Abu Naser Huda: Urbanization in OIC countries is accelerating

Urbanization in Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries is accelerating, with 58% of the population expected to live in cities by 2035.

Report informs that Abu Naser Huda, Director of the Department of Information and Information Technology at SESRIC, the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries, said this during the session titled "Green Technologies in Urban Development: Accelerating the Transition to Sustainable and Resilient Cities," held as part of the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.

According to him, the share of the urban population has already increased from 48.7% in 2014 to 52.7% in 2023 and is projected to reach 58% by 2035.

"Such rapid growth creates enormous pressure on housing, transport, water supply, energy and waste management systems," he said, calling on OIC countries to immediately shift to smart and sustainable urban development models.