Mr. Z Zhao

Title: “With reference to specific examples from the developing world, analyse some of the dangers to health posed by rapid urbanisation. What solutions - if any - are there to the problems caused, and how realistic are they?”

Urbanisation is defined as “to make a predominantly rural area or country more industrialized or urban” or “to cause the migration of an increasing proportion of rural dwellers into cities” (Gracey, 2007). In accordance with a recent report, “in 2009, more than 50% of the world's population were living in cities Although most developed nations have shown a high level of urbanisation, developing countries are experiencing an expansion of their urban agglomerations at a staggering rate(Emilie et al, 2011).” For example, the urban population in Niamey, Niger, for instance, boomed from 250 000 people in the 1980s to almost 1 million in 2011(Emilie et al, 2011), and the percentage of urban population in Malaysia is expect to rise from 54.7 percent in 1995 to approximately 70 percent in 2020( . The WHO also predicts that the percentages of world's urban population will almost sharply rise to 70 percent in 2050(WHO, 2010). What is more, it can be considered that the majority of this increase will be occur in developing countries: in Asia it will more than double, and in Africa the urban population is likely to triple (Emilie et al, 2011). Consequently, it can be argued that urbanisation is becoming an increasingly common problem around the world. In addition, this problem has led to a host of other related health issues, such as obesity, waterborne diseases and mental issues; and they will be discussed in this essay, along with solutions as to the best way to solve these concerns.

As urbanisation advances at a fast rate in the developing world, it has been a common view that humankind in those countries has suffered from several health problems. To begin with, one of the prime health concerns related to urbanisation is obesity. It can be...