Knowledge Part One:

Organiser
Urban Issues and Challenges Introduction

Factors Affecting rate of Urbanisation

Global Pattern of Urban Change Economic development- Cities are good for Natural Increase- Cities generally Key Terms
2007 was the first time ever that more people business as they allow businesses to trade have a young population, and so are
lived in urban areas than rural areas… and with each other easily, so they grow more likely to have children. Cities
tend to have better health care than
Urban means a
difference has only increased since! economically. It is this growth that creates
jobs, which attract people, and it is people who rural areas, so there is a low death built up area such
bring the ideas and enterprise on which cities rate and life expectancy is higher. as a town or city.
thrive.
• Low wages and few job • High wages and more job Rural means a
opportunities
opportunities
• Better access to quiet, sparsely
• Limited access to services such
as healthcare and education healthcare and education populated area,
• Poor living conditions • Improved standard of such as the
living
• Conflict and war
• More entertainment. countryside.

Rural to urban
The Emergence of Megacities migration means
Megacities are cities with a The movement of
population in excess of 10 people from the
million people. In 2018, there countryside to
were 28 of these megacities cities.
Is Urban Change the same across the (shown in the map opposite),
world? and the United Nations Urbanisation is
No, it is different across the world. NEEs estimates that by 2050 there
the increase in
and LICs are urbanising at a much quicker may be as many as 50.
Megacities have such a large
the proportion of
rate than HICs. population due to natural people living in
increase and rural to urban urban areas
migration. Thousands of compared to rural
people move to these cities areas.
each month in the hope of
improving their lives because Megacity is an
of the available opportunities. urban area with a
total population in
excess of ten
million people.
 Knowledge Part Two:

Organiser
Urban Issues and Challenges NEE-
Lagos

•
Location and Importance
Located in Nigeria, Africa.
Opportunities of living in Lagos Key Terms
• Better access to services than rural Nigeria. Rural • There are better employment opportunities with
Nigeria is the richest country Nigeria is very poor, most people migrate to Lagos for higher wages in Lagos than the Nigerian average. Lagos
in Africa. jobs. • Water treatment plants provide safe water to the Located in
• Lagos was the financial capital Lagos is home to lots of the countries government city. The Lagos Water Corporation claims to supply
• Nigeria, Africa.
until 1991 and is the financial departments, banks and factories. over 12 million people with water. The 2020 Water
centre of West Africa. • More healthcare centres and hospitals and a better Master Plan aims to meet the rising demand through 21 million people
• It is the most populated city range of services in Lagos which will increase their the construction of several water treatment plans. live in Lagos and
in the country. life expectancy. • Lagos has access to electricity which can be used for it’s one of the
• 68% of people have a secondary school education in cooking and lighting as well as opening businesses. fastest growing
• 21 million people live in Lagos
Lagos (40% don’t even go to primary school in rural • An ambitious project called Future Proofing Lagos –
and it’s one of the fastest cities in the
Nigeria). Energy Sector aims to provide 100% of the population
growing cities in the world. • Water treatment plants provide safe water to the with access to energy (up from 60%), and street world.
• 275,000 migrants arrive in city. lighting for residential and commercial areas. At least
Lagos every year. • Rapid growth of the city means that there are lots of 20% of this energy will be produced by the renewable
jobs in construction e.g. Eko Atlantic. sector.
• Lagos is investing in the Lagos Rail Mass Transit
System. It was announced in 2008 and phase 1 should Opportunities
open in 2022. A time or set of
circumstances
that makes it
Challenges of living in Lagos possible to do
The major problem in Lagos is the growth • It has been estimated that Lagos Corporation
of squatter settlements also known as produces 13million kg of waste per • Rapid population growth means something.
day using infrastructure developed in demands for water will increase
Slums. These slums come with many issues
the 1970’s when the city had only 3 • Lack of sanitation means water in the
for people including the lack of planned
access to clean water and sanitation
million residents. Currently, lagoon becomes polluted by sewage Challenges
• Traffic congestion - rising car leading to waterborne diseases such
systems, poor health, lack of education, ownership and wealth have meant that as cholera and dysentery.
Something which
unemployment and the prospect of crime. more people own cars in Lagos (there • The Olusosun landfill is a 100- makes it difficult
• 65 percent of the people living in Lagos are over 5 million!). These contribute acre dump in Lagos. It is the largest to achieve
are urban poor who live in slums to both noise and air pollution, as well in Africa, and one of the largest in
• Lagos is home to a thriving something.
• 8.5 percent of the near 21 million as lots of lost hours as people sit in the world. The site receives up to
film industry – Nollywood traffic jams. 10,000 tons of rubbish each day.
people living in Lagos, Nigeria live in
films are very popular in Lagos has some very dirty air Waste from around 500 container
Africa.
poverty — about 1.7 million people.
•
including dangerous levels of Nitrous ships is also delivered to the site, Importance
Planners have been unable to keep up with Oxides, high levels of dust particles adding a substantial portion of the state or fact
• There are two major ports in rapidly rising population, the average and high levels of air pollution. These electronic waste. Some of this
the city and a major fishing population density is 20, 000 people per are both hazardous to human health material is treated with chemicals to
of being of great
industry. km. This puts massive stress on the and can cause things like asthma. extract reusable products resulting in significance or
supply of housing, services and • Only 10% of the population in Lagos toxic fumes being released. value.
infrastructure. have water from the Lagos Water
 Knowledge Part Two:

