Essay On Urbanization

Where to live: the city or the country? This debate has been raging on for centuries. Even Shakespeare explored this dilemma in his work As You Like It, slightly satirizing those who long for the purity and peacefulness of the country over city living, and who will go to great lengths to achieve it. However, urbanization is very much present in today’s world. As a global community, we are leaving the countryside and building up cities faster than ever. Exact consequences of rapid urbanization are not certain; however scientists predict that there will be significant changes to the earth and our society. The debate is no longer which is better, city or country, but how we can accommodate the extreme growth in cities while protecting the countryside.

Modernization and industrialization, specifically in developing countries, drive urbanization (source 9). A major factor is the “Rural Exodus”, which describes the abandonment of rural areas and jobs by people who are migrating to more urban areas. The Movement for a World Agricultural Organization, run by Pierre Pagesse, says, “Fierce competition between increasingly competitive agricultures, price volatility, lack of modernization on the farms and deterioration of the environment have driven millions of poor peasant-farmers to the cities in the hope of finding better living conditions” (Source 10). Indeed the prospect of better job opportunities and higher incomes is appealing to most rural dwellers throughout the world, as well as a it cheaper access to resources (source 7).

According to the United Nations, the world’s population reached a milestone in 2008, with a little more than half living in urban areas. By 2030, this number will rise to 60% (source 1). This same report...

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... inhabitants, making it the most eco-friendly zone as possible.

Education and awareness aids the prevention of biodiversity loss. As more people become aware of their impact on ecosystems, they are more likely to help slow biodiversity loss (source 17). Biodiversity conservation and tourism have become a world objective, with many governments taking steps to encourage them (source 18). In fact, ecotourism and biodiversity conservation go hand in hand. As awareness of biodiversity loss increases, ecotourism has become a force for the greening of the tourism industry, which is essential for ecological advancement (source 18). Ecotourism makes habitats more exciting for residents and visitors and can restore ecological interactions (source 14). Preservation should be an integral part of urbanization to protect the relationship between communities and the environment.