The settlement of people in mining areas, often contaminated with such hazards as radioactivity or cyanide, also results in health problems. There is an increase in air pollution both from industry and from burning wood, paraffin and coal in homes. The top killer of young children is diarrhoea. Cholera, typhoid and other diarrhoea-related diseases are prevalent because only a small part of the urban population has adequate water supply and sanitation infrastructure. Besides the many infectious and chronic diseases that result from poor urban living conditions, such psycho-social problems as depression, suicide, and drug and alcohol abuse account for a significant proportion of sickness and death among the urban young.
Enormous challenges have to be faced in South Africa.
Our society does not only have to solve innumerable problems caused by previous generations, it also has to develop a system which ensures sustainable development and improves the quality of life for urban people. Sustainable development is not an instant cure or magic formula for all the ills of our cities. It is a pathway leading in the right direction. We need to engage communities in partnership with local authorities to develop their own strategies for a better and sustainable life. Global agendas must be localized so that ordinary people can understand them and participate meaningfully, and the importance of education and building local capacity should not be underestimated.