urban problems and solutions essay

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IELTS Overpopulation Essay

This model essay is about  overpopulation in cities . You specifically have to talk about the  problems  of overpopulation, and suggest some  solutions  to this problem.

Note that this question specifically asks you what governments and individuals can do.

Here is the question:

Overpopulation of urban areas has led to numerous problems.

Identify one or two serious ones and suggest ways that governments and individuals can tackle these problems.

Organising a Problems & Solutions Essay

Note that this overpopulation essay question specifically asks you what governments and individuals can do.

You MUST, therefore, write about what both of these can do in order to fully answer the question.

Note as well that you must talk about  serious  problems.

The easiest way to organize a problems and solutions essay is as follows:

Body 1: Problems

Body 2: Solutions

In this essay, a separate paragraph has been written about government and individual solutions, so it is organized as follows:

Body 2: Solutions - Government

Body 3: Solutions - Individuals

Model Essay

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

Write at least 250 words.

IELTS Overpopulation Essay - Sample Answer

Many countries of the world are currently experiencing problems caused by rapidly growing populations in urban areas, and both governments and individuals have a duty to find ways to overcome these problems.

Overpopulation can lead to overcrowding and poor quality housing in many large cities. Poorly heated or damp housing could cause significant health problems, resulting in illness, such as bronchitis or pneumonia. Another serious consequence of overcrowding is a rising crime rate as poor living conditions may lead young people in particular to take desperate measures and turn to crime or drugs.

In terms of solutions, I believe the government should be largely responsible. Firstly, it is vital that the state provides essential housing and healthcare for all its citizens. Secondly, setting up community projects to help foster more community spirit and help keep young people off the street is a good idea. For example, youth clubs or evening classes for teenagers would keep them occupied. Finally, more effective policing of inner city areas would also be beneficial.

Naturally, individuals should also try to address these problems. One way is to put pressure on the government to ensure they tackle the problems by, for instance, forming action groups to lobby the government and request intervention and adequate funding. They could also form Neighbourhood Watch areas to try and help reduce the high levels of crime.

Therefore, it is clear that the problems caused by overpopulation in urban areas are very serious. Yet if governments and individuals share a collective responsibility, then it may well become possible to offer some solutions.

(260 words)

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IELTS Problem Solution Essay Example: Why is immigration problematic?

This problem solution essay example is about the increasing number of professionals who are leaving their own poorer countries to work in developed countries

Competing for Jobs Essay

Competing for Jobs Essay: This is a model essay about the problems arising when older people have to compete with younger people for jobs. you need to write about the problems that arise if older people have to compete for jobs with younger people.

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Urbanization: Problems and Remedies

Last updated on October 6, 2023 by ClearIAS Team

Urbanization is the movement of people from rural to urban regions, expanding cities and towns. It is the process through which cities grow as higher percentages of the population come to live in the city.

Urbanization involves a complex set of economic, demographic, social, cultural, technological, and environmental processes that increase the proportion of the population of a territory that lives in towns and cities.

Urbanization is often discussed in countries that are currently in the process of industrializing and urbanizing, but all industrialized nations have experienced urbanization at some point in their history. Moreover, urbanization is on the rise all over the globe.

Table of Contents

What leads to urbanization?

Industrialization: Industrialization has improved job prospects by allowing individuals to work in contemporary sectors in occupations that contribute to economic progress. Because of better job possibilities, more individuals have been drawn to relocate from rural to urban regions since the Industrial Revolution.

Commerce: Commercialization and commerce are associated with the belief that towns and cities provide better business possibilities and returns than rural regions.

Facilities: There are several social advantages to living in a city or town. Better educational facilities, higher living standards, improved sanitation and housing, improved health care, improved recreation facilities, and improved social life are only a few examples

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Job prospects: Higher-value-added occupations are created and increased by services and industries, resulting in additional work possibilities

Cities also emerge when rural regions gradually transition into urban landscapes. Such a transition may be a result of mineral discoveries, resource exploitation, or agricultural operations.

Urbanization in India

India along with China and Nigeria are the most rapidly urbanizing countries as they account for 35% of world urban population growth projected for the 2018-2050 period.

In 2018 a large number of India’s cities had a population of between 300,000 and 1 million inhabitants. There are 120 medium-sized cities of such population size and only five urban settlements with 20 million or more inhabitants.

In India, the urban population amounts to 461 million people. This number is growing by 2.3 percent each year. By 2031, 75 percent of India’s national income is estimated to come from cities.

Providing the necessary urban infrastructure is the big challenge as 70 to 80 percent of the infrastructure that will be needed by 2050 has not been built yet, and the estimated investment gap amounts to approximately 827 billion US dollars.

Also read: Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

State-wise data:

• More than 75% of the urban population of the country is in 10 States: Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Kerala.
• Maharashtra has 50.8 million persons which are 13.5% of the total urban population of the country.
• Uttar Pradesh accounts for about 44.4 million, followed by Tamil Nadu with 34.9 million.
• Goa is the most urbanized State with a 62.2% urban population.
• Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Gujarat have attained over 40% urbanization.
• Among the North-Eastern States, Mizoram is the most urbanized with 51.5% urban population.
• Bihar, Odisha, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh continue to be at a lower level of urbanization than the national average.
• The NCT of Delhi and the UT of Chandigarh are most urbanized with 97.5% and 97.25% urban population respectively, followed by Daman and Diu and Lakshadweep.

Global scenario

At the international scale, levels of urbanization are closely correlated with levels of economic development, while rates of urbanization are inversely correlated with levels of economic development.

Demographic processes of immigration and migration, as well as natural population growth, are important determinants of urbanization, but these are in turn underpinned by other processes, especially structural economic change.

The most urbanized regions are Northern America with 82% of its population living in urban areas (as of 2018), Latin America and the Caribbean (81%), Europe (74%), and Oceania (68%).

Asia has about 50% level of urbanization in Asia and Africa remains mostly rural, with only 43% of its population living in urban areas.

Significance of Urbanization

Some of the beneficial effects of urbanization include job development, technical and infrastructure improvements, better transportation and communication, educational and medical facilities, and higher living standards.

Urban living is linked with higher levels of literacy and education, better health, longer life expectancy, greater access to social services, and enhanced opportunities for cultural and political participation.

Urbanization and economic growth are strongly related in terms of industrialization, employment generation, and increase in productivity.

Also read: Sustainable Livestock Production

Drawbacks of urbanization

Dwelling crisis: There is a continuous scarcity of housing as the number of people living in metropolitan areas grows.

Overcrowding: Overcrowding, urban congestion is a constant, and it is an element that is growing day by day as more people and immigrants migrate to cities and towns in quest of a better living.

Unemployment: Lack of highly skilled jobs is most prevalent in metropolitan areas, especially among educated individuals.

Slums: Industrialization is fast-paced but there is a shortage of developed land for housing. The increasing migration of rural immigrants to the city, and the inflated prices of land beyond the urban poor contribute to the rise of slums and squatters in metropolitan areas.

Sewage infrastructure: In most metropolitan areas, insufficient sewage infrastructure is observed concerning the rapid population growth.

Health crisis: Communicable illnesses like typhoid, dysentery, plague, and diarrhea eventually can spread rapidly. The COVID-19 pandemic is a live example of how overpopulated cities and medical facilities collapse under the weight of a pandemic.

Pollution: The need for transportation increases with the increase in population, resulting in traffic congestion and pollution.

Urban Heat Islands (UHI): These are significantly warmer urban areas than their surrounding rural areas due to human activities. Urban Heat Island is a major problem associated with rapid urbanization.

Crime rates: Shortage of resources, overcrowding, higher poverty rates, unemployment, and a loss of social services and education lead to social issues such as violence, drug misuse, and crime.

