View of URBANIZATION AND ITS IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT

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ACCENT JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS ECOLOGY & ENGINEERING Peer Reviewed and Refereed Journal, ISSN NO. 2456-1037

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Vol. 06, Issue 11,November 2021 IMPACT FACTOR: 7.98 (INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL)

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URBANIZATION AND ITS IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT

Dr. Renu Tyagi

Associate Professor, M.M.H. College, Ghaziabad

Abstract - Urbanization means the demographic balance between rural and urban areas. It is a process whereby population move from rural to urban areas enabling cities and towns to grow. Sometimes it is referred to as location revolution because it shifts people from smaller communities to larger communities. It is attributed to natural increase in population, migration from rural to urban areas and the reclassifications of previously rural areas as There are sporadic factors like wars, partition, famines and floods which result in massivemigration. During drought periods, rural people migrate to towns in search of better job opportunities. By and large people move to urban areas for higher income, better job opportunities and petals standard of living. The adverse impacts of urbanization on ecological balance is mainly reflected through deforestation, urban heat Island effect, waste generation, specific pollution problem and proliferation of slums. A wiser and happier balance is needed for distribution of people and economic. Today government investment programs on housing and urban services including pollution Control, keeping pace with the requirements of the increasing urban populationare needed for better results.

Keywords: Urbanization, Location revolution, Sporadic, deforestation and waste generation.

1 INTRODUCTION Urbanization is the process of making anarea more urban and changing population from rural to urban areas. In India,it is a kind of cultural transformation from rural to urban communities. It is also known as ‘Urban Sprawl’.It is a word for becoming more like cities. When populations of people grow, the population of a place may spillover from City to nearby areas.

Tamilnadu is considered the most urbanized state with 48.4 % of the popular relation living in urban areas.

After 1941, rapid growth of four metropolitan cities was seen in India which were Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. Due to the rise in industrial revolution and invention of new technologies, people started living in urban areas. According to Cecilia Tacoli (2015), McGranahan, Gordon, Satterthwaite and David, urbanization should be distinguished from urban growthUrbanization refers to the proportion of the total National population living in areas classified as urban where does the urban growth strictly refers to the absolute number of people living in those areas. The phenomenal increase in urbanization is attributed to:

1. Natural increase in population-the predominance of births over deaths among urban populations

2. Migration from rural areas to urban areas

3. The reclassification of previously rural areas as urban

1.1 Objectives of the study

1. To describe major causes ofurbanization.

2. To analyze the adverse impact of urbanization.

3. To provide appropriate suggestions to overcome the problemscreated by urbanization.

2. MAJOR CAUSES OF URBANIZATION Urbanization is growing at a tremendous pace and more people live in urban areas than in rural areas. In 1950, nearly 18%

of Asia’s population lived in urban areas.

Urbanization in Asia continued to increase over time and the level of urbanization had more than doubled to nearly 48% in 2014. Nearly 64% of Asia’s population is projected to be urban in 2050. The major causes of urbanizationare:

 Migration of people from rural to urban areas.

 Absolute growth in urban population.

 Re-classification of towns by which some large village, as they grow, come under the classification of urban town.

 There are sporadic factors like wars, partitions, famines and floods which result in massive migration. For example during drought periods,

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rural people migrate to towns in

search of better job opportunities.

By and large people move to urban areas for higher income, better job opportunities and better standard of living.

 Social benefits and services.

 Modern life and change in mode of living.

 Availability of Educational services.

 Industrial revolution increased in the process of urbanization.

 Technological advancements and Economic growth.

 Crop failure and Natural disasters

 Urban areas are focal point of employment opportunities.

3. IMPACT OF URBANIZATION

Rapid urban population growth has outpaced the ability of city authorities to provide for housing, environmental and health infrastructure. The past few decades have seen a progressive urbanization in Asia. As urbanization continues in Asia, the region’s poverty will increasingly be urban in nature. Urban poverty has similar features to rural poverty. Urbanization increases global solid waste generation. Urbanization converts natural surfaces to built surfaces such as buildings and roads. As a result the thermal, radioactive, moisture and aerodynamic properties of the natural surface and the atmosphere are altered.

The adverse impact of urbanization on ecological balance is mainly reflected through deforestation. Urbanization depletes both renewable and non- renewable resources faster because of the excess energy requirement of urbanites.

3.1 Urban Heat Island

Urban heat Island (UHI) refers to relative warmness of the urban areas compared to nearby rural areas. Due to urbanization, there are changes in landscapes, in the form replacement of open lands and vegetation by buildings, roads and other infrastructure. As a result land surfaces become dry and urban regions become warmer than the rural surroundings. This results in the formation of an island of higher temperatures in the landscape.

Heat islands occur especially during clear and calm evenings and nights.

3.2 Impact on Biodiversity

The change in urban land cover results in loss of habitat, biomass and carbon storage.According to Evans (2017), animal species often require a variety of habitat types that provide the full spectrum of resource requirements for their life cycle.

A variety of green spaces may provide an important component of these requirement. It is clear that many species require access to multiple resource in urban ecosystems.

