Effect of Urbanization in North Africa and Southwest Asia

The pace of urbanization has differed across North Africa and Southwest Asia. For example, the populations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, the former Soviet republics, were primarily rural until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. The Soviet Union had created these cities to support its own national economy rather than develop the local economy of each country. Urban development has been underway since then as these countries seek to engage in the global economy.

According to the United Nations Population Division, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan were at least 50% urban in 2020. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were still predominantly rural – only 37% and 28% of their populations lived in urban areas (World Urbanization Prospects 2018).

Urbanization is high in other parts of North Africa and Southwest Asia. For example, more than 75% of the population lives in urban areas in countries on the Arabian Peninsula (except for Yemen). The sub-regions of North Africa and the Middle East are also highly urban. The Caucasus sub-region has moderate urbanization levels, ranging from about 57% in Azerbaijan to 60% in Georgia to 62% in Armenia (World Urbanization Prospects 2018).

The water resources and existing infrastructure in these cities are already strained and will not support rapid urbanization. For example, the situation in Cairo has been dire for a long time. With a population density of 52,000 people per square kilometer, many people live in slums, and they do not benefit from city services, such as garbage collection. Indeed, Manshiyat Nasser, one of Cairo's slums, is known as Garbage City. (See Figure 7.3)