Megacity: Special Reference to India

Bikash DasDepartment of Geography & Disaster Management,

Tripura University(A Central University)

Suryamaninagar, West Tripura, India

E-mail: bikash.shubho@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/shubho.bikash

The Term Megacity

Was first used in 1957 by Jean Gottmann in the USA and reflected changes in work and social habits of people after World War II

In 1970’s the United Nations used the term to refer to cities of 8 million

What is Megacity?A megacity is usually defined as

a metropolitan area with a

total population in excess of ten

million people.  A megacity can be

a single metropolitan area or two or

more metropolitan areas that

converge. The

terms conurbation, metropolis are

also applied to the latter.

Changing definitions:• In the 80s ‘megacity’ referred to

cities of over 5 million people.

• In the late 90s, the 8 million definition became common.

• Today 10 million is often used.

• This change reflects the rapid urbanisation of the planet.

• What was ‘big’ in 1980 does not seem very big at all today.

Trend of World Urban Population In 1800, only 3% of

the world's population lived in

cities, 47% by the end of the

twentieth century.

In 1950, there were 83 cities

with populations exceeding one

million; by 2007, this number

had risen to 468.

If the trend continues, the

world's population as a whole

will double every 45 years.

The UN forecasts that today's

urban population of 3.2 billion will

rise to nearly 5 billion by 2030,

when three out of five people will

live in cities. 

This increase will be most

dramatic on the least-urbanized

continents, Asia and Africa.

Surveys and projections indicate

that all urban growth over the next

25 years will be in developing

countries. 

Trend of World Urban Population

By 2025, according to the Far Eastern Economic Review, Asia alone will have at least 10 megacities, including Mumbai, India (33 million), Shanghai, China (27 million), Karachi, Pakistan (26.5 million), Dhaka, Bangladesh (26 million) and Jakarta, Indonesia (24.9 million people).  Lagos, Nigeria has grown from 3,00,000 in 1950 to an estimated 12.5 million today, and the Nigerian government estimates that the city will have expanded to 25 million residents by 2015.

Trend of World Urban Population

World Urban Population 2002

The Rise of MegacitiesUrbanisation is an

irreversible process. The 20th century has seen the emergence of megacities.

The number of megacities has risen from two in 1950 to twenty in 2005.

Moreover, 17 out of the 20 megacities in the world are located in the world’s less developed regions

Some Trends In Megacity GrowthRising infrastructure costs means that investment is needed from all

sectors of the economy, driving the need for public/private partnerships for infrastructure development and maintenance.

Transportation congestion is a major challenge. Growth in megacities is trending towards creation and growth of individual centres or sub-cities, rather than just growth in the central business district

Over half the growth in megacities will be in Asia.The 20 largest cities consume 80% of the world’s energy use and

80% of greenhouse gas emissions come from urban areas. Megacities exert significant economic, social and political dominance

over their surrounding areas. Informal settlements are especially vulnerable to climate change

impacts as they are often built on hazardous sites in high-risk locations.

Classification of MegacitiesMegacities

Immature Megacities

Consolidating Megacities

Maturing Megacities

Established Megacities

Immature Megacities•Immature cities are growing rapidly in an uncontrolled way•Many are in Africa•Growth is usually fed by rural–urban migration •Growth is so rapid that housing, transport, education, sewers and water services cannot be built to keep pace with growth•This leads to major health, housing and pollution problems

Lagos, Nigeria

Population in 2010 8 million

Annualpopulation growth rate

4.5%

% of people living in slums

70%

% of households with piped water supply, 2008

6%

Developing world

Consolidating Megacities•With slower growth, consolidating megacities can begin to provide basic services•Self-help schemes are important in these cities – improving housing, water and sewage disposal•Many people still work in the informal sector

Developing world

Mumbai, India

Population in 2010 13.8 million

Annualpopulation growth rate

2.3%

% of people living in slums

55%

% of households with piped water supply, 2008

87%

Maturing Megacities•Maturing cities have a more developed formal economy, with large service industries•The majority live in legal, well-built homes and work in the formal economy •Advanced transport, education and waste systems are in place•Such cities are managed efficiently

