Urbanization refers to the movement of population from the countryside to cities. It is the process by which cities are formed and how existing cities expand as more people begin to live and work in central areas in the hope of enjoying a better standard of living. The United Nations predicts that about 86% of the developed world and 64% of the developing world will be urbanized by 2050. That equates to about 3 billion urban dwellers, many of them in Asia and Africa. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Urbanization is considered the most important factor in bringing about environmental change. Urbanization driven by economic growth tends to have profound environmental consequences. Numerous studies show that the urbanization occurring all over the world is haphazard, uncontrolled and environmentally unfriendly. And that's a problem. This transforms existing concerns from a local level (like drainage problems) to a regional level (like river pollution) that ultimately causes problems on a global scale via marine pollution. One of the major challenges we humans face in today's expanding urban life is environmental degradation. The urban population has no choice but to interact with their environment. In doing so, they modify their environment through their consumption and use of resources such as food, water, energy and land. And in return, this polluted environment affects the quality and overall health of the population. The ever-increasing population and demands of urban lifestyle have led to poor air and water quality, lack of sufficient water, and problems with waste disposal; and high energy consumption. Energy consumption for cooking, heating, electricity, vehicles and industries is increasing day by day despite enormous technological advancements. And this increased energy consumption is likely to have disastrous effects on the environment. High emissions of sulfur dioxide and smoke caused by industries and factories are very dangerous. The burning of fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline to generate electricity is increasing, increasing not only air pollutants but also greenhouse gas emissions. This leads to the formation of smog. Cloudiness and fog are more frequent and acid rain precipitation is increasing. This increases the risk of water pollution and flooding. Greenhouse gases are ultimately responsible for global warming and climate change. Another dangerous aspect of urbanization is deforestation. While deforestation increases air, water and soil pollution; it also affects wildlife, which disrupts the entire ecology and ecosystem. So, is urbanization beneficial or destructive to the environment? That's the million dollar question. Although we can have long debates and endless discussions about this, there seems to be no alternative in this day and age. However, the relationship between urbanization and the environment is not always directly proportional. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Personalized Essay Larger urban cities do not always create greater environmental problems as much..