Rapid urbanisation: An unsustainable trend if not managed: expert

The country is simultaneously witnessing, economic, rural-urban and environmental migration. If not tailored, these trends will become unsustainable. These views were expressed by French writer and publisher Prof Olivier Mongin, in a lecture titled ‘Globalisation, Urbanisation and Cities,’ organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute on Thursday. He said the country needs to address forests, deserts and countryside devastated by the rural-urban exodus. Mongin said South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are experiencing rapid urbanisation. In Africa, this trend has devastated agriculture; the same outcome would have a crippling effect in Pakistan, where agriculture is the backbone of the economy, he said. Rapid globalisation also necessitates the transportation of goods and services, which have become central to growth. “With 85 per cent of freight being transported through marine routes, major transportation hubs have been created in port cities like Dubai, Singapore and Doha,” he said.