EQ2- 3.5 Flashcards
Megacities definition
cities with over 10 million people
Rural-urban migration definition
the movement of people from countryside to city areas
to seek better employment opportunities or a better perceived standard of living
Push factors definition + examples
Negative things that encourage people to leave a place
- Poverty
- Conflict
- Climate/natural disasters
- Lack of services such as health care and education
Pull factors definition + examples
Positive things that attract migrants to new areas
- Employment opportunities
- Better services such as education
- Infrastructure e.g. better housing
- Higher wages
- Better quality of life
Natural increase in megacities
Megacities have a higher birth than death rate so natural increase causes the population to grow.
Megacities have also grown quickly because rural to urban migrants are mostly young adults who then have families
Problems with megacities/rapid growth
- social
- Overcrowding, this leads to a lower quality of life, as there are not enough services and resources
- Poor housing, not enough proper housing is available as infrastructure cannot be built fast enough to keep up with demand, so people are left to build their own
- Poverty
Problems with megacities/ rapid growth
- environmental
- Traffic flows increase leading to increased air pollution
- Lack of planning and regulation
- Lack of waste disposal
Name two megacity case studies
- Karachi, Pakistan
- Mumbai, India
Megacity case study
- Karachi
Karachi is a megacity growing at an annual rate of 5%. It generates over 25% of the total GDP of Pakistan. Its population grew from 9.3 million in 1998 to 15 million in 2017. This rapid population growth is causing social and environmental problems.
- 50% of the population live in slums
- 75% work in the informal sector
Poverty means that the city government does not receive much tax money; it also suffers from corruption- both reduce what can be done about problems: e.g. sewage is directed to storm drainage channels rather than being treated properly
Tax avoidance- with around 75% of the slum dwellers in Karachi working in the informal sector, the government does not receive taxes from these people. So, the government does not have the income to spend on improving education and healthcare which would improve the quality of life for people in the city
Water shortages- according to the World Bank, Pakistan is one of the most water stressed countries in the world. A lack of infrastructure to supply clean water makes this a serious problem for Karachi. The WWF estimates that the city loses 30% of its water through leaks in the system.
Unplanned settlements- the UN estimates that 50% of the population live in slums or unplanned settlements. Orangi Town is Asia’s largest slum and found in Karachi. It is believed to be home of around 2.4 million people.
Megacity case study
- Mumbai
Mumbai is India’s largest urban area and home to 22 million in 2015. It has doubled in size since 1970 and, as a result, suffers social and economic problems because of its rapid growth.
Air pollution- shows an example of an environmental problem caused by its rapid growth. In 2018, Mumbai was ranked the 4th most polluted megacity in the world.
Unplanned settlements- Dharavi is the largest slum area in Mumbai. 5,000 people are employed in the slum in recycling plastics. People find their own informal employment in these areas. In these slum areas, people have little or no access to basic services: water, sanitation, power and waste management. 55% of Mumbai’s population live on 6% of the land. Home to 1.2 million people. 22% of residents have access to safe drinking water.
3.5b International migration has increased in global hub cities and regions, deepening interdependence between regions (elite migration- Russian oligarchs to London; mass low-wage economic migration- India to UAE, the Philippines to Saudi Arabia)
international migration- people move from one country to another
economic migration- the movement of people for work. To get a job or better paid jobs
elite migrants- skilled, wealthy migrants who are welcomed to a country because of the investment and capital that they bring
low-wage migration- less skilled workers moving to find new regions
Diaspora definition
the spread of people or culture from one country or region around the world
Elite migrants
Elite migrants
- Elite migrants are an advantage to the host country because they boost their FDI. For example, in 2013, the Financial Times reported that 82% of property deals in Central London involve foreign buyers
- Increased international migration increases the interdependence between regions. For example, the migration of wealthy Russian oligarchs (elite migrants) to London increases the interdependence between the UK and Russia as investment flows between the two countries
- Elite migrants can also be highly skilled people who migrate to a country to work within a particular industry. For example, skilled doctors who come to the UK to work in the NHS
- The benefits of increased elite migration are that it increases investment into the host country and can fill the skills gap, but the source country can experience a skills gap and lack of investment as migrants have left the area
Migration benefits/costs
-source
Benefits:
Economic: remittances flow back, links made with foreign businesses
Social: may relieve population pressures
Political: Land reform, such as changing land ownership, becomes possible
Environmental: Relieves pressure if urban growth into natural areas by reducing population growth
Costs:
Economic: Loss of workforce and investment money
Social: Domestic service migration may cause gender imbalance with a surplus of males and fewer females
Political: Migrants may pick up new cultural traits which may lead to unrest when diaspora return home
Environmental: Dereliction and decline as depopulation leads to poor land management
Migration benefits/costs
-hos
Benefits:
Economic: Larger workforce for basic jobs, Influx of money to help economy and boost bank income
Social:Variety of cultures add diversity to the population
Political: Promotes debate on national culture and immigration
Environmental: Immigrants are used to being efficient in use of resources
Costs:
Economic: Migrants may need supporting services e.g. health and education
Social: Ethnic tensions: migrants may outnumber national population
Political: Presence of diaspora may lead to nationalistic and anti-immigration feelings
Environmental: Urban growth may increase pollution, urban poverty and urban sprawl
Cultural diffusion
the spreading of a culture into another
Cultural erosion
Involves a culture being worn away or lost
