What challenges do rapid urbanization and megacities pose for resource management?

• A. Housing shortages are the only major issue.
• B. Waste disposal and air pollution only.
• C. Strain on housing, transport, water and energy, waste disposal, inequality, slums, air pollution, and vulnerability to disasters.
• D. Megacities automatically solve resource management.

Answer: (C)

Rapid urbanization in megacities tests how multiple resources must be managed together as populations and consumption grow. When people crowd into large urban areas, the demand for housing, transport, water, energy, and waste services increases dramatically. This puts pressure on housing stock and often pushes people into informal settlements or slums, while transportation systems become crowded and less efficient, boosting energy use and emissions. Water and energy networks must be expanded quickly to keep up with demand, yet investment and planning can lag, leading to shortages or unreliable supplies. Waste disposal becomes more challenging with higher waste generation and uneven service coverage, raising health and environmental risks. Inequality tends to widen, so access to essential services is uneven, and air pollution from traffic and industry rises, affecting health and quality of life. Dense, vulnerable urban areas are also more exposed to disasters like floods or storms, making resilience harder to achieve. Altogether, these interconnected pressures show why resource management in megacities is complex and multi-faceted, not reducible to a single issue.