Government schemes to manage urbanization

Smart cities mission 

The National Smart Cities Mission is an urban renewal mission launched in 2015, to promote cities to provide core infrastructure, a clean and sustainable environment, and a decent quality of life to their citizens through the application of ‘smart solutions’.

AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) mission

The purpose of AMRUT   which is mainly for urban rejuvenation is to:

• Ensure that every household has access to a tap with an assured supply of water and a sewerage connection.
• Increase the amenity value of cities by developing greenery and well maintained open spaces (e.g. parks) and
• Reduce pollution by switching to public transport or constructing facilities for non-motorized transport (e.g. walking and cycling).

Swacch Bharat mission

It was launched in 2014 to accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to ensure that the open defecation free (ODF) behaviours are sustained, no one is left behind, and that solid and liquid waste management facilities are accessible, the Mission is moving towards the next Phase II of SBMG i.e ODF-Plus.

Swacch Bharat mission Urban 2.0 was allocated funds in Union Budget 2021 . The goal of the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0 is to make all the cities garbage-free with sophisticated waste management systems.

HRIDAY (Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana)

National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) was launched on 21 January 2015 to bring together urban planning, economic growth, and heritage conservation in an inclusive manner to preserve the heritage character of each Heritage City.

PM Awas Yojana

The Housing for All scheme was an initiative of the Indian government to establish housing facilities for slum dwellers and was introduced by the Indian government’s Ministry of Housing and urban affairs. The mission has an Urban part and Gramin part to comprehensively acknowledge the diversity of the Indian landscape.

Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan

Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (Self-reliant India Mission) is a campaign launched by the Central Government of India which included an Rs.20 lakh crore economic stimulus package and several reform proposals. The five pillars of the mission are- economy, infrastructure, system, democracy, and demand.

Way forward

Sustainable, planned, and eco-friendly cities: Governments’ efforts to build smart, safe, environmentally friendly, and affordable cities should get more boost and legal backing as well.

Private investments: More investments can be encouraged for green living and other urban initiatives for sustainable landscapes.

Access for all: every resident should be able to access all the services, without discrimination of any kind. Disabled friendly and inclusive infrastructure should be made mandatory in urban areas.

Employment: To mitigate the negative consequences of increasing urbanization while still protecting natural ecosystems, private investments in environmental resource utilization and employment creation should be promoted.

Health and Population management: population control is important to manage the spread of diseases. It will help in creating a healthy society with medical facilities accessible to all.

Poverty alleviation: A bottom-up approach can be adopted to better understand unique challenges faced by the urban poor and worked upon.

As we move forward in the 21st century, the global population is likely to continue growing. Urban areas will continue to grow with the population. By 2050, it is projected that two-thirds of the urban population will be living in urban areas, that are close to 7 billion people in cities alone.

This continual growth presents complex challenges as we prepare for the cities of the future. How we choose to manage urbanization will have consequences for our world for many years to come.

Previous year question

UPSC Mains-GS 1, 2017

The growth of cities as I.T. hubs has opened up new avenues of employment but has also created new problems. Substantiate this statement with examples. (15 marks, 250 words)

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A cloak of smog gives Fresno, California, a hazy look. Smog, a hybrid of the words "smoke" and "fog," is caused when sunlight reacts with airborne pollution, including ash, dust, and ground-level ozone.

Urban Threats

Urbanization spurs a unique set of issues to both humans and animals.

The promise of jobs and prosperity, among other factors, pulls people to cities. Half of the global population already lives in cities, and by 2050 two-thirds of the world's people are expected to live in urban areas. But in cities two of the most pressing problems facing the world today also come together: poverty and environmental degradation.

Poor air and water quality, insufficient water availability, waste-disposal problems, and high energy consumption are exacerbated by the increasing population density and demands of urban environments. Strong city planning will be essential in managing these and other difficulties as the world's urban areas swell.

• Intensive urban growth can lead to greater poverty, with local governments unable to provide services for all people.
• Concentrated energy use leads to greater air pollution with significant impact on human health.
• Automobile exhaust produces elevated lead levels in urban air.
• Large volumes of uncollected waste create multiple health hazards.
• Urban development can magnify the risk of environmental hazards such as flash flooding .
• Pollution and physical barriers to root growth promote loss of urban tree cover.
• Animal populations are inhibited by toxic substances, vehicles, and the loss of habitat and food sources.
• Combat poverty by promoting economic development and job creation.
• Involve local community in local government.
• Reduce air pollution by upgrading energy use and alternative transport systems.
• Create private-public partnerships to provide services such as waste disposal and housing.
• Plant trees and incorporate the care of city green spaces as a key element in urban planning.

Related Topics

• ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION
• AIR POLLUTION
• URBAN PLANNING
• WASTE MANAGEMENT

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Urbanization: Problems and Solutions

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Urbanisation in developing countries has rapidly emerged since 1950 with a somewhat similar experience as developed countries. However, urbanisation has occurred much faster in developing countries. However, in the early 1970s, urbanisation shifted towards counterurbanisation in most developed countries. In contrast, there is little evidence that developing countries will experience counterurbanisation due to their complex nature in terms of historical, economic, and social conditions. To examine the transition process, Geyer and Kontuly (1993) introduced differential urbanisation theory to explain the concentration and deconcentration processes within urban systems (from urbanisation to polarisation reversal to counterurbanisation). Due to rapid urbanisation in Malaysia during the last few decades, this theory fits the aim of this research to examine recent and future population growth, internal migration, and urbanisation in Malaysia from 1980 to 2040. The findings of this thesis ...

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Issues & Solutions to Problems of Urban Areas ( CIE IGCSE Geography )

Revision note.

Geography Content Creator

Issues & Solutions Within Urban Areas

Problems within urban areas.

• There are many problems throughout the urban area 
• The CBD for instance, has a particular problem with the lack of space for development, the high cost of land and meeting strict planning and government policies
• Congestion and pollution are concentrated in the CBD but is also a general urban issue
• Land-use change 
• Congestion can delay journeys and make people late to their destinations
• It increases fuel consumption 
• Adds to emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants
• Has a negative impact on people's health due to stress and poor air quality - diesel fumes are carcinogenic
• Pollution can be divided into air, noise, light, visual and water
• Half of the world's urban population is affected by poor air quality
• Thousands of people die each year from air pollution-related conditions - asthma, lung cancer etc.
• With the growth of industrial development and population, there is a rise in the number of vehicles 
• This increases the demand for energy, heating etc and with rapid urbanisation in LEDCs the rate of pollution is worse
• Burning fuelwood indoors
• Using paraffin for cooking and heating
• Weak or no government pollution controls
• Use of cheap or poor grade coal
• Burning of rubbish and plastics
• MEDCs have been through de-industrialisation and have the economic, political and technology to deal with air pollution
• A major source of air pollution is car emissions and many LEDCs do not have fuel-efficient, up-to-date vehicles
• Also, crowded and poorly organised road systems add to the problem of congestion but also air and noise pollution
• Road traffic
• Road surfaces
• Doors and shutters etc.
• Noise pollution has been associated with mental stress, anger issues, sleep deprivation, hypertension and heart disease
• Light pollution is common where any form of human habitation is found
• Light pollution arises from street lighting, homes, shops, factories, and offices
• The 'bright city lights' have always been a discussion point for the 'pull' factor of cities
• Light pollution is linked to headaches, loss of sleep, disruption of nocturnal animals and wasted energy
• Cities can be seen from space due to their lighting
• This is where the 'look' of the area becomes offensive
• Run-down, derelict buildings, streets or neighbourhoods
• Graffiti and tagging
• New architecture or roadways
• Water pollution causes a variety of diseases, such as diarrhoea and dysentery, which can lead to death
• Industrial discharge
• Residential/commercial wastewater
• Chemicals and other toxic wastes
• Polluted stormwater and runoff from urban landscapes
• All cities have inequality ranging from wealth to housing to employment
• The wealthy can afford to live in the desirable area, with the poor being located at the fringes of the inner city, edge of town estates or high-rise flats
• In LEDCs, as poor rural migrants arrive, there is a lack of affordable housing and demand is high
• Temporary or informal settlements   arise, adding to overcrowding and poor living conditions, so adding to already cramped/congested conditions around the fringes of the city
• Many people are unable to find formal, regulated, regular employment and this leads to high levels of unemployment, underemployment, or informal unregulated employment 
• The informal sector is the main employment for many people in LEDCs
• Even when there are new factories with regular paid opportunities, these are often too far away from areas where newcomers live
• There is inequality in terms of educational attainment and achievements. access to healthcare, and other opportunities, with the wealthy supporting their children and family throughout their younger lives and beyond
• Poorer families expect their children to work to help support the family and this leads to a lack of general education and skills
• Literacy & numeracy rates are lowest in LEDC countries
• Housing is expensive in relation to general wages, with many families sharing one house or just a room
• Opportunities for landlords to set high rents and no building maintenance (slum landlord)
• Poor transport links, make inner city housing the most desirable and expensive
• There is a division in the quality of housing available, with many houses in LEDCs without adequate space, running water or sanitation
• Waste removal is inadequate or non-existent, leading to the spread of diseases
• Lack of access to electricity leads to people burning fuelwood, coal or paraffin 
• Crime is concentrated in areas of high population densities: congested areas
• Crime is partly due to a lack of job opportunities and large-scale unemployment
• Main criminal activities include drug and human trafficking, drug abuse, violence (domestic and social), rape, and robbery
• The poorest areas of the city (slums) are usually ruled by gangs and intimidation
• The wealthier areas see car theft, kidnapping, and property damage

Urban Sprawl

• Urban sprawl is a common problem around the world and is the outward spread of a city 
• Noticeable in areas which have low-density suburbs (e.g. detached houses with large gardens)
• Higher emissions due to car dependency (people have to commute further and increased traffic)
• Lost time due to commuting and can lead to lower productivity
• Loss of rural way of life and character of the countryside
• Higher costs for public transport and social facilities (local governments have to spread out their budgets further) which further impacts health care, fire and policing facilities
• Planning regulations can reduce urban sprawl
• The UK has greenbelts   around many cities to restrict development into the countryside and force the development of brownfield sites
• However, developers have overcome these 'greenbelts' by jumping over into rural villages and turning them into dormitory villages for longer commutes

Land-use change

• Urban growth involves building on the land, which is in short supply in the urban centres
• This makes the open land around the urban fringe desirable for housing, industry, shopping, recreation, hospitals and public utilities such as recycling centres, reservoirs and sewerage facilities
• However, some feel too much countryside is being lost through this outward growth of towns and cities, but urban areas still need to grow 
• This means two choices, either build on a greenfield site or a brownfield site
• With all land uses there are arguments for and against each type of site

Brownfields Vs Greenfields

Some Solutions to Urban Challenges

• Sustainability   is a need for social, economic and environmental factors to be managed so that people can have a better quality of life
• In the past, city planners did not take into account the impact of future growth on the health and stability of their towns and cities
• Any inner-city regeneration/rebranding or urban fringe development needs to consider sustainable urban living  
• The challenge is for towns and cities to reduce their ecological footprint whilst also tackling social inequalities
• Reduce the reliance on fossil fuels through the use of renewable
• Energy efficient goods in public buildings, homes, offices and shops 
• Use public rather than private transport to reduce pollution 
• Provide green spaces (greening the city) for families to use
• Recycle water to conserve supplies
• Conserve cultural/historical buildings and environmental sites for future generations
• Minimise the use of greenfield sites and use brownfield sites instead 
• Involve local communities and provide a range of employment
• Many companies are starting to adopt   corporate sustainability   and attempt to reduce their carbon footprint by focusing on how their business affects the environment
• Reducing the amount of packaging
• Recyclable packaging
• Trading locally 
• Using renewable energy and other low-energy devices (lights, monitors etc.)
• Detroit, Michigan became the largest city in US history (2013) to file for bankruptcy after its revenue fell due to a declining population, rising unemployment and a lack of property and income taxes
• Urban environmental sustainability is looking at the whole of the city, from food to energy to waste management to green spaces and transport and infrastructure
• Cities can i nvest in public transport, not only does it improve the efficiency and safety of buses and trains, but also reduces pollution and congestion
• Bristol was the UK's first city to promote cycling, investing in cycle lanes and supporting bike projects
• Many cities have dedicated carpool lanes which makes getting around the city easier and quicker
• Investment in Park and Ride   to reduce car usage within the city centre and therefore, improve the overall environment
• London has a strict congestion charge and has reduced its levels of pollution by approximately 25% and stopped 13,500 cars a day entering the city centre
• Designed to reduce its overall footprint and encourage strong community ties
• All homes have energy saving measures, such as a community biomass boiler, free wi-fi to encourage home working and less commuting
• All homes have triple glazed homes, extra insulation, solar panels and low energy lightbulbs and kitchen appliances
• Green spaces to protect and enhance wildlife

Worked example

Study fig. 2.2, which is information about traffic congestion in gauteng, a province in south africa..

Using Fig. 2.2 only, give three reasons why urban areas in Gauteng will experience increased traffic congestion.

• Using Fig. 2.2 and your own knowledge, suggest how traffic problems could be reduced in urban areas in Gauteng. 
• Number of vehicles will increase/double
• Population will increase
• There will be more people working/more journeys to work/more rush hour journeys/traffic
• Not enough/lack of investment in/neglected/poor public transport/railways, etc.
• Reduce costs of public transport
• Park and ride
• Build new/upgrade railway lines/stations/systems including metro/underground and m onorail
• More/bigger/double decker trains/buses/trams/more bus routes and bus only lanes
• Build new roads/dual carriageways/ ring roads/by-passes/ underground road/tunnel
• Widen roads and build flyovers/t idal flow/barriers to alter flow of cars in lanes
• Congestion charging/c ar number plate scheme/t raffic lights/police controlling traffic/roundabouts
• Car-pooling/sharing
• Pedestrianised/car free zones/ban diesel cars
• Cycle lanes/cycle hire/e ncourage use of bikes/cars/trains etc.

Case Study: Seoul, South Korea

• Seoul has been the capital of South Korea for over 600 years
• It is a global megacity with a population of 10 million, and one of the densest municipalities (central city) in the world, with an area of 605 km² and 16 thousand people per km² (that's more than Tokyo!)
• It has between 26 million and 36 million people within the Metropolitan Region, including major cities of Gwangju and Incheon
• It has developed quickly over the last 50 years with GDP growing by over 400 times from $84 to $34,000 per capita in 2021
• It is surrounded by mountains and the Hangang River flows through the city

 Map of South Korea

• Due to the mountainous terrain around Seoul, less than 45% of land is available for development
• The building of apartment blocks has helped to reduce the shortage, with many being built in the poorer areas north of the river
• However, they have destroyed communities through these block apartments
• Satellite towns have also been built south of the river to accommodate the wealthier citizens, but this has brought further divide
• The natural landscape of the city is damaged through uniform development of office and apartment blocks
• Development has damaged historical and cultural resources that made Seoul a cultural centre for over 2000 years
• Water pollution due to sewage and chemicals resulted in Cheong Gye Cheon River in central Seoul being covered with an elevated road. However, air pollution through increased traffic resulted and so did congestion. The road was demolished, and the river restored resulting in a regeneration of the waterway with an open green area for visitors and residents
• The high-tech industrial area, south of the city, has good schools, accessibility and high-income residents
• The poorer areas, with traditional manufacturing, are found north and west of the river Han
• Many of the developments are at the fringe of the city and further, creating the urban sprawl that Seoul is now suffering, with new town developments being up to 45 km from central Seoul (Dongtan New Town is an hour south of Seoul approx. 40 km)

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Author: Jacque Cartwright

Jacque graduated from the Open University with a BSc in Environmental Science and Geography before doing her PGCE with the University of St David’s, Swansea. Teaching is her passion and has taught across a wide range of specifications – GCSE/IGCSE and IB but particularly loves teaching the A-level Geography. For the last 5 years Jacque has been teaching online for international schools, and she knows what is needed to pass those pesky geography exams.

