• Urban settlements face challenges due to population growth.urban image by UBE from Fotolia.com
  
  According to the John Hopkins Institute, 1 million people move into urban areas every week. Developing countries struggle to provide adequate living standards to this rapid population growth despite urban settlements promoting economic diversity and new business structures to the rising global economy. Proper housing, services and adequate public institutions have been stretched to the limits to assist the mounting number of people entering urban areas.
  
  

Urban Expansion

• Urban expansion extends upward and outward due to the growing population that has come to destroy natural ecosystems. Developed countries have felt the impact of urban expansion with consumption levels much higher than in countries just developing an economic stability. Natural resources such as quality water and air have become strained.
  
  

Water and Air Pollution

• Polluted water and air has endangered the health of urban residents. Scarce clean water has contributed to poor sanitation and a rise in water-related illnesses. The situation has killed millions of people, yet municipalities cannot face the challenge in keeping up with the demand for clean water.
  
  

Poverty

• Without adequate access to sanitation and clean water, poverty has become a challenge within urban areas. The John Hopkins Institute states that 30 percent of the poor live in slums and squatter settlements. Child survival rates are better in urban areas than rural areas, but overall health care is worse for the poor in urban areas.