Surabaya (Antara Jatim) - The time has come to change the negative image
of urbanization into a positive one in the future, Vice President Jusuf
Kalla has stated.
"So far, urbanization has been considered
negative. (We must think of) how to make it positive and useful. It is
an old notion that a large population is burden. But China, which has a
large population, can make good progress. They become good consumers and
producers," he said while addressing the opening of the third session
of the Preparatory Committee of the Habitat III Conference here Monday.
Housing
and settlement are problems facing all developed and developing
nations. "All of these are a part of our lives, and that is why we
always have settlement dilemmas," he said.
Fifty years ago,
nearly 30 percent of the global population lived in urban areas and 70
percent in rural areas, because the agricultural sector was an important
part of job opportunities, he said.
Today, a majority of the population lives in urban areas, he said.
Even in Indonesia, in the next 30 years, 60 to 70 percent of its population will live in cities, he predicted.
"Why does it happen? Of course, we must realize that the global population continues to increase," he said.
The
global population, which currently stands at 6.7 billion, is expected
to increase to 9.9 billion in in the next 30 years, while at the same
time large tracts of farmland will be needed to meet their food needs,
he said,
Nearly 30 percent of the Indonesian population is
currently employed in the agricultural sector compared to 40 percent a
few years ago. The percentage must be lower in developed nations such as
the United States, where just five percent of its population is
employed in the agricultural sector, he said.
his means, the
greater the success of the agricultural sector the smaller the number of
people looking for jobs in urban areas. But if the agricultural sector
failed and the number of jobs declined, people would move to urban areas
whatever the situation, he said.
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Jawa Timur 2016
of urbanization into a positive one in the future, Vice President Jusuf
Kalla has stated.
"So far, urbanization has been considered
negative. (We must think of) how to make it positive and useful. It is
an old notion that a large population is burden. But China, which has a
large population, can make good progress. They become good consumers and
producers," he said while addressing the opening of the third session
of the Preparatory Committee of the Habitat III Conference here Monday.
Housing
and settlement are problems facing all developed and developing
nations. "All of these are a part of our lives, and that is why we
always have settlement dilemmas," he said.
Fifty years ago,
nearly 30 percent of the global population lived in urban areas and 70
percent in rural areas, because the agricultural sector was an important
part of job opportunities, he said.
Today, a majority of the population lives in urban areas, he said.
Even in Indonesia, in the next 30 years, 60 to 70 percent of its population will live in cities, he predicted.
"Why does it happen? Of course, we must realize that the global population continues to increase," he said.
The
global population, which currently stands at 6.7 billion, is expected
to increase to 9.9 billion in in the next 30 years, while at the same
time large tracts of farmland will be needed to meet their food needs,
he said,
Nearly 30 percent of the Indonesian population is
currently employed in the agricultural sector compared to 40 percent a
few years ago. The percentage must be lower in developed nations such as
the United States, where just five percent of its population is
employed in the agricultural sector, he said.
his means, the
greater the success of the agricultural sector the smaller the number of
people looking for jobs in urban areas. But if the agricultural sector
failed and the number of jobs declined, people would move to urban areas
whatever the situation, he said.
Editor : Akhmad Munir
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Jawa Timur 2016