Problems caused by
rapid urbanisation in
developing countries
Environmental
Water Pollution
Particularly in slum areas. rivers are
used as bins for rubbish and human
waste.. This kills animals and destroys
habitats, having a tragic affect on
biodiversity.
Water pipes often run close to open sewers
and cracks in the pipes mean that many areas
of developing cities (particularly the slum areas)
suffer with contaminated water causing water
borne illness that spreads like wildfire in the
overpopulated dirty streets.
Traffic Congestion
Traffic congestion is a
problem in most cities
however, in developing cities,
cars often have to compete
with pedestrians and
animals for space. Due to
small or non existent
pavements, accidents happen
often.
Due to the cost, many cars in developing
cities are not equipped with up to date
equipment designed to limit their effect on
the environment. This causes high levels of air
pollution leading to illnesses such as lung
disease and asthma.
Air Pollution
Inefficient cars cause massive
pollution in developing cities.
Factories in developing countries
are often not monitored which
mean they are able to release
toxic fumes without any
restrictions. This means that
areas around factories are often
contaminated with thick smog,
filling the air, making it very
unsafe to breathe.
Economic
Jobs
A lack of education and skills
mean that slum dwellers are
not suitable for most jobs so
they have to settle with jobs
that provide very little pay
for very long hours.
People coming to
developing cities often
struggle to find work as,
there are so many people
moving to the cities that
there are not enough jobs
for all of them.
People often have many children
with the hope that one will fulfill
their education (the majority of
slum dwellers drop out of school at
an early age) and obtain a job.
However this just increases the
problem as the demand for
resources grows.
Land Cost
people moving to developing cities often have no
money to buy housing, To solve this problem, they
set up slums on land that doesn't belong to them.
However, these slums are often unpleasant, dirty
places run by gangs. This lowers the and cost in
the area as it is made less desirable.
Degredation of these
areas obviously makes
them less desirable for
tourists to visit causing
tourists numbers to drop,
having a knock on effect
on the economy.
Social
Crime
Due to the high levels of poverty in
developing cities,, people turn to theft to get
food and other essential possessions,
Slums are often run by gangs who are
responsible for the circulation of drugs and
increase in violence. Many people turn to
drug dealing to get enough money to
support their families.
Because the slums are illegal, crimes go
unpunished as the area is not policed,
like the rest of the city. Law
enforcement officers are also reluctant
to enter the slums due to the massive
influence of gangs.
Health
Waterborne illnesses such as
cholera and typhoid are caused
by poor sewers that leak into
the water pipes.
Air pollution causes illnesses
such as asthma and lung cancer.
Due to the condition of the streets, illness spreads
incredibly quickly in developing cities causing mass
outbreaks where children and babies are most vulnerable.
Many families cannot afford
medical or the cost of travel to get it.
This means illnesses often go
undiagnosed and untreated.
Housing
Many people cannot afford housing, when they move to
developing cities, so they build their own houses with
random materials they can find. This often means the
houses are unsafe to live in and are particularly
vulnerable to weather,
Families
The strain of living in slums is often too
much for families and many couples
break up because of it.
Stress on family relationships often
causes children to leave their homes and
live on the streets , making them
particularly vulnerable to illness and crime.