Institute For Sustainable Development And Research,(ISDR), India is organising the session "New Partnership Between European and Asian Institutes for Socio-Economic-Environmental Development and Management", STOCKHOLM, Sweden, 5-9 July 2005.
Session convener - Dr.Anand Govind Bhole, ISDR, India.

Session theme-
'The Urban population of developing countries is predicted to rise from one third in 1990 to over 50% by 2025. In 1950 the world's total urban population was 734 million, of whom 448 million were living in developed countries and remaining 286 were in developing region. By 1980, the world's total urban population had increased to 1.8 billion of whom the majority, 958 million were living in developing countries.

The corresponding figures for the year 2000 are expected to be 3.2 billion. On the basis of these figures and other global trends, it would appear that Africa and Asia will have the highest share of world's urban growth in next 25 years, resulting consideration rise of large number of metropolitan cities. Over the next generation of greatest increase in population, in production and in poverty will occur in cities causing the social, economic and environmental problems in these cities. Due to this rapid urbanization and industrialization, the problems of urban development, which often includes, management of different urban services, natural resources management and financial resources mobilization for sustainable urban development and environmental management will need special attention, therefore it would be necessary to study the public policy and governance for socio-economic and environmental management through process of urbanization and its impacts on the social life and also on the economic development of the region. The EU has already identified this issue and major programs are implemented in South Asia along with partnerships in European institutions on this subject. Asia- urbs and EU-India economic cross cultural programs are examples of increasing co-operation between south Asia and EU.

The session aims to explore the nature, role and relevance of the urban development and its impacts both in theory and in practice in south Asia and in the EU region and to highlight approaches and methods for improving local environment, having particular regarding to the range of interests and actors involved and the nature of the socio- economic development process. The session will examine the current status of urbanization in developing regions of both, in industrialized region of EU and developing countries in south Asia and different actors involved in this process. It also evaluate the changing role of the government in empowering the private and non governmental institutions, through public policy and good governance to play more active role in sustainable socio-economic and environmental development and management. Challenges for urban environmental management in developing countries are enormous in terms of both investments requirements and managing capabilities. The proposed session will focus on institutional efforts for sustaining socio-economic development process without adverse impacts on environment.Five papers will be selected for platform presentation.

If you wish to present a paper in the session "New Partnership Between European and Asian Institutes for Socio-Economic-Environmental Development and Management", send an abstract of no more than one page to: