Urbanization, Environmental Degradation, and Global Solutions

Introduction: Shared Global Environmental Challenges

Urbanization, population growth, and environmental degradation are among the most pressing problems in the world today (Coleman & Kerbo, 2009). Until recently, these issues would have been addressed on local, national, or regional levels. When the Industrial Revolution began, the results of urbanization, population growth, and pollution were experienced mainly at a local level. Now, however, these are problems shared by every person on the planet. Urbanization means that many rural communities are struggling as they lose young people who seek opportunities in cities. It also means that cities struggle to accommodate the influx of people, leading to infrastructure problems, overcrowding, and a poor quality of life.

Industrial growth and development worldwide have also produced widespread problems that are no longer localized. Climate change impacts even those areas with the least infrastructure or industrialization. Wind and water currents respect no geo-political boundaries, and nor does the ozone layer. A build-up of greenhouse gases affects all people, which is why solutions to environmental problems must be pursued in a spirit of collaboration. In "The Environment: Re-Addressing Global Trends and Contemporary Issues," Adebobola (n.d.) argues that democratic institutions at the national level are the key to creating collaborative solutions to environmental problems.

Key Environmental Problems and Their Causes

Adebobola (n.d.) first discusses some of the main environmental problems, their causes, and possible solutions. Population growth has contributed to environmental problems through increased demands on agricultural yields and natural resource extraction. Deforestation and other consequences of unchecked economic activity are also causing potentially irreversible harm. Adebobola (n.d.) notes that industrial and economic development have been allowed to proceed largely unfettered for a century, and only now are people realizing that unless changes are made to environmental policy, humanity will endure collective tragedies.

The author also points out that environmental problems extend beyond climate change and natural disasters—they affect national security as well. Wars could easily be fought over access to water. Natural disasters or droughts could trigger mass migration and environmental refugee crises, destabilizing entire regions.

Pollution, Food Security, and Global Interdependence

Setting aside the global scale of environmental degradation, pollution at the local level is already impacting public health and lowering quality of life. Adebobola (n.d.) notes that urban centers are not the only places affected by pollution. Water pollution can harm not just high-density population areas but rural regions as well. Polluted water can also compromise food sources, since agriculture requires access to clean water.

Food shortages are not, however, confined to the regions experiencing water pollution or drought. As Adebobola (n.d.) points out, the international food trade has created interdependence among nations. Africa and Asia, for example, depend on certain types of grain and flour imports from North America. If grain production in North America slows due to drought—as has been predicted—the people in Asia and Africa may suffer the most, since these are the regions already most affected by malnutrition and poverty (Adebobola, n.d., p. 3). Therefore, all nations need to collaborate on mitigating climate change, reducing pollution, and promoting global food and water security.

References

Adebobola, N. I. (n.d.). The environment: Re-addressing global trends and contemporary issues.

Carrington, D. (2017). The seven megatrends that could beat global warming. The Guardian, 8 November 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/08/seven-megatrends-that-could-beat-global-warming-climate-change

Coleman, J. W., & Kerbo, H. R. (2009). Social problems (10th ed.). Pearson Education.