Planet of Slums

By

Austin Kruisheer

Urbanization• The number of cities is constantly growing.• 2/3rds of the global population lives in cities.• The population in the countryside has

peaked and will begin to decline in 2020.• 2050-expected population peak

at 10 billion.• Urbanization occurs much

faster in 3rd world countries.

The Rise of Slums• The reproduction of poverty in the countryside moves

people to the cities, not the promise of jobs.• The poor turn to building their “houses”.• Since 1970,slum growth has outpaced urbanization.• India and Africa see major

slum growth.• The cities of the future will be

made of crude brick and recycled materials not steel and glass.

Slums• Defined as “an area of dirty back streets, especially when

inhabited by a squalid and criminal population”• Characterized by overcrowding, poor housing, insecurity and

inadequate facilities.• The populations of slums largely go under recorded.• Many slum dwellers live on less than $2 a day.• The location of

slums in relation to wealthy cities differs from country to country.

• Many individuals squat on public lands as they can’t afford any official housing.

Slum Ecology• Slums are often located on geologically dangerous

lands.• Fires present the greatest danger for inhabitants.• Proximity to dangerous factories often expose residents

to toxins.• Most 3rd world slums have huge pollution problems.• The lack of facilities results in massive amounts of

human waste causing epidemics.• Death in children is common due

to the deplorable conditions.

Due to a lack of facilities, a man resorts to defecating in an open sewer

Exploitation• Child labor restrictions are widely ignored in slum areas.• Children play a vital role in family revenue.• Varanasi (India) over 200,000 kids under 14 years old

work in factories producing cloth goods.• Many parents sell their children to companies for small

sums of money.• Many adults have resorted to

becoming human pack animals driving rickshaws or peddle cabs.

• The organ trade has flourished in some Indian slums.

The Faces of Slums

• Slums are home to over one billion people who struggle to survive in a world of despair.