Urbanization and environmental impact: community-based solutions worldwide

Urbanization and the Environment: A Critical Balancing Act

The Dilemma

The earth is a complex environment with a seemingly endless amount of vast resources. Viewed from the vantage point of an individual in an industrialized nation, it would appear that the earth has an endless capacity to care for its occupants. However, when viewed from an impoverished developing nation, the earth's limitations in caring for its inhabitants become a harsh reality.

The human population continues to grow at an alarming rate. We know from studying the carrying capacities in other species that the earth's ability to support ever-expanding populations is limited. At some point, the balance is broken and a disaster occurs, one that is often devastating to the species involved. This brings us to the logical question of how long it will be until the earth re-balances the human population. Balancing urbanization and environmental impact issues is one of the most pressing issues confronting human society, both now and in the future.

Slide 2

Institutionalizing Community-Based Development

In Abidjan, structural adjustments have forced the Mayor of Adjame to focus on the issues of unemployment, poverty, and environmental decay in their country (Unesco, 2008a). Neighborhood committees (CDQs) helped to channel local resources to help improve living conditions. The impact of these programs has been astounding. Since their inception, they have:

Generated full and part-time employment for 2000 workers.

Collected $60 million in feels for projects such as infrastructure development

Attained leverage at 6 times the amount invested

Negotiated to cut the cost of basic water connections by 60%

Vaccinated 800 children

Instituted a training program for 40 men to improve their business skills

Promotes the hiring of local labor, resulting in 200 jobs for local citizens.

Slide 3

Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) Bank

Shri Mahila Sewa Sahakari Bank, a bank of poor, self-employed women workers was established by those that it would serve...the women themselves (Unesco, 2008b). This bank offers support services to 51,000 depositors consisting of working Indian women in poor rural areas. The success of this bank has served as a catalyst in establishing further initiatives to help the poor and underprivileged. It demonstrates that people have to take their own initiative to institute change.

Slide 4

Shelter Upgrading in Agadir, Morocco

The Moroccan National Shelter Upgrading Agency (ANHI) in Agadir has a large percentage of women acting as head of household (Unesco, 2008c). An earthquake devastated this area in 1960, leaving many of the poor in the community without resources (Unesco, 2008c). This agency provides a means to integrate economic, social, and political avenues to help improve shelter for the women living in poorer sections of the city (Unesco, 2008c).

Slide 5

Banana Kelly Community Improvement Association

The Bronx Center Project encompasses a number of cooperative efforts ranging from economic development, health and human services, education, culture, housing, and transportation (Unesco, 2008e). This project highlights the need to attack community programs at the root of the problem. Moving out of degraded communities is not the answer. Revitalization is an excellent use of existing resources. Instead of using new resources and allowing those in local communities to go to waste, community revitalization can be an important strategy for existing communities

Slide 7

Project of Lots and Services for low income population on the North Zone

This project highlights projects for low-income family groups in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is being carried out by APAC, a civil association of non-profit organizations designed to help improve conditions in the community (Unesco, 2008f). It focuses on the basics such as:

1) water supply system

2) electricity supply system

3) road constructions

4) open rainwater drainage system

5) light pillars

6) streets lighting (Unesco, 2008f).

Once again, this project demonstrates that problems that are more complex will not go away until the basics are fixed first.

Slide 8

Achieving Balance in a Complex World

Winners of the 1995 Dubai Awards demonstrate that institutions and local communities work together to achieve a balance between the needs of a growing global population, while still working to protect the environment. These projects demonstrate that it takes a coordinated effort between city planners, local citizens and non-profits groups. The solutions presented here also prove the need for local community involvement. Local citizens must be willing to take the initiative to help themselves. Local governments provide the resources to allow them to accomplish their goals.

The carrying capacity of the environment is already strained and humans must work together for their own survival. As many other species have demonstrated, we can only continue to diminish our resources at the current rate for so long. This represents the greatest challenge yet, to humankind. However, as these award-winning projects demonstrate, this is not an impossible task.