URBANIZATION

Problems of Urbanization

Problems of Urbanization

Thesis Statement

Urbanization is a common concept in which the people move towards the developed areas which leads to the overflow of the population in these areas causing various problems like pollution of air, unemployment and degradation of living standards where urbanization is associated with the concept of sustainable development.

Introduction

Sustainable development is a process in which development in the specific areas is able to meet the present needs without compromising the abilities of the future generations to fulfill and meet their needs. Concerned people focus on the fact that meeting the future needs depend on how well the system is balanced in the presence of social, economic and environmental factors and how the decisions are framed according to the various aspects (Meeting of the OECD Council, 2001).

On the other hand, urbanization involves the growth of the rural and suburban areas and their concentration into the cities. According to the projections made by the United Nations, half of the world's population resides in the urban areas. By 2050, this figure is estimated to rise to 85.9%. Urbanization is a modern concept linked to modernization and industrialization (Reese, 2013). But, the concept of urbanization is accompanied by major problems like air pollution, unemployment, threatening of the natural environment, accumulation of several diseases, and criminal activities. This is a common phenomenon that urbanization leads to unemployment where the government is unable to produce jobs for meeting the demands of the growing population (Reese, 2013). This then paves the way for many people to apply for government programs in which they can acquire benefits. This affects the ability of the government to provide basic amenities to the people (Meeting of the OECD Council, 2001). Also, suspended factory operations have been polluting the air and are a major threat to health. City growth has also affected animals and plants where each work in significant manner for the Earth to rotate in a certain manner (Reese, 2013). Biodiversity protects the water and soil from getting contaminated and provides people with medicine, where urbanization limits the access to these natural resources and has lead to physical inactivity and unhealthy diets (Meeting of the OECD Council, 2001). Also, increasing urbanization has increased the crime rates where people are unable to adjust to the changes in their environment and the government is not able to prevent poverty in the presence of unemployment (Reese, 2013).

Achieving ...