Developing world

São Paulo, Brazil

Population in 2010 20 million

Annualpopulation growth rate

1.9%

% of people living in slums

30%

% of households with piped water supply, 2008

94%

Established Megacities •Stable cities have advanced and effective governance •They are often engaged in regeneration and urban sustainability projects•Many people work in high-end, professional service sector jobs•Quality of life is very high for most

Developed World

London, UK

Population in 2010 8.5 million

Annualpopulation growth rate

1%

% of people living in slums 0%

% of households with piped water supply, 2008

100%

Factors for Growth

For Better LifestyleFor Better Infrastructure

HealthEducationTransport &

CommunicationMarket

Job OpportunitiesCentre of Political Power

Its Like a Magnet for the Rural People of Developing World.

Rural-Urban Migration

Rural-Urban MigrationPUSH factors are the reasons people leave an area.

transformed rural areas & reduced work opportunities in rural areas due to: environmental degradation/ depleted resources/mechanisation/ landlessness/lack of education and health services/ poverty/ agribusiness/ commercialisation (cash crops)

PULL factors are the reasons why people want to move to an area. Relatively more work in the cities/cultural & entertainment opportunities in the city/more choice of leisure activities better services, safer environment, political stability

Megacities of WorldSome controversy exists regarding the number of Megacities

of the Globe.As of 2013, there are 24 megacities in existence according to

the Population Reference Bureau. The largest of these are the metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Delhi, Mexico City, New York and Shanghai: each of these has a population in excess of 20 million inhabitants. Tokyo is the largest metropolitan area, while Shanghai is the largest city proper.

Cities With 10 Million or More People 2015

Megacities of Developed and Developing Countries

City life in a Developing Country

Population had grown rapidly and the governments do not have the financial capabilities to keep up with it

Therefore half the people living in a city are homeless or live in slums

These areas do not have proper shelter, water or sewage therefore life expectancy is low

People who cannot find regular employment work in the informal economy (begging, shining shoes, busking, etc.)

Crime and prostitution are common

People in these situations have three options:

Life on the streets Life in a slum Life in a

shantytown

City life in a Developing Country

City Life in a Developed Country

People think of excitement and nightlife

Homes to power and money

Good jobs availableSurface images but not

always the case when you look deeper at a city

Almost every cities in Canada and America have homelessness and living in slum like conditions

Not always visible to visitors

Have food banks so people rarely starve but encounter other problems like ill health, malnutrition and illiteracy

City Life in a Developed Country

Let’s Have Trip to These Megacities

1. Tokyo, Japan, AsiaPopulation: 34,800,000

2. Guangzhou,China, AsiaPopulation: 31,700,000

3. Shanghai China AsiaPopulation: 28,900,000

4. Jakarta, Indonesia, AsiaPopulation: 26,400,000

5. Seoul, South Korea, AsiaPopulation:25,800,000

6. Delhi, India, AsiaPopulation: 24,000,000

7. Mexico City, Mexico, North AmericaPopulation: 23,800,000

8. Karachi, Pakistan, AsiaPopulation: 23,500,000

Indian Megacities

Ranks 6 in World Megacities list Total Population 16,753,235. Population

density :11,297 /km2

Covers an area of 1,484 km2 , of which 783 km2 is designated rural, and 700 km2 urban

Delhi is the largest commercial centre in northern India; it has an estimated net State Domestic Product of 1578.17 billion in nominal terms and ~6300 billion in PPP terms. As of 2013, the per capita income of Delhi was Rs.210000, highest in India.

Delhi

Mumbai Ranks 12 in World Megacities list

Total Population 21,400,000

The total area of Mumbai is 603.4 km2 Of this,

the island city spans 67.79 km2, while the

suburban district spans 370 km2, together

accounting for 437.71 km2 (169 sq mi) under the

administration of Brihanmumbai Municipal

Corporation (BMC).

Asia's largest slum, Dharavi, lies on prime

property right in the middle of India's financial

capital, Mumbai (Bombay).

