The world is growing towards urbanization and globalization at a high pace in modern history. Also, the global population of people living in the slum continues to grow immensely. According to a report, it has been estimated that approximately one billion people are slums dwellers, especially in the developing countries and the 3rd world countries. Third world countries are those nations that are neither aligned with the East nor with the West (NATO). Some of the developing countries such as Latin America, and Africa are 3rd world countries.
In developing countries, nearly one-third of all city-dwellers are living in poor-quality housing that is known as slums. The world’s fastest-growing human habitat is the urban slums. The accurate statistics of slum areas’ demographics are nearly impossible.
- By 2030, it has been estimated that 5 billion of the world’s population people will live in cities.
- Around 2 billion of them will live in slums mainly in developing countries such as Africa and Asia.
- There will be a lack of the access to clean drinking water and working toilets
Skyrocketing urban population
There’s no doubt that the urban populations have skyrocketed. In some parts of the developing world, this growth has involves the ratio of rural migration to informal growth which is more than the ratio of rural migration to informal settlements in the cities.
Densely populated urban areas are featured with low-quality housing settlements, lack of public services, and lack of adequate living space and accommodating large numbers of informal residents.
Urban slum policies in the 3rd world and developing countries
Over several decades, the authorities of the developing and 3rd world countries have adopted and implemented several strategies. These strategies are specifically designed to tackle the problem of informal settlements in slum areas. Some of these include resettlement or relocation programs, forced eviction, demolition, upgrading slums, and many more.
Why urban slums are developing so fast?
The fast-paced development of slums in developing countries is not a new phenomenon. Slums have been a part of history for a long. In the early years when industrialization and urbanization boomed, the only place which was the accessible and affordable settlement for the poor was the slums.
Here are some main reasons why slums develop:
Growth in population
Every country in the world is urbanizing at a fast pace so more people are migrating from rural areas to the cities. This naturally causes population growth. According to the estimates, half the world’s population lives in urban areas. Around 90 percent of the urban growth is from the developing world.
- Urban migration is the main cause of slum development, especially in developing countries.
- Low incomes from rural areas work and agriculture also make rural people migrate to cities in search of better opportunities.
- Some people migrate because they’re forced to do so because of education, health facilities, natural disasters, and better job prospects.
- This research is done by our assignment help Australia expert Eddie Broke.
Poor facilities or governance
Another reason because of why slums develop is poor governance. When governments fail to give facilities and safeguard the rights of the urban poor people, this contributes to the growth of slums. There’s a need for proper urban planning to reduce the sums and to protect the rights of the urban poor people.
Rural-urban migration
One cause that is attributed to the expansion of slums is rural-urban migration. Over the last 50 years, the proportion of people in agriculture has seen a tremendous decline of 30%. This has contributed to the global population has increased by 250% because of diverse income opportunities. No matter what’s the reasons or causes of migration from rural to urban areas, all of these contribute to the expansion of the existing urban slums. You can also read about tips to improve your grades.
Tackling the issue of urban slums
- There is a need for slum upgrading to improve the urban slum’s living conditions.
- The government should plan for the economic development of the slums.
- Organized urbanization should be there for proper planning & modification of the urban areas to accommodate newcomers.
- There is a necessity for planning rural development and urban development.
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