Megacity: Special Reference to India
Bikash DasDepartment of Geography & Disaster Management,
Tripura University(A Central University)
Suryamaninagar, West Tripura, India
E-mail: [email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/shubho.bikash
The Term Megacity
Was first used in 1957 by Jean Gottmann in the USA and reflected changes in work and social habits of people after World War II
In 1970’s the United Nations used the term to refer to cities of 8 million
What is Megacity?A megacity is usually defined as
a metropolitan area with a
total population in excess of ten
million people. A megacity can be
a single metropolitan area or two or
more metropolitan areas that
converge. The
terms conurbation, metropolis are
also applied to the latter.
Changing definitions:• In the 80s ‘megacity’ referred to
cities of over 5 million people.
• In the late 90s, the 8 million definition became common.
• Today 10 million is often used.
• This change reflects the rapid urbanisation of the planet.
• What was ‘big’ in 1980 does not seem very big at all today.
Trend of World Urban Population In 1800, only 3% of
the world's population lived in
cities, 47% by the end of the
twentieth century.
In 1950, there were 83 cities
with populations exceeding one
million; by 2007, this number
had risen to 468.
If the trend continues, the
world's population as a whole
will double every 45 years.
The UN forecasts that today's
urban population of 3.2 billion will
rise to nearly 5 billion by 2030,
when three out of five people will
live in cities.
This increase will be most
dramatic on the least-urbanized
continents, Asia and Africa.
Surveys and projections indicate
that all urban growth over the next
25 years will be in developing
countries.
Trend of World Urban Population
By 2025, according to the Far Eastern Economic Review, Asia alone will have at least 10 megacities, including Mumbai, India (33 million), Shanghai, China (27 million), Karachi, Pakistan (26.5 million), Dhaka, Bangladesh (26 million) and Jakarta, Indonesia (24.9 million people). Lagos, Nigeria has grown from 3,00,000 in 1950 to an estimated 12.5 million today, and the Nigerian government estimates that the city will have expanded to 25 million residents by 2015.
Trend of World Urban Population
World Urban Population 2002
The Rise of MegacitiesUrbanisation is an
irreversible process. The 20th century has seen the emergence of megacities.
The number of megacities has risen from two in 1950 to twenty in 2005.
Moreover, 17 out of the 20 megacities in the world are located in the world’s less developed regions
Some Trends In Megacity GrowthRising infrastructure costs means that investment is needed from all
sectors of the economy, driving the need for public/private partnerships for infrastructure development and maintenance.
Transportation congestion is a major challenge. Growth in megacities is trending towards creation and growth of individual centres or sub-cities, rather than just growth in the central business district
Over half the growth in megacities will be in Asia.The 20 largest cities consume 80% of the world’s energy use and
80% of greenhouse gas emissions come from urban areas. Megacities exert significant economic, social and political dominance
over their surrounding areas. Informal settlements are especially vulnerable to climate change
impacts as they are often built on hazardous sites in high-risk locations.
Classification of MegacitiesMegacities
Immature Megacities
Consolidating Megacities
Maturing Megacities
Established Megacities
Immature Megacities•Immature cities are growing rapidly in an uncontrolled way•Many are in Africa•Growth is usually fed by rural–urban migration •Growth is so rapid that housing, transport, education, sewers and water services cannot be built to keep pace with growth•This leads to major health, housing and pollution problems
Lagos, Nigeria
Population in 2010 8 million
Annualpopulation growth rate
4.5%
% of people living in slums
70%
% of households with piped water supply, 2008
6%
Developing world
Consolidating Megacities•With slower growth, consolidating megacities can begin to provide basic services•Self-help schemes are important in these cities – improving housing, water and sewage disposal•Many people still work in the informal sector
Developing world
Mumbai, India
Population in 2010 13.8 million
Annualpopulation growth rate
2.3%
% of people living in slums
55%
% of households with piped water supply, 2008
87%
Maturing Megacities•Maturing cities have a more developed formal economy, with large service industries•The majority live in legal, well-built homes and work in the formal economy •Advanced transport, education and waste systems are in place•Such cities are managed efficiently
Developing world
São Paulo, Brazil
Population in 2010 20 million
Annualpopulation growth rate
1.9%
% of people living in slums
30%
% of households with piped water supply, 2008
94%
Established Megacities •Stable cities have advanced and effective governance •They are often engaged in regeneration and urban sustainability projects•Many people work in high-end, professional service sector jobs•Quality of life is very high for most
Developed World
London, UK
Population in 2010 8.5 million
Annualpopulation growth rate
1%
% of people living in slums 0%
% of households with piped water supply, 2008
100%
Factors for Growth
For Better LifestyleFor Better Infrastructure
HealthEducationTransport &
CommunicationMarket
Job OpportunitiesCentre of Political Power
Its Like a Magnet for the Rural People of Developing World.
Rural-Urban Migration
Rural-Urban MigrationPUSH factors are the reasons people leave an area.
transformed rural areas & reduced work opportunities in rural areas due to: environmental degradation/ depleted resources/mechanisation/ landlessness/lack of education and health services/ poverty/ agribusiness/ commercialisation (cash crops)
PULL factors are the reasons why people want to move to an area. Relatively more work in the cities/cultural & entertainment opportunities in the city/more choice of leisure activities better services, safer environment, political stability
Megacities of WorldSome controversy exists regarding the number of Megacities
of the Globe.As of 2013, there are 24 megacities in existence according to
the Population Reference Bureau. The largest of these are the metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Delhi, Mexico City, New York and Shanghai: each of these has a population in excess of 20 million inhabitants. Tokyo is the largest metropolitan area, while Shanghai is the largest city proper.
