FC PROJECT

Increasing Urbanization, Housing ,Health and Sanitation

URBANIZATION

Urbanization refers to the population shift from rural areas to urban areas, the
gradual increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas, and the ways in
which each society adapts to this change. It is predominantly the process by which
towns and cities are formed and become larger as more people begin living and
working in central areas. Urbanization is not merely a modern phenomenon, but a
rapid and historic transformation of human social roots on a global scale, whereby
predominantly rural culture is being rapidly replaced by predominantly urban
culture. Urbanization can be seen as a specific condition at a set time (e.g., the
proportion of total population or area in cities or towns), or as an increase in that
condition over time. So urbanization can be quantified either in terms of, say, the
level of urban development relative to the overall population, or as the rate at which
the urban proportion of the population is increasing. Urbanization creates enormous
social, economic and environmental changes, which provide an opportunity for
sustainability with the ―potential to use resources more efficiently, to create more
sustainable land use and to protect the biodiversity of natural ecosystems.‖
Urbanization rapidly spread across the Western world and, since the 1950s, it has
begun to take hold in the developing world as well. At the turn of the 20th century,
just 15% of the world population lived in cities. According to the UN, the year 2007
witnessed the turning point when more than 50% of the world population were living
in cities, for the first time in human history. Urbanization occurs either organically or
planned as a result of individual, collective and state action.

CAUSES OF URBANIZATION
1.Employment opportunities

In cities and towns, there are ample job opportunities that continually draw people

from the rural areas to seek better livelihood. Therefore, the majority of people

frequently migrate into urban areas to access well paying jobs as urban areas have

countless employment opportunities in all developmental sectors such as public

health, education, transport, sports and recreation, industries, and business

enterprises. Services and industries generate and increase higher value-added jobs,

and this leads to more employment opportunities.

2.Social benefits and services

There are numerous social benefits attributed to life in the cities and towns.

Examples include better educational facilities, better living standards, better

sanitation and housing, better health care, better recreation facilities, and better

social life in general. On this account, more and more people are prompted to

migrate into cities and towns to obtain the wide variety of social benefits and

services which are unavailable in the rural areas.

3.Modernization and changes in the mode of living

Modernization plays a very important role in the process of urbanization. As urban

areas become more technology savvy together with highly sophisticated

communication, infrastructure, medical facilities, dressing code, enlightenment,

liberalization, and other social amenities availability, people believe they can lead a

happy life in cities. In urban areas, people also embrace changes in the modes of

living namely residential habits, attitudes, dressing, food, and beliefs. As a result,

people migrate to cities and the cities grow by absorbing the growing number of

people day after day.

4.Rural Urban Transformation

As localities become more fruitful and prosperous due to the discovery of minerals,

resource exploitation, or agricultural activities, cities start emerging as the rural

areas transform to urbanism. The increase in productivity leads to economic growth

and higher value-added employment opportunities.

This brings about the need to develop better infrastructure, better education

institutions, better health facilities, better transportation networks, establishment of

banking institutions, better governance, and better housing. As this takes place,

rural communities start to adopt the urban culture and ultimately become urban

centers that continue to grow as more people move to such locations in search of a

better life.

SOLUTIONS OF URBANIZATION

1.Building sustainable and environmentally friendly cities

Governments should pass laws that plan and provide environmentally sound

cities and smart growth techniques, considering that people should not reside in

unsafe and polluted areas. The objective here is to build sustainable cities that
embrace improved environmental conditions and safe habitats for all urban

populations. Governments should also encourage sustainable use of urban

resources and support an economy based on sustainable environment such as

investment in green infrastructure, sustainable industries, recycling and

environmental campaigns, pollution management, renewable energy, green public

transportation, and water recycling and reclamation.

2. Creation of more jobs

To lessen the negative effects of rapid urbanization while at the same time

conserving natural ecosystems, private investments should be encouraged so as

to utilize natural resources and create more job opportunities. Tourism promotion

and the sustainable exploitation of natural resources can create more jobs for the

urban populations. Subsidies and grants may as well be provided to foreign and

private investment in environmentally friendly development projects that encourage

job creation.

3.Building sustainable and environmentally friendly cities

Governments should pass laws that plan and provide environmentally sound

cities and smart growth techniques, considering that people should not reside in

unsafe and polluted areas. The objective here is to build sustainable cities that

embrace improved environmental conditions and safe habitats for all urban

populations. Governments should also encourage sustainable use of urban

resources and support an economy based on sustainable environment such as

investment in green infrastructure, sustainable industries, recycling and

environmental campaigns, pollution management, renewable energy, green public

transportation, and water recycling and reclamation.

