L8 issues for people living in urban areas in rich countries traffic
Issues for people living in squatter settlements in led cs
1. Issues for people
living in squatter
settlements in
poorer parts of
the world
References:
AQA A pg 205-6
B&P 162/3
CGP pg 89
2. Syllabus
Key idea
• Rapid urbanisation has led to the
development of squatter settlements
and an informal sector to the economy
Specification content
• Characteristics of squatter settlements
• Effect on the lives of the people of
living in squatter settlements
3. Lesson Objectives
All will understand why
squatter settlements have
developed, their
characteristics and effects
on people’s lives.
Most will understand that there
are positives and negatives
about moving to the cities.
Some will understand why
quality of life is not always
better in the cities.
5. Most big cities in Africa, Asia and Latin
America are surrounded by unplanned, make
shift shanty towns and it is common for 50% or
more of the city’s population to live in them
Brazil – favelas
North Africa - bidonvilles
Kolkata – bustees
Shanty towns are sited on any available spare
land – steep slopes, marsh, rubbish tips
These areas are often avoided by authorities
because they are prone to landslides, flooding
or industrial pollution.
6. The settlements are unplanned and illegal
The shacks and shelters are homemade, built from
anything people can lay their hands on – wood,
corrugated iron, cardboard, polythene and 5 gallon oil
drums
They are typically only one or two rooms where the
family eats, lives and sleeps
Most shacks lack basic amenities such as electricity,
gas, drainage, running water and toilets. In bustees one
water tap and one toilet may be shared by 30 people.
Sewage often runs down the streets and pollutes the
water supply leading to water borne diseases such as
diarrhoea, typhoid and cholera.
Diseases spread quickly because of the high density
housing.
Life expectancy is lower
7. There may be no refuse collection
Infant mortality rates are high
Healthcare is often too expensive and too far away to
access
Many families suffer from malnutrition
Children do not go to school
The family lives on top of each other and there is no
privacy
Local shops and stalls sell a limited range of poor quality
foods that lack the necessary components of a healthy
diet
Stress of living leads to divorce, crime
There are large numbers of ‘street children’ who have
either run away or been abandoned due to family break-
up.
Areas may lack policing, medical services and fire
fighting services
Some areas are controlled by gangs and ‘drug lords’ and
are no-go areas for police – Rio de Janeiro
8. Economic problems
For the newly arrived migrant the main problem is finding work.
With few jobs available in the formal sector for non-skilled and
illiterate rural people, most are forced to look for work in the
informal sector as very low paid street sellers, shoe shiners,
couriers, gardeners, waste collectors and domestic servants.
The jobs aren’t taxed or monitored by the government.
People often work long hours for little pay.
For those that do get work in the city centre travelling there is
expensive.
Shanty dwellers continue to have more children in the hope that at
least one of the family will get a job that will allow the whole
family to move out of the slum and into a proper residential
neighbourhood.
9. One of the largest slums in Asia:
Area – 175 hectares
Population – between 600 000 to 1 000 000
Site – formerly a mangrove swamp
Hygiene – 1 toilet per 1 440
11. Key Terms
Squatter Settlements
• Areas of cities (usually on the outskirts) that are built by
people of any materials that they can find on land that does
not belong to them. Such settlements have different names
in different parts of the world (e.g. favelas in Brazil) and
are often known as shanty towns.
Informal Sector
• That part of the economy where jobs are created by people
to try to get an income (e.g. taking in washing, mending
bicycles) and which are not recognised in official figures.
12. Lesson Objectives
• All will understand why
squatter settlements have
developed and their
characteristics and effects
on people’s lives.
• Most will understand what
strategies have been
introduced to improve living
conditions in these areas.
• Some will be able to
evaluate the success of
these strategies.