Describe the issues commonly found in shanty towns in rapidly developing urban areas.

Shanty towns are unplanned urban areas, usually on the edges of a large city, with a markedly low quality of living for their inhabitants. They are often incredibly overcrowded, for example Dharavi in Mumbai has an estimated 1 million people living in less than one square mile. The high population density creates many problems, such as lack of space and intense competition for resources such as food and jobs, forcing people into unregulated jobs in the informal sector to earn money. This means that many of Dharavi's inhabitants live in poverty working in unregulated industries that are often exploitive and poorly paid, trapping them in poverty. The high population density also means that any diseases spread rapidly around the area. This is worsened by the poor hygiene of most homes and public areas. Since the areas are unplanned and sometimes illegal, there is little to no public waste collection so rubbish lies around and sewage contaminates drinking water, increasing the risk of diseases. All of these issues found in shanty towns result in a very low quality of life for their inhabitants and make it incredibly difficult to break out of poverty and leave the area for an improved one.