IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample 832 - Overpopulation of urban areas has led to numerous problems

IELTS Writing Task 2/ IELTS Essay:

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Overpopulation of urban areas has led to numerous problems. Identify one or two serious ones and suggest ways that governments and individuals can tackle these problems.


You should write at least 250 words.

Model Answer 1:
Overpopulation in cities and urban areas is a growing problem that governments and individuals have to take into account seriously. They should work together to reduce the inconveniences caused by it. This essay will examine what are the issues caused by overcrowding and discuss on solutions.

First of all, we can truly affirm that the first result of overpopulation in towns is without any doubts congestion and traffic jams which lead to serious pollution problems. Another inconvenience due to overcrowding is garbage from inhabitants. Many cities do not have the means to handle the charge of rubbish casting away by its habitants which lead to unclean cities.

The lack of decent accommodation is also a growing problem that cities must deal with. Many people are unable to find a place to live in which is a step back for cities’ development.

However and fortunately, if we sit down a minute to think about what each of us could do to tackle this problem it is not hard to find a solution. Individuals should use public transports as often as they can rather than using their own car and the government should build more roads and improve public transportation to address this issue.
To handle the garbage flowing in streets they should sort out rubbish they throw away. For accommodation problems, the poorest should establish the sharing flats system. The government can expand the area and can help building more building to handle the accommodation issue.

On its own side, governments might set a tax for car owners and develop public transports back with the earned money. For a cleaner city, they should create advertisements in order to educate its people about what to do with rubbish and give a fine to someone spotted for throwing a paper, rubbish or dust in the street. Finally, to overcome the accommodation problem governments should build more infrastructures for people in need.

To sum up, we all know that these problems are worrying and growing but if every one of us thinks about what they can do to make it better. I am sure that these issues could be solved.

[ Written by - Dhuicq Justine ]


Model Answer 2:
Ever since the industrial revolution, people have been migrating to urban centres in droves. Hence, cities have become overcrowded, which in turn has resulted in many hardships for their dwellers. It is argued that high costs of living and rising transport difficulties are two of the most serious problems brought about by overpopulation in cities. To tackle these issues, suburb developments and infrastructural changes will be analysed for viability.

To begin, costs of living in big cities have reached an exorbitant level in the past few decades due to ever growing population density in these areas. One of the ways in which this alarming issue can be addressed is via development of upscale housing communities in the outskirts of major urban centres. For example, in Karachi, Pakistan, the government has initiated many such projects outside of the metropolitan area, which has helped to curb the high costs of property in the city. As a result, property ownership rates in the city have sky-rocketed in the last few years. Therefore, the plausibility of establishing such housing arrangements can be clearly seen.
In addition, many cities now face the epidemic of regular bumper-to-bumper traffic jams due to ever increasing the population. A feasible way to counter this issue is the investment in newer modes of transportation. Take London, for example, where the underground subway system has dramatically eased the traffic congestion in most parts of the city. Thus, the subway system has become the preferred way of travelling for most inhabitants of London and as a result, the numbers of cars on London’s roads have dramatically shrunk in numbers. Hence, the effectiveness of this suggested solution is obvious.
As is clear, setting-up of housing communities outside of city limits and establishment of alternative means of transport are effective ways to counter the negative ramifications of overpopulations in cities. It is thus hoped that these strategies are put into practice by governments the world over.

[ Written by - Sameed Qureshi ]


Model Answer 3:
The rising number of population in metropolitan places has caused significant repercussions. This has resulted in the incessant spread of pollution and an escalation of poverty. However, there are several preventive measures that the government can implement in order to address this social problem.

Primarily, it is often said that an increase of inhabitants in a well-established region is accompanied by a rise in pollution. In cosmopolitan regions, there are impoverished groups who live in squalor. Some of them have chosen to settle in the city because they believe that that they can easily find an employment in this place. For example, in the Philippines, there are poor individuals who built homes in the boulevard of Metro Manila, thus contributing to the amount of waste. Clearly, these people dispose of their rubbish to the ocean, which may harm marine animals. In addition, it is apparent that most of the less affluent cohort has a large number of families. These members have personal needs, which cause a burden to the breadwinner of the family. Since the city has a number of educated workers the impecunious group often seems to struggle in searching a better employment. To illustrate, they cannot procure a decent job since they did not finish their education. Hence, these people will suffer from poverty, which results in higher incidences of famine.

However, it can never be denied that the government can implement platforms, which will mitigate the social dilemma. First of all, they can increase the number of employment offers in suburbs such as providing them lands that can be cultivated. Therefore, impoverished people will not aggregate in the city. Secondly, the government can provide programs such as sex education to these individuals. As an instance, public health practitioners can orient them the appropriate use of contraceptives, which will control the number of family members.

To conclude, the proliferation of pollution and the exacerbation of poverty are the negative ramifications of a rise of residents in the city. Nevertheless, government’s projects can curtail this social issue. It is very likely that the poverty will be in control if the government provides them job opportunities in suburbs.

[Written by - Chino Bouquets]

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 3.09 (11 Votes)

Add comment

Security code


0 # Sevda 2018-01-09 17:55
Special thanks for your website. I always study reading samples from here :P
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
+2 # Pham Bich Phuong 2017-04-18 13:51
Thank you very much. It's very useful for me.
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote