The population of the world is expected to grow from the current 5.3 billion to 6.3 billion by the end of this century. The explosive increase in population, especially in Asia,which already has a population of 3 billion, is a serious problem. As the population continues increasing, the flow of people into the cities increases too, accelerating the rate of urbanization. Various cities in Asia now face a number of common urban problems regarding employment, housing, transportation, water, sanitation, and the environment. And every problem demands an immediate solution..

The Asian Urban Information Center of Kobe was established by the City of Kobe in cooperation with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in April 12, 1989 with the aim of contributing to the suitable future development of cities by collecting and collating information and undertaking studies and surveys of all the common problems afflicting the various cities in Asia. The Center is undertaken jointly by relying on financial and technical assistance from both bodies.

The Center's very first activity was an enquiry survey of the current conditions of urban problems affecting Asian cities that was carried out by mailing questionnaires to the mayors and administrators of various medium-size cities in Asia. The enquiry was aimed at about 270 cities in 11 countries: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, The Republic of Korea, Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Japan.

This report is a detailed analysis of the present situation in the 128 cities in eight countries that responded. Based on the results of our enquiry, it was found that the population in these cities is growing at as fast a rate as 3.0 percent per year oh average, causing the lack of physical infrastructure and generating a broad range of urban problems. It was also found that the information these Asian cities seek most is that of a technical nature for producing that infrastructure and making it work. If these cities could exchange information about the various problems they face and examples of actual solutions to them, it would prove beneficial to all concerned. And, I sincerely hope that this publication might contribute to that effort.

Following on the success of this initial enquiry, the Center is currently undertaking a comparative study on population and urban problems in port cities by selecting two such cities each in China, India, Indonesia, Korea, and Japan. The Center also plans to carry out similar set of enquires and follow-up studies in the future, which I am certain will prove very helpful in the search for solutions to the many problems facing the cities of Asia. I should like to reiterate the fact that the Center is primarily designed to be a clearing house for the exchange of information, and so we welcome the contribution of relevant information from informed sources throughout Asia.

For the analysis of the enquiry, we relied on the generous cooperation of Dr. Gayl D. Ness, Professor of Sociology, and Ms. Kanae Tanigawa, Ph.D. candidate of Population Planning, both at the University of Michigan, to whom we must express our deepest gratitude. Our sincere thanks also go to the many local access persons who distributed, collected, and translated the questionnaires in each country, and also to the members of the International Advisory Committee of the Center who contributed their valuable comments on this report -their names are detailed separately.

Finally, I should like to express our most sincere gratitude to the United Nations Population Fund, and the Executive Director, Dr. Nafis Sadik, and her staffs for their continued support of our activities.

Kazutoshi Sasayama
President
Asian Urban Information Center of Kobe
(Mayor of Kobe)
January 1991