Question.
Discuss the problems associated with urban settlements in developing countries.
(Class 12 Geography, Fundamentals of Human Geography, Chapter 10. Human Settlements)
Answer.
Urban settlements are those human settlements whose majority of the population is involved in non-primary activities such as manufacturing and service sectors.
Especially in developing countries, urban settlements have less money and more population, due to which urban settlements suffer from various problems.
The common problems of urban settlements in developing countries are of two types. First, lack of basic infrastructure facilities like housing, drinking water, electricity, sewage disposal, hospitals, and schools. Second, the problem of pollution in which air and water pollution are the main ones.
Urban problems can be classified under the following heads;
Economic problems;
Urban settlements often lack finance for infrastructure and facilities. Due to inadequate financial resources and corruption, there is a lack of basic facilities in the urban settlements.
Due to excessive rural-to-urban migration, there are fewer economic opportunities in the urban area and slums are growing rapidly in the urban center.
There is wide income inequality among the urban population and it is increasing.
Socio-cultural problems;
Male selective migration to urban areas imbalances the sex ratio in cities.
Urban centers tend to have high populations, income inequality, and low economic opportunities, which increase the crime rate in urban settlements. Social crimes like rape, dacoity, murder, extortion, etc. are common in urban areas.
Environmental problems;
The urban population is often more than the resources available there. Due to this the resources available there like water, forests, etc., exhaust the natural resources rapidly.
A huge amount of waste is generated in urban areas. Waste disposal is a major challenge. Not proper disposal of waste can lead to water, air, and soil pollution.
Due to the encroachment of river floodplains and other water bodies, floods occur in urban areas.
Due to the heavy consumption of energy in urban areas nowadays, urban settlements act like the "heat island effect"; As a result, it attract cyclones. For example, the "heat island effect" of urban settlements along the east and west coast of India attracts cyclones from the coast.
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