Effects of Urbanization on Resource Degradation and Environmental Pollution in India: Status and Challenges for the 21st Century

Urbanization is the process by which human habitations like cities and towns develop and grow into larger areas, which includes the movement of people from rural to urban areas as well as movements across towns and cities (UN-HABITAT 2002). Urbanization is the principal process among the five main processes integral to demographic transition; the others being mortality decline, population growth, fertility decline and population aging. Currently, different parts of the world are at different stages of urbanization. However, historically, the process of urbanization in India was very slow during the period of per-independence; but it was more progressive in the post independence period. Hence this particular aspect has been over exploited the natural resource and further it has resulted for several environmental problems in India. Increasing urbanization and related activities such as trade and commerce, construction boom and infrastructure development have been posed several challenges to the governments in order conserve environment. In this background the present paper tried to examine the overall status of urbanization in India at various levels by using census data. The issue of urbanization, resource degradation and its ultimate consequence on environment is highlighted for the study. Summary and Policy implications have be