Using a case study, describe the challenges and opportunities caused by urbanisation.

Urbanisation describes the increasing proportion of the world’s population who live in cities. Urbanisation has resulted in the emergence of mega cities with the urban population often growing quicker in less developed regions. Those living in rural and isolated areas where there are few services are being pushed to the cities because they rely on subsistence farming with many falling on hard times due to harsh conditions and poor wages. The pull factors of the cities include better medical facilities, education opportunities and a chance to better their standard of living. Rio de Janeiro has experienced urbanisation and it has presented both social and economic challenges and opportunities to the city. For example:Challenges:Providing adequate heath care for everyone. If not achieved this can lead to lower life expectancy and higher rates of infant mortality in poorer areasProviding education. Lower levels of education lead to lower paid jobs for individuals in later life.Providing a safe drinking water supply. 12% of Rio’s population has no running water. This means it can be costly or time consuming and most importantly dangerous for the population.Wide contrasts in wealth due to unemployment rates in the favelas which results in increased crime ratesOpportunitiesMedical staff are on hand to treat disease which reduces infant mortality and increases life expectancyAuthorities have given grants to poor families to help them send their children to schoolNew pipes and treatments plants have been built to increase access to mains water across the city Free child care is provided to enable teenage parents to return to educationPolice have taken control of some crime dominated favelas