1.1.3 Impacts of urbanisation Flashcards
What are the main impacts of urbanisation in LICs/HICs?
LICs: A lack of urban waste disposal services and poor quality infrastructure.
HICs: Housing related, usually high house prices and the shortage of housing.
Waste disposal in LICs v HICs
Outdated water supplies cannot keep updated with the rapid pace of urbanisation in HICs. This is a particularly large issue in cities without outdated infrastructure, such as London – who are constantly upgrading its Victorian sewage system in order to keep up with demand.
It is much more difficult for LICs to upgrade their utility infrastructure because they are more financially restrained.
Case study: Addis Ababa
- Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia is unable to deal with 2/3rds of the city’s rubbish due to its rapidly increasing urban population.
- The rest is left to private contractors or is left on the streets / dumped into diverse, creating severe health hazards.
Case study: Nairobi
In Nairobi, recycling is an important part of their everyday economy.
- Glass bottles are kept and refilled.
- Food waste is used to feed animals or compost.
- Car tyres are cut up to make cheap sandals.
Underemployment
Under-employment refers to the situation where a person is not doing work that is making use of their skills and abilities.
For example: A person with a masters degree working as a cleaner.
Impact of urbanisation - transport
Increased congestion and pollution has damaged human health and wasted billions of pounds in productivity.
The spread of housing into the countryside has led to a morning and evening rush hour in urban areas.
Building/widening roads isn’t necessarily the solution because more roads just attract more cars.
Why is there a shortage of housing in HICs?
- People leaving home younger.
- People getting married later, leading to an independent young generation.
- People getting divorced leads to an increase in single parent homes.
- People are living longer. – A growing independent elderly population.
Case study: House prices in London
- Between 2010 and 2015, house prices in London rose by 50%.
- Rising demand is fuelled by in-migration, gentrification and purchasing of properties by foreign owners.
- In London, 70% of new builds are sold to foreign investors. This drives the prices up.
Where are most informal settlements located in LICs?
Informal settlements located in urban areas are usually on the edge of the city and are in areas of low land value.
A disadvantage of locating them at the edge of cities is they are areas prone to environmental hazards such as flooding.
How many people live in informal settlements?
It is difficult to get an accurate count of the number of people living in slum settlements because slums don’t have detailed population counts.
What are informal settlements called around the word?
Brazil - Favelas
India - Bustees
West Africa - Bidonvilles
What is SDI?
Slum Dwellers International - an organisation which gives a voice to those who live in squatter settlements, they can help with sharing knowledge and expertise with other slum dwellers.
Has ‘slum eradication’ been successful?
“Slum eradication” was largely unsuccessful because it just moves the problem elsewhere.
A more effective way to solve the problem would be to give support to those in the slums.
What are slum upgrading programmes?
Slum upgrading programmes involve improving the quality of the slums by providing basic services (water, electricity and waste disposal) and formalising land tenure/ownership.
