Half population in Asia living in urban centers by 2026: ADB

Wednesday, June 20, 2012 - Islamabad—The Asian Development Bank(ADB)has estimated that by 2026 more than half the population in Asia will be living in urban centers which has linked key issues such as food, water, energy, nutrition, and poverty.

According to Lourdes S. Adriano, Advisor/Practice Leader for Agriculture, Food Security and Rural Development at ADB’s Regional and Sustainable Development Department talks to ADB organization about how coordinated policy actions among ASEAN countries, through the first ASEAN Rice Trade Forum, may help balance trade of the region’s most important crop. In addition, all countries will need to look at enhancing productivity and we have to produce more rice with less water, make better use of our land, and also use less labor as rural population continue to migrate to the cities.

Food security is not just an issue of national concern, but one that also has regional and global dimensions. The global and regional rice market cannot afford to be influenced by unilateral actions of major rice exporting and importing countries. Rather, coordinated policy actions are needed to minimize global rice price surges. Food safety nets are very important at a national level especially in view of the need to protect the poor and vulnerable. For example, we are looking at the possibility of a regional rice reserve complemented by national stocks.—Online