SAMANTHA ENSLIN-PAYNE: How to stop megacities becoming megadisasters
Populations of cities in emerging markets will swell in the next decade, and these mega-metropolises are increasingly vulnerable to collapse if they can't keep pace with the needs of a rising number of residents and the companies that employ them. Megacities, of which there are 33, are urban areas that have more than 10-million people. Euromonitor recently identified a further six cities that may achieve this status by 2030. Two are in Africa: Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and Luanda in Angola, where the population is expected to rise 60% by 2030. These megacities offer opportunities for business as they concentrate income and demand for services, Euromonitor says. But it does not automatically follow that they will yield these benefits. Already, many cities are not coping. Nigeria loses 5% of GDP from delays at its ports. At Apapa port in Lagos, trucks can queue for two weeks to deliver or collect cargo, says Bloomberg. The World Economic Forum says Lagos's population is predicted to ...
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