Urbanisation: Mumbai - Case Study for AQA A-Level Geography

Mumbai

-Mumbai is India's largest city, located on the west coast of India
-Megacity, with population of 5.9 million in 1971 to 20.7 million in 2016.
-Globally important, as it's a major port on the Indian Ocean, India's financial centre and a hub of industry and services.
-It's home to the popular Bollywood industry.
-Following India's independence from the British in 1947, Mumbai developed rapidly.
-Migrants from rural areas have moved to Mumbai in search of Jobs.
-It accounts for 33% of India's income tax.

Economic and Social Wellbeing in Mumbai

-Slums and inequality
-The Urban Rich in contrast
-Education Inequalities (Literacy Rates)
-Lack of Opportunities for Women, leading to prostitution.
-Lack of Public Healthcare
-Mental Health Issues
-Racism towards African Migrants

Slums (Inequalities)

-Poverty and inequality are two big issues - around 60% of the population live in slums. -Living conditions in slums are poor. Homes are cramped and poorly built, often without water supply or sanitation. Lack of toilet and sewage facilities is a risk to health (e.g. raw sewage spreads disease).
-It's hard for the poor to provide food for the family especially with inflation.

The Urban Rich (Inequalities)

-Over a quarter of all India's millionaires live in Mumbai.
-The urban rich live close to Mumbai's CBD, usually in high rise apartments.
-e.g. Dharavi Antillia house, a $2 billion house right next to slumbs, with 27 stories for a family of 6
-Some of the richest districts include Bandra and Andheri, both of which offer amenities such as shopping centres, restaraunts and private hospitals.

Education (Inequalities)

There are also inequalities in education. The literacy rate is around 60% in slums, compared to 90% in city as a whole. Lower for women.

Women's Opportunities in Slums (Inequalities)

-There are few opportunities for women in slum areas.
-With no qualifications, some resort to prostitution to earn a living, leading to higher rates of HIV and other STI's among poorer communities than in wealthy areas.

Healthcare in Slums (Inequalities)

-Around 30% of slum residents have access to public healthcare.
-Outbreaks of disease (e.g. Malaria) are common, and the infant mortality rate is relatively high (26 per 1000).

Mental Health (Inequalities)

Psychological problems such as depression are more common in slum areas than in richer areas.

Racism (Inequalities)

-Influx of African migrants have experienced racial discrimination, e.g. they struggle to find formal jobs or rent apartments, and are forced to live in slums.
-They also face racial prejudice, including verbal abuse and greater risk of arrest by police.

Nature and Physical Environment in Mumbai (Environmental Hazards)

-Flooding due to rapid urban growth
-Tropical climate, causing Monsoons
-Mithi River flooded during a Monsoon, killing 400 and leaving thousands homeless
-Limited room due to 4 rivers, leaving floodplains to be built on.
-The Greater Mumbai Disaster Management Action Plan
-Located in a seismically active area, prone to earthquakes and tsunamis.

Flooding (Environmental Hazards)

-The city receives regular flooding. Urban growth was mainly to blame for this as the rapid growth has removed many green areas in the city.
-Five rivers flow through Mumbai, so it has limited room to expand. Because of this, many new developments have been built on floodplains.
-Slum areas are more vulnerable to floods, as they are poorly constructed houses and are often built on floodplains. e.g. 70% of Mithi River's embankments are occupied by informal settlements.

Monsoons (Environmental Hazards)

-Mumbai has a tropical climate, the monsoon climate brings heavy rainfall to the city between June and September.
-E.g. In July 2005, monsoon rains caused the Mithi River to burst its banks, the flooding killing about 400 people and leaving thousands homeless.
-Flooding of drainage systems caused water contamination and an increase in waterborne diseases e.g. cholera, which killed more people.
-70% of Mithi River's embankments are occupied by informal settlements. So the poor were impacted more.

Greater Mumbai Disaster Management Action Plan (Environmental Hazards)

The Greater Mumbai Disaster Management Action Plan was created to ensure the city has a plan in place to reduce the chances of flooding within the city.

