Format: Hardback

Publisher: Evans Publishing Group (2009)

Pages: 64

2007 is the year that the world's population becomes more urban than rural for the first time. This exciting series explores some of these global cities, and looks at how the challenges of urbanisation, globalisation, citizenship and sustainability are being met and answered.

Cape Town suffered the divisions of apartheid for 50 years. A tenth of its citizens still live in impoverished conditions in slums that lack piped water, sewerage and electricity, and have high rates of infectious diseases. Infant mortality rates in the slums are twice those in other parts of the city. HIV/AIDS is also a serious concern. Water provision is a constant problem, with water use having to be restricted. Cape Town, however, is tackling its problems - it has in place in 'Integrated Development Plan' that by 2020 aims to have a 100% improvement in literacy, poverty and life expectancy at birth, to reduce violent crime by 90 per cent, to reduce water use and double incomes.