UNESCAP

A Matter of Rights

Urban Development

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21. The scavenger children -- Poor, scavenger children in many parts of Asia help keep cities clean by picking and recycling garbage generated by the use-and-throw, consumer society. But often the social, economic and physical price paid by these children can be extremely heavy. On a routine basis the children are exposed to various occupational hazards, extortion by criminal gangs, and abuse by police authorities. This report highlights their problems and shows efforts by one NGO to help such children. (Cambodia, Philippines)

22. From garbage to gold -- Most mega-cities in the Asian and Pacific region share the problem of collecting and disposing of garbage generated by their teeming populations. In Mumbai, India, a non-government organization called Mahila Milan has come up with a unique method of turning garbage collection into an income generation scheme for slum youth who would otherwise be unemployed. The youth teams recycle garbage and thereby help themselves, the city municipal authorities, ordinary citizens, and in a small but significant way, the ecology of Planet Earth. (India)

23. Highways of death -- It is a shocking fact that road accidents kill more people in developing countries every year than war and disease. In Asia alone 400,000 people are killed on the roads annually and more than four million injured. While there are various reasons for the increasing number of accidents, the root cause is a lack of concern for safety and life of individual citizens. The report highlights how road accidents are a violation of the human being’s fundamental right to life. (Thailand)

24. Anticipating urban disasters -- Many environmental problems in the major urban centres of Asia are often directly or indirectly related to the geological and hydrological conditions beneath and around the cities. The discipline of “urban geo-sciences” attempts to solve these problems. Cyberjaya and Putrajaya, two new “high tech” cities coming up outside the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, were built with extensive use of geological information to make them safe and sound for their occupants. (Malaysia)

25. Travails of the trishaw -- In most mega-cities of Asia, from Manila to Mumbai, thousands of commuters depend on non-motorized transport to reach their destinations every day. As the least costly mode of travel, though sometimes unpleasant and dangerous, such transport delivers an essential service. Yet many Governments associate these forms of transportation with poverty, and attempt to abolish them altogether. This report shows how if properly developed and improved, they could become an environment-friendly alternative to the usual fuel-guzzling options. (Bangladesh, India)