| ign="center"> | | | | among which is a focus on improving the lives of the |
| China and India have improved the lives of more slum | | | | poor, have resulted in a reduction in the number of |
| dwellers than any other country, the United Nations | | | | slum dwellings,â the report said. |
| Human Settlements Program newly launched State of | | | | A strategy of enabling slum dwellers to gain access to |
| the World Cities 2010/2011 report said. | | | | more than 20 million new and affordable housing units |
| UN-HABITATâs report, which was launched in | | | | has been particularly successful. âThe state |
| Nairobi on Monday night, says that the two countries | | | | did this by using equity grants as a mortgage to get |
| have lifted at least 125 million out of slums between | | | | leases on cheap housing built by developers and by |
| 1990 and 2010. | | | | giving developers special tax rates to encourage |
| âChinaâs achievement has been the | | | | development of cheap homes,â the report |
| most spectators, with improvements to the daily | | | | said. |
| conditions of 65.3 million urban residents who were | | | | According to UN-HABITAT, India has lifted 59.7 million |
| deprived of shelter,â the report said. | | | | people out of slums conditions since 2000. Slum |
| Proportionally, Chinaâs urban population living in | | | | prevalence fell from 41.5 percent in 1990 to 28.1 |
| slums fell from 37.3 percent in 2000 to some 28.2 | | | | percent in 2010. This is a relative decrease of 32 |
| percent in 2010, a relative decrease of 25 percent. | | | | percent, âLessening poverty and improving |
| Overall, the report finds that 227 million people in the | | | | conditions in slums are part of Indiaâs urban |
| world have moved out of slum conditions since 2000. | | | | development policy.â |
| At the same time, the study also stresses that 55 | | | | India achieved this by improving the skills of the urban |
| million new slum dwellers have been added to the | | | | poor in their chosen businesses and by providing |
| global urban population since 2000. | | | | micro-credit loans and basic services within slum |
| The report uses the framework of âThe | | | | settlements the report said. |
| Urban Divideâ to analyze complex social, | | | | Increasing urbanization has led to a growth in new |
| political, economic and cultural dynamics of urban | | | | slum- dwellers, and the total number of people now |
| environments. The number of people living in slums | | | | living in crowded, substandard housing, often without |
| rose from 777 million in 2000 to 830 million in 2010 the | | | | safe drinking water and sanitation, has increased by |
| report found. Unless urgent steps are taken, | | | | nearly 55 million since 2000. |
| UN-HABITAT warned, that number could rise to 900 | | | | The worldwide number of slum-dwellers now stands |
| million in 2020. | | | | at 827 million and is on course to grow to 889 million |
| The report stated that Beijing has done a good job | | | | by 2020. |
| improving the living conditions of its poorest citizens by | | | | This article was written for the Asia business news |
| embracing economic reforms and implementing | | | | blog, The blog is contributed to by the China business |
| modernization policies that have used urbanization to | | | | experts at Dezan Shira & Associates, who maintain |
| drive national growth. âIts pro-growth policies, | | | | accountants in China, India and Vietnam. |