Megacities and Global Change in East, Southeast

Megacities have particular significance in the world-wide process of urbanisation: In the year 2015, more than 600 million people will be living in about 60 megacities worldwide (i.e. metropolises with more than 5 million people). Under the dynamics of global change they affect global change just as profoundly as global change can affect megacities. Often, megacities are perceived mainly as burdened by disadvan-tages, origins and motors of multiple problems as well as agents and victims of risks. Such a view does, however, neglect – at least potential – benefits, chances and advantages of mega-urban developments. In East, Southeast and South Asia, radical spatial, demographic, social and political structural changes in (mega-)urban areas took place, associated with the economic rise of the whole region since the mid-1980s, which show remarkable differences. Furthermore, the issue of systematic risk minimisation and risk prevention and the question of growing importance of informality within megaurban areas are touched