World Bank report: South Asia has struggled to make most of urbanisation

Annette Dixon, vice-president for the South Asia Region of the World Bank calls for undertaking reforms

NEW DELHI:

Although they have made progress, South Asian countries have struggled to make the most of the opportunity urbanisation provides them to transform their economies to join the ranks of richer nations, says a World Bank report released Thursday.

Difficulty in dealing with the pressures that increased urban populations put on infrastructure, basic services, land, housing and the environment have fostered what the report calls “messy and hidden” urbanisation.

“If managed well, urbanisation can lead to sustainable growth by increasing productivity,” said World Bank Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

Annette Dixon, vice-president for the South Asia Region of the World Bank, said policymakers in the region face a choice:  Continue with the same policies or undertake reforms to tap into the unrealised potential of South Asia’s cities. 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2015.

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