• Letter to the Editor
• Open access
• Published: 02 January 2020

Urbanization: a problem for the rich and the poor?

• Md Abdul Kuddus 1 , 2 , 4 ,
• Elizabeth Tynan 3 &
• Emma McBryde 1 , 2  

Public Health Reviews volume  41 , Article number:  1 ( 2020 ) Cite this article

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Urbanization has long been associated with human development and progress, but recent studies have shown that urban settings can also lead to significant inequalities and health problems. This paper is concerned with the adverse impact of urbanization on both developed and developing nations and both wealthy and poor populations within those nations, addressing issues associated with public health problems in urban areas. The discussion in this paper will be of interest to policy makers. The paper advocates policies that improve the socio-economic conditions of the urban poor and promote their better health. Further, this discussion encourages wealthy people and nations to become better informed about the challenges that may arise when urbanization occurs in their regions without the required social supports and infrastructure.

Urbanization refers to the mass movement of populations from rural to urban settings and the consequent physical changes to urban settings. In 2019, the United Nations estimated that more than half the world’s population (4.2 billion people) now live in urban area and by 2041, this figure will increase to 6 billion people [ 1 ].

Cities are known to play multifaceted functions in all societies. They are the heart of technological development and economic growth of many nations, while at the same time serving as a breeding ground for poverty, inequality, environmental hazards, and communicable diseases [ 2 ]. When large numbers of people congregate in cities, many problems result, particularly for the poor. For example, many rural migrants who settle in an urban slum area bring their families and their domesticated animals—both pets and livestock—with them. This influx of humans and animals leads to vulnerability of all migrants to circulating communicable diseases and the potential to establish an urban transmission cycle. Further, most urban poor live in slums that are unregulated, have congested conditions, are overcrowded, are positioned near open sewers, and restricted to geographically dangerous areas such as hillsides, riverbanks, and water basins subject to landslides, flooding, or industrial hazards. All of these factors lead to the spread of communicable and non-communicable diseases, pollution, poor nutrition, road traffic, and so on [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. The problems faced by the poor spill over to other city dwellers. As the trend to urbanization continues, this spillover effect increases and takes on a global dimension as more and more of the world’s populations are affected [ 3 ].

Some of the major health problems resulting from urbanization include poor nutrition, pollution-related health conditions and communicable diseases, poor sanitation and housing conditions, and related health conditions. These have direct impacts on individual quality of life, while straining public health systems and resources [ 6 ].

Urbanization has a major negative impact on the nutritional health of poor populations. Because they have limited financial resources and the cost of food is higher in cities, the urban poor lack nutritious diets and this leads to illness, which contributes to loss of appetite and poor absorption of nutrients among those affected. Furthermore, environmental contamination also contributes to undernutrition; street food is often prepared in unhygienic conditions, leading to outbreaks of food-borne illnesses (e.g., botulism, salmonellosis, and shigellosis) [ 6 ]. Urban dwellers also suffer from overnutrition and obesity, a growing global public health problem. Obesity and other lifestyle conditions contribute to chronic diseases (such as cancers, diabetes, and heart diseases). Although obesity is most common among the wealthy, international agencies have noted the emergence of increased weight among the middle class and poor in recent years [ 7 ].

Populations in poor nations that suffer from protein-energy malnutrition [ 8 ] have increased susceptibility to infection [ 9 ] through the impact of micronutrient deficiency on immune system development and function [ 10 ]. Around 168 million children under 5 are estimated to be malnourished and 76% of these children live in Asia [ 11 ]. At the same time, the World Health Organization is concerned that there is an emerging pandemic of obesity in poor countries that leads to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, hypertension, and stroke [ 12 ].

Obesity is caused by increased caloric intake and decreased physical activity [ 13 ], something historically associated with wealth. However, people in urbanized areas of developing countries are also now vulnerable to obesity due to lack of physical space, continually sitting in workplaces, and excessive energy intake and low energy expenditure. In these areas, infrastructure is often lacking, including sufficient space for recreational activities. Further, in developing countries, as in developed countries, large employers frequently place head offices in urban capitals and work is increasingly sedentary in nature [ 14 ]. Another culprit associated with the risk of developing obesity is the change in food intake that has led to the so-called nutrition transition (increased the consumption of animal-source foods, sugar, fats and oils, refined grains, and processed foods) in urban areas. For instance, in China, dietary patterns have changed concomitantly with urbanization in the past 30 years, leading to increased obesity [ 15 ]. In 2003, the World Health Organization estimated that more than 300 million adults were affected, the majority in developed and highly urbanized countries [ 16 ]. Since then, the prevalence of obesity has increased. For example, in Australia, around 28% of adults were obese in 2014–2015 [ 17 ].

Pollution is another major contributor to poor health in urban environments. For instance, the World Health Organization estimated that 6.5 million people died (11.6% of all global deaths) as a consequence of indoor and outdoor air pollution and nearly 90% of air-pollution-related deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries [ 18 ]. Poor nutrition and pollution both contribute to a third major challenge for urban populations: communicable diseases. The poor live in congested conditions, near open sewers and stagnant water, and are therefore constantly exposed to unhealthy waste [ 6 ]. Inadequate sanitation can lead to the transmission of helminths and other intestinal parasites. Pollution (e.g., from CO 2 emission) from congested urban areas contributes to localized and global climate change and direct health problems, such as respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer for both the rich and the poor.

In addition to human-to-human transmission, animals and insects serve as efficient vectors for diseases within urban settings and do not discriminate between the rich and poor. The prevalence and impact of communicable diseases in urban settings, such as tuberculosis (TB), malaria, cholera, dengue, and others, is well established and of global concern.

National and international researchers and policy makers have explored various strategies to address such problems, yet the problems remain. For example, research on solutions for megacities has been ongoing since the early 1990s [ 19 , 20 ]. These studies have concluded that pollution, unreliable electricity, and non-functioning infrastructure are priority initiatives; nevertheless, air pollution, quality of water in cities, congestion, disaster management issues, and infrastructure are not being systematically addressed [ 19 , 20 ].

The impact of inner city transportation on health, such as road traffic, is emerging as a serious problem. Statistics show that a minimum of 10 people die every day on the railways in the city of Mumbai, India [ 21 ]. Vietnam is another example of a country that has seen a remarkable increase in road traffic accidents [ 22 ]. Improvements to the country’s infrastructure have not been able to meet the increasing growth of vehicular and human traffic on the street. Vietnam reportedly has a population of 95 million and more than 18 million motorbikes on its roads. A deliberate policy is needed to reduce accidents [ 21 ].

Although urbanization has become an irreversible phenomenon, some have argued that to resolve the problems of the city, we must tackle the root causes of the problem, such as improving the socio-economic situation of the urban poor.

Until the conditions in rural areas improve, populations will continue to migrate to urban settings. Given the challenges that rural development poses, the root causes are unlikely to be addressed in the near future. Therefore, governments and development agencies should concentrate on adapting to the challenges of urbanization, while seeking to reduce unplanned urbanization.

