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Unsustainable Environment and Prevalence of Diseases in Urban Slums: A Case of Bahawalpur, Pakistan

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Author Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Geography, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, PAKISTAN

Int. Res. J. Environment Sci., Volume 3, Issue (1), Pages 74-82, January,22 (2014)

Abstract

There is a general consensus that poverty is a major cause of environment degradation. Based on the urban slums of Bahawalpur City, this article is a case study about the analysis of the relationship between various economic, social and environmental factors, and their impacts on the health of local population in the form of different diseases. Main objective of this study is the formulation of a sustainable approach by which environmental degraders of slums can be converted into environmental activists. This research is carried out on descriptive study design while primary data was collected from field survey. Firstly, this paper identifies web of interrelated factors which are responsible for the adverse environment of slums mainly due to low income status, high dependency rate, illiteracy, poor housing condition, lack of governance and environmental unawareness. Secondly, based upon the data analysis, this paper also addresses the major adverse impacts of these factors on the health of slums dwellers through the prevalence of diseases. Typhoid fever, diarrhea, influenza, malaria, cholera and hepatitis A and B are found to be the main health issues of these slums. Incidence of these diseases within different age and sex groups is also considered. Based upon these results, hypothesis is generated that environmental and socio economic conditions are the main reason of these diseases. Finally this study leads the authors to suggest some community based activities which will engage the local dwellers in changing the degraded environment to sustainable environment and hence minimize the health threats they are facing presently.

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