Urbanisation Key Terms
Urbanisation –The process by which an increasing proportion of the
world’s population lives in towns and cities.
Natural increase –When the birth rate is higher than the death rate so
the population gets bigger.
Megacity –A city with a population of over 10 million
Rural-urban migration –The movement of people from the countryside
to go and live in towns and cities. This happens because of push and pull
factor. Most of the migrants are young adults.
Push factors –These are bad things that make you want to leave where
you live in the countryside e.g. poverty, lack of services (schools, health
care), drought, natural disasters, lack of job opportunities.
Pull factors –These are the good things that attract you to living in the
towns e.g. jobs, chance of better housing, schools, hospitals, better
infrastructure (water supply, electricity etc).
Urban Issues
and Challenges
The steeper the line the more quickly the
population is increasing.
The highest rates of urbanisation are in
poorer, low income countries (LICs) in Asia
and Africa. In most of these countries a
majority of the population still live in rural
areas and the rate of rural-urban migration
is high. The migrants are mostly young
adults so this will add to natural increase as
they will start their own families.
The slower rates of urbanisation are in
richer, high-income countries (HICs) in
Europe, North America and Oceania. These
were the first countries to industrialise so
by now most people already live in towns
and cities. One exception is South America.
Here there are many NEEs like Brazil.
Industrialisation has happened earlier so
urbanisation is already slowing down.
The location of Mumbai
It is in Maharashtra state in
the West of India. India is a
NEE. It is on a major shipping
route through the
Mediterranean Sea via the
Suez Canal. It is the ideal
place for a port. It is built on
an island with a river estuary
to the East, protecting the
ships from waves in the Indian
Ocean when in dock. It has an
international airport and is
connected to other Indian
cities via railway and road
links
The importance of Mumbai
The headquarters of the Bombay Stock Exchange , the Reserve Bank
of India, and the Tata Group are located in Mumbai. 6% of India's GDP
and 40% of its foreign trade comes from Mumbai. It is also a
manufacturing hub which creates a lot of jobs. Mumbai accounts for
25% of India’s industrial production. The port also creates valuable
jobs.
Reasons for urban growth in Mumbai
Increased use of machinery in farming has
forced people people with small farms to
sell up to larger land owners.
There are significantly more births than
deaths (due to high birth rates) every year.
(HIGH NATURAL INCREASE).
In Mumbai there are job opportunities in
service industries and the manufacturing
industries which pay higher wages.
There are more schools, health care
facilities and entertainment in Mumbai
than other parts of Maharashtra state.
38% of migrants to Mumbai come from
Maharashtra state together with many
others from other poor regions.
Migrants often move to cities to have
access to schools for their children, so that
their children have a much better chance in
life than themselves.
C.S Dharavi shanty town –challenges and opportunities
oLack of sanitation. 500 people share one public toilet.
Children play amongst sewage waste. 4,000 cases of
diphtheria and typhoid each day.
oPeople set up home illegally amongst waste. In the wet
monsoon season these low-lying areas flood.
oMany jobs are in the informal economy (no minimum
wage, the workers do not pay taxes) and they work in
dangerous conditions. Jobs include rag picking, breaking
up and recycling old electronic products, recycling waste,
making pottery, selling items on the street etc. These
jobs cost little to set up, use simple tools and are labour
intensive.
oEverything is recycled. 23% of plastic waste gets
recycled in the UK. In Dharavi it is 80%.
oWater is only available for 2 hours a day. However, this
is clean drinking water, which is often not available in
poorer rural areas or involves a time- consuming, labour
intensive walk for (mainly) women to the local well.
oTraffic congestion –there are more than 22 million
vehicles registered in Mumbai and these contribute to
both noise and air pollution, as well as lots of lost hours
as people sit in traffic jams.
Challenges –Problems, bad
things, difficulties.
Opportunities –Good things,
benefits, chances
