Urban population dropped?

Drop in urban population, says report

By Sarasi Paranamanna Sri Lanka’s urban population has decreased from 3.2 million to 2.9 million – a fall from 18.6% to 14.3% of the entire population – within a period of 20 years from 1990 to 2010, according to State of Asian Cities Report 2010/11. However, the report that was launched at the Asia Pacific Urban Forum on June 23, 2011 in Bangkok, also says that this phenomenon is more to do with the definition of ‘urban’ used in the country than an actual decrease. The report states that Sri Lanka only refers to the areas included in its cities’ administrative boundaries as ‘urban.’ “If Sri Lanka were to apply the concept of ‘urban agglomeration’ to its dense settlements, as is the case with India and other Asian countries, its urbanisation rate might be as high as 48 per cent,” the report states. Commenting on the phenomenon, Laxman Perera, UN HABITAT Programme Manager for Sri Lanka noted, “Every global report takes into account the national census of each country. However, our national census might not present the exact scenario in our country because the categorisation of urban and rural cities is based on a purely theoretical definition,” he said. He went on to say that since Sri Lanka has municipalities and pradeshiya sabhas, the definition of urban cities might not be entirely practical. He pointed out that in reality the population might have actually increased because most pradehsiya sabhas carry characteristics of urban cities. “To define a city as an urban city several factors are taken into consideration including facts such as the lifestyles of the city’s population, availability of basic facilities. But because of this categorisation as pradehsiya sabhas and municipalities the actual urban population might have not been really considered,” he said. During the discussion held in line with the State of Asian Cities report, at the UN Head Office Sri Lanka, it was pointed out that the figure showing a decrease in urban population might have adverse effects on Sri Lanka. Perera pointed out that it will be disadvantageous for Sri Lanka as foreign investors will see Sri Lanka as a country with a majority of rural areas. Further the realistic issues pertaining to urbanisation such as increase of density, water and sanitation issues might be neglected. International policy development specialist Leo Fonseka noted that the figure would not only affect Sri Lanka’s results in other global surveys but politically, it will lead to a justification of promoting the rural areas as the better solution when the whole world is in the process of urbanisation. The State of Asian Cities Report also pointed out that Sri Lanka’s urban poverty has soared up to 60%. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are the only countries in Asia where urban poverty has ascended. Bangladesh’s urban poverty rate bears a figure of 25%. Source: http://www.nation.lk/2011/06/26/news16.htm