Experts Warn Over 100 Million People May Fall Into Extreme Poverty Because of COVID-19

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Urban experts have warned that over 100 million people in cities worldwide may suffer extreme poverty as a result of losing their jobs and income to the COVID-19 pandemic, Reuters reports. In addressing the issue, the World Bank and other experts have called for investment in slum areas around the world and for mapping strategies to identify vulnerable communities.

During an online conference call with media reporters on Wednesday, World Bank Global Director of Urban and Disaster Risk Management Sameh Wahba said: “Within cities we need to focus on those who need help the most, the poor and the vulnerable have been very seriously affected.”
On the call, experts agreed that without accurate data about where slums are located, it is difficult to know where to make investments to improve them. Activist Sheela Patel said that without adequate data, government aid does not reach slums.

Drawing on artificial intelligence, high-resolution satellite imagery and three-dimensional images, a World Bank mapping tool is helping city authorities discover which areas cannot practice social distancing because of overcrowding and which have communal water taps or toilets, Reuters reported. The tool has already been used in Cairo, Kinshasa, and Mumbai.

Ani Dasgupta, Global Director of the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities said helping impoverished communities effectively requires understanding how water, health, housing, transport, and the economy are connected. Moreover, he said, systems must be integrated and not be “simple top-down central projects.”

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