Sustainable Cities & Communities

Cities around the world are facing acute challenges in managing rapid urbanisation – from ensuring adequate housing and infrastructure to supporting growing populations while confronting the environmental impact of urban sprawl.

Between 2000 and 2014, the proportion of the global urban population living in slums dropped from 28.4% to 22.8%. However, the actual number of people living in slums increased from 807 million to 883 million.

Based on data collected for 214 cities, about 75% of municipal solid waste generated is collected.

In 2016, 91% of the urban population worldwide were breathing air that did not meet the World Health Organization air quality guidelines for particulate matter (PM 2.5). More than half were exposed to air pollution levels at least 2.5 times higher than the guidelines. As a result, an estimated 4.2 million people died as a result of high levels of ambient air pollution in 2016.

From 1990 to 2013, almost 90% of deaths attributed to internationally reported disasters occurred in low and middle-income countries.