estimates that if current trends
continue, it will reach 1.4 billion by 2020.
A slum dweller may only have 5 to 10 litres per day at his or her
disposal. A middle- or high-income household in the same city,
however, may use some 50 to 150 litres per day, if not more.
Resources:
WATER IN LANDSCAPE
Combined effects of urbanization, industrialization, and population growth greatly modify landscapes and thus the
continuous circulation of water within catchments and the Earth's hydrosphere - the hydrological cycle.
The hydrological cycle control several processes in the landscape (e.g., transport of pollutants, water chemistry, pattern
of nutrient fluxes, erosion, surface and groundwater levels), and thus some of the ecosystems features (e.g., rate of
productivity, decomposition) and processes (e.g., rate and pathways of matter circulation). Functioning of ecological
processes in the whole catchment depends on the water cycle reflects in the quality of aquatic habitats and ecological
stability of their ecosystems.
The main changes of the physical pathways of the water cycles due to urbanization include:
Therefore, although the hydrological cycle consists of the same elements, their proportions in urban area are
significantly different:
Urban development significantly increases the amount of storm water and the frequency of extreme hydrological events
experienced by the City's catchments. The increased runoff causes more intense local flooding, while droughts during
dry weather are deeper and longer.
Runoff amounts typically for 10-20% of the average annual rainfall in rural areas.
In urban areas, where surfaces are highly impervious, typical runoff volumes range between 60-70% of the average
annual rainfall.
These changes impact strongly water habitats: increased discharges erodes stream beds and banks, exports high
concentrations of pollution into the rivers, wetlands and reservoirs, destabilizes ecological processes, handicap
ecological stability of ecosystems. All this not only reduce aesthetic values of the city, but also restrict provision of
ecosystem services and causes water-related problems to the urban population, related to flood risk, water supply,
drainage, wastewater collection and management.
Cities expansion usually reduce green spaces areas. The satellite pictures show the overall look on two big urban areas:
Brasilia and Beijing, and the changes within greens peace areas which accrued during a decade (green colour).
Brasilia, Brazil 1989 and 1999
In some cites however, green space covers larger areas than built and paved spaces. In Vienna, only 32.8% of the city
is classified as built-up, whilst green spaces cover 48.8% of the city's surface area when farmland and woodlands on
the urban fringe are included. Similarly, two thirds of Oslo's surface area consists of woodlands and farmland. In other
cities, the proportionate cover of green spaces can be considerably lower. According to land use statistics, the
proportionate cover of green spaces is below 40% in Munich. However, the figures are difficult to compare as the
proportionate cover of green space varies depending on how much of the surrounding countryside is incorporated
within the municipal boundaries.
Percent of green urban area within the total urbanised area (based on data from: EEA, 2002),
www.map21ltd.com/COSTC11/comp.htm
Development of green areas in cities mitigate the negative impact on the hydrological cycle and improve the quality of
the environment and quality of life in cities. Increased water retentiveness of catchments improves flood protection,
quality of water, environment and aquatic ecosystems. Open water spaces and green areas improves microclimate
providing better environment for people, increasing population health, providing recreational spaces.
References:
Aquatic habitats are water bodies supporting aquatic life. Increased temperatures of effluents, greater discharges of
water, pollutants and waste, and changes in water bodies morphology impact all the basic habitats characteristics and
affect the performance of associated biological communities. Impacted ecosystems lose their resistance to the
escalating stresses as well as the resilience allowing them to adapt to changing conditions. Water stress imposes losses
of, and trade-offs between, services and their different beneficiaries and stakeholders. Considering the growing water
use and wastewater production, the need for tradeoffs between meeting the demands of urban population and those of
aquatic habitats will be even more challenging in the future (Maksimovic and Tejada-Guibert 2001; Marsalek et al.
2006).
Urban aquatic habitats include urban streams, canals, rivers, ponds, impoundments, reservoirs and lakes and other
water bodies. The main aquatic habitat characteristics, fall into five groups: (a) flow regime, (b) physical habitat
structure, (c) chemical variables (water quality), (d) energy (food) sources, and (e) biotic interactions, (Yoder, 1989).