It is home to more than a million people. Many

are second-generation residents, whose parents

moved in years ago.

KolkataRanks 18 in World Megacities list Population :4,486,679; Population

density was 24,252 /km2 (2011)The Kolkata metropolitan area is spread

over 1,886.67 km2  and comprises 3 municipal corporations (including Kolkata Municipal Corporation), 39 local municipalities and 24 Panchayat Samitis, as of 2011. The urban agglomeration encompassed 72 cities and 527 towns and villages, as of 2006.

Problems/Challenges of Megacities

SlumsAccording to the United Nations, the proportion of urban

dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the developing world between 1990 and 2005. The majority of these come from the fringes of urban margins, located in legal and illegal settlements with insufficient housing and sanitation. This has been caused by massive migration, both internal and transnational, into cities, which has caused growth rates of urban populations and spatial concentrations not seen before in history. These issues raise problems in the political, social, and economic arenas. Slum dwellers often have minimal or no access to education, healthcare, or the urban economy.

Slums

By 2030, over 2 billion people in the world will be living in slums. Over 90% of the urban population of Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda, three of the world's most rural countries, already live in slums.

HomelessnessMegacities often have

significant numbers of homeless people. The actual legal definition of homelessness varies from country to country, or among different entities or institutions in the same country or region.

In 2002, research showed that children and families were the largest growing segment of the homeless population in the United States, and this has presented new challenges, especially in services, to agencies..

Traffic Congestion

Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, increased pollution, and increased vehicular queuing.

The Texas Transportation Institute estimated that, in 2000, the 75 largest metropolitan areas experienced 3.6 billion vehicle-hours of delay, resulting in 5.7 billion U.S. gallons (21.6 billion liters) in wasted fuel and $67.5 billion in lost productivity, or about 0.7% of the nation's GDP.

It also estimated that the annual cost of congestion for each driver was approximately $1,000 in very large cities and $200 in small cities.

Environmental DegradationAir pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate

matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or damages the natural environment, into the atmosphere.

Urban Heat-Island: High-rise Buildings, vehicles, Water Pollution: Drainage System, Sanitation, Industrial

and Domestic WasteSound Pollution: Crowd, Horn, Sight Pollution: Hoardings, Signboards

Mega-cities are important to tackling climate change, being responsible for emitting 2.9 billion tonnes of carbon emissions, to take decisive action, doing it collectively, the potential impact will be huge.

Environmental Degradation

Worlds Most Polluted Megacities

Urban SprawlUrban sprawl, also known

as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density, auto-dependent development on rural land, with associated design features that encourage car dependency.

Problems with Urban Sprawl

Land use conflicts- disputes b/w farming land vs land to live on

Social conflicts- urban people may want to improve the rural setting which increases taxes, rural people may not want to pay

Inefficient land use- insufficient land by-laws allow land to be used for purposes such as shopping malls or condo development

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2. Verma, L.N (2008):Urban Geography, Rawat Publishers, Jaipur

3. Ramachandran R (1989): Urbanisation and Urban Systems of India, Oxford University Press, New Delhi

4. Ramachandran, R., 1992: The Study of Urbanisation, Oxford University Press, Delhi

5. Hussain, M. (2005): Human Geography, Rawat Publications, New Delhi

6. Sen, Joytirmoy, (2001), Pouro Bhugoler Ruprekha, Kalyani Publisher, Kolkata

7. Husain M,(2003): URBAN GEOGRAPHY,Anmol Publications, New Delhi

8. Mavropoulos,A(2009):Megacities Sustainable Development and Waste Management in the 21st Century, http://www.iswa.org/uploads/tx_iswaknowledgebase/Mavropoulos.pdf

9. J.R. Schubel and Carolyn Lev (2012): The Emergence of Megacities, http://www.ippnw.org/pdf/mgs/6-2-schubel.pdf

10. Reddy, B.S., and Balachandra, P,(2010): Dynamics of Urban Mobility: A Comparative analysis of megacities of India http://www.igidr.ac.in/pdf/publication/WP-2010-023

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