2A- Urban issues and challenges

Question 1

where is urbanisation happening the fastest?

Answer 1

in poorer countries.

Question 2

what is urbanisation?

Answer 2

the growth in the proportion of people living in urban areas.

Question 3

what proportion of the world currently lives in urban areas?

Answer 3

around 55%

Question 4

Describe urbanisation in HICs.

Answer 4

In HICs, the majority of the population (around 80%) are already living in urban areas, as the country has already experienced urbanisation. this means the rate of urbanisation is usually less than 0.

Question 5

Describe urbanisation in LICs.

Answer 5

LICs have a less developed economy, so only around 30% of the population live in urban areas, however this means they have high rates of urbanisation, usually around 6%.

Question 6

Describe urbanisation in NEEs.

Answer 6

in NEEs, economic development is increasing rapidly. The urban population in these countries is around 50% of the population, and their rate of urbanisation is usually around 2%.

Question 7

What are the two primary causes of urbanisation?

Answer 7

natural increase, and rural to urban migration.

Question 8

what is rural to urban migration?

Answer 8

the movement of people from the countryside, to the cities. caused by push factors (that make people want to leave the countryside), and pull factors, (that make people want to move to the city).

Question 9

What is natural increase?

Answer 9

When the birthrate of a country is higher than the death rate.

Question 10

What is the birth and death rate of Nigeria?

Answer 10

35 births per 1000 people, and only 10 deaths per 1000 people.

Question 11

list some push factors of rural to urban migration.

Answer 11

natural disasters are difficult to recover from in rural areas.
mechanised farming equipment means there is a lack of jobs in the countryside.
desertification makes land unproductive, so farmers cannot support themselves.
farming is an unstable business.

Question 12

list some pull factors of rural to urban migration

Answer 12

more, better paid jobs in urban areas.
better healthcare.
better educational opportunities.
better quality of life.

Question 13

what is the population of Lagos?

Answer 13

around 14 million (making it a megacity)

Question 14

what is Lagos’s annual growth rate?

Answer 14

3.2% (making it one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the world)

Question 15

What is Lagos’s regional importance?

Answer 15

large migrant population attracts lots of cultural diversity
well connected to other major towns, making it important for regional trade

Question 16

what is Lagos’s national importance?

Answer 16

home to 80% of Nigeria’s industry, and many global companies
used to be the capital city of Nigeria until Abuja replaced it

Question 17

what is Lagos’s international importance?

Answer 17

main financial centre for whole of west Africa
5th largest economy in Africa
international port and airport are important for global trade.

Question 18

what factors have meant Lagos was able to grow rapidly

Answer 18

the British colonised Nigeria, making it an important centre for trade and attracted many merchants back in time.
many ex-slaves returned to Lagos after the abolishment of slavery in the 1800s
Lagos gained independence, which caused major economic development as their resources were no longer controlled by the British
government finances a lot of construction projects, creating lots of jobs, increasing urbanisation.
lots of migration and natural increase

Question 19

how many immigrants enter Lagos daily?

Answer 19

around 1200, often due to religious/ ethnic conflict, or belief of a better quality of life.

Question 20

list the social opportunities of growth in Lagos

Answer 20

more healthcare available in Lagos, due to more hospitals and a greater access to medicines.
90% of Nigerian children in Lagos attend one of the 20,000 primary schools in the city, compared to the 60% in rural Nigeria
Lagos has better access to energy than rural areas, consuming 40% of the entire countries energy supply, meaning people can light their homes and cook more easily
water treatment plants provide safe water that is piped directly into some areas of the city.

Question 21

list the economic opportunities of growth in Lagos

Answer 21

rapid growth means lots of construction jobs
Lagos is home to many of the countries banks, government departments and manufacturing industries
there are two major ports, and a growing fishing industry
Lagos has a thriving music and film industry known as Nollywood

Question 22

what is the population density of Lagos?

Answer 22

20,000 people per square kilometre

Question 23

what problems has rapid growth led to?

Answer 23

Slums/ squatter settlements
poor access to clean water, sanitation and energy
poor access to healthcare and schools
unemployment and crime at a high
environmental issues

Question 24

what causes the squatter settlements?

Answer 24

housing construction cannot keep up with the rapid population growth, increasing house prices which many people cannot afford, making them turn to slums such as Makoko
slums are illegal and often built with flimsy wood
these settlements can face demolition

Question 25

what are the problems with water supply in Lagos?

Answer 25

only 40% of the city is connected to the state water supply. this water is in short supply so people have to pay inflated prices to buy water from informal sellers.

Question 26

what are the issues with sanitation in Lagos?

Answer 26

up to 15 people share a toilet, and the waste is dumped straight into the local water supply, increasing chances of disease such as cholera

Question 27

what are the issues with energy in Lagos?

Answer 27

Lagos doesn't have enough energy to power the whole city at once, so neighbourhoods often take it in turns. this means people usually resort to illegal energy connections, which often cut out.

Question 28

what are the issues with health and education in Lagos?

Answer 28

there isn't enough healthcare facilities for everyone, and many people can't afford treatment there isn't enough schools for the rapidly growing population in Lagos, and many families cannot afford to send their children to school

Question 29

what are the issues with unemployment in Lagos?

Answer 29

there isn't enough jobs to keep up with the rapidly growing population, so people have to find other ways to make money, like scavenging dumps for items to sell.

Question 30

how much of the population work informal jobs in Lagos?

Answer 30

60% of the population work informal jobs with no legal protection, these are often very unreliable ways to earn money.

Question 31

what are the issues with crime in Lagos?

Answer 31

there are very high levels of crime. in slums such as Makoko, the area is controlled by gangs, who often commit crimes and police the slums themselves

Question 32

what are the environmental issues in Lagos?

Answer 32

Lots of waste produced daily, and only 40% of this waste is officially collected, while the rest go into dumps such as the Olusosun, which contain toxic waste waste and emissions from factories are not monitored, leading to air and water pollution. terrible traffic congestion and lack of public transport leads to high levels of air pollution

Question 33

how much waste does the city produce daily?

Answer 33

9000 tonnes

Question 34

what can help to improve the quality of life in Lagos?

Answer 34

Urban planning schemes

Question 35

who are worst affected by urban growth problems?

Answer 35

the poor

Question 36

what was built as a prototype to give the children of the slums access to free education?

Answer 36

the floating school prototype

Question 37

what was the floating school scheme created to do?

Answer 37

increase development of makoko and increase their quality of life

Question 38

what were the social benefits of the floating school urban scheme?

Answer 38

100 students could be educated for free local builders helped build the school, making them more skilled and capable to look after and repair their own homes school was also used to hold community meetings and activities, increasing the community spirit

Question 39

what were the economic benefits for the floating school urban scheme?

Answer 39

education helped improve the local children's Job prospects provided jobs for local teachers encouraged government to launch a development scheme for the slums of the city

Question 40

what were the environmental benefits of the floating school urban scheme?

Answer 40

built using locally sourced materials that didn't harm the local environment the schools floating aspect allowed it to move with the changing tides, protecting the children from floods. the school ran on solar power the school collected rainwater, so it didn't rely on the supplies the community needed.