GGH3704 ASSIGNMENT 2 MEMO 2025
DUE 2 SEPT 2026
URBANISATION AND URBAN PROBLEMS IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH
INTRODUCTION
Urbanisation in less developed countries, often called the Global South, has happened
very quickly and on a massive scale. Cities like Mumbai, Lagos, Dhaka, and
Johannesburg are growing at rates that were never seen before in history. While cities
are often seen as engines of economic growth and places of opportunity, rapid
urbanisation also brings many serious problems (Knox & McCarthy, 2014: 136). The
governments of these cities simply cannot keep up with the speed of change. This
essay will examine the major challenges facing cities in the Global South, including a
lack of proper housing, economic problems like poverty and unemployment, weak
governance and planning, and severe environmental damage.
, HOUSING AND URBAN SERVICES
One of the most visible and immediate problems is the shortage of adequate housing
and basic services. Millions of people move to cities every year, but the cities cannot
build enough houses for them. As a result, people are forced to live in slums and
squatter settlements. These are areas where people build their own shelters from scrap
materials like corrugated iron, wood, and plastic. The textbook explains that "slums and
squatter settlements offer precarious shelter at best" and are "almost completely without
urban services" (Knox & McCarthy, 2014: 173).
Living conditions in these areas are often terrible. Many homes have no running water,
no electricity, and no proper toilets. People may have to walk long distances to get
clean water or buy it from street vendors at very high prices. Sewage often flows in
open drains, creating serious health risks. As the textbook notes, "in the less developed
countries, 30 to 60 percent of all municipal household waste is collected" (Knox &
McCarthy, 2014: 175). The rest is left to rot or is dumped illegally, spreading disease
and pollution.
The rapid growth of cities also puts a huge strain on infrastructure. Roads become
congested with traffic. Public transport systems are overcrowded and unreliable.
Electricity grids cannot cope with demand, leading to frequent blackouts. Water supply
systems are old and often leak, wasting precious water. The study guide explains that
these problems happen because cities lack the "institutional, economic, and
infrastructural capacity to manage urbanisation effectively" (GGH3704 Study Guide, p.
76).
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS: POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT
DUE 2 SEPT 2026
URBANISATION AND URBAN PROBLEMS IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH
INTRODUCTION
Urbanisation in less developed countries, often called the Global South, has happened
very quickly and on a massive scale. Cities like Mumbai, Lagos, Dhaka, and
Johannesburg are growing at rates that were never seen before in history. While cities
are often seen as engines of economic growth and places of opportunity, rapid
urbanisation also brings many serious problems (Knox & McCarthy, 2014: 136). The
governments of these cities simply cannot keep up with the speed of change. This
essay will examine the major challenges facing cities in the Global South, including a
lack of proper housing, economic problems like poverty and unemployment, weak
governance and planning, and severe environmental damage.
, HOUSING AND URBAN SERVICES
One of the most visible and immediate problems is the shortage of adequate housing
and basic services. Millions of people move to cities every year, but the cities cannot
build enough houses for them. As a result, people are forced to live in slums and
squatter settlements. These are areas where people build their own shelters from scrap
materials like corrugated iron, wood, and plastic. The textbook explains that "slums and
squatter settlements offer precarious shelter at best" and are "almost completely without
urban services" (Knox & McCarthy, 2014: 173).
Living conditions in these areas are often terrible. Many homes have no running water,
no electricity, and no proper toilets. People may have to walk long distances to get
clean water or buy it from street vendors at very high prices. Sewage often flows in
open drains, creating serious health risks. As the textbook notes, "in the less developed
countries, 30 to 60 percent of all municipal household waste is collected" (Knox &
McCarthy, 2014: 175). The rest is left to rot or is dumped illegally, spreading disease
and pollution.
The rapid growth of cities also puts a huge strain on infrastructure. Roads become
congested with traffic. Public transport systems are overcrowded and unreliable.
Electricity grids cannot cope with demand, leading to frequent blackouts. Water supply
systems are old and often leak, wasting precious water. The study guide explains that
these problems happen because cities lack the "institutional, economic, and
infrastructural capacity to manage urbanisation effectively" (GGH3704 Study Guide, p.
76).
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS: POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT
