Issue of Population and the Issue of Megacities - Literature review Example

EVIDENCE OF MULTI STAKEHOLDER GOVERNANCE OF THE SUSTAINABILITY Table of Contents Table of Contents Introduction 3 Sustainability and Mega Cities 3 Governance of Megacities 6 Challenges for Emerging Megacities 6 Conclusion 7 References 8 Introduction Majority of the population in the world are shifting their interests on mega cities, and the people living in rural areas are depleting day by day. Mega city can be defined as a continuous urbanised region which has a total population of more than 10 million people (UNCHS, 1996, p. 8). Some of the well recognised mega cities of the world include New York, Tokyo, Delhi, Mumbai, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and Karachi. The largest cities of the world are found to be growing at the fastest pace. However, it has been observed that large cities are not concentrated in the developed nations but mostly in the developing countries of the world. The process of urbanization has resulted in a number of issues associated with most of the mega cities which have been discussed in this study. The issues discussed are mostly related to the various sustainable problems and governance issues faced by the megalopolises of the world. Sustainability and Mega Cities Sustainability development refers to the fulfilment of needs and requirements at present without compromising on the future generations’ ability to satisfy their needs (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). Sustainability is a concept of achieving simultaneously the objectives of an improved environment, a good economy and a society which is more participative in nature. Although the primary context of sustainability is global in nature, it becomes more meaningful when it is given a global significance through local initiatives and practices. As regards the cities, metabolism can be used as a metaphor to sustainability. A city is adjudged to be more sustainable if it has the ability to reduce its resource inputs in the form of materials, land, water, energy, etc. and waste outputs in the form of air, solid wastes and liquid and at the same time has the capacity to bring about improvement in its liveability in the form of employment, health, housing, income, community, public spaces, etc. (Newman, and Kenworthy, 2003, pp. 235-242). The research study by Williams and Haughton (1994) suggested the various roles played by cities towards the process of sustainability and examined the different issues associated with environmental degradation taking place in the urban areas. In today’s world people living in cities surpass the total number of people living in rural areas. There has been a significant rise in the urban population of the world. It has been estimated that the urban dwellers would increase up to around five billion by the end of the year 2030. The most interesting trend related to this rise in urban population is that it is mostly concentrated in the cities of the developing nations of the world. The primary reason behind the growth of urban population is that the urban fertility rate has increased at a greater rate than the urban mortality rate, especially in cases of the mega cities of the world (Renner, 1998). The future prospects of world community are dependent upon the urban sustainability (McGranahan et al., 2001). New risk dimensions along with physical, social and economic dynamics are created through the increasing mobilisation of people, capital, goods and information. This results in the importance of cities for the creating sustainable development. Mega cities are not confined to the aspect of concentration of people only. Resources that are available all over the world are absorbed by the mega cities; this leads to the generation of huge amounts of sewage and waste. It thus uses environment as a sink to dump all its waste. The increasing per capita income of people living in the cities has resulted in the increase of resources consumed and the residues produced as a result of such activities. The data related to evaluation of the resource demands which has been calculated in terms of ecological footprint indicates that all the cities of the world utilises nearly 75% of the resources while comprising of only 2% of the surface of the earth (BMBF, 2004). The rapid growth of the mega cities leads to the increasing deficiency in the satisfaction levels of the poor population. Hence it gives rise to several issues like poverty, social exclusion, and unemployment. At the same instance, it also leads to the social and economic development of nations. The fertility rates are lower and the average literacy rates are higher in cities as compared to the rural areas (UN habitat, 2006). Similarly, urban centres help in accommodating human capital which is in turn helpful in solving issues related to sustainability. The scientific and intellectual institutions like universities and research institutions are mostly situated in urban areas. The social resources like people’s associations and non-government institutions also get concentrated as a result of urban agglomerations. This type of concentration of social resources also results in increased political opportunities. Civic engagement gets expanded because of the ease with which communication takes place