Cities With 10 Million or More People 2015
Megacities of Developed and Developing Countries
City life in a Developing Country
Population had grown rapidly and the governments do not have the financial capabilities to keep up with it
Therefore half the people living in a city are homeless or live in slums
These areas do not have proper shelter, water or sewage therefore life expectancy is low
People who cannot find regular employment work in the informal economy (begging, shining shoes, busking, etc.)
Crime and prostitution are common
People in these situations have three options:
Life on the streets Life in a slum Life in a
shantytown
City life in a Developing Country
City Life in a Developed Country
People think of excitement and nightlife
Homes to power and money
Good jobs availableSurface images but not
always the case when you look deeper at a city
Almost every cities in Canada and America have homelessness and living in slum like conditions
Not always visible to visitors
Have food banks so people rarely starve but encounter other problems like ill health, malnutrition and illiteracy
City Life in a Developed Country
Let’s Have Trip to These Megacities
1. Tokyo, Japan, AsiaPopulation: 34,800,000
2. Guangzhou,China, AsiaPopulation: 31,700,000
3. Shanghai China AsiaPopulation: 28,900,000
4. Jakarta, Indonesia, AsiaPopulation: 26,400,000
5. Seoul, South Korea, AsiaPopulation:25,800,000
6. Delhi, India, AsiaPopulation: 24,000,000
7. Mexico City, Mexico, North AmericaPopulation: 23,800,000
8. Karachi, Pakistan, AsiaPopulation: 23,500,000
Indian Megacities
Ranks 6 in World Megacities list Total Population 16,753,235. Population
density :11,297 /km2
Covers an area of 1,484 km2 , of which 783 km2 is designated rural, and 700 km2 urban
Delhi is the largest commercial centre in northern India; it has an estimated net State Domestic Product of 1578.17 billion in nominal terms and ~6300 billion in PPP terms. As of 2013, the per capita income of Delhi was Rs.210000, highest in India.
Delhi
Mumbai Ranks 12 in World Megacities list
Total Population 21,400,000
The total area of Mumbai is 603.4 km2 Of this,
the island city spans 67.79 km2, while the
suburban district spans 370 km2, together
accounting for 437.71 km2 (169 sq mi) under the
administration of Brihanmumbai Municipal
Corporation (BMC).
Asia's largest slum, Dharavi, lies on prime
property right in the middle of India's financial
capital, Mumbai (Bombay).
It is home to more than a million people. Many
are second-generation residents, whose parents
moved in years ago.
KolkataRanks 18 in World Megacities list Population :4,486,679; Population
density was 24,252 /km2 (2011)The Kolkata metropolitan area is spread
over 1,886.67 km2 and comprises 3 municipal corporations (including Kolkata Municipal Corporation), 39 local municipalities and 24 Panchayat Samitis, as of 2011. The urban agglomeration encompassed 72 cities and 527 towns and villages, as of 2006.
Problems/Challenges of Megacities
SlumsAccording to the United Nations, the proportion of urban
dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the developing world between 1990 and 2005. The majority of these come from the fringes of urban margins, located in legal and illegal settlements with insufficient housing and sanitation. This has been caused by massive migration, both internal and transnational, into cities, which has caused growth rates of urban populations and spatial concentrations not seen before in history. These issues raise problems in the political, social, and economic arenas. Slum dwellers often have minimal or no access to education, healthcare, or the urban economy.
Slums
By 2030, over 2 billion people in the world will be living in slums. Over 90% of the urban population of Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda, three of the world's most rural countries, already live in slums.
HomelessnessMegacities often have
significant numbers of homeless people. The actual legal definition of homelessness varies from country to country, or among different entities or institutions in the same country or region.
In 2002, research showed that children and families were the largest growing segment of the homeless population in the United States, and this has presented new challenges, especially in services, to agencies..
Traffic Congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, increased pollution, and increased vehicular queuing.
The Texas Transportation Institute estimated that, in 2000, the 75 largest metropolitan areas experienced 3.6 billion vehicle-hours of delay, resulting in 5.7 billion U.S. gallons (21.6 billion liters) in wasted fuel and $67.5 billion in lost productivity, or about 0.7% of the nation's GDP.
It also estimated that the annual cost of congestion for each driver was approximately $1,000 in very large cities and $200 in small cities.
Environmental DegradationAir pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate
matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or damages the natural environment, into the atmosphere.
Urban Heat-Island: High-rise Buildings, vehicles, Water Pollution: Drainage System, Sanitation, Industrial
and Domestic WasteSound Pollution: Crowd, Horn, Sight Pollution: Hoardings, Signboards
Mega-cities are important to tackling climate change, being responsible for emitting 2.9 billion tonnes of carbon emissions, to take decisive action, doing it collectively, the potential impact will be huge.
Environmental Degradation
Worlds Most Polluted Megacities
Urban SprawlUrban sprawl, also known
as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density, auto-dependent development on rural land, with associated design features that encourage car dependency.
Problems with Urban Sprawl
Land use conflicts- disputes b/w farming land vs land to live on
Social conflicts- urban people may want to improve the rural setting which increases taxes, rural people may not want to pay
Inefficient land use- insufficient land by-laws allow land to be used for purposes such as shopping malls or condo development
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8. Mavropoulos,A(2009):Megacities Sustainable Development and Waste Management in the 21st Century, http://www.iswa.org/uploads/tx_iswaknowledgebase/Mavropoulos.pdf
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