Human Settlements works to reduce poverty and improve health and housing conditions in the urban centres of Latin America, Asia and Africa. It seeks to combine this with promoting good governance and more ecologically sustainable patters of urban development.

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Study warns of failure to plan for rapid urbanisation in developing nations

Submitted by Mike on Fri, 06/08/2010 - 09:46

Research reveals Brazil’s lessons for countries in Africa and Asia

Governments in Africa and Asia must embrace and plan for rapid urbanisation or risk harming the future prospects of hundreds of millions of their citizens — with knock-on effects worldwide — warns a study published by IIED and UNFPA (the UN Population Fund) on 6 August 2010.

'Population Dynamics and Climate Change' book

Climate change is already impacting populations and ecosystems around the globe and threatens to set back develoment efforts by decades, profoundly affecting us all.  The defining challenge of the 21st century is to combine a rapid reduction in poverty and inequiality with a rapid reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions. Meeting this challenge requires an understanding of how the size, structure and dynamics of human populations influence, and are influenced by, our changing climate.

Local Organizations - Introduction

These pages focus on the role of local organizations in development and environmental management. Many profiles of local organizations can be downloaded at no charge.

Innovative design could transform urban planning in developing countries

Submitted by Mike on Thu, 18/03/2010 - 14:55

A new vision of urban planning that could positively transform the way cities grow across the developing world in the 21st Century was presented in a study issued today.

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