Avijit Gupta's Ecology and Development in the Third World

I. Urban development and environmental modification

Urbanization is the growing number of people in a society living in urban areas, or cities. It is initially regarded as an advance in the quality of human life and in technology. Problems arose due to this. It results to Ecological or Environmental modification. Types of Environmental Modification 1. Climatological Changes 2. Hydrological Changes 3. Geomorphological Changes 4. Vegetational Changes 5. Increase in different types of pollution A. Climatological Changes caused by different factors such as human activities, built-up areas, and industrialization. results to urban heat island, reduced surface wind speed, circulation of particulates, and formation of fogs. Human Activities: 1. Scattered and emitted radiation from atmospheric pollutants 2. Production of waste heat from air conditioning and refrigeration systems 3. Industrial processes and motorized vehicular traffic 4. Obstruction of rural air flows by the windward face of the built-up surfaces Urban Heat Island caused by population growth in an area defined as the rise in temperature of any man-made area results in a well-defined, distinct "warm island" among the "cool sea" represented by the lower temperature of the areas nearby natural landscape usually reaches its highest intensity on summer nights, and under calm air and a cloudless sky because construction materials exhibit a high thermal inertia (i.e. a low response to temperature changes) B. Hydrological Changes There are three stages of hydrological modification of the environment as described by Wolman (spreading from urban settlement to the countryside) 1. Countryside before urbanization: land under natural vegetation or agriculture and streams are adjusted to existing conditions of the basin 2. Brief period of construction: vegetation is removed; soil and weathered mantle undergo intense erosion; large amount of sediment is released to reach and partially fill drainage channels; streams in disequilibrium resulting from excessive sediment load 3. New urban landscape: construction completed creating an impervious surface of streets, parking lots and rooftops; drainage via concrete drains; increase in flooding; streams still in disequilibrium trying to adjust The rainwater, instead of directly falling into the ground, it rapidly runs off the roof tops, parking lots and goes straight to the major channels. These channels rapidly rises because mostly all the water goes straight there, causing it to overflow. THE IMPACT ON HYDROLOGY OF THE AREA FROM THE URBAN SPREAD Increase in flooding; more frequent high flows in both concrete and natural channels Quicker rise in channels after rainfall Increase in channel peak velocity Decrease in the flow between storm runoffs Generally a lowering of water quality and hydrologic amenities

C. Vegetational Changes Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. At regional and global scales there is predictability of certain vegetation characteristics, especially physiognomic ones, which are related to the predictability in certain environmental characteristics. Much of the variation in these global patterns is directly explainable by corresponding patterns of temperature and precipitation (sometimes referred to as the energy and moisture balances). These two factors are highly interactive in their effect on plant growth, and their relationship to each other throughout the year is critical. Most of these vegetational changes are due to human development and climate change due to human activities. D. Geomorphological Changes Geomorphology is the study of landforms and processes that shape them. Geomorphological Change is a change in the structure/shape of a landform. Geomorphological Change Due to Urban Development/Expansion The constant developments in cities cause geomorphological changes on it, making its landforms weaker and unstable. These changes are disastrous to the people living in cities and may cause great harm on their lives. Two Different Types of Geomorphological Problems due to Urban Development/Expansion: 1. Geomorphological change in river channels sediments from construction activities block river channels. When it rains, the channels get blocked and the floodwater that theyre supposed to carry wouldnt be carried, causing heavy flood. 2. Geomorphological change in slopes/land uncontrolled development on steep slopes may cause slope failures and land weakening. The slope failures and weak land might cause disasters. For example, when it rains heavily on a slope failure, the soil from it would collapse and result to landslide. People who live on steep hillsides would be greatly affected, especially since such slopes are hazardous due to a combination of unstable geological conditions and unfavourable geomorphic environment. 3. Geomorphological changes most commonly occur in urban areas and naturally hazardous areas such as regions of high relief, seismically active belts, and areas exposed to the threat of tropical cyclones because of the uncontrolled developments that happen on them. These areas are prone to disastrous landslides, floods, channel modification, and destruction of people and property. E. Pollution in Cities Cities are extremely polluted because of the increase of population and because of the urban developments that occur on them. Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat, or light. Different Types of Pollution in Cities: Air Pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere. Water Pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans and groundwater). Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds. Land Pollution is the degradation of Earth's land surfaces often caused by human activities and their misuse of land resources. It occurs when waste is not disposed properly. Health hazard disposal of urban and industrial wastes,

exploitation of minerals, and improper use of soil by inadequate agricultural practices are a few factors. Urbanization and industrialization are major causes of land pollution. Noise Pollution is excessive, displeasing human, animal or machine-created environmental noise that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life. Effects of Pollution in cities: Excessive sediments - gathered from construction activities, landslides, or slope wash harmfully affect specific areas within urban settlement and the citys source of water. Dirty water- domestic and industrial wastes would reach the streams and groundwater. People who are living near bodies of water might be greatly affected when the bodies of water become polluted. The effects of water pollution (lack of clean water,) may be dangerous to the health of human beings. Toxic air - pollution from the air is caused by the increase of concentration of airborne pollutants due to heavy traffic, industrial activity, and combustion. The lack of clean/fresh air would be harmful to the people who are living in the vicinity. Due to extreme urbanization, there has been a rapid increase in pollution. If this continues, there will be no safe place for the people to stay in. II. Environmental Problems and the Third World Development Two sets of observations: 1. The development in the third world countries has left a series of environmental problems. 2. The environment operates as an integrated system. Each element is connected to the other, so, any type of modification, even if it is local in nature, may start a chain of events resulting in bad effects which are regional in scale. Most of these can be seen in activities which are done to meet urban demands such as: Deforestation of forests Construction of dams across rivers Groundwater depletion Making subdivisions out of agricultural lands It should also be pointed out that different environmental problems arise because of different types of activities. For example, air pollution is brought about by a large amount of fuel combustion. Steps towards Preventing Environmental Degradation: 1. Awareness and involvement at various levels. 2. Reduce, reuse, recycle. 3. Join Tree planting activities. 4. Spend time cleaning your surroundings. Over the last two decades, the countries of the third world have become increasingly aware of the dangers inherent in unchecked and large-scale development projects. The task of developing a country is perhaps no longer viewed as an exercise in applied economics carried out with help from the engineers. It has now become even politically acceptable to consider the environment. 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment - held in Stockholm - instrumental in bringing countries together to consider the future of our planet - began global environmental consciousness but also made clear that the protection of the environment of the third world is not possible so long as the countries remain poor Poverty is the greatest polluter.- Indira Gandhi Development is related to both ECONOMIC and ENVIRONMENTAL conditions, thus the term ECODEVELOPMENT.

