...percent over 200 years. In 1950, there were 83 cities with populations exceeding one million; New York was recognised as becoming the world’s first megacity. By the year 2007 83 millionaire cities had risen to 468. If this trend continues however the worlds urban population will double every 38 years. This is due to the propelled high rates of natural increase and very high rates of rural to urban migration. A few of the largest cities have grown to merge with others to form city regions, or agglomerations, such as Tokyo whose region now includes the population of Yokohama. The term megacity is now used to describe these city regions. A few current megacities according to that of the world gazetteer are that of Cairo in Egypt with a population of 16,794,464, Beijing in China with a population of 13,294,474 and Buenos Aires in Argentina with a population of 14,723,625. A few countries that have the potential to become megacities within the next 5 years are that of Chicago in the USA with a population of 9,506,302, and Xianggang in China with a current population of 9,565,291. This image shows the urban population (millions). As the image clearly show there are around 6 mega-city areas in the western hemisphere. The more obvious one being that of the world cities such as New York. As you can see Europe has no strong megacity(s) as the hierarchy of the urban distribution is quite stabilised in turn creating many world cities such as that of London, Paris Frankfurt and Brussels...
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...One of the most serious problems that China faces today is water pollution. Beijing, Capital of China, just like many other Chinese cities, it is suffering from high levels of water pollution. A report made by the state of environmental agency concluded that the level of pollution in Beijing’s water sources is not safe. Another investigation made by the Environmental Protection Supervision Center of North China shows that the north Canal, which provides water to more than 70% of Beijing’s total population had a level of pollution that is 95 times higher than what is considered safe. “Zhao Feihong”, a water researcher in Beijing healthcare association states that there is in Beijing over 100 rivers, however only two or three of them are safe to be used for tap water. These and many more reports made, show that the water sources in Beijing are not safe to drink, however, what are the causes and effects of this pollution? Now, I will be discussing the causes and effects of water pollution in Beijing, and how it differs from other mega cities in the world, such as Jakarta, and New York. With being one of the largest population cities in the world, it’s not surprising to see a huge amount of wastewater produced in Beijing. Due to untreated urban sewage, this wastewater which contains human waste, washing water, urban runoff, industrial wastewater, etc. often end up in the drinking water supplies that Beijing’s citizens consume. In addition to that, the lacks of enforcement of environmental...
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...Robert Hayes II Geog 413 Midterm November 10, 2013 Megacities or Suburbs? Urbanization and growth rely on each other like cause and effect. However; when one asks does urbanization trigger economic growth and development, or is economic growth and development the result of urbanization is like asking which came first the chicken or the egg? Urbanization and growth rely on each other, however; does there come a point in which the diseconomies start to outweigh the benefits of agglomeration? Annez and Buckley state in Urbanization and Growth: Setting the Context that “Urbanization is necessary to sustain growth in developing countries.” Annez and Buckley point out that urbanization affects the growth process through the enhanced flow of ideas and knowledge attributable to agglomeration in cities. They drew in evidence from Landes (1969 cited in Willamson 1987, p. 6) whom believes “Urbanization is an essential ingredient in modernization”. (Anez & Buckley p. 1 & 2) Industrialization is triggered by urbanization which leads to modernization. Modernization leads to economic development which allows people to use current technology. Part of the modernization process is education and creation of a centralized bureaucracy. These creations enable their people to advance and compete in the modern world. All these concepts are related and rely on each other. Annez and Buckley show in several graphs as countries become urbanized their GDP rises. In almost every...
