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The cities of the developing world face major problems in managing growth and their urban infrastructure. The experiences of cities in the developed world have usually proved inappropriate in developing countries and consequently new and innovative solutions are continually being explored for these cities. Geographic information systems and the underlying spatial data infrastructures appear to offer significant potential to assist in managing human settlements in developing countries. In examining the status of spatial data infrastructures in developing countries, the first part of the paper compares cities in developing countries to those in the developed world. It then highlights issues facing developing countries in establishing spatial data infrastructures to support efficient urban land management. The paper describes the Bangkok Land Information System as an example of a city attempting to use spatial information technologies to manage the urban environment. This case study, together with the experience of the authors, are used to describe generic issues involved in the development of spatial data infrastructures for cities in similar socio-economic conditions. The paper provides a technical and institutional framework for the development of spatial data infrastructures for cities in developing countries. The paper concludes by suggesting that simple, low cost, project oriented, easily maintained and user-friendly spatial information technologies have the best chance of success.

Amid rising global temperatures and a changing physical environment, climate change has led to the development of a new social group called ''Climate Migrants or Climate Refugees.'' In 1995 approximately 25 million people worldwide were considered to be environment or climate refugees; it is anticipated that this number will increase to 200 million by 2050. Over the last decade rising sea levels, tropical cyclones, flash floods, soil salinity, and river erosion have emerged as the environmental or climatic push factors that have forced highly exposed and vulnerable coastal communities to migrate. In most cases people abandoned their settlements in rural and coastal areas and moved to towns and cities. Such push factors lead to chaotic and overwhelming levels of urbanization with attendant congestion, poor housing, and pollution choking urban areas. Planning systems in developing countries like Bangladesh have found it difficult to accommodate climate changerelated migration and uncontrolled urbanization. Climate change is a major challenge for most coastal countries and this issue has to be addressed at various levels of planning including national, regional, and urban contexts. Consequently planning policy and practice need to evolve a vertically integrated decisionmaking framework linking national, regional, and local planning to address climate migration.

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