9.7 Other contemporary urban environmental issues

• Atmospheric pollution - contamination of the indoor and outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere
• water pollution - occurs through the discharge of waster from; industrial effluent, domestic uses, run off, agriculture discharge and leachates
• dereliction - occurs when economic activity in urban areas decline and buildings are abandoned and run down
• Land remediation - aims to restore land to an acceptable condition by resolving or treating problems by contaminated soil and water
• Dhakas air pollution:

  the capital of Bangladesh

  air pollution is caused by soot from brick kilns leading to the breathing in of toxic smog

  also is one of the fastest growing cities so lots of construction is releasing dust pollution

  mainly children are getting respiratory diseases caused by the weather and polluted air particles

  15,000 people die per year due to this

  a lack of urban planning policies and interventions leads to social segregation, poor quality services and infrastructure.

  90% of vehicles in Dhaka are are faulty emitting smoke far exceeding the prescribed limit
• Managing air pollution:

  • transport - congestion charges, walking and cycling networks, improving public transport, electric cars.
  • Industry - fitting filters on the smoke stacks so they they can remove harmful particulates and pollutants before releasing them into the atmosphere
  • urban planning - energy efficient buildings e.g roof insulation, efficient lighting and solar panels
• Causes of Water pollution

  • surface run off from streets carrying oil, heavy metals and other contaminants
  • industrial waste
  • untreated or poorly treated sewage
  • rubbish dumps, toxic waste, chemical and fuel storage which all leak pollutants
  • intentional dumping of hazardous substances
  • air pollution can lead to acid rain etc
• Consequences of water pollution:

  • 1 million people each year die to polluted water
  • damage health of aquatic animals
  • infectious diseases
  • 1.2 billion people lack access to clean water
  • suffocation of fish due to the depletion of oxygen in water due to the increase of aerobic algae
• Water pollution in India:

  • 70% of surface water in India is unfit for consumption
  • the primary cause of this was the quantity of domestic sewage generated by rapidly expanding towns and cities
  • vector born diseases such as cholera were widespread
  • Prime ministor has made cleaning the Ganges a key policy goal while they also have plans for infrastructural improvements and wastewater recycling in cities across the country
  • the number of public toilets have been increased to prevent waste running into wells and streams
• Water pollution strategies:

  Water treatment facilities - combined sewerage system collect surface and foul water

  Low impact development - improvements to drainage systems that allows for breakdown of pollutants in rainwater in the soil

  Legislation, regulation and enforcement - regulations on the type of fertilisers and pesticides used as strict laws for water to ensure that domestic, industrial and agricultural processes do not pollute waterways

  Education and awareness - governmental campaigns on usage and wastage of water and not disposing of oil and wet wipes down the toilet
• How does derelict land occur:

  • deindustrialisation
  • decentralisation
  • natural decay
  • ageing of buildings
  • social change
  • lack of inward investment
• brownfield site - urban dereliction is seen more in higher developed inner cities where deindustrialisation has occurred. this creates brownfield sites which is where land is available for further developments as these sites have already been built on
• Why is it hard to build on brownfield sites?

  due to the land already having been built on this means that they may need a decontamination process and to be cleared before usage which can be time consuming and expensive
• Advantages of brownfield sites

  • located near to main areas of employment
  • reduces commuting and pollution
  • reduces loss of green belts and countryside for agricultural and recreational usages
  • services such as water, electricity and sewage are already in place
• Bristol utilising brownfield sites:

  • between 2006 and 2013, 94% of new housing was built on brownfield sites and it is estimated a further 30,000 new homes will be built by 2026.
  • decaying industrial buildings have been redeveloped for residential purposes
  • several listed buildings have been preserved
  • derelict land has been cleared and decontaminated for new housing, buisnesses and cultural and leisure facilities