Contemporary Issues of Lima

Lima’s rapid population growth has brought severe problems to the metropolitan area. Basic public services, especially drinking water and sewer systems, are inadequate or absent in many areas, especially the sprawling squatter settlements.

Many Lima residents find themselves in dire economic straits because of both unemployment, which may range as high as 10 percent, and underemployment, which has been estimated to affect more than 50 percent of the labor force.

Much of the city has a grimy look, caused by pollutants from vehicle exhausts and a lack of rain to wash them away. Lima’s streets are often clogged with traffic.

The city has no mass rapid-transit system and only one freeway, the Paseo de la Republica, which runs about 10 km (6 mi) from the city center south to Miraflores and Barranco.

Nearby coastal waters are severely polluted by sewage piped into the ocean.