sustainable development 20 years on from the ... - José Eli da Veiga

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reduction must also be mainstreamed into urban planning and land use management in order to build up
the resilience of metropolitan areas.
The settlement of border areas in recent decades has been an influential factor locally even
though the number of new arrivals is small relative to national averages. Until not long ago,
environmental considerations and the interests of local (often indigenous) population groups have been
largely overlooked in the course of these settlement processes. More recently, increasingly strict
regulations and more rigorous environmental and social assessment procedures have been brought into
play. Settlement processes driven by emergency situations in which people were seeking safe havens or
were displaced by border disputes have ceased to be a major factor.
International migration has been on the rise and has become an influential factor in the
demographic dynamics of Latin America as well as in various other aspects. Issues such as remittances
and the links between emigrants and communities in other countries have been discussed on the front
pages of newspapers, have given rise to the passage of new laws, and have been the focus of public
policies and civil society action. Countries have become increasingly concerned about this issue and have
engaged in talks in various forums with a view to the conclusion of agreements on the subject. Progress
has been made, however, in creating stable institutional environments for coordination in specific areas
and in implementing joint mechanisms for dealing with issues such as migrant smuggling, undocumented
migrants, social integration, repatriation and the processing of asylum applications. This is the direction in
which the good intentions reflected in policy agendas on migration should be channelled.
While progress has been made in terms of formal agreements and a growing awareness of issues
that used to be passed over, such as the protection of migrants’ rights and the discrimination to which
many of them are subject, the millions of undocumented Latin American immigrants in developed
countries are in a very difficult situation. Turning this situation around is one of the major challenges to
be faced, and its resolution goes hand in hand with efforts to promote a global agenda that provides for
the protection of migrants’ rights and that hones in on emerging issues.
Other emerging migration issues include the displacement of population groups as a result of
climate change, the depletion of production capacity, the declining liveability of some areas (due to
factors that are not necessarily related to climate change but may instead have to do with improper
management) or mega-projects designed to meet the demands of a growing population and economy.
2. Sustainable urban and regional <strong>development</strong>
Cities are home to nearly 80% of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean. The urbanization of
the region has brought about a significant change in the living conditions of a large part of its population.
Urbanization has, for the most part, enabled the region’s population to secure higher incomes, better
health care, more education and access to basic services and consumer goods, as well as increase life
expectancy. The correlation between urbanization and economic growth is also reflected in the statistics
on relative levels of poverty in urban and rural zones. People who reside in cities enjoy an “urban
advantage” (UN-Habitat, <strong>20</strong>10). All indications are that urban <strong>development</strong> is an essential element in
industrialization, sustained economic growth and social <strong>development</strong>. Generally speaking, there are fewer
poor people, in relative terms, in urban areas than there are in rural areas, since people in urban areas have
greater access to services and to the labour market. If the cost of living is factored in, however, poverty
levels in urban areas come much closer to those existing in rural zones.