Consequences of the development gap

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Impact on people in poor countries

The development gap has social, economic, environmental and political consequences for people in the most disadvantaged countries, but the precise impacts vary.

Urban and rural areas are often affected differently.

Remote rural communities experience the worse effects of the cycle of poverty which is rooted in the inability to produce enough food

The incidence of poverty in the developing world is declining in all regions except sub-Saharan Africa. But this does not mean the gap between rich and poor is narrowing. The statistics for individual countries show very high numbers of poor people - in some, as many as half the population is living in poverty,

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Castes

The development gap can create differences not just between rich and poor, but also between groups such as castes in India or between male and females.

A study of 300 people in rural villages in India, showed that caste is a key factor affecting who gets access to public facilities and services

Women

Women in developing countries are more likely than men to be unpaid family workers or occupy low-status jobs and have lower earnings.

They often have limited participation in politics and government, which makes it difficult for them to influence policy.

Although female literacy is seen as fundamental to improved health and development, 64% of illiterate adults are women, and 57% of children who receive no primary education are girls. In developing countries 1 in 61 women die during pregnancy or childbirth. In LDC the figure is 1 in 17.

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Megacities and the Development Gap

The fastest growing economies generally show the highest rates of urbanisation, as much of the development of manufacturing and services in urban areas.

Cities in developing countries are growing rapidly in size and number as people migrate to them for work, access to public services, and a perceived higher standard of living

Housing:

The growth of large cities will have considerable influence on future development. As cities grow, the cost of meeting basic need such as housing, infrastructure and services increases, as does the pressure on the environment.

New migrants to a city often have little or no money - so cannot rent a home or borrow money to buy one.

Land and housing regulations make it difficult for poor people.

As a result they either move in with friends or relatives, sleep on the streets or build 'shanty towns'.

Most of the urban poor do not have tenure security because their dwellings are illegal. Many people also rent in slums without formal contracts. As a result cities in developing countries have high levels of inequality between rich and poor

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Deprivation

Urban poverty is a complex problem. The urban poor live with many hardships and face daily challenges including:

limited access to employment opportunities and income

reliance on the informal economy

inadequate, overcrowded and insecure housing and services

violent and unhealthy environments due to the density and hazardous location of settlements and exposure to pollutants

little or no social protection - little support from police and legal rights

limited access to health and education opportunities or infrastructure such as telephone and internet services

limited access to credit facilities

With such a high proportion of the population of many developing countries now living in cities, obtaining an accurate picture of where the poor are concentrated within those cities is an important requirement for targeting any management, which might improve the whole country's level of development

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Environment

Development and poverty reduction are often at the expense of the environment, unless there is careful management or significant efforts to promote sustainable development.

Cities in developing countries are affected by the 'brown agenda' associated with economic development. This has two components:

environmental health issues linked to limited availability of good-quality land, shelter and services such as clean water and sanitation.

problems resulting from rapid industrialisation, such as toxic or hazardous waste; water, air and noise pollution, and industrial accidents due to poor standards of health and safety.

The 'green agenda' focuses on the impact of development on the natural environment, while the 'blue agenda' looks at water quality and supply.

Pollution problems affecting developing country cities:

Air pollution

example - air in cities such as Cairo is so poor that breathing is the equivalent to smoking 60 cigarettes a day

cause - traffic, factories, waste incineration plants and power plants, particularly where they are old and badly maintained. accidental spillages and explosions; poor health and safety standards

Water pollution

Example - untreated sewage in the river Ganges, India

Causes - leaking sewers, landfill sites and industrial waste including oil and chemicals

Waste disposal

Example - 25% of all urban dwellers in the developing world have no adequate sanitation and no means of sewage disposal, especially in squatter settlements

Cause - volumes of liquid sewage and industrial waste have increased considerably

contamination and health hazards arise from poor systems of disposal, rat infestation and waterborne diseases

more solid wastes are being created as general levels of affluence rise

Water supply

Example - the overuse of groundwater supplies have led to subsidence and flooding e.g Bangkok

Cause - cities consume huge amounts of water, especially as incomes and living standards rise; aquifers become depleted

Transport issues

Example - traffic queues in Mexico City are over 90km each day; private car ownership in Taipei has increased 100 fold over 20 years

Cause - rising vehicle ownership leads to congestion, noise pollution, accidents and health issues related to the release of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and particulates. under certain conditions, photochemical smog can develop.

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Social and political unrest

Apartheid in South Africa:

South Africa has an abundance of natural resources, including gold, diamonds and platinum, and fertile farmlands. Between 1948 and 1990 the government operated a policy known as Apartheid. All South Africans were classified in one of three categories: white (european origin), black (african) to coloured (mixed descent). The coloured category also included Indians and other Asians and formed the middle tier in racial hierarchy.

Apartheid segregated the three groups in all areas of life, including where they lived, and ensured that the vast economic differences between them were maintained, if not increased.

Black resentment of this injustice was strong, but kept in heck by white police.