Effects of Disorganized Urbanization on Environment

Abstract

Having overcome a stage of accentuated growth in urbanization (a 93% increase since 1950), today high levels are being maintained, but with a certain equilibrium. The countries whose urbanization levels have grown most are Colombia and Brazil, with an average annual growth of nearly 1.3% between 1950 and 2015.According to BBVA Research, urbanization in Latin America began earlier than in other regions and has managed to develop at a much faster pace. In addition, and keeping in mind the characteristics of Latin America, this increase in the levels of urbanization has greater merit, if one takes into account the low levels of income, capital, employment and productivity.In spite of the positive data on its development and growth, urbanization continues to be concentrated in a very limited number of cities. Only Mexico and Brazil have more than a dozen cities with over a million inhabitants, while countries such as Uruguay and Paraguay don´t have more than two cities with a population of more than one million residents.