Asia has been urbanizing at a faster rate than anywhere else, with the region already home to almost half of all the world’s city dwellers. In just over a decade it will have 21 of 37 megacities worldwide. Over the next 30 years another 1.1 billion Asians are expected to be living in cities. Without proper management, the environmental and social consequences of this unprecedented urban growth in Asia could be catastrophic.

• How can Asia act decisively to pave the way for green, resource-friendly cities?
• What is needed to turn cities into environmentally sustainable, inclusive growth centers?
• Will the region’s megacities be centers of crime, poverty and squalor by mid-Century if urbanization continues unchecked?

Join leading economist Guanghua Wan, co-author of Green Urbanization in Asia – the special chapter of the Asian Development Bank’s Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific 2012 released 15 August – for a live online discussion on the challenges and opportunities presented by the region’s rapid urban growth.

When: 1400-1600 Manila time, 0600-0800 GMT on Thursday, 23 August.
Where: access the chat on this web page

Send your questions or share your views in advance to: Sean Crowley, or through Facebook or Twitter.

Guanghua Wan

Trained in development economics and econometrics, Guanghua Wan has over 25 years of research, management and policy advice experience from working in universities, the UN and at ADB. By the latest ranking of RePEC (Research Papers in Economics), he is among the top 10% economists globally and top 5% in Asia.

Having authored more than 100 professional articles and dozens of books, including two by Oxford University Press, Mr. Wan is a leading scholar on the Chinese economy and an expert on Asian economies. He has been awarded honorary professorships by top institutions in People’s Republic of China including Fudan and Zhejiang Universities. View some of his papers.