The above characteristics of aquatic habitats is also reflected in the classification of major human pressures to which
they are exposed (Karr et al. 1986), especially in urban areas. The primary factors of habitat deterioration are water
quality decline and flow alternations, which is particularly pronounced in urban catchments. The broad range of
chemicals from point and diffused sources include toxic substances and carcinogens, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides,
household hazardous wastes, oils, anti-freeze, heavy metals, pet and yard wastes, and pseudo-hormones.
Simultaneously, the natural heterogeneity of habitats is very often destroyed. In many cities, aquatic habitats are
included into the urban sewerage, playing a role of storm water receiver and disposer. Their structure is adapted for
these purposes, and include canalisation, regulation with concrete stabs, water uptakes, turning underground, damming
and others. These modifications induce several changes in habitats characteristics.
Resources:
Lafont, M., Marsalek, J., Breil P. 2007. Urban Aquatic Habitats: Characteristics and Functioning. In: Wagner, I.
, Marshalek, J. and Breil, P. (eds). Aquatic Habitats in Sustainable Urban Water Management: Science, Policy
and Practice. Taylor and Francis/Balkema: Leiden .
Karr J.R., Fausch K. D., Angermeier P. L., Yant P. R & Schlosser I. J. 1986. Assessing biological integrity in
running waters: a method and its rationale. Illinois Natural History Survey, Special Publication 5, 28 pp.
Maksimovic, C. & Tejada-Guibert, J.A. (2001). Frontiers on Urban Water Management: Deadlock or Hope?
IWA Publishing, ISBN: 1 900222 76 0, London, UK.
Marsalek, J., Jimenez-Cisneros, B., Karamouz, M., Malmqvist, P.A., Goldenfum, J. and Chocat, B. (2006).
Urban water cycle processes and interaction. UNESCO Press, Paris, Feb.
Yoder, C. 1989. The development and use of biocriteria for Ohio surface waters. In: Flock, G.H. (Ed.), Proc.
National Conf. Water Quality Standards for the 21st Century, U.S. EPA, Office of Water, Washington, D.C., pp.
139-146.
A balanced approach addressing the pressing issues in urban environment is not common in the water service sector,
which has been traditionally based on a sectorial approach. Conventional urban water management focused mainly on
protecting the urban human population against hydrological extremes (floods and droughts) and providing water
services. The latter ones typically included water supply, urban drainage and flood protection, wastewater management
and, more recently, some form of aquatic ecosystems protection. These however often did not address specific features
of aquatic habitats, their needs and potentials. In many cases, to minimise drainage costs, urban streams and rivers
were incorporated into major drainage systems and conveyed various types of municipal effluents, resulting in the
ultimate habitats degradation.
Currently, the development of comprehensive knowledge generated by integration of various sectors of science as well
as the recent developments in ecological engineering, increase opportunities to develop a more sustainable,
economically viable urban environments. Newly emerging paradigms underline the need for water conservation, rational
use, reuse, and sustainable integration of different components of urban river systems, including those of technical and
natural character (Pinkham, 2004; Zalewski, 2006). This tendency creates opportunities for changing attitude to UAHs,
and their use for concurrently improving efficiency of urban water management and the quality of human life in cities
(Zalewski and Wagner, 2006).
Among several approaches to urban aquatic habitats, the following are usually considered:
Restoration - is a process which ideally brings a degraded river back to its original conditions. It includes
restoring water quality, sediment and flow regime, channel morphology, communities of native aquatic plants
and animals, and adjacent riparian lands. The goal of restoration is impossible to achieve in urban
watercourses. Re-establishing the historical, original state would require replication of the original conditions,
which no longer exist, and are not even well known.
Preservation - preservation of aquatic habitats state and biodiversity is a realistic goal, when the urbanisation
impact on ecosystems is not severe. This ideal situation generally occurs in peri-urban areas, where
urbanisation has not yet fully invaded the surrounding landscapes and where industrial or agricultural
activities are limited (Lafont et al. 2006).
Rehabilitation - is a less ambitious but more realistic aim. It enhances or re-establishes lost or diminished
biotic functions of ecosystems that can persist in it without attempts to restore pristine conditions. It improves
the most important aspects of aquatic environment and creates habitats resembling its original conditions.
Remediation - is an approach applied in those cases where environmental changes are irreversible and
catchment conditions no longer support aquatic ecosystem functioning. The remediation goal is to improve
ecological conditions of the aquatic ecosystem, which may not lead to a state resembling the original state of
the stream. It means that after the remediation process we can obtain a new ecosystem, different from the
original one (Lovett and Edgar, 2002).
Criteria for making a decision should balance potential increase of ecological benefits (and possibly of human well-
being) and spatial, demographic, and economic limitations together with economic gains and losses.
Resources:
Breil, P., Marsalek, J., Wagner, I., Dogse, P. 2007. Introduction to Urban Aquatic Habitats Management. In Wagner, I. ,
Marshalek, J. and Breil, P. (eds). Aquatic Habitats in Sustainable Urban Water Management: Science, Policy and
Practice. Taylor and Francis/Balkema: Leiden .
Pinkham, R., 2004. 21st Century Water Systems: Scenarios, Visions, and Drivers.
http://www.rmi.org/images/other/Water/W99-21_21CentWaterSys.pdf. Rocky Mountain Institute,
Snowmass, Colorado
Lafont, M., Vivier, A., Nogueira, S., Namour, P. & Breil, P. 2006. Surface and hyporheic Oligochaete assemblages in a
French suburban stream. Hydrobiologia 564: 183-193.
Lovett, S. and Edgar, B. 2002. 'Planning for river restoration', Fact Sheet 9, Land & Water Australia, Canberra
Zalewski, M. 2006. Ecohydrology - an interdisciplinary tool for integrated protection and management of water bodies.
Arch. Hydrobiol. Suppl. 158/4, p:613-622
Zalewski M. & Wagner I. 2006. Ecohydrology - the use of water and ecosystem processes for healthy urban
environments. Aquatic Habitats in Integrated Urban Water Management. Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology. Vol. 5. No 4,
263-268
Ecohydrology for Urban Aquatic Habitats From the point of view of environmental science, urban environment can be
considered as a highly condensed anthropogenic system, which is organised for efficient flow of water, matter, energy
and information. This extremely productive "organism" can efficiently provide the services required by the society such
as safe drinking water and efficient sewerage, which is very important due to very high population density. However,
increase of society's education and environmental awareness rises also the public demand for improvement of the
quality of life. Therefore other expectations, depending to a great extent on proper ecosystem functioning, appear.
These include ecosystem services such as those determining human safety (e.g., mitigation of floods), health (e.g.,
water quality improvement by self-purification, clean air), as well as those fulfilling materialistic and spiritual aspirations
- high quality living space, recreational areas and aesthetic values. The services depend to a great extent on the
functioning of aquatic ecosystems and their ability to cope with high impacts, determined among others by the size and
distribution of "green areas". However low availability and high prices of land in cites make maximising environmental
amenities at low management a real challenge for any society. Therefore one of the alternative solutions is increasing
the absorbing capacity of ecosystems, in order to improve their ability for coping with the highly condensed human
impacts in urban areas. The methods for achieving this are implicitly provided by the main principle of ecohydrology
(Zalewski et al., 1997), which postulates to "use ecosystem properties as a management tool" for enhancement the
efficiency of some regulatory processes. The solutions have to be synergistically integrated into the city "system" by
their harmonisation with engineering solutions.
Ecohydrology is a scientific concept, which quantifies and explains relationships between hydrological processes and
biotic dynamics at a catchment scale, and is applied to solving environmental problems (e.g., Zalewski 2006). It has
been defined as a sub-discipline of hydrology focused on ecological aspects of the water cycle. This concept is based
upon the assumption that sustainable development of water resources is dependent on the ability to restore and
maintain the evolutionarily established processes of water and nutrient circulation and energy flows at the catchment
scale.
The expression a "green city" is synonymous with the notion of a healthy urban environment with a high quality of life.