Some examples of policies and practices that should be considered include (i) policies that consider whole-of-life journeys, incorporating accessible employment, community participation, mobility/migration and social transition, to break generational poverty cycles; (ii) policies addressing urban environmental issues, such as planned urban space and taxes on the use of vehicles to reduce use or to encourage vehicles that use less fuel as well as encourage bicycle use, walking, and other forms of human transportation; (iii) greater cooperative planning between rural and urban regions to improve food security (e.g., subsidies for farmers providing locally produced, unprocessed and low cost food to urban centers); (iv) social protection and universal health coverage to reduce wealth disparity among urban dwellers; including introduction of programs and services for health, for example by establishing primary healthcare clinics accessible and affordable for all including those living in urban slums [ 23 ].

Availability of data and materials

Not applicable

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McMichael AJ. The urban environment and health in a world of increasing globalization: issues for developing countries. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 2000;78(9):1117-26.

Alirol E, Getaz L, Stoll B, Chappuis F, Loutan L. Urbanisation and infectious diseases in a globalised world. The Lancet infectious diseases. 2011;11(2):131-41.

Harpham T, Stephens C. Urbanization and health in developing countries. World health statistics quarterly Rapport trimestriel de statistiques sanitaires mondiales. 1991;44(2):62-9.

Moore M, Gould P, Keary BS. Global urbanization and impact on health. Int J hygiene and environmental health. 2003;206(4-5):269-78.

Kennedy G. Food security in the context of urban sub-Saharan Africa. Internet paper for food security, food Africa, internet forum 31 March–11 April 2003;2009.

World Health Organization. Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic: World Health Organization; 2000. Available from https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/42330 . Accessed 4 Aug 2019.

Nour NN. Obesity in resource-poor nations. Reviews in obstetrics and gynecology. 2010;3(4):180-4.

Tomkins A, Watson F. Malnutrition and infection: a review. United Nations Administrative Committee on Coordination/Subcommittee on Nutrition. Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper. 1989(5): p. 1-107.

Schaible UE, Stefan H. Malnutrition and infection: complex mechanisms and global impacts. PLoS medicine. 2007;4(5):e115.

Ahmed F, Zareen M, Khan MR, Banu CP, Haq MN, Jackson AA. Dietary pattern, nutrient intake and growth of adolescent school girls in urban Bangladesh. Public health nutrition. 1998;1(2):83-92.

World Health Organization. Obesity and Overweight. World Health Organization, Geneva (Fact sheet no 311); 2006.

Bleich SN, Cutler D, Murray C, Adams A. Why is the developed world obese? Annual review of public health. 2008;29(1):273-95.

Arundell L, Sudholz B, Teychenne M, Salmon J, Hayward B, Healy G, et al. The impact of activity based working (ABW) on workplace activity, eating behaviours, productivity, and satisfaction. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2018;15(5):1005.

Zhang J, Wang D, Eldridge A, Huang F, Ouyang Y, Wang H, et al. Urban–rural disparities in energy intake and contribution of fat and animal source foods in Chinese children aged 4–17 years. Nutrients. 2017;9(5):526.

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Mavropoulos A, ISWA S, SA CE, editors. Megacities sustainable development and waste management in the 21st century. World Congress; 2010.

Fuchs RJ, Brennan E, Lo F-C, Uitto JI, Chamie J. Mega-city Growth and the Future: United Nations University Press; 1994.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the editor for his/her thoughtful comments and efforts towards improving the manuscript.

This work was conducted as a part of a PhD programme of the first authors and funded by the College of Medicine and Dentistry at the James Cook University, Australia (JCU-QLD-933347).

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Kuddus, M.A., Tynan, E. & McBryde, E. Urbanization: a problem for the rich and the poor?. Public Health Rev 41 , 1 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40985-019-0116-0

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Over Population Of Urban Areas Has Led To Numerous Problems – IELTS Writing Task 2

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Sample essay, band 9 sample essay.

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The Essay Writing section of the IELTS Writing Module can be a difficult task for many IELTS Aspirants. Thus, it is vital that you polish your essay writing skills before attempting the IELTS.

Below is a sample IELTS Essay for the IELTS Essay topic:

Overpopulation of urban areas has led to numerous problems. Identify two serious ones and suggest ways that the government and individuals can tackle these problems.

Cause and Solution Essay

Introduction

Paraphrase the essay topic using synonyms.

Clearly state the contents of the subsequent paragraphs.

Body Paragraphs

Two major problems caused by overpopulation in urban areas.

Possible solutions to tackle these problems by the government and the public.

Summarize the topic and mention your solutions briefly.

Overpopulation is one of the most pressing issues faced by the entire world in this day and age. Today, the world population is well over 7 billion and rising. The more concerning fact is that the distribution of population is severely erratic and is concentrated primarily in countries like China and India. Consequently, this predicament has precipitated countless complications among the general public, especially those residing in urban areas. In this essay, I will address some of the significant problems caused by overpopulation and suggest possible solutions to overcome the situation.

One of the gravest problems that are facilitated by overpopulation is the deficiency of living space. As we know that land resources are limited in nature, the area available for residence is also finite . Since the majority of the population resides in urban areas, the ability to shelter every individual becomes an arduous task. This phenomenon is called overcrowding and is relatively common in metropolitan areas. Additionally, due to the issue of overcrowding, the collective standard of living also declines considerably in urban cities. As the number of inhabitants surges , the means of the local authorities to provide decent public services like safe drinking water, sanitation and proper food is hampered .

Nevertheless, some measures can be taken to uplift these circumstances. First and foremost, the concept of family planning should be made known to the underprivileged and uneducated sections of society. It is only when the stigma regarding such sensitive subjects is eradicated that the focus of the populace will be re-directed towards more distressing matters. Also, proper city planning must be undertaken by the administration to tackle the current situation of overpopulation. With a reliable system, the plight of innumerable urban dwellers can be resolved.

Finally, the problem of overpopulation is something that cannot be solved instantly. With the consolidated efforts of both the general public and the government, the further aggravation of this issue can be restrained.

Overpopulation is one of the biggest hurdles that people around the world confront in today’s fast-paced environment. The city dwellers have suffered many hardships as a result of the technological and industrial revolution. The two most significant concerns created by urban overcrowding are high living costs and the persistent spread of pollution. To address these socioeconomic concerns, the government can take a variety of policies and preventative steps. The following essay will highlight the major issues and potential solutions to this pressing problem.

Technological improvements have resulted in an increase in the number of urban regions, resulting in people migrating to these cities. One of the most serious problems exacerbated by overcrowding is an increase in the expense of living in metropolitan regions and lack of space because land resources are limited in nature, and the amount of space accessible for living is similarly limited. As a result, procuring accommodation for each person becomes a difficult endeavour. Second, bumper-to-bumper traffic congestion is a severe consequence of overcrowding. Growing population allows people to opt for transportation services resulting in an increase of pollution.

However, the government can take some steps to address the overpopulation problem. To begin, the government can establish strict birth control regulations to reduce population increase, and the concept of family planning should be promoted to the poor and underprivileged. Apart from that, the government may develop rural areas by providing adequate infrastructure and providing employment opportunities for youth, thereby preventing people from relocating to urban areas. Furthermore, the government might invest in new modes of transportation to alleviate traffic congestion.

To sum up, traffic congestion, pollution, and high living costs are only a few of the repercussions of overcrowding in metropolitan areas. However, through establishing laws and enforcing bills, the government and higher regulatory authorities can focus on addressing these issues. Hence, overcrowding problems can be resolved with proper planning. Although it may not completely solve the issues, it will surely reduce the population.

Meaning: not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable. Eg: The results from this method were quite erratic.

• Predicament

Meaning: a difficult, unpleasant, or embarrassing situation. Eg: He was responsible for his current predicament.