in cities and the increased availability of information. This results in the development of control mechanisms that are independent in nature along with the development of god governance mechanisms. Mega cities are considered to be the powerhouses of changes taking place in the global environment. Major functions associated with the development of global economy are mediated through the mega cities which act as centres of culture, trade, industry and information (Sassen, 2005). Globalisation also has a cumulative impact on the megacities. The changes in environmental conditions are leading to the development of new types of environmental problems for the mega cities. The processes associated with multi-ethnic coexistence in the urban areas are enhanced because the generation of migration of large number of people across borders due to globalisation (UN Habitat, 2004). Governance of Megacities Preventing, preparing for mitigating or reducing the risks is believed to play significant role in achieving the development of sustainability. Governance mechanisms existent in the mega cities are confronted with new types of challenges which are different from those found in smaller cities. Mega-urbanisation has resulted in intensive economic and social problems which in turn compounds other factors like social exclusion and poverty. Crime is also another major problem which has been created through the emergence of mega cities in the world. The cities where inequalities are prominent are found to be vulnerable to insecurity. The existing organisational structures in cities find it difficult to adjust to the developmental dynamics because of the process of rapid expansion that are taking place beyond the political-administrative boundaries in the cities. The demand associated with balancing of metropolitan and municipal planning process is getting enhanced as a result of the juridical fragmentation process. The informed constituency is getting involved more because of democratisation. Informal decision making processes are found to have significant impact on the development of many of the mega cities of the world. Challenges for Emerging Megacities The mega cities situated in the developing nations of the world are observed to face majority of the urban challenges. The urban planning problems associated with the mega cities are quite important. Various urban population issues like unemployment, water supply, food supply, traffic problems and inadequate housing have been created as a result of the increasing rates of in-migration in the mega cities. Major planning issues include the problems associated with the provision of transportation. Management challenges associated with mega cities are also substantial in nature (Jones, and Visaria, 1997). There is a substantial negative impact on the health sector of mega cities. Overall, the situation in mega cities of the developing nations is such that it is characterised as having a conflicting mixture of wealth and poverty in excess, severe unemployment levels and increased available economic opportunities. Conclusion The analysis of the problems associated with the increasing emergence of mega cities of the world discussed in this study suggests that most of the problems are concentrated in the mega cities situated in the developing countries, and a number of mega cities there have also surpassed the number of mega cities found in the developed countries of the world. The main issues are related to the various problems concerned with the increase of population in the urban areas. There has been a considerable growth and economic development due to the activities taking place in the mega cities; but at the same time, it has posed challenges for the mega cities in the form of sustainability developments that are required to be undertaken in these areas. Housing is also a major issue that has evolved through the emergence of mega cities because the increased population pressures have resulted in the inadequacy of housing facilities sought by the people living in those mega cities. References BMBF, 2004. The Urban Transition: Research for the Sustainable Development of the Megacities of Tomorrow. Bonn: BMBF, Division 622 “Global Change”. Jones, G. W., and Visaria, P., 1997. Urbanization in Large Developing Countries – China, Indonesia, Brazil, and India. Oxford & New York: Clarendon Press. McGranahan, G., et al. The Citizens at Risk: From Urban Sanitation to Sustainable Cities. London: Earthscan. Newman, P., and Kenworthy, J., 2003. Designing Cities: Critical Readings in Urban Design. Oxford: Blackwell. Renner, E. M., 1998. Urbanization, Population, Environment, and Security. Washington D.C.: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. UNCHS, 1996. An Urbanizing World: Global Report on Human Settlements. Oxford: Oxford University Press. UN Habitat, 2004. The State of the World’s Cities. Globalization and Urban Culture. London: Earthscan. UN Habitat, 2006. State of the World’s Cities. The Millenium Development Goals and Urban Sustainability. London: Earthscan. Williams, C. C., and Haughton, G., 1994. Perspectives towards Sustainable Environmental Development. Guildford: Avebury. World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987. Our Common Future. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Read More