3.3 Waste Generation

Solid waste is mostly an urban phenomenon. In rural communities there are fewer packaged products, less food waste and less manufacturing. A city resident generates twice as much waste as there rural counterpart of the same affluence. The societies of cities generate the most trash disposal which pose a major threat today. The rising quality of life and high rates of resource consumption patterns negatively impact the urban environment. Generation of waste in urban areas is far beyond the handling capacities of urban Government.

3.4 Pollution Problem

Urban pollution is the byproduct of the city. Pollution in the modern cities are caused by the release of noxious substances from consumption and production activities. The atmosphere in cities are filled with smoke, States littered with waste and water polluted with effluents in the absence of effective environmental policy and regulation. Air pollution in Delhi is caused mainly by industry and vehicular traffic which has released high levels of particulate matter made up of various substances including carbon, nitrogen, Sulphur and metal compounds.

3.5 Proliferation of Slums

The proliferation of slums is chiefly a problem of the third world countries.

According to UN Habitat, a slum household suffers from one or more of the following features: dwellings made of non durable material; overcrowding; lack of access to improved water; lack of access to improved sanitation or insecure land tenure. When urbanization comes with lack of infrastructure, slums expand and the urban divide widens.

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3.6 Housing Problem

Urbanization in India has given rise to acute shortage of housing facilities.

Substantial housing shortage looms in urban India and a wide gap exists between the demand and supply of housing, both in terms of quality and quantity. Cities like Bombay and Calcutta, slum population accounts for 40% and in Madras about 30%. Due to migration of people from rural to urban areas housing space is reduced as a result of which there is an increase in the number of families living on footpaths.

3.7 Sewage Problem

Urban areas in India are almost invariably plagued with insufficient and inefficient sewage facilities. Most cities do not have proper arrangements for treating the sewerage waste and it is drained into a nearby river or in sea and thereby polluting the water bodies. Most of the cities have old sewerage lines which are not looked after properly. Often sewerage lines breakdown or they are overflowing.

3.8 Deforestation

The adverse impact of urbanization on ecological balance is mainly reflected through deforestation. An increase in urban population increases the demand for firewood partly because of the rise in price of oil based fuels like kerosene and poor distribution system. The consumption of firewood in many cities are because of poverty and proliferation of slums resulting from urbanization. This increased demand for firewood and makes it commercially attractive. All these activities lead to deforestation.

3.9 Water Problem

Water is essential for sustaining life. The rapid growth of the population in urban areas is creating scarcity in water supply and it has become difficult to meet the demands of everybody. Due to water pollution the condition has become more advanced and has created health issues also.

3.10 Health Hazards and Crime

Due to urbanization, physical activity has been reduced and intake of unhealthy foods is increasing in developing countries and results in form of heart attack.

Another effect is infectious diseases. Air

travel carries bacteria and viruses from one country to the next. People from rural areas are not immune to the same diseases as urban residents which puts them at greater risk. Most of the crimes such as riots, theft, robbery and kidnapping etc. are mostly reported in urban areas.

4. SUGGESTIONS

There are many who consider increasing migration from rural areas as a positive development because it relieves rural misery and brings about a flow of money from urban to rural areas. In this sense cities act as reception centres for rural poor and as custodian of culture. There must be wiser and happier balance between the rural urban distribution of people and economic activity. This can be achieved by thefollowing activities:

 According to Stephen Smith (2011), pollution is harmful and undesirable and a civilized society should be willing to find the resources needed to eliminate it entirely, achieving a cleaner environment has a cost in terms of the resources used to install and operate pollution control equipment.

 To reduce adverse effects of urbanization, private investments should be encouraged to utilize natural resources and enhance more job opportunities.

 Government should encourage sustainable use of urban resources and invest in green infrastructure, recycling and pollution management.

 Medical Health clinic and compaign regarding family planning should be developed to reduce the high growth of population.

 Government investment programs on housing and urban services including pollution Control keeping pace with the requirements of the increasing urban population

 An effective urban land policy should be designed to make land available at affordable prices to meet housing needs.

 The proliferation of unauthorised layouts and mushroom growth of flats should be controlled and land pooling can be attempted with the

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help of owners and government

agencies.

 Laws should be framed to prevent air and water pollution in cities and it is necessary for the enforcement of these laws strictly.

 Attention should be paid to investments in villages which can arrest migration from rural to urban areas.

 Technologies which involve small scale operation and which are less environmentally damaging should be developed and encouraged.

 Subsidies should also be provided by the government to reduce the cost of basic medication facilities and basic education in rural areas.

5. CONCLUSION

This paper has discussed causes and impacts of urbanization and suggestions for improvements. Urban planning is a decision-making instrument having major importance. It must be based on future vision and activities should be organized in a rational and functional way. Urban renewal should be done where the process of degeneration of decline is set into motion due to a variety of factors like technological advances, industrialization and modernization. Uncontrolled migration and rapid urban growth are associated with increasing urban poverty and inequality and rise in slums with growth and population. Urbanization affects the environment and has negative effect on health due to pollution. Aiming to improve the physical living conditions of decaying City, various measures have been undertaken by the government in different countries. However all these government investment programs can be

effectively carried out only with efficient and non corrupt political and administrative management.

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