# Presentation: 643011

## REGIONAL SLIDES

**REGIONAL SLIDES**

## Asia and the Pacific

**Asia and the Pacific**

- Beijing, China
- Delhi, India
- Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Karachi, Pakistan
- Sydney, Australia
- Tehran, Iran
- Dust Storms over China
- Bam Earthquake, Iran
- Indian Ocean Tsunami, Indian Sub-continent
- Drought in Australia, Australia
- Gangotri Glacier, India
- Landslide in Tibet, Tibet

## Asia and the Pacific

**Asia and the Pacific**

-  By 2015 Asian developing countries will hold three of the world’s five largest urban agglomerations: Mumbai, Dhaka and Delhi

-  Asia now holds 61 per cent of the global population and its share of the global urban population has risen from 9% in 1920 to 48% in 2000 and is expected to rise to 53% by 2030

*UNESCO 2006; UNISDR 2005*

-  Of all the world regions, developed and developing, Asia ranks lowest in almost all types of crime

-  Australia is the driest continent, and has one of the most variable rainfall climates in the world

** **Of the 10 countries most hit by natural disasters in 2005, 7 are in the Asian continent

**Notes:**
Asian developing countries will hold three of the world’s five largest urban agglomerations: Mumbai, Dhaka and Delhi 

## Explosive growth in Beijing, China

- Beijing, the capital city of China, is experiencing explosive growth since economic reforms in 1979

-  1978: Beijing in 1978

-  2000: Extent of urban expansion is clearly visible

**Notes:**
Beijing, the capital city of the People’s Republic of China, is located in the country’s northeastern corner, in the transition zone between the Inner Mongolia Plateau and the North China Plain. It is a city that has undergone tremendous change and explosive urban growth, since the start of economic reforms in 1979. The left-hand satellite image shows Beijing in 1978, just prior to the reforms. The light blue-gray area in the center of the image is the urban landscape of the city. The hills to the west are covered with deciduous forest, which appears green. The agricultural lands that lie around the city appear as muted red, orange, and golden yellow, depending on the crop (rice, winter wheat, or vegetables) and its stage of development. Beijing’s explosive growth is very obvious in the 2000 image. The city has expanded from its original center in all directions. Prime agricultural lands that once lay outside the city are now suburbs dominated by institutional, industrial, and residential buildings. In 2000, Beijing’s population was 13 million.

## Tremendous growth in Delhi and its suburbsIndia 

- 1977-1999: The population of Delhi was at 4.4 million in 1975 that grew to 12.4 million in 2000

- Tremendous growth in Delhi and its suburbsIndia

**Notes:**
India occupies only two per cent of the world’s total landmass. Yet it is home to 15 per cent of the world’s total population. Urban growth is characteristic of most Indian cities, with that of Delhi being especially dramatic, as these satellite images from 1977 and 1999 clearly show.  In 1975, Delhi had a population of 4.4 million people or 3.3 per cent of India’s entire urban population. In 2000, the city had 12.4 million inhabitants, or more than 4.5 per cent of the country’s urban population. Of the world’s 30 largest urban agglomerations, Delhi ranked 24th in 1975 and tenth in 2000.  By 2015, Delhi’s population is expected to be 20.9 million. In these images, urban areas appear in shades of gray and purple. Growth is especially noticeable in the suburbs and areas surrounding Delhi such as Ghaziabad, Faridabad, and Gurgaon. Rapid urbanization has placed tremendous pressure on land and water resources in and around Delhi.

## Phenomenal growth in Dhaka Bangladesh

- 1977-2000: the capital of Bangladesh, has grown from a city of 2.5 million to  more than 10 million

**Notes:**
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has undergone phenomenal growth since the country gained independence in 1971. It has grown from a city of 2.5 million inhabitants to one with a population of more than ten million. This increase represents an average population growth rate of about eight per cent annually. Dhaka is one of the poorest and most densely populated cities on the planet, with 6 545 people per square kilometre.
Following independence, urban areas expanded rapidly as they sought to become hubs of production and modernization. In the process, land use changed dramatically, as these images from 1977 and 2000 reveal. Dhaka is visible in the central portion of each image along the Turag River. Green areas represent forests and agricultural lands. White spots are planned areas of infrastructure. Urban areas are light purple. The 2000 image shows how, over time, lowlands and agricultural lands have been converted to urban areas where Dhaka has expanded to the north.