• Precipitated

Meaning: cause (an event or situation, typically one that is undesirable) to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely Eg: The violent death of that woman precipitated nationwide outrage.

Meaning: limited in size or extent. Eg: The natural resources of the world like fossil fuels are finite.

Meaning: involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring. Eg: The arduous journey from the bottom of the mountain to the summit was unbearable.

Meaning: a sudden large increase Eg: The surge in the number of COVID-19 patients was alarming.

Meaning: hinder or impede the movement or progress of. Eg: His work was constantly hampered by the loud noises outside.

Meaning: a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person. Eg: There is an age-old stigma regarding inter caste marriage in society.

Meaning: destroy completely; put an end to. Eg: The concept of racism has to be completely eradicated from society.

• Aggravation

Meaning: the state of becoming worse or more serious. Eg: The remarks of the politician led to the further aggravation of the situation.

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Urban Sprawl and Motorization: Issues and Solutions Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Problems and causes, effective solutions.

Bibliography

Urban development has been the cause of increase of emissions that affect the ozone layer; it also results in accelerated rates of global warming effects. The consequences of urban sprawl affect the environment in a number of ways with high level of energy consumption and use of transportation, cooling and heating facilities as well as sustenance of social thriving of urban neighborhoods. The appearance of such situations has risen from the need to mechanize transportation in neighborhoods without any consideration of the effects of the human activity. Sprawling of urban centers leads to an increase of demand of consumer goods, for example, household appliances and automobiles to facilitate the urban lifestyles 1 .

Motorization remains a significant contributor to gas emissions into the atmosphere and environment translating to cases of global warming. Green house emissions also contribute highly to emissions which in turn pose social impacts on the community through creation of social polarization, being main contributors to loss of agricultural land. Urban sprawl and motorization have led to significant environmental and social problems. Rapid motorization leads to social problems with greenhouse emissions being a critical point of concern 2 . It is a cause for loss of farmlands and the reason for polarization of urban centers leading to social alienation and stratification. As much as motorization was seen as a development in the past, it has now become necessary to implement change as a means of initiating compact structures of defined and structured cities.

Popularization of vehicles started as a venture for mobility though it never had the consideration of mobility and that is a serious social problem for the society. People can no longer access places in good time because of the motor congestions on roads. Congestion constrains social livelihoods from catering for the needs of people by increasing pollution from the use of fossil fuels. Through polarization, social inequality arises which leads to a critical economic impact on people with serious stratification in the prices of important requirements, such as the constructions of houses.

Loss of farmland resulted from extensive suburbanization, which transformed geographical composition of landscapes and changed social settings. New dispositions of land developed changes in social ecologies, leading to changes in urban settings following the motorization sprawl. Increase in motorization leads to an increase in need of parking spaces, and that takes up farmland as well as pushes the development of sustainability to the rural areas. Such developments without any boundaries for urban growth damage natural preservation of the environment. Motorization results in privatization of social conform of the society with people spending their lives in their cars and in their suburban homes 3 . It delineates the population into to lifestyles without social attachments, leading to inequality of urban economies and personalization of public roads needed for public use. The use of the roads becomes overdone by private car owners, limiting any possibilities of equitable use by poor people within the society. Therefore, motorization robs public materials and leaves the roads at the mercy of overcrowding and unequal use.

There ought to be policies in regards to the best manner of using land through an effective planning system in countries. Planning allows the preservation of natural landscapes of countries and gives a chance for the thriving of urban areas with boundaries, which allow an urban development and preservation of some bits of land for forests and farming. Through such steps, it becomes possible to mitigate the polarization problem, which derails land of any natural activity and leads to minimization of farming lands. Pedestrians are easier managed within small spaces than cars, which require multiple spaces and wasting of land that can be used for productive activities such as farming.

Motor congestion can be reduced by development of public transportation through the development of a transit-oriented system to facilitate accessibility of places by pedestrians because the success of neighborhoods depends on the efficiency of accessibility of motors and facilitation of commercial activities, such as retails. Through balancing between economic activities and the transportation system, there are environmental benefits and there is saving of land for other activities instead of congestion with numerous parking spaces for private vehicles. It is an effort, which can promote social equality for usage of public utilities, such as roads.

Planning a pedestrian friendly economy provides a chance for reducing gas emissions; people learn to appreciate the importance of public transportation since it promotes the enticement for trekking or cycling. It is an incentive important for the improvement of quality of life since walking or cycling is a form of exercise; fume free environment is healthy and the economy can grow through availability of commercial activities at close disposal of pedestrians 4 . Reducing polarization through provision of cheap public transport options allows people to reconsider the issue about their cars which helps in balancing the social existence of people within the community.

Gonzalez G. A., Urban Sprawl, Global Warming And The Limits Of Ecological Modernization . Albany: State University of New York Press, 2005.

Martin G, “Global Motorization, Social Ecology and China”, Area , vol. 39. no. 1, 2007, pp. 66–73.

McCartney, D. Urban Sprawl to Sustainable Urban Village , Web.

Van, D. M, Consolidating Developmental Local Government: Lessons from the South African Experience . Cape Town, South Africa: UCT Press, 2008.

• GA Gonzalez, Urban Sprawl, Global Warming And The Limits Of Ecological Modernization , 2005.
• D McCartney, Urban Sprawl to Sustainable Urban Village , 2009.
• G Martin, Global Motorization, Social Ecology and China , Montclair State University,U.S.A, 2007, pp. 39.1, 66–73
• M Van, Consolidating Developmental Local Government: Lessons from the South African Experience . Cape Town, South Africa: UCT Press, 2008.
• Green Building: The Impact of Humanity on the Environment
• Water Pollution and Associated Health Risks
• Urban Sprawl and Public Health Article Summary
• What Sprawl Is and How It Affects Public Health
• Urban Sprawl and the Need to Make Cities Livable
• Information Technology and Environment Sustainability
• Earth's Issues in “The Vanishing of Gaia” by Lovelock
• Anthropocene and Human Impact on Environment
• Lifestyle Influence on the Planet
• Environmental Pollution and Green Policies
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2020, September 29). Urban Sprawl and Motorization: Issues and Solutions. https://ivypanda.com/essays/urban-sprawl-and-motorization-issues-and-solutions/

"Urban Sprawl and Motorization: Issues and Solutions." IvyPanda , 29 Sept. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/urban-sprawl-and-motorization-issues-and-solutions/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Urban Sprawl and Motorization: Issues and Solutions'. 29 September.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Urban Sprawl and Motorization: Issues and Solutions." September 29, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/urban-sprawl-and-motorization-issues-and-solutions/.

1. IvyPanda . "Urban Sprawl and Motorization: Issues and Solutions." September 29, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/urban-sprawl-and-motorization-issues-and-solutions/.

IvyPanda . "Urban Sprawl and Motorization: Issues and Solutions." September 29, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/urban-sprawl-and-motorization-issues-and-solutions/.

Causes, Effects, and Solutions to Urbanization Leading to Urban Growth

Urbanization is a process whereby populations move from rural to urban areas, enabling cities and towns to grow . It can also be termed as a progressive increase in the number of people living in towns and cities. It is highly influenced by the notion that cities and towns have achieved better economic, political, and social mileages compared to rural areas.

Accordingly, urbanization is very common in developing and developed worlds as more and more people have the tendency to move closer to towns and cities to acquire “privileged” social and economic services as well as benefits. These include social and economic advantages such as better education, health care, sanitation, housing, business opportunities, and transportation.

According to Wikipedia ,

“ Urbanization (or urbanisation) refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, the decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It is predominantly the process by which towns and cities are formed and become larger as more people begin living and working in central areas. “

The majority of people move to cities and towns because they view rural areas as places with hardship and backward/primitive lifestyles. Therefore, as populations move to more developed areas (towns and cities), the immediate outcome is urbanization.