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...How Rural-Urban Migration Contributes to the Development of a Megacity: A case from Bangladesh Abstract Like other developing countries, rural-urban migration is the prime reason of developing megacity in Bangladesh. It is the most important factor for rapid urbanization as well. Dhaka, the only megacity in Bangladesh, became a megacity having more than 10 million of population in 2001. Dhaka is the center of attraction of this region since 7th century and the development phase of this megacity can be categorized into five- Pre-mughal period, Mughal period, British period, Pakistan period and independent Bangladesh period. Although rural-urban migration plays the crucial most role to turn Dhaka from a city to megacity, it was not very significant during the first three period. With the partition of subcontinent Dhaka became the capital of independent Bangladesh and huge numbers of migrants start to step into this city. Dhaka, the 9th largest of 21 megacities of the world, drags people towards it with several ‗forces of attraction‘. This study, on the rural-urban migrants residing over the slums of Dhaka city, finds that availability of jobs, easy access to informal economy, ‗Dhaka means Taka‘ conception and ‗illuminating Dhaka‘ are the prime forces of attraction of Dhaka megacity. Keywords: Megacity, Dhaka, Rural-Urban Migration, Migration toward Megacity, Forces of Attraction. Introduction Development of cities and urban centers as well is intrinsically related with...
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...Changes in size of megacities Megacities, with a population of at least 10 million, have grown in number to 26 in 2009. This is because of the general growth in world population and especially the growth in NIC’s such as India, Brazil and Indonesia. In developing countries in Asia and Africa, countries are still at Stage 3 of the DTM and are experiencing rapid population growth. Their economic growth has increased rapidly due to industrialisation which has encouraged rural-urban migration to escape rural poverty. This has increased the size of some megacities, such as Mumbai, to over 20 million. Nigeria has the largest population in Africa and so this explains why Lagos is the only African megacity at present. In India, hyper-urbanisation seems to have occurred as some cities have grown from less than 10 million to over 20 million in less than 25 years, eg Mumbai and Delhi. This must be due to huge rural-urban migration and internal growth. Growth in Latin America must be slower as Sao Paulo, Rio and Mexico City were already megacities in 1985. This is because they were the first wave of NIC’s. Also, in the developed world some cities, such as New York and Tokyo have become global hubs and this has attracted more elite migrants from around the world to work in TNC headquarters and the NYSE. The distribution of megacities has shifted dramatically to the southern hemisphere and the east, especially in southeast Asia. This is due to the role of TNC’s such as Tesco that have...
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...means prolonged spending on health and education provided a healthy literate and skilled workforce. From this, education in the area can increase from the large labour forces. Human resources like the access to secondary education and universities can increase the skilled labour in an area. For example, ‘switched on’ areas in India such as Dehli, believe that the potential and value of India’a eduction sector has attracted the attention of international players. Due to the interconnectivity with other nations, the Indian government feels it is important to create a skilled workforce of 500 million people. It is predicted that 11-13 million Indians will come onto the job market every year for the next 15 years, further helping the Indian megacities and ‘switched on’ areas become even more successful as they will have more skilled workers to help with lacking sectors in the central areas. At the moment, many areas globally have a wide range of languages that are...
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...City Report: Tokyo and Karachi Mackenzie J. Kiene Cleveland State University Abstract Upon comparing and contrasting the two megacities of Karachi and Tokyo it is apparent that these are two very dissimilar metropolitan areas with only a handful of similarities. On one hand, there is Karachi, a city with one-third of its population in poverty and 40% of its residents living in the slums. On the other hand there is Tokyo, which has been deemed as one of the cleanest, most efficient, and safest megacities in the world. With such differing characteristics it is easy to use these two cities as complete opposites despite their status as two of the largest megacities in the world. It is particularly interesting how two cities with two of the largest populations in the world can be so vastly different and harbor citizens with such contrasting lifestyles. Keywords: Populations, Economy, Socio-political, Environment, Culture, Religion Population Demographics: Karachi Karachi is one of the most heavily populated cities in the entire world with an approximate population of 21.2 million people which is still growing at a rate of about 5% per year. Karachi has grown from a population of 500,000 in 1947 to its approximate 21.2 million today. Angotti and Beckel (2001) believe that this huge population spike is due to Karachi’s key situation in the strategic and economic scheme of British trade in the 20th century. Karachi has a very...
