Geography CAQ

🌏 Geography Essay 🌆Urban reimaging essay Slums essay Fieldwork Fieldwork Questions Sustainable Urban Development reasons for changes in urban population Pull factor: As manufacturing can be labour-intensive (such as making of garments in garment factories and leather products in tanneries) and often urban- Geograph y 1

based, it offers potential for employment and higher wages, which would be a strong pull factor for the rural population to move to the city The growth of services such as more and better education, health care and shopping malls become powerful pull factors for the rural population who are attracted to these services Push factor: With mechanisation / use of machinery in agriculture such as tractors and combine harvesters, there is less reliance on human labour which results in a decline in employment in this sector. This causes some of the rural population to seek employment in urban areas instead. Counter urbanisation) Explain how changes in urban population in may pose challenges in its progress towards sustainable urban development Environmental dimension: generation of massive amounts of untreated and uncollected waste as the escalating urban growth rates and lack of finances as cities are unable to meet the exceeding demands of services such as waste collection and management Economic: Lack of opportunities for formal sector employment as working age population is growing much faster than gainful employment opportunities causing many involved in informal sectors such as junk collectors and car cleaners leading to low or unstable incomes leading to poverty Social: Health issues/ lack of access to education or healthcare services due to unsanitary living conditions caused by lack of waste collection service and infrastructure which makes the place a breeding ground for diseases such as cholera and dengue And due to low incomes, children may not be able to access educational opportunities and healthcare services Geograph y 2

For urban population loss: Urban population loss may result in loss of investments due to the decrease in working population, as businesses leave the city and no new investments are attracted in This affects economic sustainability due to the loss of employment opportunities and rise in poverty levels due to the decline in income As a result of the decrease in middle and upper-class population, this may lead to a decline in tax base This affects social sustainability as the reduction in government revenue may result in less investments in the availability of public services and amenities (e.g. healthcare, education), which could lead to more health problems and lower literacy rates. As businesses and people migrate out and no new investments come in, this may result in abandoned and derelict buildings This affects social and environmental sustainability as buildings degenerate into a state of disrepair, causing pollution and attracting vandalism and pest infections. Abandoned buildings are also not rent-worthy as they have inferior infrastructure, which requires significant capital to renovate. Reduced manpower for policing due to decline in police patrol may cause lower security levels, increasing crime rates due to reduced deterrence effect. Decline in population and its accompanying problems as mentioned above may contribute to a pervasive sense of decay, reducing community spirit Problems associated with non-hazardous waste in urban areas Over generation of urban waste would lead to more waste filling up urban landfills, posing harm to the urban environment through soil and water contamination by leachate Lack of proper collection of urban waste Can lead to solid waste left around urban areas which can be an eyesore and tarnish image of the city affecting economy of city when investors are deterred by the waste seen in open areas Geograph y 3

Improper disposal of urban waste within the city can pose health threats to urban dweller when solid waste clogs drains, creating stagnant water for insect breeding and floods during rainy seasons resulting in vector borne diseases such as dengue and malaria to spread amongst the urban population Environmental effects or rapid urban growth Eutrophication and water pollution might occur in the river if factories are built near those rivers as industrial effluent might be discharged into the Waters If wastewater is not properly managed polluting waters and harming aquatic life or agriculture farms might have fertiliser and chemicals washing into nearby water bodies Damage to natural environment occurs when land is cleared for the expansion of urban areas as deforestation brings about effects on the environment such as loss of biodiversity and increased risk of flooding due to soil erosion Regional climate change might occur if large amount of forest removed, increased in GHG as forests are carbon sinks and carbon dioxide is released into the air when trees are cut down, causing increases in temperatures Unsustainable sand mining for construction materials from rivers and marine ecosystems can lead to a sand crisis results in significant environmental impacts, including coastal and river erosion, shrinking deltas, land-use changes, air pollution, salinization of coastal aquifers and groundwater reserves, threats to freshwater and marine fisheries and biodiversity Challenges in cllds in achieving SUD They may not have sufficient capacity to place the necessary infrastructure to meet the needs of the urban population. Hence demand for services such as housing and transport could exceed the services and resources of city authorities causing issues like slum and traffic congestion High urbanisation rates and rapid urban froth May place population at risk of environmental hazards as high rates of rural-urban migration and lack of available land space may result in poor to reside in environmentally vulnerable Geograph y 4

areas such as steep slopes and more prone to environmental hazards such as landslides With more people In urban area, increase affluence, high rates of consumption of resources lead to higher generation of waste and this accumulation can cause environmental pollution and health issues to people It can also cause larger ecology footprint that goes beyond the biological capacity of the city and unsustainable in the long term They may prioritise income growth first and make decisions that compromise on environmental sustainability resulting in overconsumption underinvestment and depletion of resources Explain tensions between sustainability and liveability While the concept of liveability seeks to utilise environmental resources for better living for urban dwellers, sustainable urban development on the converse tends to warn of the dangers of overuse and consumption of environmental resources. These concepts, much as they are closely related have certain intricate tensions. Liveability refers to the perspective of the individual and includes a subjective evaluation of the quality of the place, which can be seen as the quality of living in a place. Sustainability viewed it as a balance within economic, environmental, and capital interests, with due consideration for intergenerational demands. The pursuit of sustainability may come at a cost of liveability goals as the prioritisation of environmental sustainability may result in the need for people to change their lifestyle and habits. For example, the implementation of an additional 5-cent charge to plastic bags at major supermarkets in Singapore will help reduce waste and usage of plastics. While this benefits the environment, it may come at the cost of liveability for some due to the higher cost incurred and the ‘hassleʼ of bringing reusable bags. For example, the adjustment of air-conditioners to 25 degree Celsius, while optimum for environmental sustainability, may not be considered as Geograph y 5

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