The urban population in The Gambia stood at 53 percent of the total population in 2003. Increasing urbanization is causing stress on social services provided in urban areas with consequences of rising urban poverty. The Greater Banjul Area has the worst-case scenario - Banjul and its surroundings, the Kombos, constitute about 51 percent of the total population of the country. This high concentration of the population in this area has implications on poverty, particularly the growing incidence of urban poverty.
Rapid increase in urban population has been one of the major problems faced by The Gambia. In addition to loss of arable land in the Kombos, the rapid increase in urban population has brought with it several environmental and socio-economic problems including deforestation, soil erosion, pollution and waste generation, and stress on health, education, and employment services (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (2007-2011) The Gambia).
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