Waste Management Outlook for Mountain Regions

Mountain Cities and Urban Centres

In developing countries, the share of mountain populations living in cities is steadily increasing. Over one-quarter of mountain populations in the developing world now live in urban areas and cities (FAO, 2015). Large cities with one or several million inhabitants located at high elevations are predominantly a feature of the southern hemisphere and of low and lower middle-income countries. Latin America, Asia and Africa have numerous cities in this category. There are also many cities with fewer than 500,000 inhabitants located at high elevations in these regions. Globally, municipal solid waste is expected to double by 2025, putting huge pressure on urban public services; this will include an increase in variety as well as quantity (Hoornweg and Bhada-Tata, 2012).

Mountain cities of LatinAmerica, Asia andAfrica

have the distinction of being the two highest cities in the world and are both part of a metropolitan region with a population approaching 2 million. Mexico City is by far the largest and is part of one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world; it includes the three cities of Ecatepec, Nezahualcoyotl and Naucalpan, all of which are over 2,000 metres above sea level (ASL). Other major medium to

Most of the world’s large mountainous cities 2 are found in the southern hemisphere in developing countries in the low to middle- income bracket; high mountain cities in developed countries do not have large populations. The Bolivian cities of El Alto and La Paz

El Alto, Bolivia. Photo © iStock/fbxx

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