4. Population control

Key stakeholders in urban areas must provide campaigns and counseling for

effective medical health clinics and family planning to help reduce the high rates of
population growth. Medical health clinics oriented towards family planning options

must be made accessible across the entire urban area with the objective of

controlling diseases and population growth.

HOUSING

Housing refers to the construction and assigned usuage

of houses or buildings collectively, for the purpose of sheltering people — the
planning or provision delivered by an authority, with related meanings. The social
issue is of ensuring that members of society have a home in which to live, whether
this is a house, or some other kind of dwelling, lodging, or shelter. Many
governments have one or more housing authorities, sometimes also called a housing
ministry, or housing department. Generally speaking, housing may be defined as an
architectural unit for accommodation in order to protect the occupants from the
forces of nature. But in wider meaning housing covers all the ancillary services and
community facilities which are essential to human well being. In addition to the
physical structure, it includes water supply,disposal of water, recreation and other
basic amenities of life. Thus housing can be defined as a component architectural
structure within a total system consisting of various settlement variables.

ROLE OF HOUSING

Housing is closely associated to the process of overall socio-economic

development. It provides shelter and raises the quality of life. It generates conditions
which are congenial to the achievement of social objectives such as health,
sanitation and education. It provides employment opportunities to the rural and
urban people. Moreover it helps to improve urban rural equality by narrowing down
the difference in the standard of living. Thus housing performs multiple functions
including many social needs of the household.
The following table shows the shortage of housing in rural and urban areas:

The table indicates that rural housing shortage increased from 3.4 million in 1961 to
20.6 million in 2001. Urban housing shortage increased from 0.9 million units to 10.4
million units during the same period. Thus total shortages of housing increased from
4.3 million to 31.0 million dwelling units. The rate of housing construction in the
country is around 3 houses per thousand populations per year as against the
required rate of 5 houses per thousand populations.

HEALTH

Health may be defined as the ability to adapt and manage physical, mental and social
challenges throughout life. As defined by World Health Organization (WHO), it is a
"State of complete physical, mental, and social well being, and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity." Health is a dynamic condition resulting from a
body's constant adjustment and adaptation in response to stresses and changes in
the environment for maintaining an inner equilibrium called homeostasis.

IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being. For a healthy life
cycle, a person needs to have a balanced diet and has to regularly exercise. One
must also live in a proper shelter, take enough sleep and have good hygiene habits.
So, how do we ensure that we are doing all the right things to have a good health?
Let’s spread the awareness for the importance of health:

 The health of all organisms depends on their surrounding or their environment.

Our social environment is an important factor in our individual health.
 Public cleanliness is important for individual health. Therefore, we must ensure
that we collect and clear the garbage regularly. We must also contact an agency
who can take the responsibility of clearing the drains. Without this, you could
severely affect your health.
 We need food for health and for food, we will have to earn money by doing work.
For this, the opportunity to do work has to be available. Good economic condition
and jobs are, therefore, needed for individual health
 We need to be happy in order to be truly healthy. If we mistreat each other and
are afraid of each other, we cannot be healthy or happy. Social equality and
harmony are important for individual health.

SANITATION
Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and
adequate treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human
contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation
systems aim to protect human health by providing a clean environment that will stop
the transmission of disease, especially through the fecal–oral route. For
example, diarrhea, a main cause of malnutrition and stunted growth in children, can
be reduced through sanitation. There are many other diseases which are easily
transmitted in communities that have low levels of sanitation, such as ascariasis (a
type of intestinal worm infection
or helminthiasis), cholera, hepatitis, polio, schistosomiasis, trachoma, to name just a
few.
A range of sanitation technologies and approaches exists. Some examples
are community-led total sanitation, container-based sanitation, ecological
sanitation, emergency sanitation, environmental sanitation, onsite sanitation
and sustainable sanitation. A sanitation system includes the capture, storage,
transport, treatment and disposal or reuse of human excreta and wastewater. Reuse
activities within the sanitation system may focus on the nutrients, water, energy or
organic matter contained in excreta and wastewater. This is referred to as the
"sanitation value chain" or "sanitation economy".
Several sanitation "levels" are being used to compare sanitation service levels
within countries or across countries. The sanitation ladder defined by the Joint
Monitoring Programme in 2016 starts at open defecation and moves upwards using
the terms "unimproved", "limited", "basic", with the highest level being "safely
managed".This is particularly applicable to developing countries.Sanitation
generally refers to the provision of facilities and services for the safe disposal of
human urine and feces. The word 'sanitation' also refers to the maintenance of
hygienic conditions, through services such as garbage collection and wastewater
disposal."