Urbanization – Rural Urban Migration
Urbanization – Rural Urban Migration
Cities are growing. Surprisingly to some, the largest urban agglomerations are not necessarily in the USA, Europe, Russia, or China. In fact, estimations of the largest cities for 2015 do not include no countries from Europe and none of the countries just mentioned except New York. One characteristic of the current wave of globalization is the willing participation of developing countries. This is evident when looking at urbanization; there is a trend of urbanization in the developing world. Many developing countries are witnessing higher rates rural-urban migration and the resulting growth of megacities and urban slums.
Major social problems and development issues arise from this pattern of urbanization, more specifically the rural urban migration happening in developing countries. UN estimates that by about 2025 80% of the world’s urban population will be in the least developed countries. While extreme population growth rates and poverty contribute to the growth of these cities, the causes stem from greater issues. While cities typically have advantages with externality benefits, large problems can result in poorer countries from congestion and overloading of cities infrastructure, resources, and social services. This has also generated slum within cities, with problems of no source for clean water, poor sanitization, any sewage systems, pollution, and high crime rates.
Countries have no restrictions on migration – with the exception of China- and consequently are being forced to deal with serious influx of people to cities. Urban bias is creating incentive for more migration from rural to urban centers. Here arises another problem of a flooded job market in the formal sector and the resulting creation of a huge informal sector of the economy. Furthermore, migrants are often uneducated, and no skills to contribute to the formal sector. Governments need to address policy changes in order to cope. Unfortunately, despite the circumstances and conditions, opportunities in informal sector are viewed as better than those in rural areas, only further encouraging migration.
Despite high urban unemployment, there is high migration because urban wage is greater than rural wage, but the probability of getting a job is not taken into consideration. Socio-economic factors surrounding this decision need to be addressed.The structure of rural communities is based heavily in agriculture. The implementation of labour intensive technologies and factories in rural areas will reduce the wage distortion as a motivating factor of migration. Furthermore, development of a range of towns – less extreme in differences will also help reduce migration.
While urban slums reduce affects of education and promote unsanitary conditions leading to health issues and other problems, there are also problems that result in rural areas from migration to cities. Shortages in young people working in villages leads to low production and a drop in agricultural output. Possible positive effects include the potential for remittances to be sent home, therefore improving rural life.
Despite some efforts to reduce the problems created by rural urban migration, not enough is being done to slow it down. The pace of migration is as fast as globalization and so far nothing great enough has been implemented to control it. Developing countries will host the world larges agglomerations and mega cities. I believe countries need to take actions now before the negative effects of urbanization become too large and permanent to cope with. Growth of the informal sector will only lead to reliance. Expansion of slums will only lead to poor living conditions, putting citizens in arrangements significantly worse than rural alterative. Investments in development factors such as health and education will yield lower results.
While inequality is rising, developing countries need to take the opportunities globalization presents to help in their positive development. Addressing the concerns of rural –urban migration needs to be a priority.