Moreover, it implicitly means that a significant part of the urbanised space is covered by semi-natural terrestrial and
aquatic ecosystems. Freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems have an excellent potential for moderation and control of
the water cycle and pollution that should be considered while management plans are being developed. Such areas in
cities provide citizens not only with regulatory ecosystem services, but also aesthetic, cultural and recreational values.
However first and foremost improve human health in direct and indirect ways. There is growing evidence that higher
and more stable moisture of the city air reduces the amount of dust which in turn reduces asthma, allergies and other
related diseases. Also the opportunities for recreation in green areas are important for the proper physical and
psychological regeneration of inhabitants.
Rehabilitation of a municipal river: an example of possible multidimensional benefits for the urban environment and the
society
Well-managed water habitats are visually the most attractive elements of modern cities landscapes, and are usually
considered by city planners as "axes" or "nucleii" around which individual green areas and urbanised spaces are
functionally organised (e.g., Day et al., 2005; Tezer, 2005; Braioni et al., 2006). They improve the quality of life and
human health and accelerate the city development, by attracting creative and innovative leaders.
Resources:
Zalewski M., Wagner I. 2007. Ecohydrology of Urban Aquatic Ecosystems for Healthy Cities In: Wagner, I. ,
Marshalek, J. and Breil, P. (eds). Aquatic Habitats in Sustainable Urban Water Management: Science, Policy
and Practice. Taylor and Francis/Balkema: Leiden.
Braioni M.G., Braioni A., Salmoiraghi G., 2006. A model for the integrated management of river ecosystems.
Verh. Internat.Verein. Limnol., 29 (4): 2115-2123.
Day, E., Ractliffe, G. and Wood, J. 2005. An audit of the ecological implications of remediation, management
and conservation or urban aquatic habitats in Cape Town, South Africa, with reference to their social and
ecological contexts. Ecohydrology and hydrobiology. Vol 5:4.
Tezer, A. 2005. "The Urban Biosphere Reserve (UBR) concept for sustainable use and protection of urban
aquatic habitats: case of the Omerli Watershed, Istanbul" Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp.
309-320.
Zalewski, M. 2006. Ecohydrology - an interdisciplinary tool for integrated protection and management of water
bodies. Arch. Hydrobiol. Suppl. 158/4, p:613-622
Zalewski, M., Janauer, G.A. & Jolankai, G. 1997. Ecohydrology. A new paradigm for the sustainable use of
aquatic resources. UNESCO IHP Technical Document in Hydrology No. 7.; IHP - V Projects 2.3/2.4, UNESCO
Paris, 60 pp.
No. : 7
Name of activity: Urban aquatic habitats in integrated urban water management
Objective: Improved knowledge and methodological base for the integration of
urban aquatic habitats and water based amenities into urban water
development and management strategies. Testing of methodologies in
selected case studies.
Description: Methodological development of socio-ecological indices for
environmental health and water interactions in different
environments towards creation of healthy urban aquatic habitats
Environment friendly urban water system analysis, design and
management, taking in consideration habitat issues,
geomorphology / wetlands in urban areas
Quantification, characterisation innovation of amenities
corridors and buffer zones under particular bio-climate and bio-
geographic condition (eco-regions) including remediation
scenario for recreation in urban areas.
Development of urban water amenities systems (urban ponds
and lakes, enclosed water bodies, coastal areas);
Performance of source control, urban amenity and urban
ecological habitats systems under specific climate conditions
(HT, ASA, CC and TC)
Expected results: Guidelines for planning and management of urban aquatic habitats and
water amenities as a part of regional and local economic development.
Beneficiary groups: Member countries, water and environment professional, urban and
environmental planners
Expected executing
and supporting MAB, UNEP, SCOPE
partners:
Proposed
(co-ordinator - pending), Dreiseitl (member), P. Dogse (member), J.
co-ordinator/focal
Celecia (member)
point:
No. : 1
Data requirements management for integrated urban water
Name of activity:
management
Objective: Reliability and availability of data is a prerequisite for quality urban
water analysis of performance planning of rehabilitation and
management.
