Life in shantytowns presents several health and safety issues. There is a lack of sanitation and clean water, leading to diseases spreading quickly. Malnutrition is also common due to poverty and lack of access to adequate food. Fires are a major risk due to the close proximity of makeshift housing and lack of water infrastructure. Transportation and jobs are difficult to access from shantytowns as well, with most work being informal with low wages and poor conditions. Education opportunities are limited, with many children working instead of attending school.

1. Life in shantytowns. By Abigail young.

2. http://www.geographylwc.org.uk/GCSE/Year4/4settlement/GCSE4shantyguide.html Problems in shantytowns. Health: The lack of sanitation and clean running water is a clear health hazard. Diseases such as typhoid and cholera often occur and spread quickly in the cramped accommodation. The poverty means a lack of money for food, therefore malnutrition in the children occurs. This leads to health problems as they are not strong enough to combat any illness. Infant mortality is high as babies are most at risk. Life expectancy is low and there is a marked lack of health care . Fire: This is a real problem due to the close proximity of the dwellings and the type of construction. Also as there is no piped water there is little prospect of putting the fire out. Transport: Many shanty towns lack any transport infrastructure. Roads tend to run around the towns and not through them. Most tend to either walk to work or use the public transport system. If the latter then this costs money which they are often unable to afford. http://www.geographylwc.org.uk/GCSE/Year4/4settlement/GCSE4shantyguide.html Jobs: There are few jobs in the shanty towns themselves as the informal economy tends to be situated in the centre of the main city or perhaps in the industrial sector, again away from the shanty. Most jobs are informal, e.g. street traders' are domestic servants. Some 'work from home' e.g. making clothes, etc. Some may work in 'factories' where there are poor wages with very poor conditions; long hours and very low wages. Education: Many children do not go to school as they are working; at best they receive only a primary education. They are therefore illiterate and innumerate and their employment prospects are therefore low. Children as young as six are used in the informal economy.

4. What they look like. These picture are of shanty towns in there worst as you can see from left there is a shanty town burned, and children standing on wet dirty floor.