Environmental Issues

To every action, there is a corresponding reaction. This adage is very much applicable to the global growth, development and industrialization, particularly in the Third World countries. The cities in the Third World countries, such as in Asia, Middle East and North Africa are radically being affected by the development and growth brought about by the industrialization.

Development, growth and industrialization are just what we want  to happen in the Third World countries, but what exactly is happening The progress and industrialization have been centralized in most cities in the Third World countries. As a result, aside from the city locals or original inhabitants, rural folks have migrated to most of the cities in the Third World.

According to Cohen 2006, Urbanization and city growth are caused by a number of different factors, including rural to urban migration, natural population increase and annexation.

People flock into the already crowded cities to look for employment, bringing with them their families to study and to live in the city as well. The migration from rural to the urban area is one of the causes of centralized urbanization in the cities.

Urbanization and city growth are caused by a number of different factors, including rural to urban migration, natural population increase and annexation. The latter two, natural population increase and annexation are also consequences of the rural migration.

In the past 30 years, the urban population in developing countries has tripled and projections suggest urban growth will continue well into the next century. Urban areas in Africa, Asia and Latin America are growing at an average rate of one million per week.

In the Third World, urban growth has been concentrated in one or a few very large cities, frequently referred to as megalopolises. The megalopolis is a 20th century phenomenon. Ezcurra further says that it is not clear how environmentally sustainable these cities will be. Rapid urban growth throughout the developing world has seriously outstripped the capacity of most cities to provide adequate basic services for the citizens.

The rapid urbanization and emergence of crowded Third World cities is unprecedented, and by far, unplanned. The resources, needs and requirements of the people living in these cities have not been planned for as the sustainability of the cities environments as well as those in adjacent areas have been exceeded.

Why are the Poor Particularly Vulnerable to the Hazards and Dangers Brought  Forth by the Urban

Developments
The unprecedented growth and development in the cities including the unprecedented migration from rural to urban have caught most of the Third World cities off guard.  Dangers and hazards have begun to emerge, and the most unfortunate victims are the urban poor.

Inability to Live Decently and Safely.
As exemplified in the case of Mexico (Ezcurra, et.al. 1996), one of the major issues that emerge is the lack of suitable and safe habitat for the residents. In Mexico City, as most of the habitable areas have already been saturated, new immigrants, especially those who cannot afford to pay house rent or buy houses, have set up residence in dangerous hillsides. These hillsides continually erode, and are particularly prone to landslides.

Aside from the dangerous slopes, the urban poor have also been driven by industrialization and development into garbage dumping sites, river banks and marshes. Being unable to rent or purchase houses or lots, the urban poor are left with little choice but to choose between dangerous and steep slopes to build on their houses, or the garbage dumping sites, river banks or the marshes.  The areas adjacent to garbage dumping sites are occupied by the urban poor because most of them make a living by sorting through the garbage dump and recycling or selling whatever they can salvage. Needless to say, there are many tragedies awaiting people who are inhabiting a place anywhere near a garbage dumping site.

An excellent example of this is the Payatas Tragedy in the Philippines. In July 10, 2000 an unforgettable tragedy fell upon the impoverished 218 people including elderly and children in a slum community in Payatas, Quezon City, Philippines. A hill of garbage caved in on the area where the 218 people were, killing most of them instantly under the tons of garbage, mud and dirt. At the same time, 300 families were left without homes.That area in Payatas had been a garbage dumping site for garbage for several decades already. Amidst the mountains of garbage, hundreds or even thousands of families chose to set up their homes near the dumping area, because of lack of choice or alternative. Also, a means of livelihood loomed upon them with the garbage recyclables. The Payatas Tragedy was a lesson to be learned upon by most of the Filipinos.

Lack of Water and Sanitation
There is also another reason for the urban poor to be vulnerable to the dangers posed by urban growth and development this is the lack of potable water and the lack of sanitation.  In most cities and municipalities, the controlled and sanitized water and other services are provided well to those residential and commercial areas which are able to pay the government fees and installation services. The urban poor, having no means for paying such fees, much less, unable to afford proper housing, are left without regulated water and sanitation services. This is exemplified by new residents in Mexico City. The new residents settle in makeshift, unplanned and marginally illegal communities outside the coverage of Mexico Citys government. These makeshift settlements are not covered by the citys sewerage and sanitation services. Hence, the settlers contribute to the air, land and water pollution, notably by contaminating the water supply and the land itself (Perlman, et. Al.1998).

In Bombay, there is a lack of latrines and proper sewerage systems, contributing to an unhygienic and dirty surroundings which breed diseases.

Air Pollution
Another danger brought to the urban poor by the growth and development in Third World cities is air pollution. Air pollution is said to be particularly severe in megacities such as Manila, Beijing, Seoul, Mexico City and Cairo.  These cities air blankets are hone to at least two of the major air pollutants that WHO monitors. In Mexico City, suspended particulate matter contribute to the death of an estimated 6,400 people each year.

The atmosphere of most of the industrialized and developing cities have become polluted due to the combined factors such as automobile exhausts and fumes, industrial fumes, smoking, use of wood and dung in home cooking and excessive industrial dust.

In New Delhi in India, air pollution has become a major problem because the slums or the squatter areas are near industrial units. Compounding the problem is that the urban poors homes are not adequately well-ventilated. Residents also use fuel wood and dung and cook indoors as well. These compounded air pollution problems have contributed to rampant heart and respiratory diseases.

Inadequate Health Services
There is also inadequate or even no health services for the poor who cannot afford proper medical care. The children in the urban poor are also adversely affected. There is a high mortality among the children boor in the urban poor. And if children do survive, they are malnourished or in poor health. These children are also unable to continue with education, thereby continuing the cycle of their families poverty, many women are also overworked and pushed to the limits with having  to work, take care of the children and manage the households. This is because of the lack of services in the urban poor community. These women also lack any form of financial security and property rights, being unable to access any form of credit.

All the above-mentioned problems adversely affect the urban poor because they do not have the alternative or the choice to either move to a decent and regulated place and they do not have the means to combat the problems, and worst of all, they do not have the means to provide remedies to the consequences of the issues to their very lives.

What Strategies Can Be Followed to Improve the Standards of Living for the Urban Poor
The governments of the Third World cities, as well as the communities involved must take appropriate action now with the issues and problems emerging for the urban poor in relation to the industrialization and development of these cities.

Urban Planning-Redeveloping the city to take into consideration the plight or settlement of the urban poor may take a lot of cost, time and resources. However, this will save lots of lives and money as well. The most important thing is this will save the entire city of course.

Conventional approaches to poverty alleviation can be creatively combined with strategies for environmental regeneration. Environmental regeneration strategies such as campaigns for proper waste management, tree planting can be combined with poverty alleviation strategies such as cooperatives, immunization programs, and free condoms distribution. Combining environmental regeneration campaigns with poverty alleviation will help instill the fact that they are aligned with each other, not separate entities.

Water Treatment for the Urban Poor
Governments or administrators of third world cities must strive to include the urban poor community in the scope of the water treatment facilities and services.

Education and Health Serves for the Urban Poor
The public education system must be extended and enhanced in the urban poor community by establishing schools near the community. At the same time, health services must be implemented to include health education campaigns, free immunization system and subsidized medical treatment facilities.