The project will result in a consistent methodology for data
gathering, processing, and quantification of uncertainty and
application under specific climate conditions.
Description: Assessment of requirements of natural, climate,
infrastructure, urban water balance (spatial and temporal
distribution) social and economic data for integrated urban
water management
Development of urban water information system (including
water withdrawals and consumption, impacts, descriptors of
receiving water and their ecosystem)
Establishment data structure for special utilisation: resources
assessment and quantification, planning, modelling,
managing under specific climates: humid tropics, arid and
semi-arid, cold and temperate (HT, ASA, CC and TC).
No. : 2
Name of activity: Processes and interactions in the urban water cycle
Objective: Improved understanding of processes that take place in urban
environment, and of the interactions of natural suburban,
rural and urban environments for the successful analysis,
planning, development and management of urban water
systems
Development of the innovative analytical tools to address the
problems of spatial, temporal variability
Assessment of the potential effects of climate variations and
changes on urban water systems
Implementation
--
strategy:
Implementation
--
mechanism:
Expected results: Manual of water and environment sensitive urban development
Beneficiary groups: Urban planners and urban water managers
Expected executing and IAHS, MAB, BAC, WWC, FRIEND, HELP, IAH, IOC, UNEP-
supporting partners: GPA, IHP National Committees, RUCMW Tehran
Duration/schedule: --
Proposed
co-ordinator/focal J. Marsalek (Co-ordinator), A. Malmquist (member)
point:
Financial implications: --
No. : 3
Name of activity: Towards sustainable urban groundwater management
Objective: Enhanced understanding of the role and the interactions of
groundwater in the urban environment for sustainable integrated
strategies
Description: Evaluation and further development, including analysis of case
studies, of approaches for the assessment of groundwater quantity
(spatial and temporal distribution), quality (including pollution and
contamination), susceptibility to over-exploitation and control of
pollution sources
Specific issues which will be addressed are:
Beneficiary groups: Urban water research and professional community in the areas facing
groundwater problems; public at large.
Expected executing
and supporting IAH,IOC, IAHR, BAC, JIIHP, IGCP
partners:
Duration/schedule: --
Proposed
D. Pokrajac (co-ordinator), Kinzelbach (member), Ken Howard (IAH
co-ordinator/focal
– Commission on Groundwater in Urban Areas)
point:
Financial
implications:
No. : 4
Integrated urban water system interactions:
Name of activity:
Complementarity among urban water services
Objective: Expanded knowledge base related to the interactions of man-made
systems in the urban environment and development applicable tools
and approaches for analysis such as:
Implementation
Multidisciplinary working group
strategy:
Implementation Seminar on integrated urban water system interaction. The seminar
mechanism: will focus on evaluation tools for urban water and waste interactions,
as well as wastewater separation and pollution control in households.
Document tools (paper and computer models)
Expected results: Planning guidelines and toll kits for selecting future technology for
urban water supply and sanitation (software basis)
Beneficiary groups: Water and environment professionals (Professional NGOs)
Expected executing IWA, MAB, National IHP Committees, COST, at Regional level
and supporting RCUWM
partners: Tehran
Duration/schedule: 5 years
Proposed Mogens Henze (co-ordinator), Peter Steen Mikkelsen (Technical
co-ordinator/focal University of Danemark), Niels Thygesen (Danish University
point: Consortium for Env. and Devt. of Urban Areas and industry, Ahmad
Abrishamchi, Massoud Tajrishi (Sharif Univ. of Tech. Iran). Other
potential participants: Ralf Otterpohl (Hamburg Technical
University) and Takashi Asano (UC Davis).
