Dhaka now world’s second largest city in UN list

Dhaka on track to become world's largest city by 2050

Dhaka has risen sharply in the world's megacities list. The capital of Bangladesh is currently the world's second largest city. This has been stated in a new UN report. According to the UN report, the Indonesian capital Jakarta has topped the list of the world's largest cities, while Dhaka has come in second place. At the same time, Dhaka is on track to become the world's largest city by 2050.

The new UN report says that Jakarta, the world's largest city in terms of population, is home to 41.9 million people. Next is Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It has 36.6 million people.

Al Jazeera says that Jakarta, a low-lying coastal city located on the western part of the densely populated island of Java in Southeast Asia, has risen from its previous second place to overtake Tokyo to become number one. In the previous UN assessment in 2000, the world's largest city was Tokyo, the capital of Japan.

Tokyo's population is relatively stable. The city is home to 33.4 million people, which has pushed it down to third place. And densely populated Dhaka has jumped from ninth place to second place. According to the United Nations, Dhaka is on track to become the world's largest city by 2050.

The World Urbanization Prospects 2025 report published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs also says that cities with a population of 10 million or more are called 'megacities' and the number of such cities has increased to 33. In 1975, this number was only 8.

Of the world's 33 megacities, 19 are in Asia and 9 of the top 10 are Asian cities. Apart from Jakarta, Dhaka and Tokyo, the top list includes New Delhi in India (32 million), Shanghai in China (29.6 million), Guangzhou in China (27.6 million), Manila in the Philippines (24.7 million), Kolkata in India (22.5 million), and Seoul in South Korea (22.5 million).

On the other hand, the only city in the top 10 outside Asia is Cairo in Egypt. The city has a population of 32 million. In addition, Sao Paulo in Brazil has become the largest city in the Americas with 18.9 million people. Lagos in Nigeria has also grown rapidly to become the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa.

Rapid expansion of Dhaka and Jakarta

One of the reasons behind Dhaka's rapid population growth is the large migration of people from rural areas to cities. Many are coming to the cities in search of better opportunities, while many are leaving their villages due to problems such as climate change-induced flooding and salinity.

Jakarta is also facing the challenge of surviving the pressure of rising sea levels. It is estimated that a quarter of the city could be submerged by 2050.

To address this crisis, the Indonesian government is building a new capital. A new administrative city called 'Nusantara' is being built in East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. However, even if government offices move there, the United Nations estimates that Jakarta will add another 10 million or 10 million people by 2050.

Al Jazeera News