This normally contributes to land development for use in commercial properties, social and economic support institutions, transportation, and residential buildings. Eventually, these activities raise several urbanization issues .

To learn more about urbanization, here are its causes, effects, and solutions.

Various Causes of Urbanization

There are several causes of urbanization. Some of the most common include:

1. Industrialization

Industrialization is the shift from the old agricultural economics to a novel non-agricultural economy, which creates a modernized society. Through the industrial revolution, more people have been attracted to move from rural to urban areas due to improved employment opportunities.

The industrialization has increased employment opportunities by giving people the opportunity to work in modern sectors in job categories that aid in stirring economic developments.

2. Commercialization

Commerce and trade play a major role in urbanization. The distribution of goods and services and commercial transactions in the modern era has developed modern marketing institutions and exchange methods. This has tremendously given rise to the growth of towns and cities.

Commercialization and trade come with the general perception that the towns and cities offer better commercial opportunities and returns compared to the rural areas.

3. Social Benefits and Services

There are numerous social benefits attributed to life in cities and towns. Examples include better educational facilities, better living standards, better sanitation and housing, better health care, better recreation facilities, and better social life in general.

On this account, more and more people are prompted to migrate into cities and towns to obtain various social benefits and services unavailable in rural areas.

4. Employment Opportunities

In cities and towns, ample job opportunities continually draw people from rural areas to seek a better livelihood.

Therefore, most people frequently migrate to urban areas to access well-paying jobs, as urban areas have countless employment opportunities in all developmental sectors, like public health, education, transport, sports and recreation, industries, and business enterprises.

Services and industries generate and increase higher value-added jobs, leading to more employment opportunities.

5. Modernization and Changes in the Mode of Living

Modernization plays a very important role in the process of urbanization. As urban areas become more technology-savvy, together with highly sophisticated communication, infrastructure, medical facilities, dress code, enlightenment, liberalization, and other social amenities available, people believe they can lead a happy life in cities.

In urban areas, people also embrace changes in the modes of living, namely residential habits, attitudes, dressing, food, and beliefs. As a result, people migrate to cities, and the cities grow by absorbing the increasing number of people day after day.

6. Rural-urban Transformation

As localities become more fruitful and prosperous due to the discovery of minerals, resource exploitation, or agricultural activities, cities emerge as the rural areas transform into urbanism. The increase in productivity leads to economic growth and higher value-added employment opportunities.

This brings about the need to develop better infrastructure, learning institutions, health facilities, transportation networks, and the establishment of banking institutions, better governance, and housing.

As this occurs, rural communities start to adopt the urban culture and ultimately become urban centers that continue to grow as more people move to such locations in search of a better life.

Effects of Urbanization on Our Cities

Urbanization has both positive and negative effects on our cities. Let’s explore some of these impacts;

1. Positive Effects of Urbanization

Urbanization yields several positive effects if it happens within the appropriate limits.

Some of the positive implications of urbanization include:

• The creation of employment opportunities
• Technological and infrastructural advancements
• Improved transportation and communication
• Quality educational and medical facilities
• Improved standards of living.

However, extensive urbanization mostly results in adverse effects. Below listed points are a few of them.

2. Housing Problems

Urbanization attracts people to cities and towns, leading to a high population increase. With the increase in the number of people living in urban centers, there is a continued scarcity of houses.

This is due to insufficient expansion space for housing and public utilities, poverty, unemployment, and costly building materials that only a few individuals can afford.

3. Overcrowding

Overcrowding is a situation whereby a huge number of people live in a small space . This form of congestion in urban areas is consistent because of overpopulation, an aspect that increases daily as more people and immigrants move into cities and towns for better livelihood.

Most people from rural or undeveloped areas always have the urge to migrate into the city, normally leading to congestion of people within a small area.

4. Unemployment

The problem of joblessness is highest in urban areas and affects even the educated people. The youths are the most affected demographic group, and it’s estimated that they are three times more likely to be unemployed than adults.

And, as much as income in urban areas is high, the costs of living make the incomes seem horribly low. The increasing relocation of people from rural or developing areas to urban areas is the leading cause of urban unemployment.

5. Development of Slums

The cost of living in urban areas is very high. When this is combined with random and unexpected growth and unemployment, there is the spread of unlawful resident settlements represented by slums and squatters.

The growth of slums and squatters in urban areas is even further exacerbated by fast-paced industrialization, lack of developed land for housing, a large influx of rural immigrants to the cities, and the elevated prices of land beyond the reach of the urban poor.

6. Water and Sanitation Problems

Because of overpopulation and rapid population increase in most urban centers, inadequate sewage facilities are likely to be common.

Municipalities and local governments are faced with serious resource crisis in managing sewage facilities. As a result, sanitation becomes poor and sewages flow chaotically, draining into neighboring streams, rivers, lakes, or seas.

Eventually, communicable diseases such as typhoid , dysentery, plague, and diarrhea spread very fast, leading to suffering and even deaths. On top of that, overcrowding highly contributes to water scarcity as supply is less demand.

7. Poor Health and Spread of Diseases

The social, economic, and living conditions in congested urban areas affect access and utilization of public health care services.

Slum areas, in particular, experience poor sanitation and insufficient water supply, making the people living there susceptible to communicable diseases.

Environmental problems such as urban pollution also cause many health problems, namely allergies, asthma, infertility, food poisoning, cancer, and even premature deaths.

8. Traffic Congestion

When more people move to towns and cities, one of the major challenges posed is in the transport system. More people means an increased number of vehicles, leading to traffic congestion and vehicular pollution .

Many people in urban areas drive to work, creating a severe traffic problem, especially during rush hours. Also, as the cities grow in dimension, people will move to shop and access other social needs/wants, often causing traffic congestion and blockage.

9. Urban Crime

Issues of lack of resources, overcrowding , unemployment, poverty, and lack of social services and education habitually lead to many social problems, including violence, drug abuse, and crime.

Most crimes, such as murder, rape, kidnapping, riots, assault, theft, robbery, and hijacking, are reported to be more prominent in urban vicinities. Besides, poverty-related crimes are the highest in fast-growing urban regions. These acts of urban crime normally upset the peace and tranquility of cities/towns.

Solutions to Urbanization

Although most effects of urbanization are negative, there are a few that can be done to help mitigate the negative impacts.

These include:

1. Building Sustainable and Environmentally-friendly Cities

Governments should pass laws that plan and provide environmentally sound cities and smart growth techniques, considering that people should not reside in unsafe and polluted areas.

The objective here is to build sustainable cities that embrace improved environmental conditions and safe habitats for all urban populations.

Governments should also encourage sustainable use of urban resources and support an economy based on sustainable environments, such as through investment in green infrastructure, sustainable industries, recycling and environmental campaigns, pollution management, renewable energy , green public transportation , and water recycling and reclamation.

2. Provision of Essential Services

Urban stakeholders must ensure all populations within the urban areas have access to adequate essential social services, namely education, health, sanitation and clean water, technology, electricity, and food.

This will provide and implement employment opportunities and wealth creation activities so that people can earn a living to pay for the maintenance of the services.

The governments can also avail subsidies to lower the costs of basic healthcare, basic education, energy, education, public transportation, communication systems, and technology.

3. Creation of More Jobs

To lessen the negative effects of rapid urbanization while at the same time conserving natural ecosystems, private investments should be encouraged to utilize natural resources and create more job opportunities.

Tourism promotion and the sustainable exploitation of natural resources can create more jobs for urban populations. Subsidies and grants may as well be provided to foreign and private investment in environmentally friendly development projects that encourage job creation.