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...January 2009 | Section A1 Study Figure 1.(a) Describe the level of earthquake hazard risk along the west coast and the south coast (2) (b) Why are earthquakes common in some parts of the world? (4)(c) Which of the following can be physical causes of disasters? Put a cross in the two correct boxes. (2)A El NiñoB DeforestationC Population growthD Cyclone(d) With reference to a named example, explain what is meant by a disaster hotspot. (4)2 Study Figure 2. (a) How much ice has been lost between 2000 and 2007? Put a cross in the correctbox. (1)A 4.1 billion m3B 4.5 billion m3C 5.2 billion m3D 8.3 billion m3(b) What has happened to the rate of ice loss since 2002? (2) (c) Suggest reasons for the loss of ice taking place in most Arctic areas. (4)(d) Describe two ecological impacts of climate change in the Arctic. (4)3 Study Figure 3. (a) Identify the height of the flood wall defence in the 1880s and 1930s. Put a cross inthe correct boxes. (2)1880s 1930s2 metres 3 metres3 metres 4 metres4 metres 5 metres5.4 metres 5.4 metres(b) State three economic consequences of widespread flooding for a major city such as London. (3) (c) Suggest reasons why flood defences, such as those in London, have been raised and improved over time. (5)4 Study Figure 4. (a) Name the global region that received the biggest flow of manufactured goodsfrom China. (1) (b) Which of the following statements correctly describes the flows of manufactured goods between China and Western Europe? (1)Overall profit of $45...
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...growing megacities of developing countries. Consider Jakarta, Indonesia, with a population of about 13 million. Jakarta is plagued with many of the problems found in other rapidly growing megacities in the developing world. The air in Jakarta is badly polluted with the exhaust from cars, buses, and motorbikes that transport about 2 million commuters into the city each day. The lack of public transportation contributes to congested traffic, with vehicles sitting in traffic jams, spewing air pollutants into the air. Currently, Jakarta is considered among the top Asian cities with the worst air quality. Water pollution is also a critical problem. At least 95% of human wastes produced in the city are not cleaned up at sewage treatment plants. Instead, human sewage and garbage are dumped directly into nearby rivers (Figure 25.11). Jakarta’s municipal water supply is so polluted that piped water must be boiled before drinking. Figure 25.11 Water pollution in Jakarta, Indonesia. As groundwater has been depleted to meet the city’s needs, parts of Jakarta have subsided, making many areas more flood-prone, particularly during the rainy season. In 2007, for example, low-lying areas of Jakarta were inundated by floods that forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes. About 40% of Jakarta is below sea level. Illegal squatter settlements proliferate; here the poorest inhabitants build dwellings on vacant land using whatever materials they can scavenge. As in other megacities around...
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...Chinese Urbanization: its implications and business opportunities According to a McKinsey Global Institute study, “, China will have an urbanized population over one billion by the year 2030, from approximately 600 million today. As 400 million more people move from the countryside to urban population centers, there will be massive shifts in income, consumption, and the use of public goods (mass transportation, education, etc.). These changes will have a great impact on China’s society and economy. Why China’s Urbanization cannot be stopped China’s development over the last 30 years since the opening of China’s doors in 1978 has been anything but a smooth, national process. Indeed, starting with Guangzhou and following with Shanghai, Beijing and now Tianjin, the mega-cities have developed at a much faster pace than its surrounding areas, with surrounding cities, and rural areas lagging far behind. Both geography and socio-political concerns have contributed to this pattern of growth. Geographically, the coastal areas have been China’s traditional powerhouses in trade and commerce, and given China’s borders with the Himalayas, the Gobi Desert, and the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, the coastal areas served as China’s primary (if not only) conduit to the West. Socio-politically, Guangzhou’s and Shenzhen’s proximity to Hong Kong made them ideally suited to serve as the first door to the west; Shanghai’s location at the terminus of the Chang Jiang made it a historically...
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...As city slums grows in size there will be more chances of poverty, natural disasters, criminal activities, diseases, and pollution. PBS Newshour demonstrates the catastrophic events that have occurred from developing countries moving to Dhaka and states “…developing countries citizens have moved over to Dhaka in over 2.5 decades while raising the numbers of residents from 250,000 to just over 1.7 million” (Video 2:50-58.) Dhaka is a great example of a rich and monstrous metropolitan city going straight from richness straight to poverty, unhealthy, and underprivileged megacity in the world. Rehman Sobhan states “If you simply project the present into the future, we are heading to no good place” (Video 2:37-40.) What Rehman is trying to describe...
