In just five short years from now, the human population is expected to reach a staggering 7 billion people, but has Earth already reached capacity? Some experts "predict that the population will level out during the 21st century"(Berg & Hager, 2007), however, maintaining an acceptable standard of living for current residents continues to pose massive problems around the world.

The Dubai Awards annually showcases urbanization and development plans for many of the lower income regions of the world. Some areas, although showing slow signs of recovery, rely heavily on the initiation of such programs to help them into life as most would know it in this 21st. century. As one would expect, money appears to be the root cause of implementing plans to improve quality of life, and the damage already sustained by the environment also contributes, making success a difficult goal to achieve. Nevertheless, programs continue to develop incrementally, with many achieving success only after years of hard work and determination from all those involved.

One such urbanization program showing promising signs of success is underway near Buenos Aires, Argentina. APAC, a non-profit civil association, offers land and amenities to families, who in turn build their homes and make minimal repayments for the lots assigned to them (Most clearing house, 1996). Fresh running water and electricity are just two of the services offered in the neighborhood developments, and people are coming together the take advantage of the program and the opportunities to form new alliances with others in similar situations. Such alliances can be beneficial to the moral of a community, and go a long way towards fostering a more optimistic outlook for future generations.

To promote a desirable and achievable quality of life for its residents, the program known as Plan URBE- Barrio Don Bosco had to impose certain limitations. For example, lot sizes for building must be "400 mts2 of surface minimum and 15 m width plots"(Most Clearing House, 1996). These limitations allow for adequate drainage, control of population size in a restricted area, and the construction of roads and fresh water supply systems. Applicants are also screened carefully, with priority given to those who are family units with existing financial problems and who own no other property (Most Clearing House, 1996).

The results of programs such as this monumental effort in Argentina cannot be understated. Not only are families being afforded better living standards, the benefits to the community as a whole are also uplifting:

173 new sites and services

2.500 m of drinking water supply system

3.000 m of new streets

2.000 m of aerial electricity supply system

173 new houses with an investment of about us 600.000.

173 new taxpayers, electricity legal users, etc.

(Most Clearing House, 1996).

By integrating the current development into the surrounding areas, the new extension and its grateful residents help to enhance the economy as well as their social status. Jobs are created through building opportunities and the ongoing need for appropriate services to be funneled into the community.

Yet another initiative in a developing country has been underway in India. The Shri Mahila Sewa Sahakari Bank was founded by poverty stricken, self-employed woman in 1974, and today boasts a customer base of over prospering 50,000 depositors (Most Clearing House, 1996). The bank is run by a board consisting of its own members, and provides loans and insurance for its customers. The SEWA bank has other programs underway; it provides the resources necessary for the supply of fresh drinking water, and empowers woman by helping them to become land owners.

By improving the living standards of the poverty stricken populations throughout the world, doors are being opened to better health care and educational opportunities. With an increasing world population, especially in developing countries where birth rates are substantially higher than countries like North America, access to education is paramount. When people are given the opportunity to thrive and learn, the end result can only be better birth control practices, farming practices, and sustainable building methods; all of which contribute in various ways to the health of our planet Earth.

Reference

Most Clearing House Best Practices (1996). Project of Lots and Services for low income population on the North Zone. Project on Sites and Services for Low-Income Family Groups Argentina. Retrieved June 5, 2009, from http://www.unesco.org/most/southam1.htm

Most Clearing House Best Practices (1996). Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) Bank. A Women's Self-help Organization for Poverty Alleviation in India: SEWA India. Retrieved June 6, 2009 from http://www.unesco.org/most/asia1.htm