Environmentally-safe disposal of solid waste and sewage is a major concern for the island states of the region where land and therefore available disposal sites are limited and sewerage systems are lacking. China alone is expected to have 832 million urban residents by 2025. As urban areas, especially megacities, expand further, increases in traffic congestion, water and air pollution, and slums and squatters settlements can be expected. Public expenditure on water and sanitation is around one per cent of GDP for most countries of the region, and is likely to rise. In East Asia, many governments are attempting to reduce the growth of their primary cities by curbing rural-urban migration.
Urbanization is one of the most significant issues facing Asia and the Pacific.
How to deal with increasing amounts of urban and industrial waste is a major concern for most of the region. While the proportion of people living in urban centres is still lower than that in developed countries, it is rising rapidly, and is focused on a few urban centres.