Dubai: The population of Dubai is expected to increase to five million by 2030, Hussain Nasser Lootah, director-general of Dubai Municipality, said.
Speaking on the final day of the fourth World Government Summit in Dubai last week, Lootah addressed the consequences of an increasing population and depleting natural resources, and the increase in demand on education, energy, employment, housing and other issues.
While it may be improving traffic flow, managing waste, or promoting environmental awareness to communities, the current model of cities is not sufficient to recognise the future requirements of the community, said Lootah.
To prepare for a brighter and a more sustainable future, he emphasised the importance of exchanging information and developing partnerships with other countries.
During the summit, key representatives from different cities and organisations gathered to sign the Dubai Charter of Sustainable Development Cities Alliance seeking to collaboratively achieve the vision of building a sustainable future for Dubai.
Lootah said governments may face several challenges when planning a sustainable city that will place people’s welfare at the forefront, and preserves natural resources.
The UAE population has been growing steadily over the past decade. In 2005, it was 4.149 million, increasing to 8.442 million in 2010, according to the World Bank, and hitting 9.3 million at the end of 2014, according to the Ministry of Health.
