According to the World Bank, the world has seen a significant decline in extreme poverty since the 1990s. In 1990, about 1.9 billion of the world's 5.3 billion people lived on $1.90 a day or less. In 2015, that number increased to around 736 million of the world's 7.4 billion people.
A large part of this has been a global wave of urban migration in the developing world, reflecting similar patterns experienced by Western countries in the 19th century when they were newly industrialized. For many people living in the countryside, cities tend to offer higher incomes, upward mobility and a clear path to prosperity. However, this urban migration has often overwhelmed existing urban infrastructures, socio-civic facilities and political systems past their breaking points.
Here are some of the most serious challenges facing urban areas in the developing world:
1) Basic Resource Allocation
Policymakers in developing economies are constantly under pressure to do more with much less than what is available in economically prosperous countries. Most developing countries also continue to face a combination of very high birth rates and urban migration, which makes the major cities in these countries densely populated. The combination of extremely high urban population densities and limited financing tends to cause serious gaps in the supply of basic resources such as water and electricity.
Former developing nations that have achieved middle-income status, such as Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, have made huge improvements in electrical, communications and water infrastructure. The development of economic opportunities in rural areas has also served to slow urban migration in many countries, easing the burden on cities that struggle to provide basic services. Still, the provision of basic resources will continue to be a challenge for these newly prosperous economies in the coming years.
2) Environmental Threats
Environmental protection is rarely a priority in countries where families struggle to achieve even the most basic standards of living. Adequate waste treatment and disposal services are rare, resulting in significant environmental degradation in cities. If solid waste is to be disposed of, unregulated open burning is the usual solution, which results in significant air pollution.
Furthermore, forests around cities are often overexploited for cheap construction materials and fuels, resulting in additional damage to soil and natural water systems around cities in the developing world. The use of wood fuel also contributes significantly to air pollution in and around inhabited areas.
3) Equitable development of public infrastructure
Cities in developing countries often have problems providing equitable public infrastructure. In most cases, low-income families live in slums or on the outskirts of cities, while their jobs are located in the city center.
This means that long and difficult commutes are a common feature of cities in developing countries. Additional travel time and stress invariably have a negative impact on the well-being and economic opportunities of ordinary people.
In most developing countries, this all comes down to a few reasons, including lack of funds, chronic mismanagement and the absence of coherent policies for urban development. In many cases, developing nations are governed by wealthy elites who focus on developing infrastructure that benefits only their class, resulting in a lack of adequate public infrastructure for the majority.
4) Good Governance
Although corruption is also common in some rich countries, developing nations are especially vulnerable to its effects. Urban infrastructure projects are often affected by corruption to the detriment of those who depend on them for income. Corruption also results in the creation of infrastructure projects that do not bring direct benefits to urban residents, wasting limited financial resources.
5) Health and Safety
In developed countries, city dwellers tend to live longer than their rural counterparts. However, this trend is largely reversed in developing countries. Due to a lack of funds for environmental protection and the uneven development of cities, urban dwellers in developing countries tend to suffer more stress, drink unsafe water and breathe dirtier air.
Interestingly, a study from the University of Texas indicates that reducing car dependence and controlling urban sprawl can help offset most of these negative effects. For cities in developing countries, investing more in public transport and urban planning can lead to a healthier population, reduced pressure on public healthcare and a stronger local economy in the long term.
6) Favelas
In countries with poor governance and high levels of economic inequality, the rise of slums is an inevitable consequence of the unavailability of decent urban housing options for low-income individuals and families. Although slums are seen even in the richest economies, they are an especially notable problem in developing countries.
Some urban planning theorists note that there are advantages in slum areas, such as the proximity to better economic opportunities and the high availability of certain basic services. However, the low-quality housing typically found in these slums is generally considered unsafe for residents and a contributing factor to crime and other social ills.
Developing nations must focus on urban development
Most developing nations face pressing challenges in meeting the basic needs of their citizens. As a result, conscious urban planning is rarely a priority, as the benefits are generally felt in the long term. In any case, every country is different and everyone has unique problems to overcome.
However, relatively modest investments in areas such as water infrastructure, public transport and urban planning remain vital wherever urban spaces exist. Modest investments in these areas may not solve everything, but they can make urban spaces in developing countries healthier, more prosperous and better positioned to contribute to future economic growth.
