A new assessment by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) said that Global urbanization will have significant implications for biodiversity and ecosystems. [Photo/UNEP]

A new assessment presented by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity analyses the significant impacts that urbanization has on both biodiversity and ecosystems.

The assessment, which draws on contributions from more than 123 scientists worldwide, states that over 60 percent of the land projected to become urban by 2030 has yet to be built. This presents a major opportunity to greatly improve global sustainability by promoting low-carbon, resource-efficient urban development that can reduce adverse effects on biodiversity and improve quality of life, it says.

The Cities and Biodiversity Outlook is the world's first global analysis of how projected patterns of urban land expansion will impact biodiversity and crucial ecosystems.

The world's total urban area is expected to triple between 2000 and 2030, with urban populations set to double to around 4.9 billion in the same period. This urban expansion will draw heavily on water and other natural resources and will consume prime agricultural land.

"The way our cities are designed, the way people live in them and the policy decisions of local authorities will define, to a large extent, future global sustainability,"said Braulio Dias, Executive Secretary of the CBD.

"The innovation lies not so much in developing new infrastructural technologies and approaches but to work with what we already have. The results often require fewer economic resources and are more sustainable," he added.

The report states that urban expansion is occurring fast in areas close to biodiversity 'hotspots' and coastal zones. In rapidly urbanizing regions, such as large and mid-size settlements in sub-Saharan Africa, India and China, resources to implement sustainable urban planning are often lacking.