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How Megacities Can Hurt Development

Megacities
Mumbai, like Jakarta, Dhaka, Kinshasa and many others, is facing a population explosion of unprecedented size. These rapidly expanding ‘megacities’ are raising concerns from economists, urban planners and other experts.

A ‘megacity’ is any city with a population greater than 10 million. In 1990, there were only 10 megacities in the world, and combined, they housed about seven percent of the global population.

By 2014, the number of megacities had grown to 28, and 12 percent of the global population lives in one.

It is projected that by 2030, there will be 41 megacities. Today, just over half of the world’s population lives in cities or urban areas, but by 2050, that proportion is expected to swell to 66 percent. Most of that growth is expected to happen in Asia and Africa, specifically in lower-income countries. India, China and Nigeria will together account for 37 percent of all urbanization growth.

John Wilmoth, director of U.N. DESA’s Population Division, stated that “Managing urban areas has become one of the most important development challenges of the 21st century. Our success or failure in building sustainable cities will be a major factor in the success of the post-2015 UN development agenda.”

The recent increase in the rate of urbanization is unprecedented, but the causes are fairly clear. People flock to cities for jobs, amenities, healthcare, education and security. Cities often have better public transportation, better-paying jobs and a more resilient job market than rural areas. In some countries, cities are more likely to have a working sanitation system, electricity and Internet access.

Unfortunately, not all who move into megacities find what they are looking for. Many megacities are in developing countries, and their governments have been unwilling or unable to match the expansion of public services to the expansion of population these megacities have faced.

The result is living conditions that might politely be called ‘Dickensian.’ Currently, one in every thirty city dwellers lacks clean water. One in fifteen lack adequate sanitation, and one in six lives in a city with unhealthy air quality. Sexually transmitted diseases like AIDs are an ever-present threat, as is urban violence and theft. Many areas in megacities are structurally unsound, having been built quickly and sloppily, or having been assembled out of refuse by its inhabitants.

Megacities are also facing an ‘invisible epidemic’ of road-related injuries. As the number of cars and drivers grows faster than the infrastructure can support, more and more people are suffering from serious accidents. By one estimate, developing countries account for 85 percent of the world’s traffic fatalities.

Residents of the megacities themselves are not the only ones suffering negative consequences for their inefficiencies. Most megacities are growing so fast that infrastructure, when it is considered, must take precedence over the environment. This means that megacities usually have enormous carbon footprints. Traffic congestion, inadequate waste management and poor regulation make megacities huge sources of greenhouse gases, toxic chemicals and garbage.

Megacities will not stop growing, but perhaps if people invested more in infrastructure and services, they could grow into places that are pleasant to live in.

– Marina Middleton

Sources: National Academy of Engineering, Forbes, Utne, U.N., The Moscow Times, City Mayors
Photo: Flickr

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Sugar to Reduce Carbon Footprint

carbon footprint
It is a bold and innovative plan. A plan to reduce an entire country’s carbon footprint to almost zero, and Ethiopia plans on achieving it by 2025.  The scheme currently set into motion centers entirely around sugar.

Day to day life in Ethiopia relies heavily on sugar, from drinks to pastries, many of the daily activities of life require sugar.  So much so that Ethiopia can’t meet its own sugar demands and has to import 200,000 tons of sugar a year. The rising costs of petroleum used to refine the sugar has also increased the cost of sugar. Ethiopia does not produce its own oil and has to import petroleum as well.

Six years ago, the country decided to solve its own problems. It implemented hydroelectric, geothermal and wind energy. Ethiopia found it could produce molasses as a byproduct of sugar refinement. This molasses can then be turned into an ethanol-based bio-fuel. Co-generation, which is the use of agricultural waste to create energy, began to be explored as well.

There are currently three sugar plants in full production, which produce over 300,000 tons of sugar a year as well as 62MW of electricity due to co-generation and ethanol production. These numbers are a significant increase since the program began, when half of all power was used by the plant.

Gossaye Mengiste, Ethiopia’s Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy, believes the country has the potential to produce 600MW of electricity once the 13 factories are complete.” Once complete, all 16 factories, including the three already in production,  are slated to generate enough exportable sugar to give it an earning projection of $300 million for the country.

In addition to making up the sugar deficit, there are almost no emissions produced by these sugar-based bio fuels when used in cars, stoves and generators. The elimination of car emissions is one of the biggest steps to reducing the country’s carbon footprint and achieving its stated goal of zero emissions by 2025.

These ambitious talks have come under fire by some, who say that it is a “condescending plan drawn up mainly by people living in highland areas but affecting the lowland population.” Sugar plantations require huge tracts of land. Pastoralists are the ones to which many officials are turning. The pastoralist people are southern nomadic groups that herd grazing animals from pasture to pasture. They comprise roughly 11 percent of the population and use about 63 percent of the land.

The Ethiopian Sugar Development Agency cautioned the government about this as early as 2008 saying, “Government’s strong support in clearly defining the policy with respect to bagasse energy development is critical to the successful achievements of substituting bagasse cogeneration for imported fossil fuels or diversifying electric energy source based on renewable energy source.”

– Frederick Wood II

Sources: New Agriculture Trust, ESI-Africa, Gasand Oil
Photo: Flickr

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Ethiopian Sugar to Reduce Carbon Footprint

carbon footprint
Ethiopia has a bold and innovative plan to reduce the entire country’s carbon footprint to almost zero, and the country plans on achieving it by 2025.  The plan, currently set into motion, centers entirely around sugar.

