Uploaded on 2017-05-09 by Yusraa Hamza

1. The most important stocks and flows in Nairobi are: • Food • People • Capital 2. FOOD Nairobi is estimated to have a population of about 4 million people. Being the capital city of Kenya, and a highly urbanised area, about 60% of the people reside in slums. Agricultural conditions are favourable in the city due to the presence of vast open lands, however this is decreasing with time as people are converting empty grounds to industrial lands or residential blocks are set up. Global warming is playing a crucial role in decreasing crop produce due to extreme droughts or flooding caused by high amounts of rainfall. This has forced people to bring in food from the neighbouring highlands where crops like maize, rice, vegetable and tea and coffee are grown. Food is cheaper in the highlands as opposed to the city. Urban farming continues to take place in some areas however this is not enough to sustain the growing urban population. Livestock farming is also done in the urban areas. Cows, goats and hen are the common animals bred and sold in local butcheries. PEOPLE As mentioned earlier, the population of Nairobi has doubled over the last 30 years, the reason being the popular tradition of people migrating from rural areas to urban areas in search of employment. This can be described as an explosive growth of the city. This in turn leads to a rise in the stocks and subsequently a lower rate of flow. CAPITAL As learnt from the lectures, capital is a decisive factor in the development of the urban system. In Nairobi, the main source of capital is from taxes, which are used to run the city. In addition, there is a large amount of foreign investment from countries like China, Saudi Arabia and America. Private investments are also made to companies within the city. This plays a huge role in development of the city. 3. Food – if people began to grow their own crops in their gardens, this would promote urban farming and also reduce heavy imports of food in the city. In addition, a portion of land should be dedicated solely to agriculture. People- job opportunities should be created for people in the rural areas hence decreasing the infiltration of people in the capital. Industries should be relocated to rural areas, leaving only white collar jobs in the city, this also decreases the rate of pollution. Capital – with the country developing, infrastructure development, this expands the city, eases traffic and congestion on the roads (which is one of the biggest problems this city faces) and hence making the city more friendly. More investment opportunities will arise hence promoting the city and its wellbeing.