4. Population Control

Key stakeholders in urban areas must provide campaigns and counseling for effective medical health clinics and family planning to help reduce the high rates of population growth.

Medical health clinics oriented towards family planning options must be made accessible across the entire urban area with the objective of controlling diseases and population growth .

References:

Urbanization and Water Quality

Urbanization and Human Health

About Rinkesh

A true environmentalist by heart ❤️. Founded Conserve Energy Future with the sole motto of providing helpful information related to our rapidly depleting environment. Unless you strongly believe in Elon Musk‘s idea of making Mars as another habitable planet, do remember that there really is no 'Planet B' in this whole universe.

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IELTS Writing Task 2/ Essay Topics with sample answer.

Ielts essay # 832 - overpopulation in urban areas has led to numerous problems, ielts writing task 2/ ielts essay:, these days, overpopulation in many urban areas has led to numerous problems. , identify one or two serious problems associated with overpopulation in urban areas, and suggest ways that governments and individuals can tackle these problems..

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IELTS Problem and Solution Essay

Problem-solution is one of the essay types that you may be asked to write during the IELTS test writing task 2 . In this article, we will take an in-depth look into problem and solution essays, how to recognize and answer them.

Always keep in mind, you won’t be able to write well-structured IELTS essays if you don’t know how to structure all 5 types of IELTS essays. So, now, let’s start learning about problem and solution essays.

How to Recognize Problem and Solution Essays

Obviously, the first thing you want to do when writing an IELTS essay is to determine the essay type.

Problem and solutions essays consist of two parts. The first part of the topic question describes an existing problem. The second part of the topic question asks what possible solutions you can propose to the problem.

At this point, you should have a basic idea about problem and solution questions and the way they look. Now, let’s take a question from an official IELTS Cambridge book and see it with a real example.

The question we will use is from Cambridge IELTS Book 10, Test 4:

Overpopulation in many urban centres around the world is a major problem. What are the causes of this and how can this problem be solved?

As you can see, the topic asks you to discuss a problem, which is overpopulation in urban centers. And then you have to think of some possible solutions to deal with this problem. This is a problem and solution essay. Whenever you see an essay question that describes a problem and asks you to give possible solutions to the problem, that is a problem and solution essay. No need to hesitate about the essay type!

Now, let’s move forward and understand how you should structure problem and solution essays.

Step 1. Plan your answer.

Understand the question..

Before beginning to write, make sure to understand what the question is asking for. Once you fully understand the question, it will be easier to give a relevant answer. For example, this question asks you to find the reasons why urban centres are becoming overpopulated and propose solutions to deal with this situation.

Additionally, since the question has “ you ” in it, it is, thus, asking for your opinion. IELTS essays always ask for your opinion, so writing in the first person is okay. You may use phrases like “ I believe ”, “ in my opinion. ”, “I have to state” and etc.

Plan the structure.

We recommend that you write 4 paragraphs for problem and solution essays – introduction, two main body paragraphs, and conclusion.

1. Introduction: topic and answer.

In the introduction, you need to write two sentences: The first should paraphrase the topic question and the second one should give some ideas on how the problem can be solved.

2. Body paragraph.

In the first body paragraph, you should discuss what causes the given problem. Try to give 2-3 ideas in this body paragraph with supporting examples. Write 5-7 sentences for this body paragraph.

3. Body paragraph.

In the second body paragraph, you should write your solutions to the problem. Again, try to write 5-7 sentences for this body paragraph.

4. Conclusion: repeat the answer.

In the conclusion paragraph, you should repeat the answer you stated in the introduction while summarizing the problems and steps you have written in the two body paragraphs. This should be easy to do. In a moment, we’ll show the way you can do it.

Plan ideas for two body paragraphs before writing

For the first body paragraph, you will write the causes. Some causes of this problem could be:

1. More jobs in urban centers and people move there to get a job

2. In urban centers education is better, that’s why people prefer staying there.

This body paragraph will need to include 5-6 sentences. The first sentence should introduce what the paragraph is about. You may write, “ There are several reasons why in urban centers the population is increasing rapidly. ” Then, you can follow the paragraph and add your points with supporting examples.

For the second body paragraph, propose solutions to the causes you stated in the first body paragraph. For this example, the solutions may be as follows:

1. The government can create jobs in rural areas so that people can work there.

2. Creating good schools in the countryside so that children can get a decent education outside of major cities.

This body paragraph will need to include five to six sentences, like the previous paragraph. The first sentence should introduce what the paragraph is about. You may write, “ There are solutions to decrease the population in urban centers. ” In the second through fifth sentences, you should list the solutions you have suggested. Try to divide two to three sentences for each idea while staying within five to six total sentences in the paragraph.

Understanding the question and planning the ideas should take you overall 7 minutes. Try to achieve this.

Once you understand the question and have planned your answer, it’s time to start writing the answer. 

Introduction Paragraph – IELTS Problem and Solution Essay

The introduction paragraph needs two sentences. The first sentence should be introducing the topic. In this example, the topic sentence can be similar to the following:

 “ It is undoubtedly true that overcrowding is a serious problem in many cities. There are a variety of reasons for this, but steps can definitely be taken to tackle this problem. ”

Beginning with the phrase “ It is undoubtedly true ” confirms that you agree that the problem mentioned in the question exists.

With the second sentence, we say that to solve this problem we should take some steps. And, we are going to write these steps in the second body paragraph.

You have not revealed any causes or solutions yet. You will present these in the body paragraphs. For now, you are introducing what you will talk about in the essay.

Body paragraph 1 – IELTS Problem and Solution Essay

Write the first body paragraph according to the plan. We should mention what are the reasons that cities are overpopulated. So, it could be:

“ On the one hand, there are a lot of reasons why in urban centers the population is increasing rapidly. First of all, in cities, there are more job opportunities and therefore people move to cities to seek employment. For example, many people struggle to find a job in their villages for a long time, but once they move to major cities, they land a job easily. Moreover, the lack of good schools in rural areas forces people to leave their homes and move to towns because their children will get a decent education. Hence, these people do not have another option except living in the cities where the standard of education is far better than in rural areas. ”

Here, we finish the first main body paragraph. We gave two reasons why urban centers becoming overpopulated place.

Now, we need to write the second body paragraph and propose solutions to the existing problem.

Body paragraph 2 – IELTS Problem and Solution Essay

Let’s start writing the second body paragraph. We will start it with the phrase “on the other hand ” because the first paragraph we started with the phrase “on the one hand”. Also, we will propose our solution to the existing problem.

“On the other hand, there are several actions which governments can take to improve the situation. The first and most obvious step is to create more job opportunities with competitive salaries in rural areas so that people will not move to the cities to find work. For example, in the countryside, governments can establish a tax-free system. Hence, people will be eager to start a business there and create jobs. Additionally, if governments create better schools near villages people will not need to move to the major cities to get a first-class education.

We gave two solutions which were relevant to the issues which cause the problem of overpopulation in urban centers.

Now, it’s time to write the conclusion and finish this essay.

Conclusion paragraph – IELTS Problem and Solution Essay

In the conclusion paragraph, you will need to summarize the problem and the solution. We already know the problem as we introduced it in the first body paragraph. We also know the solutions that we suggested, and we will summarize those, too. Your summary may be as follows:

“In conclusion, people tend to live in urban areas because of several benefits but governments can take certain actions to make these people happy in rural areas as well so that urban centres will not become overpopulated.”

ALISTAIR BROWN:  As a writing and speaking examiner for more than 10 years, I bring a lot of experience. I have seen the frustrations that students have with IELTS from a career where I have actively guided and corrected students’ studies. I am looking for the most effective ways to teach IELTS as I understand students’ needs.

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People and plans; essays on urban problems and solutions

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Overpopulation of urban areas - problems and solutions

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