Organiser
Urban Issues and Challenges NEE-
Lagos

Makoko Slum Case Study Urban planning scheme for improving quality of life Key Terms
In Lagos, the lack of housing and rapid rate of urbanisation has forced millions
of people to build their own homes. These are typically on land they do not own.
for the poor Social
However, in Lagos, some homes have been built on water. Squatter settlements The Makoko Floating School
are any collection of buildings where the people have no legal rights to the land Aim: To give some of the poorest children in Lagos access to free education. The
they are built upon. The people are living there illegally and do not own the project aimed to improve the quality of life for the residents of Makoko and encourage
land. They provide housing for many of the world’s poorest people and offer development. Economic
basic shelter.
Homes in squatter settlements are typically constructed from scrap material
including wood, plastic sheeting and corrugated metal when they are first built.
Over time more sophisticated materials can be used to improve the quality of
housing. Environmental

Urban Planning

WHAT CHALLENGES DOES LAGOS

Social Improvements: FACE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST
• Up to 100 students could be educated for free – this meant that they didn’t need to CENTURY?
work or scavenge to pay school fees. Lagos faces a considerable number of
challenges in the future. These include:
• The school was built by unskilled local workers – the skills they learnt equipped them • Population growth – By 2035 the
• Housing is poorly constructed and are generally wooden huts on stilts in the to build and repair their own homes. population is predicted to reach 40
lagoon, e.g. Makoko. • The school was used for local community meetings and activities, increasing Makoko’s million. If this is the case it will be one of
the world’s top three megacities;
• There is only one school and many families can’t afford to sent their community spirit. • Population density – Lagos is already four
children there. Economic Improvements: times more crowded than London. There is
• Communal toilets shared by 15 house holds empty into the lake, this spreads • Education improved local children’s job prospects. a finite amount of space for its population;
• The school provided jobs for local teachers. • Rising sea level – By the end of the
disease.
twenty-first century, the sea is expected
• Water comes from a water pump 3km away and all electricity is illegal and • The schools’ success encouraged the government to launch its ‘Makoko/Iwaya to rise by around one metre. This is a
often cuts out. Regeneration Plan.’ This aims to develop the slum further, e.g. by building homes and a threat to low-lying Lagos;
• The area is policed by gangs called ‘Area Boys’ biogas plant to produce cooking gas for local people. • Water supply – Although Lagos receives
tropical levels of rainfall, 2000mm per
• However, the authorities want to demolish it to help improve the image of Environmental improvements: year, the city lacks the infrastructure to
the city. Though residents have nowhere else to live. In recent years the • The school was built using locally sourced materials, including 250 floating barrels. deliver safe, clean and affordable water to
authorities have demolished areas of squatter settlements, like the one in This meant that the construction didn’t harm the local environment and repairs would its population;
be easy. • Power supply – The supply of electricity
2012.
in Lagos is very unreliable. While wealthy
• The schools buoyancy allowed it to adjust to different water levels, and protect residents have their own generators, the
children from floods. poor have to use other forms of energy.
• The school ran on solar power so its energy needs were met in a sustainable way.
• The school collected rainwater to meet its water needs.