PROCEEDINGS OF KERALA ENVIRONMENT CONGRESS 2016 FOCAL THEME URBANIZation AND ENVIRONMENT ISSUES CHALLENGES AND POTENTIALS 28th & 29th November, 2016 at Energy Management Centre - Kerala Thiruvananthapuram Organised by CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND Development THIRUVANANTHAPURAM In Association with ENERGY Management CENTRE – Kerala Supported by Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment & Kerala State Biodiversity Board Proceedings of the Kerala Environment Congress - 2016 Editors Dr Vinod T R Dr T Sabu Dr Thrivikramji K P Dr Babu Ambat Published by Centre for Environment and Development Thozhuvancode, Vattiyoorkavu Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India-695013 Design & Pre-press Godfrey’s Graphics Sasthamangalam, Thiruvananthapuram Printed at Newmulti Offset, Thiruvananthapuram Kerala State Council for Science Technology & Environment Sasthrabhavan, Pattom P.O Thiruvananthapuram-695 004, Kerala, India Ph: +91471-2543557 (Direct), Fax: +91471-2540085 E-mail:
[email protected] Official Email:
[email protected] Dr. Suresh Das Executive Vice President FOREWORD Worldwide, rapid urbanization is leading to several challenges related to housing, infrastructure, encroachment of land, pollution, sewerage, waste and traffic management. In addition, the difficulties of providing sufficient jobs in urban areas has led to poverty, expanding slums and social unrest making urban governance a difficult task. This is especially true of the developing world and more so for the two rapidly developing countries, China and India. At present, more than half of the world’s population is living in small towns and cities with about half a million population. By 2050, the world population is projected to be 9.2 billion, of which 6.7 billion or 73% are estimated to live in urban areas.