## Rapid urban growth in KarachiPakistan

- Rapid urban growth in KarachiPakistan

-  1975: Karachi before the urban sprawl

-  2001: Note the change in aerial extent

**Notes:**
Tripoli, the capital city of Libya, is located on the country’s Mediterranean coast along a narrow band of fertile lowlands that quickly give way to a vast interior of arid, rocky plains and seas of sand. Tripoli has undergone steady urban growth over the past thirty years. These three satellite images, from 1976, 1989, and 2002, document some of the major changes. Urban areas appear as shades of grey. Darker patches south of the city, visible in both the 1976 and 1989 images represent grasslands that have been converted to agricultural fields. Bright green areas are planted croplands. In the 2002 image, urban expansion is especially notable. The irregular brown patch in the upper far right of this image, south of Al Hamidiyan, is perhaps the last remaining vestige of natural vegetation in the Tripoli region.

## A vibrant city yet vulnerable to bush fires – Sydney, Australia  

- A vibrant city yet vulnerable to bush fires – Sydney, Australia

- 1975-2002: Over the last several decades, Sydney has been expanding westward toward the Blue Mountain

**Notes:**
Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. It is roughly the same size as the conterminous United States and 50 per cent larger than Europe. Yet Australia has the lowest population density of any country in the world. With 4 million inhabitants, Sydney is Australia’s largest city. It is also the capital of New South Wales, the country’s most densely populated state. Sydney is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the east, national parks and deep-water inlets to the north and south, and the spectacular Blue Mountains far to the west. These natural boundaries have influenced Sydney’s urban growth patterns. Over the past several decades, the city’s expansion has been largely westward toward the Blue Mountains, as can be seen in these two satellite images. As suburbs sprawl into bushland, they become vulnerable to summer bush fires.

## Rapidly expanding Tehran, Iran

- Rapidly expanding Tehran, Iran

-  1975:  The population of Tehran has grown three-folds since 1970

-  2000:  Rapid expansion has had adverse impacts on the environment

## Dust Storm over China

-  23 March 2002: a relatively clear day

-  8 April 2002: extremely dusty skies; dust obscures most of the surface

**Notes:**
Dust storms are increasing globally with far reaching consequences for the environment and human health. Severe dust storms can reduce visibility to zero, making travel impossible, and can blow away valuable topsoil, while depositing soil in places where it may not be wanted. Drought and, of course, wind contribute to the emergence of dust storms, as do poor farming and grazing practices. The dust picked up in such a storm can be carried thousands of kilometres. This pair of images, acquired 16 days apart, covers the Liaoning region of China and parts of northern and western Korea. They contrast a relatively clear day (23 March 2002) with one in which the skies were extremely dusty (8 April 2002). In the later view (right image), the dust obscures most of the surface, although the Liaodong peninsula extending between the Bo Hai Sea and Korea Bay is faintly visible at the lower left. Wave features are apparent within the dust layer. Storms such as this transport mineral dust from the deserts of China and Mongolia over great distances, and pollution from agriculture, industry and power generation is also carried aloft. Thick clouds of dust block substantial amounts of incoming sunlight, which in turn can influence marine phytoplankton production and have a cooling effect on regional climates.

## Earthquakes and Tsunamis

- According to long-term records (since about 1900), we can expect about 18 major earthquakes (7.0 - 7.9 on the Richter scale) and one great earthquake (8.0 or above) in any given year (NEIC 2003)

- The number of earthquakes and tsunamis resulting in fatalities has increased approximately in proportion to global populations

- The growth of giant urban cities near regions of known seismic hazard is a new experiment for life on the Earth

- Tsunamis are a threat to life and property for all coastal residents

## A city destroyed by earthquakeBam, Iran

- A city destroyed by earthquakeBam, Iran

- A 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Iran on 26 December 2003, killing over 40 000 people, injuring 16 000, leaving 70 000 homeless and destroying much of the city of Bam, the earthquake’s epicenter

**Notes:**
Bam is located in the southeastern corner of Kerman province in Iran. Maintaining its position in the middle of the southern trade route, this small, fortified city on the outskirts of the vast Dasht-é- Lut Desert is just 350 km (217 miles) west of Pakistan and 450 km (280 miles) north of the Persian Gulf. Eighty-thousand people make their homes within Bam’s boundaries.  A 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Iran on 26 December 2003, killing over 40 000 people, injuring 16 000, leaving 70 000 homeless and destroying much of the city of Bam, the earthquake’s epicenter. The quake destroyed the ancient citadel of Arg-e-Bam, located on the historic Silk Road and thought to be over 2 000 years old. This citadel was said to be the largest mud brick structural complex in the world. Apart from the toll on human lives, the loss of this ancient site represents an important cultural loss. Although Iran is subject to frequent large quakes, it does not have strong building codes and buildings generally do not withstand the impact of these events. As a result, casualties and damage are much higher than might be expected from a similar quake elsewhere in the world.

## Indian Ocean Tsunami and its aftermath

- Dec 2004: Tsunami devastated the region of Banda Aceh

**Notes:**
On 26 December 2004, an undersea earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale took place in the Indian Ocean, off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. It caused one of the deadliest disasters in recent times. Resulting tsunami waves crashed into the coastlines of twelve countries bordering the Indian Ocean, causing massive losses in human life and infrastructure, and damage to marine and terrestrial ecosystems. It is estimated that the tsunami killed more than 200 000 people, left up to 5 million in need of basic services, and caused billions of dollars of damage. The effects of the disaster include massive changes in the physical environment. For example, it is possible that the ocean depth in parts of the Straits of Malacca, one of the world’s busiest shipping channels off the coast of Sumatra, was reduced from about 1 200 m (4 000 feet) to perhaps only 30 m (98 ft), a depth that is too shallow for shipping.

##     Drought in Australia

-     Drought in Australia

-  2002: Increasing price of grain due to the relative shortage of pasture land made the farmers sell their livestock and convert their lands to cropland in 2003

-  2003: Image showing the expanded crop area

**Notes:**
After Australia’s devastating drought in 2002, the 2003/2004 season saw record wheat and barley harvests, with the March crop up 119 per cent compared to the previous year’s drought-stricken crop. This pattern of large harvests after drought-stunted years is common. To recoup their losses, farmers increase the area they sow. In 2002, pasture land for livestock was so parched and the price of grain so high, that many farmers sold their livestock and converted their land to crops in 2003. In addition to the increase in cropland, well-timed rains in most parts of the country, particularly in Western Australia, combined to produce a bumper harvest that year.

## Receding Gangotri Glacier

-  Receding glacier tracked since 1780

-  In last 25 years, Gangotri Glacier has retreated more than 850 m (2 788 ft)

**Notes:**
Gangotri Glacier is situated in the Uttar Kashi District of Garhwal Himalaya, northern India. With its tributary glaciers, it is one of the largest glaciers in the Himalayas. It has been receding since 1780, although studies show its retreat quickened after 1971. It is currently 30.2 km (18.8 miles) long and between 0.5 and 2.5 km (0.3 and 1.6 miles) wide. The blue contour lines drawn in the image show the recession of the glacier’s terminus over time. They are approximate, especially for the earlier years. Over the last 25 years, Gangotri Glacier has retreated more than 850 m (2 788 ft) with an accelerated recession of 76 m (249 ft) from 1996 to 1999 alone. The retreat is an alarming sign of global warming, which will impact local communities. Glaciers play an important role in storing winter rainfall, regulating water supply through the year, reducing floods, shaping landforms, and redistributing sediments.

## Landslide in Tibet creates lake

-  Area before landslide creates a natural dam blocking the Pareechu River

-  2004: Water begins to accumulate behind the dam creating an artificial lake

- By 13 August 2004, the lake spreads over 188 hectares reaching a depth of 35 meters

**Notes:**
Tibet is the major source of Asia’s great rivers.  It also has the Earth’s loftiest mountains, the world’s most extensive and highest plateau, ancient forests, and many deep valleys untouched by human disturbance. In early summer of 2004, a landslide in the
Zaskar Mountains, a range of the Himalayas, created a natural dam blocking the Pareechu River in its course from the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the Himachal Pradesh State of northern India. The dam is 35 km (22 miles) from India’s border with China. The water is slowly building behind the dam, creating an artificial lake in the remote mountain region. By 13 August, the lake had spread over 188 hectares and had reached a depth of 35 m (115 feet), with water levels rising daily.
The new dam and lake pose a threat to communities downstream in northern India. Indian and Chinese officials fear that the unstable dam will burst, releasing a torrent of water on these populated regions. The remoteness of the area and the ruggedness of the terrain have precluded preventative measures that could control the potential catastrophic release of water, although people have been evacuated from villages in both the Chinese and Indian parts of the region.

## Thank You!

- One Planet Many People: Atlas of Our Changing Environment

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**Asia and the Pacific**