Seismically Active Area (Environmental Hazards)

Mumbai is located in a seismically active area, and so it is at risk from earthquakes (though, they're quite rare). Earthquakes can cause tsunamis, and since Mumbai is low-lying, a tsunami could cause extensive damage.

Dharavi Slum

-Located in central Mumbai. Brought to attention by Slumdog Millionaire.
-The slums was once a mangrove swamp. As the swamp was filled in more people travelled to the area in search of work. For example the Gujarat set up a potters' colony. The result is a very diverse neighborhood.

Opportunities in Dharavi

-There are thousands of micro-industries which produce over $650 million annually.

Challenges in Dharavi

-Living and working conditions are very poor. Homes are very basic and shared by many people. They lack basic sanitation. Each toilet is shared by over 1,000 residents.
-Water and electricity is not always available and there are various health and safety issues.

Unsustainability of Mumbai

-Lack of adequate sanitation in most slums
-Water supply dependent on monsoon rains
-Road network insufficient
-Increase in owned motor vehicles
-More waste
-HIV/AIDS

Increased in Owned Motor Vehicles (Unsustainability)

-Economic growth is leading to the construction of factories and increased car ownership. There are around 450 more vehicles on Mumbai's roads everyday.
-This is adding to air pollution, and Mumbai regularly suffers from acid rain..

Sanitation in slums (Unsustainability)

-Most slum areas lack adequate sanitation, causing water pollution.
-Contaminated water spreads illness such as hepatitis, and reduces local fish populations.

Water Supply (Unsustainability)

-Water supply dependent on monsoon rains, and in dry years water has to be strictly rationed.
-As population increases, demand for water grows, which makes this unsustainable in the long term.

Road Network (Unsustainability)

-Road network in Mumbai carries millions of cars each day.
-Problems with long journey times, congestion and air pollution, which will only get worse with rising population.

More Waste (Unsustainability)

-Increasing population = more waste. This can cause problems.
-For example, in the neighborhood of Chembur, waste on open rubbish dumps is burnt, adding to air pollution.
-This has health impacts on local residents, e.g. 25% deaths in Chembur between 2008 and 2010 were caused by respiratory problems.

HIV/AIDS (Unsustainability)

-HIV and AIDS rates are increasing in Mumbai, putting extra pressure on healthcare services.
-HIV/AIDS-positive people regularly face discrimination, e.g. some have been refused treatment in hospitals, fired from their jobs, or prevented from entering communal areas.

Efforts Made to Reach Sustainability

-Dharavi slum redevelopment project
-Rainwater harvesting systems
-Public Transport
-Clean-up Mumbai Campaign
-Condom Promotion Campaigns

Dharavi Redevelopment Project (Sustainability)

-As the slum has continued to grow it has occupied areas of prime land in the business district of the city.
-2004 Government first announced project to clear the Dharavi slum and create an independent township.
-As a result, developers are now eager to reclaim this land and make money by redeveloping the area. They want to convert the land to luxury apartments and offices.
-Plans include new apartments, a water and sewage system, hospitals and schools.
-The slum residents who can prove residency since 2000 will be provided with a flat for free.
-There is a lot of conflict with the locals as it's an established community with successful industries, like recycling rubbish from all over the city.
-Residents are worried that the redevelopment will destroy their livelihoods and the community spirit of the area.

Rainwater Harvesting Systems (Sustainability)

-To increase water security, local authority has made rainwater harvesting systems compulsory for all new residential buildings in Mumbai on plots larger than 300m".
-However, since 2007, only half of the eligible buildings have actually installed these systems.

Public Transport (Sustainability)

-Mumbai's public transport system is being upgraded, with the aim of improving air quality.
-In 2011, the World Bank provided $1 Billlion of funding to upgrade roads, rebuild train tracks and purchase more fuel-efficient buses.
-However, many families have had to be relocated to make space for upgraded roads.

Clean-up Mumbai Campaign (Sustainability)

Cleaning up the streets by clearing litter and educating local residents and shopkeepers about how to recycle and dispose of waste to limit environmental damage.

Condom Promotion Campaigns (Sustainability)

-The National AIDS Control Organisation runs condom promotion campaigns in Mumbai to reduce HIV rates.
-New government legislation plans to make it illegal to discriminate against HIV/AIDS-positive people.