Megacities and Environmental Issues Essay 2022

Running head: MEGACITIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Megacities and Environmental Issues
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

Megacities and Environmental Issues1
Introduction:
With the changes in the population scale at the global level, the concept of city has
also seen go through certain changes. Previously, city was defined as the place which was
regarded as the political capital of the state or the economic capital of the state. However, the
concept has now changed and a number of other factors have been attached with the concept
of city, and now there are three divisions attached with the concept, city, metro city or
metropolis and mega city or megalopolis (Arcaute et al., 2015). In the following essay, the
focus will essentially be on the megalopolises or the mega cities. A megacity is defined,
according to the United Nations, a metropolitan consisting a population of more than 10
million. Another definition regards that a city can be called a megalopolis or a mega city if it
has a population of at least 2000 persons per square kilometer. Therefore, in the recent times
the concept of city is regarded with the human capital that it consists, and with a growing
number of population, the megacities are characterized with certain pros and cons. A
megacity is seen with a number of amenities provided to the people. The lifestyle, and the
commutation system in a mega city is tailored for the advantages of the people and the
population is presented with all kinds of amenities, from basics to luxury (Fang & Yu, 2017).
A mega city is also seen with a series of opportunities for the population, in all aspects of the
social life, educational, political and economic. However, along with an easy and comfortable
life, a mega city is also characterized with certain issues, mostly from an environmental
perspective. The megacity is essentially associated with an increase in the slum section within
the city periphery. Along with this, in a mega city, there is a dominance of crimes. It is seen
that in a mega city the rate of crime is more than a metropolis (Pacoine, 2013). However,
along with the social issues, the mega cities are also perceived with increased rate of
environmental issues. As the mega cities are characterized with a high rate of population,
there is a higher tendency of involving the newer technologies and western architects. The

Megacities and Environmental Issues2
mega cities are expanding both, under the water and is also trying to touch the sky, and with
an increase in the tendency to have a comfortable life, the people are lacking fresh air to
breath and cleaner water to drink. The environmental changes are also keeping a pace with
the changes in the developments among the lives of the people of the city.
Therefore, in the following essay, the environmental issues faced by the two of the
most important mega cities of the world, Beijing and Los Angeles, will be discussed and a
comparison will be made among the issues perceived in these two cities and the approaches
to these problems taken by the same will be analyzed.
The main focus of the issues will be on pollution and the effects of climate changes in
these two mega cities, as among a many environmental issues, that the cities are perceived
with, climate changes and an increased rate of pollution, especially air and water, are
impacting on the population of these countries. Beijing is essentially faced with Air pollution
and Los Angles is faced with issues related to climate changes. Therefore, a detailed analysis
of the issues faced by the two cities are discussed in the following.
Air Pollution in Beijing:
The city is faced with a number of environmental challenges, especially related to air
and water. Thousands of dead pigs floating in the river, and an increased rate of patients with
lung problems, provide the evidence for that. The rate of Air pollution in Beijing is has
become so impenetrable that the U.S. Embassy is regarding as ‘impenetrable’, and there are
certain towns in the area, which are regarding as the “cancer villages”, because of an
increased rate of cancer amongst the population. The city is now enlisted among the ‘Top 10
most Polluted Place on Earth”, and the government of the country has not taken any steps
regarding this, rather they are seen to be mainlining a stony silence towards the
environmental challenges (Wang et al., 2013). According to the UN report, published, prior