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Urbanisation a challenge to development: WEF

The projected rise in Bombay's population to 27.4 million in 2015 from the present 17 million has been highlighted to paint a "worrisome scenario" of urbanisation becoming a potent challenge to sustain mankind's development.

Bombay's population explosion came in for a specific reference at the annual meeting of government and corporate leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"Population growth on that scale (in Bombay) has the seeds of catastrophe in it," said John Gannon, head of research at the US Central Intelligence Agency.

Gannon said there is a need to "worry" about the ability of Bombay authorities to provide basic services in 2015.

The CIA has predicted that in 15 years there will be 15 cities in the world with more than 11 million people each.

World Bank's chief economist Nick Stern said two billion more people will live in cities with population of more than 11 million, 20 years from now, a situation that he says could lead to a severe social stress.

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