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...Examiners’ Report June 2013 GCE Geography 6GE03 01 Edexcel and BTEC Qualifications Edexcel and BTEC qualifications come from Pearson, the UK’s largest awarding body. We provide a wide range of qualifications including academic, vocational, occupational and specific programmes for employers. For further information visit our qualifications websites at www.edexcel.com or www.btec.co.uk. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us using the details on our contact us page at www.edexcel.com/contactus. Giving you insight to inform next steps ResultsPlus is Pearson’s free online service giving instant and detailed analysis of your students’ exam results. • See students’ scores for every exam question. • Understand how your students’ performance compares with class and national averages. • Identify potential topics, skills and types of question where students may need to develop their learning further. For more information on ResultsPlus, or to log in, visit www.edexcel.com/resultsplus. Your exams officer will be able to set up your ResultsPlus account in minutes via Edexcel Online. Pearson: helping people progress, everywhere Pearson aspires to be the world’s leading learning company. Our aim is to help everyone progress in their lives through education. We believe in every kind of learning, for all kinds of people, wherever they are in the world. We’ve been involved in education for over 150 years, and by working across 70 countries, in 100 languages, we have built an international...
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...Tropical storms form where the sea temperature is above a temperature of 26.celicus and a depth of 60 metres. In addition to this, there must be an air humidity of 75% meaning there must be at least 75% water vapour between 5 -20 degree north/south of the equator. These specific temperatures and humidity percentage can be created by low pressure, which migrates seasonally due to the position of the sun. When these specific conditions are met, the unstable air converges and is force upwards where it cools and condenses quickly to form large cumulonimbus clouds which are associated with thunderstorms. Condensation reactions release latent heat, consequently increasing the energy resulting in more powerful wind speeds, thus resulting in pushing the storm up to 10km above sea level. At the top of the hurricane, the cooling air spreads outwards, creating a thick canopy of clouds. Furthermore, due to the low pressure at sea level created by the position of the sun, it draws in denser colder air from above the storm and surrounding areas. Finally, high pressure sinking air in the middle creates an eye and the Coriolis Effect creates a spinning effect and the winds travelling towards the void get deflected off course either to left or right, depending on the hemisphere, thus resulting in the spinning of the winds. Tropical storms pose as dangerous threats in different area of the world. For example, many LEDC’s such as Guatemala and barbarous are prone to hurricanes. Furthermore,...
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...influx of workers seeking employment in the numerous factories that had been established. These factory workers lived under terrible living conditions. Similarly, the port city of Lagos, Nigeria annually welcomes 270,000 people, resulting in extreme overpopulation. Megacities such as Lagos are epicenters of commerce but also have high populations which leads to overcrowding. Little has been done by the government to control the inundation of people into the city, thus causing the development of slums, breeding grounds for contagion and crime....
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...BUGEN5930: Business, Society and the Planet. Assignment Task 1: Reflective Journal Topic: Sustainability issues, challenges, concepts and approaches. Increasing economy and globalisation has converted many small towns in South-east Asia as emerging global megacities. And I belong to one of those megacities, Hyderabad, India, also known as Hi-Tech city for its tremendous contribution in IT sector. Being a municipal corporation in early 1900’s, Hyderabad has grown in size and activities in early 2010 and thus was made a Greater Municipal cooperation. Still accommodating more and more IT firms in the heart of the city has led to many environmental issues like, dense pollution, low quality of air, water pollution, solid waste pollution etc. Air pollution is, by far is the biggest concern in my locality, followed by bad roads and industrial emissions. Every increasing motors vehicles and their activities, rapid rate of industrialization, wide spread construction activities has contributed to poor air quality in Hyderabad. Resulting in poor health for citizens and premature death in carrying mothers. According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), respirable suspended particulate matter level in my city is on rise and it might cross the acceptable limit soon. According to Times of India, a famous national News daily, 20% of lung cancer patients who die in the city are exposed to high levels of air pollution. Central Pollution control board (CPCB), a government organisation...
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