Mayors from 50 Asian cities at UN forum pledge cooperation to overcome region's ills

Mayors from 50 Asian cities gathered at a United Nations-sponsored meeting in Bangkok have agreed to work together to overcome poverty, the devastating effects caused by war, and lack of access to clean water.

They made their pledge at the "Fourth Asian Mayors Forum and Regional Workshop on Good Governance for Poverty Reduction and Social Development - Exchange of Tools, Techniques and Good Practices," co-sponsored by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

"This meeting co-sponsored by UN ESCAP lets Mayors develop solidarity with their counterparts from other cities," said Erna Witoelar, a former Minister of Human Settlements and Regional Development from Indonesia.

In war-ravaged Kabul, deprivation, homelessness, and poor sanitation were three of the city's most pressing issues, according to its mayor.

"Our people need everything. Sixty to 70 per cent of Kabul is destroyed," said Fazil Karim, the Mayor of Kabul. "We have difficulty getting clean water, and disposing of solid waste. Each day the city of Kabul accumulates 1,600 cubic meters of solid waste that is not being disposed of properly."

The situation in the Afghan capital was aggravated by the daily influx of homeless migrants, Mr. Karim said, noting that every day 300 to 400 families were coming to Kabul. Since the fall of the Taliban, the population of Kabul has nearly doubled from 1.2 million inhabitants to 2.3 million.

"Urban reconstruction following any war is an expensive proposition. Anybody who can convert a building does so," said Yap Kioe Sheng, a senior ESCAP official.

Other Asian cities are affected as well.

In Nepal, an ongoing rebel insurgency has dealt a heavy blow to the tourist industry. "In Kathmandu, the tourist section has been affected and business is down," said that city's mayor, Keshav Sthapit. "We usually see 300,000 tourists each year but a few days ago I couldn't find any," he said.