Financial
implications:
No. : 5
Integrated urban water modelling and management under
Name of activity: specific climates: humid tropics(HT), arid and semiarid climates
(ASA), cold climates (CC) and temperate climates (TC)
Objective: Strengthening the analytical framework for integrated urban water
management under specific climates, with special focus on
developing countries
Description: Development of methodologies for evaluation of models for
analysis of performance: formulation and quantification of
performance indicators, optimisation by taking account
economic evaluation
Development of analytic framework for urban, peri-urban
and rural water interactions under specific climates
Development of tools for holistic modelling and operational
management of water based systems
Sensitivity and parameter analysis for hydrological
modelling under specific climate conditions
Environmental impact assessment of separate urban water
components
Environmental impact under integrated effects of Urban
Water Systems
Implementation
--
strategy:
Implementation Series of selected case studies in specific climate conditions – co-
mechanism: ordinated by IRTCUD / CUW units and other UNESCO regional
centres
Organisation of workshop
Expected results: Guidelines, modelling tools and teaching materials
Beneficiary groups: Water and environment professional, professional NGOs
Expected executing and IWA, MAB, HELP, ESCAP
supporting partners:
Duration/schedule: --
Proposed Carlos Tucci (co-ordinator), Ahmad Abrishamchi, S. Simonovic
co-ordinator/focal IRTCUD / CUW network: Norway, Yugoslavia, Egypt and
point: RCUWM -Tehran Regional Center for Urban Water Management.
Other potential participant: Jay Lund (UC Davis).
Financial implications: --
No. : 6
Name of activity: Urban water security, human health and disaster prevention
Objective: Provide criteria and problem solving approaches to enhance water
related security in the urban environment under present day and
future emerging threats
Description: Identification and quantification of the key aspects affecting
water security in cities
Outbreaks (water quality jeopardising) in drinking water
distribution system, technologies for safe drinking water
(modelling & management)
Urban water system and health hazards – identification of
security aspects of water resources management and
assessment of impacts of biotic (microbiological) and
abiotic pollution (heavy metals) on human health
Methodological development of socio-ecological indices for
environmental health and water interactions in urban area
Assessment of societal impacts (i.e. population, economic,
health, security issues) of future imbalances in the global
distribution of water supply and use in conjunction with
Theme 1
Identification of causes, analysis, mapping and mitigation of
natural disasters (floods, landslides, deliberate disasters-
sabotage) affecting urban water services.
Implementation Development and testing of tools for health and security risk
strategy: reduction under various climate, economic and social conditions.
Implementation
Problem identification, implementation of the developed tools.
mechanism:
Expected results: Regional reports (joint product with WHO/other international
partners), problem solving and awareness raising tools
Beneficiary groups: General public, NGOs working in public health domain,
Expected executing and WHO, MOST, UNDP, ISDR, IGCP, BAC, ESCAP, WB,
supporting partners: UNU/INWEH, RCUWM Tehran
Duration/schedule: --
Proposed
co-ordinator/focal Ivanildo Hespanhol (Brazil) , Tuula Tuhkanen (Finland)
point:
Financial implications:
No. : 8
Socio-economic and institutional aspects in urban water
Name of activity:
management
Objective: Expand capabilities of urban water decision-makers, planners and
managers by advising appropriate strategies for urban water
management taking into account social and institutional aspects.
Description: Development of sound strategies for realising sustainable water use
to ensure service equity and alleviate poverty considering:
No. : 9
Name of activity: Urban water education, training and technology transfer
Objective: Strengthening the ways and means of providing urban water
education and training. The new paradigm in integrated urban water
management requires top-level decision-makers, urban water and
environmental professionals to have access to up-to-date knowledge
and technologies. The project will compile the existing and create
new training tools, including the providing of basic management
knowledge for municipal professionals
Description: Strengthening of the global network of urban water centres
Development of research and training method in cooperation
with Delft, IRTCUD/CUW, Regional centres: Tehran, Kuala
Lumpur, Cairo, Porto Alegre, Belgrade, Trondheim, UNU
Integration, customisation and production of new tools and
training on use of new tools
Application of the tools in target oriented training actions,
TETT, IAHR/IWA
Continuing education and training for selected target groups
Implementation
--
strategy:
Implementation Series of training courses and awareness raising actions (including
mechanism: briefing sessions for top-level decision-makers).
Expected results: Consolidated sets of training tools tested and applied in selected
courses at various levels
Beneficiary groups: Member countries, water and environment professional
Expected executing IHE - Delft, IRTCUD/CUW, Regional centres: Tehran, Kuala
and supporting Lumpur, Cairo, Porto Alegre, Belgrade, Trondheim, Sofia, , UNU,
partners: UNICEF, UNEP-IETC, WET, WB
Duration/schedule: 6 years
Proposed
Cedo Maksimovic, Jonathan Parkinson, UNU, IHE, et regional level
co-ordinator/focal
RCUWM-Tehran
point:
Financial
implications:
Current Population of India in 2010 is around 1,150,000,000 (1.15 billion) people. Currently, India is second
largest country in the world after China in terms of population. By 2030, the population of India will be largest in
the world estimated to be around 1.53 billion. There has been rapid increase in Indian population in the last 60
years. Population of India at the time of Independence was only 350 million. So Indian Population has increased
more than three times.
Demographics of Asia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Demographics of Asia refers to the human population of Asia. The continent covers
29.4% of the Earth's land area and has a population of almost 4 billion - accounting for about
56% of the world population. Together, China's and India's populations are estimated to be
around 2.5 billion people.
Population
Main article: List of Asian countries by population
[edit] Economy
Further information: Economy of Asia
Economically, most of Asia is traditionally considered part of the "Second World", with the
significant exception of the industrialized "First World" nations of Japan, South Korea and
Turkey. Asian nations in the G20 major economies are China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, Saudi
Arabia, South Korea and Turkey. Of these, Russia and Japan are also in the G8, and additionally
China and India in the G8+5.
Six Asian countries / regions are on the IMF advanced economy list: South Korea Hong
Kong, China Israel Taiwan Japan Singapore.
The Human Development Index is mostly in the "medium" range of 0.5-0.8, with 13 countries in
the "high" range:
[edit] highest HDIs [edit] 10 lowest HDIs
Rank Rank
High Medium
[edit] Ethnicities
Main article: Ethnic groups of Asia
List of Chinese ethnic groups (historical), Sino-Tibetan peoples, Japanese people, Koreans
Northern Asia: List of indigenous peoples of Russia: Indigenous peoples of Siberia; Finno-Ugric
peoples
Ethnic groups of South Asia: Ethnic groups of India, Ethnic groups in Pakistan, Dravidians,
Indo-Aryans, Munda people
Ethnic groups of Southeast Asia: List of ethnic groups in Cambodia, ethnic groups in Indonesia,
List of ethnic groups in Laos, Ethnic groups of the Philippines, List of ethnic groups in Vietnam;
Austronesian peoples, Tai peoples
Ethnic groups of the Middle East: Peoples of the Caucasus (transcontinental), Ethnic
minorities in Iran, Ethnic minorities in Iraq; Semites, Iranian peoples, Turkmen, Turks
This is a list of Asian countries by population. It is sourced from the global list of countries by
population as of December 2007.
A part of Kazakhstan which lie within Europe is included here. Cyprus, on the other hand, is
normally included in Europe for political and cultural reasons, and is therefore excluded from
this list, although it is traditionally considered part of Asia geographically.
- Asia 3,776,000,000
3 Indonesia 231,627,000
4 Pakistan 161,998,000
5 Bangladesh 158,665,000
6 Japan 127,718,000
7 Philippines 88,706,300
8 Vietnam 87,375,000
9 Iran 71,208,000
10 Thailand 62,828,706
11 Myanmar 48,798,000
13 Iraq 28,993,000
14 Nepal 28,196,000
15 Malaysia 27,544,000
16 Uzbekistan 27,372,000
17 Afghanistan 27,145,000
21 Syria 22,198,110[2]
22 Yemen 20,727,063
24 Kazakhstan 15,422,000
25 Cambodia 14,444,000
26 Israel 7,208,520
28 Tajikistan 6,736,000
29 Jordan 5,924,000
30 Laos 5,859,000
31 Kyrgyzstan 5,317,000
32 Turkmenistan 4,965,000
33 Singapore 4,436,000
35 Lebanon 4,099,000
37 Kuwait 2,851,000
38 Mongolia 2,629,000
39 Oman 2,595,000
41 Qatar 841,000
42 Bahrain 753,000
43 Bhutan 658,000
45 Brunei 390,000
46 Maldives 306,000
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