The Eastern Regional Organisation for Planning and Housing (EAROPH) is a non-governmental multi-sectorial organisation encompassing the private, public and academic sectors. The organization was established to foster the exchange of insights and experiences among countries in the EAROPH region, which has been acknowledged as the most dynamic in the world in terms of economic growth, magnitude of urbanization, population size and ethnic diversity. The EAROPH region covers all countries in Asia, Australasia and the Pacific region. EAROPH promotes a better understanding of Human Settlements and encourages excellence in planning, development and management to improve the quality of life and sustainability of human settlements.

History

EAROPH was founded at a Congress in New Delhi, India, in 1954. The formation of EAROPH was a response to a movement among emerging third world nations to recognise and protect their socio/cultural identities and traditional values in the face of rapid urbanization. Urban planning and the provision of housing for the masses were of particular interest to the new organization, which sought solutions grounded in local understanding by those “culturally in-tune” with the countries involved. EAROPH was officially inaugurated under its new constitution at the second EAROPH International Congress in Tokyo, Japan in 1960 and gained its NGO status from the United Nations (UN) through its then parent organization, the International Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP). The EAROPH Secretariat was moved from New Delhi, India to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1978.

Goals

The goals of EAROPH are;

Activities

Activities and projects carried out by EAROPH include and have included the following: