NGOs in Urban Development: Work, Statistics, Role, Importance, etc.

NGOs in Urban Development: Urbanisation is one of the most common characteristics of economic development. As the economy grows gradually, the process of urbanization depends on the shift of the surplus population from rural to urban areas along with the growth of some industrial urban centres.

Urbanization is closely linked to modernization and industrialization. Urbanization is not just a modern phenomenon, but a rapid and historic transformation of human social roots globally, whereby rural culture is rapidly replaced by predominantly urban culture.

For reasons of wealth and social mobility, many rural people come to the city. But the picture of urbanization is not as glorious as it seems. Modern cities have grown in a haphazard and unplanned way due to rapid industrialization.

According to the 2011 Census, the urbanization rate in India was 31.2%, up from 27.8% in 2001. Around 590 million people would live in the cities by 2030. India is experiencing rapid urbanization. Therefore, it is important to understand the pattern of this growth and its effect on the population.

Statistics on Urban Development

It is estimated that more than one half of the world population lives in urban areas. According to recent surveys almost 55% of the world’s population resides in urban areas whereas in 1950, it was only 30%. It is also predicted that by 2050 about 68% of the global population is going to be projected as urban.

Today regions under the most urbanized category include Northern America (82%), Latin America and the Caribbean (81%), Europe (74%) and Oceania (68%). The level of urbanization in Asia is still low, approximately 50%. On the other hand, Africa remains more than half as rural (57%) with only 43% of its population living in urban areas.

The urban population of the world has grown rapidly from 751 million in 1950 to 4.2 billion in 2018. Asia has become the home to 54% of the world’s urban population followed by Europe and Africa (13% each). Growth in the urban population is contributed by overall population increase as well as the upward shift in living standards. These two factors together are projected to add 2.5 billion to the world’s urban population by 2050 with almost 90% of this in Asia and Africa.

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Causes of Rapid Urbanization

The main causes of Urbanisation are

• Industrialization: More people have been attracted to move from rural to urban areas on account of improved employment opportunities.
• Commercialization: Better commercial opportunities and returns compared to rural areas.
• Social Benefits and Services: Urban areas provide better educational facilities, better living standards, better sanitation and housing, better health care, better recreation facilities, and better social life in general.
• Employment Opportunities: Services and industries in urban areas generate and increase higher value-added jobs, and this leads to more employment opportunities.
• Modernization and Changes in the Mode of Living: Availability of highly sophisticated communication, infrastructure, medical facilities, dressing code, enlightenment, liberalization, and other social amenities in urban areas make people believe that they can lead a happy life in cities.
• Rural-urban Transformation: Rural communities start to adopt the urban culture and ultimately become urban centres that continue to grow as more people move to such locations in search of a better life.

Economic Catalysts

Key economic factors driving urbanisation include:

• Industrialisation: The growth of industries in urban regions provides job opportunities, attracting rural inhabitants and thus fuelling urbanisation.
• Services Sector Expansion: The fast-paced growth of the services sector, particularly in IT and ITeS, in metropolitan cities drives urban migration.

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The solution to Urbanisation Challenges

• Centralized Strategy: Central governments should implement nationwide urbanization plans, including urban planning, reforms, and funding, ensuring systematic development.
• Land Use & Policy Reforms: Align land utilization with migration patterns and reform local household registration policies to support urbanization.
• Sustainable Development: Enact laws promoting sustainable cities with smart growth, natural resource conservation, eco-tourism, and private investment for job creation.
• Resource Efficiency: Promote environmental campaigns, pollution control, renewable energy, green transit, and water recycling.
• Essential Services: Provide access to food, clean water, health, education, and sanitation while fostering employment and wealth generation.
• Improved Governance: Strengthen social management and public governance for smoother urbanization.

Role of NGOs in Urban Development

1. Targeted Interventions: NGOs in urban areas often address specific issues prevalent in cities, such as homelessness, education access, healthcare for underserved populations, and unemployment.
2. Advocacy and Policy Influence: NGOs in urban settings often engage in advocacy to influence policies that impact marginalized urban populations. They may advocate for affordable housing, better public transportation, and improved social services.
3. Skill Development and Employment: Urban NGOs often focus on providing vocational training and skill development programs to enhance employment opportunities for marginalized urban residents.
4. Emergency Response: In urban areas, NGOs may play a critical role in responding to emergencies like natural disasters, providing immediate relief and helping communities recover.
5. Awareness Campaigns: Urban NGOs frequently engage in awareness campaigns on issues like environmental sustainability, waste management, and public health.
6. Partnerships and Collaborations: Urban NGOs often collaborate with local government bodies, businesses, and other organizations to address complex urban challenges effectively.
7. Youth and Education: Urban NGOs may concentrate on offering educational support and extracurricular activities for urban youth who face unique challenges.

Also Read: Role of NGOs in Youth Empowerment

NGOs in Urban Development working Globally

Habitat for Humanity International

• Focus: Affordable housing, community building, and disaster resilience.
• Activities: Builds and renovates homes and advocates for housing policies.

World Resources Institute (WRI)

• Focus: Sustainable cities and urban mobility.
• Activities: Promotes public transit, clean energy, and urban green spaces.

ActionAid

• Focus: Urban poverty alleviation, slum development, and social justice.
• Activities: Works with marginalized communities for better living conditions and rights.

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability

• Focus: Sustainable urban development and climate resilience.
• Activities: Supports local governments in eco-friendly urban planning and policies.

NGOs working in India on Urban Development

YUVA (Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action)

• Focus: Advocacy for urban poor and social justice.
• Activities: Provide access to housing, education, healthcare, and livelihoods for marginalized urban communities.

Also Read: UNDP and Its Partnership with India

Goonj

• Focus: Urban waste management and resource redistribution.
• Activities: Transforms urban waste into resources to improve urban and rural infrastructure, addressing issues like slum living conditions.

Janaagraha

• Focus: Urban governance and citizen participation.
• Activities: Works on civic engagement, public finance management, and enhancing urban governance.

Shelter Associates

• Focus: Sanitation and housing in urban slums.
• Activities: Provides clean and safe sanitation facilities, enabling better living standards in urban slums.

Major Policies Impacting Urban Development in India

74th Amendment to the Constitution

This 1992 amendment requires state governments to modify their municipal bylaws to empower Urban Local Bodies to function as institutions of self-governance. However, most Urban Local Bodies suffer from poor institutional frameworks and talent shortages. Moreover, the degree to which decision-making powers have been devolved in practice varies widely from state to state.

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013.

Also Read: Role of NGO in Rural Development

This legislation, commenced in 2014, establishes new rules for compensation, resettlement, and rehabilitation to facilitate the smooth functioning of the property market. However, the compensation mechanism for public land acquisition has been criticized as unfair and unclear. It also increases the incubation time and, in some cases, the overall costs of the project by as much as 5%. 

Since enactment, most states have been unable to complete the land acquisition, and the act is currently under review.

Conclusion

NGOs in India play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges of urbanization by working on critical areas like housing, sanitation, education, healthcare, and sustainable development. 

They bridge gaps between government initiatives and community needs, fostering inclusive and equitable urban growth. 

Also Read: Role of UNESCO in Education

By collaborating with various stakeholders, these organizations are creating impactful solutions to make Indian cities more livable, sustainable, and resilient. Their efforts highlight the importance of collective action in shaping a better urban future for all.