10 Biggest Slums in the World: Understanding Urban Poverty

It must be remembered that slums are part of the current global urban texture, and millions of people live in them.

Such communities are overcrowded, with poor infrastructure, and the majority of the inhabitants live in poverty hence embodying the physical and social nature.

On the social aspect, slums entail a lot of struggle and at the same time bear witness to unbelievable innovative and creative sense shown by human beings coupled with togetherness and hard-earned smartness.

This blog takes a closer look at ten of the largest slums in the World and analyses them concerning size, issues and prospect of development under four main categories.

The Scale of Global Slums

According to the United Nations, more than one billion persons, or one in every eight people in the world, live in slums.

Such settlement expansions can be defined as improvised cities, which develop in regions under rapid urban growth that cannot provide formal housing for the population.

Some of the largest and most well-known slums include:

1. Dharavi, Mumbai, India
2. Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya
3. Orangi Town Karachi – Pakistan
4. Neza-Chalco-Itza, Mexico Dios, Mexico
5. Rocinha is a suburb of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
6. The Khayelitsha township in Cape Town, South Africa
7. Manshiyat Nasser, Cairo, Egypt
8. Ciudad Bolivar, Bogotá, Colombia
9. Cite Soleil a city in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
10. Dharampura, Lahore, Pakistan

These referred slums accommodate hundreds of thousands to millions of people each.

Their populations outstrip most small cities and underscore the enormity and importance of the issue of poverty in urban centers.

The 10 Largest Slums in the World

1. Dharavi, Mumbai, India

Dharavi, regularly referred to as the heart of Mumbai, today is one of the largest slums in Asia.

They include nearly 1 million of the population density of the area which is only 2.1 square kilometers.

However, it must be noted that Dharavi hosts a very active informal economy with an estimated daily income of over $ 1 billion in sectors such as pottery, textiles, and recycling to mention but a few.

2. Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya

Kibera or ‘The Big Swamp,’ situated in Nairobi is arguably the largest slum in Africa hosting a population of between 200 000 and 1 million.

The people suffer problems such as; challenges in access to clean water and sanitation where most people depend on other networks to exist.

3. Orangi Town, one of the largest towns in Karachi, in Pakistan.

Among the quantities, Orangi Town is recognized to be the greatest slum on the planet in terms of populace density with over 2.5 million people.

Despite no proper facilities being available, the community itself has laid sewerage systems which prove how much they depend on themselves.

4. Neza Chalco Itza Mexico City Mexico

The greater outspread slum area accommodates more than 1.2 million inhabitants.

However, even today, developing over decades, considerable parts of its population can hardly receive proper legal housing and services.

5. Rocinha; Rio de Janeiro; Brazil

Of the mentioned favelas, the biggest one is Rocinha, where blitzkrieg more than two hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants occupy concrete dykes.

Progress in infrastructure, and tourism still the people face high levels of poverty and violence.

6. The Khayelitsha township in Cape Town, South Africa

Currently, Khayelitsha has a population of in excess of 2 million; and is among the biggest informal settlements in South Africa.

This is a large area with a high unemployment rate and a high incidence of crime, but community activism is beginning to build.

7. Manshiyat Nasser, Cairo, Egypt

This garbage city is inhabited by roughly 600,000 inhabitants who live in a densely polluted area.

Its residents are notorious for waste collection and recycling, an irregular activity that sustains Cairo’s demand but is considered a major threats to health.

8. Ciudad Bolivar, Bogotá, Colombia

Ciudad Bolivar is one of the largest of Bogotá’s slums with a population of over 1 million. Lack of clean water and public services makes the lives of inhabitants even worse.

9. Cite Soleil a city in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Cite Soleil with estimated population of 400,000 is one of the poorest neighborhoods in Haiti. It has also been affected badly in terms natural calamities, political unrests and poor physical facilities.

10. Dharampura, Lahore, Pakistan

There is another huge slum in South Asia known as Dharampura, which also suffer from such problems as Orangi Town does – overcrowd and sanitation.

Challenges Faced by Slum Dwellers

Living in a slum comes with numerous challenges, including:

• Overcrowding: Security and poor hygiene are compromised by a high population density in the region leading to inability to provide for the ever increasing needs.

• Lack of Basic Services: There is hardly any provision of clean drinking water, health care or education.

• Health Risks: Lack of clean water and hygiene and absence adequate health care center increase prevalence of diseases within the community.

• Economic Insecurity: Many households are involved in the low wage earning sectors, with unpredictable sources of income.

• Environmental Vulnerabilities: Slums are established at dangerous areas and regions, thus they are exposed to floods, landslides and other calamities.

Such challenges suggest that bias permeates urban planning and governance and that interventions are needed.

Links to the Transformation of Slums

At the same time it is important to note that although these are all extremely grim environments, slums are creative, full of life and strong communities.

Such settlements cannot be developed through the formal styles and hence calls for a synthesis of government, non-governmental organizations, and inhabitants of such structures.

1. Upgrading Infrastructure:

The standards of living are greatly influenced by housing as well as sanitation and means of electricity.

The selected program is ‘Slum Rehabilitation Authority’ of India, which was designed to replace the slum areas with affordable houses.

2. Empowering Communities:

People-driven decisions guarantee implemented solutions are fit for the people’s needs.

For instance, self-help organizations in Orangi Town achieved proper installation of sewerage systems.

3. Enhancing Livelihood Opportunities:

The enhanced economical sustainability can occur after job training and supporting new cooperative businesses.

Some of the benefits realized in microfinance programs have revealed how slum dwellers are able to start up enterprises.

4. Environmental Initiatives:

Environmentally, it is possible to enhance environmental quality and reduce vulnerability to climate related impacts by undertaking tree planting, waste management and renewable energy in slum areas.

5. Legal Recognition:

Giving the people in the slum area secure right to the land helps them to avoid being harassed out of their residences and inspired to improve their houses and the neighborhoods.

Conclusion

They are a reminder that the world is an unequal place but they are also a home to the most resilient people that can nurture themselves through resourcefulness.

This is not just about the Urban Planning but it is a measure the will guarantee for better and sustainable future for such communities.

Techno polis as a method of turning challenges in the biggest slums into opportunities for growing, for people’s empowered participation can be achieved with support of innovate policies, empowered by grass-root organizations, internationally.

There is more to be achieved than the eradication of slums; it is about making cities where people have rights of decent and secure existence.

Also read: Life In Slums: A Case Study of Bahawalpur