 |
|
|
SUBSCRIBE
|
|
Your email address:
|
|
|
The Windhoek healthy cities project
26 September 2006
World Health Organization (WHO)
Rapid urbanization and industrialization, high levels of poverty and inequity, and low levels of economic and scientific development have contributed to environmental degradation in many African cities. The scale and severity of urban environmental degradation in rapidly urbanizing African cities has lead to situations of environmental health crisis that stretch local resources to the limit. Many of the major urban environmental health concerns facing African cities have social dimensions, including marginalization, unemployment and stress.
Among the most important African urban environmental health problems are diarrhea from poor sanitation, inadequate water supply and low levels of hygiene awareness. Exposure to ambient and indoor air pollution may lead to elevated levels of pneumonia and other respiratory disease. The ramshackle nature of many informal or squatter dwellings predispose residents to unintentional injuries, and also afford little protection against extremes of weather, wind intrusion and noise. The poorest urban residents of often have no choice but to live on risky land, for example steeply sloping, dolomitic or flood-prone areas. The living environments of the urban poor may lead to simultaneous exposure to a range of threats to physical and psycho-social health.
Keywords: Windhoek
|
|
Download document...
|
|
|
|
| INFORM US |
| Tell us about events relating to social accountability in the region |
|
|
|
|