United Nations Environmental Programme conservation.

(UNEP) in Nairobi - associated with development and environmental

Causes of environmental degradation in the third world: *pollution and toxic waste disposal problems due to industrialization *increased pressure on the environment due to activities such as farming of marginal lands and gathering of fuel wood by the poor *extraction of natural resources The machinery for environmental protection: Development programmes, which take into consideration the possible negative environmental impacts and take steps to reduce or prevent them, are thus desirable for the third world. What they need: *technical knowledge *long-term data on environmental conditions *legislation *government agencies with money and technical expertise to evaluate, monitor and if necessary, modify or restrain projects for development *contributions of non-government agencies in preventing ecological degradation Silent Valley is a narrow valley of the Kunthi river in the state of Kerala in South-western India. Apart from its scenic appearance, the valley has 8,950 ha of rainforest with rare plants and animals, including the lion-tailed macaque. The narrow gorge at the lower end of the valley has been considered as a possible site for hydro-electricity. It was once planned to dam the gorge in 1973 but was delayed till 1976. Several people were interested in conserving the Silent Valley for the project was futile, only generating 120 megawatts of power from such a unique and abundant environment. There was then a protest against this project which led its conservation through the headship of Indira Gandhi in 1983. It now became a landmark in ecological movements of Third World group of conversationalists preventing the state government to destroy valuable rainforests. Water management in the irrigated areas of Bali which is carried out by Subak is a good example of how Third World countries cope with water dilemmas. It is an organization of independent entity, but works in co-ordination with the infrastructure of the local government. Its efficient design supplied water for hundreds of years without the need for a large-scale engineering project. The Future Trends In the past years there has been an increase of awareness towards environmental protection in the Third World. A common problem for a number of the Third World countries is the pressure on them to service their international debt which results to over usage of their natural resources. Today deforestation in the Amazon is the result of several activities, the foremost of which include: 1. Clearing for cattle pasture 2. Colonization and subsequent subsistence agriculture 3. Infrastructure improvements Road construction in the Amazon leads to deforestation. Roads provide access to logging and mining sites while opening forest frontier land to exploitation by poor landless farmers. Brazil's Trans-Amazonian Highway was one of the most ambitious economic development programs ever devised, and one of the most spectacular failures. In the 1970s, Brazil planned a 2,000-mile highway that would bisect the massive Amazon forest, opening rainforest lands to (1) settlement by poor farmers from the crowded, drought-plagued north and (2) development of timber and mineral resources. Colonists would be granted a 250-acre lot, six-months' salary, and easy access to agricultural loans in exchange for settling along the highway and converting the surrounding rainforest into agricultural land. The plan would grow to cost Brazil US$65,000 (1980 dollars) to settle each family, a staggering amount for Brazil, a developing country at the time.

The project was plagued from the start. The sediments of the Amazon Basin rendered the highway unstable and subject to inundation during heavy rains, blocking traffic and leaving crops to rot. Harvest yields for peasants were dismal since the forest soils were quickly exhausted, and new forest had to be cleared annually. Logging was difficult due to the widespread distribution of commercially valuable trees. Rampant erosion, up to 40 tons of soil per acre (100 tons/ha) occurred after clearing. Many colonists, unfamiliar with banking and lured by easy credit, went deep into debt. Adding to the economic and social failures of the project, are the long-term environmental costs. After the construction of the Trans-Amazonian Highway, Brazilian deforestation accelerated to levels never before seen and vast swaths of forest were cleared for subsistence farmers and cattle-ranching schemes. The Trans-Amazonian Highway is a prime example of the environmental havoc that is caused by road construction in the rainforest. 5. Commercial agriculture 6. Logging Multilateral development banks (MDBs) such as the World Bank and African Development Bank had also been criticized for lending money to projects that would cause to environmental degradations, like the highway construction in the Amazon rainforest. However, the then President of World Bank has announced various measures to protect the environment of the developing countries In March 1985 the Supreme Court of India declared that a large number of limestone quarries of the Doon Valleyin Kumaun Himalayas will be closed on ground of environmental degradation. This was done in the interest of protecting the right of the people to live in a healthy environment with minimal disturbance of ecological balance.

Philippines has also its share in the conservation of the environment as the protest to mining in Palawan continues.

Group 1 MHC1
Abby Madriaga Kate Borlongan Valerie Palce Clarence Sese Nicole Salvador Chin Sigue

Soc. Sci. Professor: Ms. Rosa Castillo

Property of:

NAME:_________________________________

Course: _________

Block: ____