LOOKING GLOBAL

THE EVER- EXPANDING URBAN SPRAWL

The world is undergoing the largest wave of urban growth in history, and the urban sprawl is growing at an alarming rate.

According to the 2018 Revision of the World Urbanization Prospects report, published by the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the world’s urban population is projected to have increased nearly six-fold: from 751 million in 1950 to 4.2 billion by 2018. Half of the global population lives in urban areas, and according to projections 68% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050.

Although the urban population in Africa is a relatively low 43%, Africa and Asia have the highest urbanisation rates. The continent’s urban growth rate is projected to be 11 times higher than that of Europe and that six of the world’s mega-cities (cities with a population of 10 million people or more) will be in Africa by 2030.

Urbanisation is not only caused by population growth but also by migration. This is especially the situation in developing countries where people are lured to cities and towns in the hope of making a better living. For urbanites used to the comforts of city life – like running hot and cold water and electricity at the flick of a switch – it might be difficult to understand why people would want to migrate to cities and towns. The reality is that life in the rural areas is not nearly as idyllic as it might seem.

The prospects of employment, housing and better educational opportunities are among the main pull factors drawing people to urban areas. Environmental factors such as droughts and floods are other causes of urbanisation. Yet others are attracted by the bright city lights and the urban lifestyle which often causes a breakdown in social systems.

The downside of urban migration is that rural households are deprived of labour, which reduces agricultural productivity. This, in turn, increases food insecurity. Depopulation can also be caused by a lack of development in rural areas. A case in point is Spain which experienced an exodus of people from the rural areas, especially young people, because of a lack of development and infrastructure. The country’s rural regions have lost 28% of their populations in 50 years, and five regions covering 53% of Spain’s territory are inhabited by only 15% of the total population.

The most pressing issue facing the authorities in developing countries is the proliferation of informal settlements. To provide basic services such as running water, electricity, refuse removal and proper sanitation places severe strain on the finances of local authorities. In the absence of these services, informal settlements become breeding places for diseases such as cholera and Hepatitis E. And they can easily turn into hotbeds of discontent that can fuel protests and social unrest.

Haphazard and uncontrolled settlements spawn slums inhabited by hundreds of thousands of people. They are characterized by overcrowding, dire poverty and, in some cases, a near-complete lack of services.

Despite its low population figure, Namibia has experienced large-scale migration and urbanisation since independence. The urban population increased from 28% in 1991 to 33% ten years later (an increase of 5%), but then grew by 9% to 42.8% in 2011 when the last national census was undertaken.

The reality is that life in the rural areas is not nearly as idyllic as it might seem.

Windhoek is the centre of economic activity. Therefore it is not surprising that the capital’s population has boomed since 1990, when it had a population of 147,000. By 2001 the population had increased to 233,529 and ten years later by another 39% to 325,858. The city’s population is now estimated to be around 450,000 people. It has been suggested that up to 40% live in the sprawling informal settlements that keep mushrooming on the city’s perimeters. This has not only placed the City of Windhoek but also the central government under pressure to provide hospitals and schools, as well as ensuring an adequate water supply.

Namibia’s second largest urban area, Rundu, saw a population increase from 36,964 people in 2001 to 63,431 people in just ten years. This has largely been attributed to an influx of Angolans.

Corrugated iron structures have become an all too familiar sight on the outskirts of other towns, villages and settlements in Namibia during the past 30 years. The population of the coastal town of Walvis Bay increased by 188% from 21,249 in 1991 to 61,300 in 2011, while the population of Oshakati boomed from 9,303 to 35,600 during the same period – a growth rate of 283%.

The human tide of migrants to the urban areas seems to be unstoppable. So brace yourself for the new normal.

Namibian freelance journalist and travel writer: Willie Olivier