In chapter 6 of “Planet of Slums” author Mike Davis addresses the sanitation conditions that exist in slum life. The chapter also outlines possible health and environmental risk factors associated with areas of highly concentrated poverty. Sacrificing public health for land use is a very complex trade-off presented in the chapter. Although disease and famine are likely to occur within slums, there is constantly a demand for land and shelter. To begin, the chapter talks about the occurrence of “unnatural risks” in geographic areas that are most susceptible to natural disasters. The slums that house nearly two-thirds of the urban population are built on unstable slopes and deep ravines surrounding seismically active Caracas (Davis, 2006). I think it is important to analyze the effects of weaker geographic locations because they have a great influence on urban planning in developing countries. When countries do not have the adequate infrastructure needed to prevent or deal with natural disasters, it creates a ripple effect that disturbs the ecological system. Furthermore, the vulnerability of the urban environment is determined by “risk” in relation to slum living. “Danger” is defined as (danger x heritage x fragility). I believe that these three variables are interconnected with each other. One might assume that if a developing country or metropolitan area had the capacity to increase its resources, then the “hazard risk” would decrease. While this may be true for cities like Tokyo that have the resources to create new infrastructure, it is not the case for countries that lack government and aid. Furthermore, slums are largely made up of shantytowns that provide no real security from basic natural elements. . ... middle of paper ... and deindustrialization appear to be the problems facing the urban poor. Interestingly, the problem is not unique to this group. The urban middle class and the urban poor continue to clash, and economic division, land segregation, and political disagreements remain ever-present. In conclusion, “slum ecology” presents complex problems and requires innovative solutions. All levels of planning must focus on developing proactive strategies rather than reactive research, which continues to exacerbate problems. I think the chapter does a great job of breaking down environmental risks into simple terms that anyone can relate to. I believe that by focusing on slum living conditions in relation to environmental impact, I was able to better actualize these issues. Works Cited Davis, M. (2006). The planet of slums. New York: Verso.