Ethiopia’s day to day life relies heavily on sugar for their tea, coffee and cooking.  So much so that Ethiopia can’t meet its own sugar demands and has to import 200,000 tons of sugar a year. The cost of petroleum, used to refine the sugar, has also risen. Ethiopia does not produce its own oil and has to import petroleum, pushing the cost of sugar even higher.

Six years ago, the country turned to itself to solve its own problems. Implementing hydro-electric, geothermal, and wind energy, but Ethiopia found it could also produce molasses as a byproduct of sugar refinement. This molasses can then be turned into an ethanol based bio-fuel. Co-generation, which is the use of agricultural waste to create energy, began to be explored as well.

There are currently three sugar plants in full production producing over 300,000 tons of sugar a year as well as 62MW of electricity due to co-generation and ethanol production. These numbers are a significant increase since the program began when half of all power was used by the plant.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. “Ethiopia’s Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy, Gossaye Mengiste, was reported as saying that the country has the potential to produce 600MW of electricity once the 13 factories, currently under construction are complete.” Once complete the 16 factories are slated to generate exportable sugar quantity in excess of its 200,000 tons it already imports. This will give Ethiopia projection earnings of $300 million.

More importantly than making up the sugar deficit, the emissions produced by these sugar-based bio fuels, when used in cars, stoves and generators, are nearly zero.  The elimination of car emissions is one of the biggest steps to reducing the country’s carbon footprint and achieving its stated goal of zero emissions by 2025.

These ambitious talks have come under fire by some who say that it is a “condescending plan drawn up mainly by people living in highland areas but affecting the lowland population.” Sugar plantations require huge tracts of land. Many officials are turning to pastoralists to solve this problem.  The pastoralist people are southern nomadic groups that herd grazing animals from pasture to pasture.  They comprise roughly 11 percent of the population and use about 63 percent of the land.

The Ethiopian Sugar Development Agency cautioned the government about this as early as 2008, saying, “Government’s strong support in clearly defining the policy with respect to bagasse energy development is critical to the successful achievements of substituting bagasse cogeneration for imported fossil fuels or diversifying electric energy source based on renewable energy source.”

– Frederick Wood II

Sources: New Agriculturist, Reuters, ESI-AFRICA
Photo: AFK Insider

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IFC Invests in Fluidic Energy Climate-Smart Batteries

IFC
Energy is tantamount to the development of poor nations. Several sectors rely on energy — from lighting schools and hospitals, powering farms, manufacturing facilities, maintaining water sanitation plants to keeping emerging businesses afloat. Mobile telecommunications has become a fundamental part of successful business — especially, the business of global development.

IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, plans to invest $7 million to the clean energy company, Fluidic Energy, which is a company for the research and development of new climate-smart batteries that power cellular phone networks in developing countries. The rechargeable energy sources are promised to be a solution that is both cost-effective and power-efficient. As the technology will reduce costs of powering mobile networks in rural areas, the battery is also a cleaner alternative to diesel generators and lead-acid batteries. In result, it is less damaging to the environment for it leaves a smaller carbon footprint.

The technology is currently used in Indonesia and other South East Asian countries. The hope is that the technology will branch out into the rest of Asia and South America. Fluidic Energy, the Arizona-based company, is a fine example of private businesses working in tandem with The World Bank Group for the common goal of global development.

Providing sustainable energy to telecommunications is a development that is promised to open new frontiers in other sectors where sustainable energy can be a progressive alternative.

– Malika Gumpangkum

Sources: IFCPressRoom, thegef
Photo: Panos

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint by Celebrating Ramadan

Ramadan_Carbon_Footprint
This year, the United Arab Emirates will connect the religious period of Ramadan with the theme of World Environment Day, “reduce your footprint”. Traditionally a time of introspection, fasting, and prayer, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan is an important time of  year, and the impact of an environmental movement during this time could be very powerful.

The Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi has partnered with charitable organizations to donate 250 meals of untouched leftover food to homeless. The agency is committed to this goal for the next 5 years. The program will be introduced at the beginning of Ramadan and launched at the end of the month around August 7.

Organic waste accounts for nearly 395 of all total household waste in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. This organic waste actually increases the percentage of waste in landfills and leads to the increase in carbon emissions as well. According to UN experts, this type of waste in landfills emits large amounts of greenhouse gases. To combat this environmental issue, The Environmental Agency will use the month of Ramadan as a moral incentive to protect the environment by reducing food waste. Using a quote from the Quran, the agency encourages people to make only enough food for the guests at the table and to measure portions amongst other environmentally friendly actions.

By reducing food waste, more meals can be delivered to the poor.  Quattro Group, a food service company, will provide restaurants with 250 uneaten meals from cafes and restaurants. These meals will be given to the Saving Grace Project, which will then hand them over to low-income communities. The food-handling team has established a timetable to collect and distribute meals efficiently, as well as ensuring that health and safety are top priorities.

In addition to the food donation program, the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi has launched its own awareness campaign to encourage people throughout the country to consider waste when making food decisions. Fozeya Ibrahim Al Mahmoud, director of the agency’s environmental outreach division, has stated that waste reduction is vital for a nation with limited food and water resources. To Mahmoud and other, Ramadan is the ideal time to begin to instill a new culture of reducing food waste.

The campaign incorporates religious values with 10 tips on reducing your carbon footprint. Tips range from planning meals, avoiding grocery shopping when hungry, composting organic waste, to donating food to those in need.

– Grace Zhao

Sources: Muslim Village, The National
Photo: Washington Post