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Urbanization refers to the process of people moving into urban areas for a variety of reasons including employment, education, entertainment and other services. Urbanization started with the industrialization boom that happened in the 18^th century and it has only increased after that. Today, half of the global population lives in urban areas.

The Rise of the Megacities

One significant result of urbanization is the formation of megacities – cities that have a population of 10 million or more. India is home to 6 megacities – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad with Ahmedabad and Pune set to join the list.

Urbanization leads to urban sprawl of the cities – a situation where the city has to expand its borders to accommodate the influx of people. Here, the incoming population settles in the outer areas of the city where the population density is lesser compared to the core. This leads to traditional farmlands being used up for urbanization needs like housing, roadways, etc.

Urbanization and Health

The search for a better quality of life is what drives urbanization but the kind of unchecked and unplanned urbanization that is currently happening has adverse consequences in many areas – the chief among them being health.

When people move to urban areas, they believe that they will have better access to many services including healthcare. While this is true, what they fail to consider are the health risks that come with urbanization.

Here, we take a look at the 4 main health impacts of urbanization.

Air Pollution

When people move to cities, the demand for housing, transportation, etc. increases. This leads to a corresponding increase in industrial production. As a result, the pollutants released by these industries into the environment also increases.

• The increase in vehicular usage is an inevitable result of people moving to cities. Since most of the vehicles are run using fossil fuels which release many pollutants, this is a significant contributor to air pollution.
• Housing and other infrastructure development to accommodate the incoming population leads to dust and other airborne particles.
• Increased population means increased energy use which further drives up the release of emissions.
• Air pollution leads to respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, and an increase in cancer incidence – these effects have been noticed across social strata.
• By encouraging compact living spaces, urban vegetation, use of public transport and clean energy usage, we can mitigate the effects of urbanization on air pollution.

Urban Nutrition

• Urbanization is characterized by a nutrition shift driven chiefly by easy access to high-calorie processed foods in urban areas. That the intake of such food is often normalized in urban areas is another factor that cannot be ignored.
• Furthermore, nutritious food also costs more in urban areas and people in the low-income group might turn to unhealthy options in an effort to save money.
• The easy availability of street food that is often unhygienic adds to the conundrum.
• As a result, both communicable diseases like typhoid, cholera, etc. and non-communicable diseases like diabetes, obesity, etc. thrive.
• Urban environments with their space constraints also make outdoor activities difficult. A combination of lack of physical activity with unhealthy diets adversely affects the health of people.
• Ways to mitigate unhealthy nutrition include promoting urban agriculture, providing support to the informal food sector to improve hygiene practices, encouraging educational and government institutions to provide healthy food choices, and conducting awareness programs to highlight the health conditions that result from bad food choices.

Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

• As people continue to move to urban areas, the urban authorities often have trouble keeping up with the pace of urbanization. As a result, clean water supply, hygienic living conditions, sewage disposal, etc. are compromised.
• Densely populated areas with unsanitary conditions become breeding grounds for many vectors leading to diseases like malaria, filariasis, dengue, chikungunya, etc.
• Furthermore, urban sprawl leads to deforestation which increases man-animal conflict. This leads to the possible spread of zoonotic diseases (diseases that are transmitted to humans from animals). Examples of zoonotic diseases include rabies, COVID-19, bird flu, etc. Zoonotic diseases spread more easily in densely populated areas and their management is a challenge for authorities.
• Management of such diseases includes educating the public, putting into place environment management practices and proper urban planning.

Mental Health

• The relationship between urbanization and mental health is a complex one, often having both positive and negative effects.
• Cities undoubtedly come with more opportunities for education and employment. Culturally too, cities are diverse and many people may find such a society stimulating and liberating.
• However, the overcrowding, the pollution, the competition and the decreased quality of life can adversely affect people.
• Some people might also find cities lonely as the traditional cultural set-up of smaller towns and villages might be missing here.
• These factors can lead to mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, etc.
• Crime rates are also higher in cities and migrants might find this very disturbing.
• People often resort to substance abuse as a way to cope with the stress and changes.
• Dealing with these challenges requires a multi-sectoral approach involving urban planning, easy access to mental health services and social support programs.

Our Future Is in Our Hands

It is a well-known fact that the global population is only going to increase in the future and urban areas will only continue to get more populated – the United Nations has predicted that by 2050, 68% of the global population will be living in urban areas.

How we react now will determine our planet’s future.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is urbanization?

Urbanization is the process where people move from rural areas to cities in search of jobs, education, healthcare, and better living facilities.

How does urbanization affect human health?

Urbanization can impact health through air pollution, unhealthy diets, spread of infectious diseases, mental stress, and lifestyle-related conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

Why does air pollution increase in urban areas?

Urban areas have higher vehicle usage, industrial activity, construction work, and energy consumption, all of which release harmful pollutants into the air.

How does urbanization influence diet and nutrition?

City living increases access to processed and fast foods while reducing physical activity, leading to obesity, diabetes, and other nutrition-related health problems.

What diseases are more common due to urbanization?

Urbanization increases the risk of respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, vector-borne diseases like dengue and malaria, and mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Can the health impacts of urbanization be reduced?

Yes. Better urban planning, clean energy use, public transport, green spaces, access to healthcare, healthy food policies, and mental health support can reduce health risks.