The United Nations has predicted half of China's population will live in cities by 2010 and has urged the government to ensure urban development is properly planned.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA), said rural migration into cities would see the population of urban Chinese rise from 560 million in 2005 to 910 million in 2030.

In a report released worldwide, the UNPFA predicted that ratio of urban Chinese would rise from 42 to 64 percent in the same period.

Governments around the world should act now to anticipate the needs of future city dwellers and ensure that urbanization fulfilled its promise of easing poverty and preserving the environment, said the report, Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth.

From next year, most of the world's population would be urban and proactive planning is needed to address concerns such as income gaps between established and new city residents, inadequate employment, housing, education and public heath care.

Planning should be based on reliable socio-demographic data and involve community groups, the report said, stressing that specific actions were needed to help women, the young and older people make the most of urban life.

The report also recommends integrating local, regional, and national efforts to mitigate the environmental impact of cities,

It calls for exchanges on dealing with climate change amid concerns that people in coastal cities, especially the poor, would suffer more from natural disasters.

Source: Xinhua