Funded under the research programme

“Sustainable Development of the Mega-Cities of Tomorrow” of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

www.emerging-megacities.de  

Mega-cities are more and more becoming arenas of decisions about global sustainable development. They are of particular political interest because they offer the chance for precautionary intervention and targeted urban development in order to prevent economic, social and ecological crises and to preserve or create scope for action. To this end, decision makers require a solid foundation of knowledge from research.

The task of the researchers funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in this programme is to work together with research institutions in the selected countries and regions and in close co-operation with local institutions responsible for urban development there in order to devise solutions and strategies for a sustainable configuration of the mega-urban regions of the future and also to implement these ideas in the form of pilot studies. Relevant interest groups from politics, economics and society should be included from the outset so that the research issues addressed can be suited to real, local needs. The research questions should be directed towards relevant areas of need such as water supply and waste treatment, nutrition, mobility, energy supply, housing, livelihood, health and the quality of life. The treatment of each of these areas shall also include the corresponding social needs such as equality and participation as well as education.