Global Urban Population to Be 6.3 Billion By 2050

It found that Africa was urbanising faster than any other continent. The overall urban population in 55 nations of Africa is expected to more than double from 300 million in 2000 to 750 million in 2030. The rate of increase in urban land cover is predicted to be the highest in any region in the world: 700 percent over the period 2000-2030.

Referring to Asia, home to 60 percent of the world's population, the report said there were large variations in the region with regard to urbanisation levels and urban growth rates.

The urbanisation rate in China will be slower in the next three decades, compared with the last three decades as the urban expansion is moving from the coastal areas to the interior. By 2030, China's urban population is expected to exceed 900 million, an increase of more than 300 million from today.

More than 80 percent of the population in Latin America lives in cities, and by 2050 it is expected to reach 90 percent, thus making it the most urbanised of all world regions.

With 10 key messages, the report highlights how urban planners, engineers, architects, policy-makers, politicians, scientists, and citizens alike can take on the challenges of reducing the loss of biodiversity.

The CBD believes that urbanisation is both a challenge and an opportunity to manage ecosystem services globally.