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Think Geographically - Coggle Diagram
Think Geographically
2.4 Building sustainable urban neighbourhoods
What is environmental stewardship? - Actions taken to protect, care for or responsibly use the environment to pursue environmental and social outcomes
By individuals, organisations and government
Actions include: conserve natural resources, preserve the existing natural environment, repair and reverse negative impacts
How to achieve?
Volunteerism amongst residents.
They can share knowledge and educate one another of the importance of healthy ecosystems, this will increase the residents' awareness on what they should and can do to responsibly use and protect the environment
E.g NParks promotes volunteerism in communities through ground-led initiatives such as Friends of the parks
Limitations: lack of manpower, not enough volunteers to drive the programme.
Partnership of public and private sectors
Different stakeholders with their different perspectives, resources and expertise come together to enhance environmental stewardship
Limitations: Conflicting interests that could lead to disagreements, lack of education and awareness in individuals
What is disaster risks? - Likelihood of damage to properties, injuries and loss of lives from a disaster in a given period of time
The three factors that affect disaster risks:
Nature of hazard: characteristics of the hazard
Vulnerability: susceptibility of people and their belongings to the impact of hazards
Exposure: situation of people and their belongings located in the hazard-prone areas
What is disaster risk management
Plans and actions that are implemented to prevent new risks from happening and to reduce existing risks and manage disaster risk
Aim to reduce neighbourhood's exposure to hazards and the vulnerability of people and properties to hazards
E.g SCDF is responsible for the disaster risk management plan to improve residents emergency prepardness to respond to natural and technological hazards
Community emergency prepardness programmes to focus on life-saving skills and emergency procedures
Public monitoring and warning systems to warn incoming natural and man-made disasters
What is community resilience
The ability of a community to resist, adapt and recover from impacts of disasters in a timely and efficient manner
How can it be developed?
1.Strengthening of relationships amongst residents and raising their awareness of potential hazards
Through a wide range of community activities and programmes such as active ageing and emergency prepardness, it brings people of different age and backgrounds together , fostering positive relationships amongst the residents as they get to know each other well. They can then depend on each other during emergency
During Covid-19, residents came together to provide assistance to others in need by distributing masks and food
Developing residents' ability to organise themselves and equip themselves with resources
Residents can be involved in an inclusive planning process that involves community leaders , civil society organisations and government so that they could have a better understanding of the risks and adaptation options to communicate to the planners and government
E.g CFRs, volunteers to support the government in search and rescue, relief work and educate the public on basic first aid and firefighting
2.1 Sustainable urban neighbourhoods
What is development?
Development refers to the economic, social and political process which results in an improvement of standard of living for a population
A country is either a developed or developing country (level of development) based on a combination of economic and social indicators
Indicators
Economic indicator: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita
Social indicators: Life Expectancy and Adult Literacy Rate
Sustainable development
Meets the needs of the present population by achieving a high standard of living for all
Ensures that the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs
3 key aims: Economy, social, environmental
An overfocus on one dimension may lead to other dimensions being overlooked
For example, while planning for the building of new industrial buildings for economic growth, the government can also consider locating it in places where the clearing of forests is minimal.This ensures that all three dimensions are considered.
If economic growth is prioritised by the government, environmental may be neglected and destroyed, resulting in the loss of biodiversity and the deterioration in the quality of the environment for the present and future generations
Limitations
The approach may vary from place to place and across time (not all three dimensions are balanced)
Some places may have greater emphasis at one dimension over the other
Economic Sustainability
Neighbourhood should have a high enough population density in order to achieve economic sustainability
High enough population density will:
Helps to support local businesses as there will be a sufficient demand for their goods and services. Thus, local businesses are able to sustain themselves
Residents can also take up employment at these shops, earning income and increasing their standard of living
Keeps the cost of developing infrastructures low as transport infrastructures will be located closer to one another
E.g Bus interchanges are located next to train stations, hence there is no need to develop any additional infrastructures like road or bridges to connect the bus interchange and train station, reducing the need for and the cost of development
Lowers transportation expenditure for the people as buildings and objects will be located close to one another
E.g Schools are located near an integrated transport hub, students need not to travel far and may opt to walk over a short distance to get to school, minimising their transportation cost
Social Sustainability
Residents in the neighbourhood should feel included and have a sense of shared identity in order to achieve social sustainability
Can be fostered by having shared community spaces i.e parks, void decks, community centres . Residents from different backgrounds and hobbies can gather at these shared community spaces to interact and engage in recreational activities which will be able to foster positive relationships
Small population size also helps to facilitate regular interactions amongst the residents. Residents can discuss issues affecting the neigbourhood and find solutions to various challenges together. This will maintain a culture of open communication, mutual respect and understanding between the residents. Thus, builds resilience and positive relationships
All in all, through these, residents would be able to feel included and develop a sense of shared identity, which will provide a peaceful environment for all as there will be no tension, misunderstandings or conflicts. Residents will be able to have a high standard of living
Environmental sustainability
Ample protection for nature :
Wildlife will be able to thrive in urban spaces
Human-wildlife co-existence can be fostered
Wide variety of habitats i.e street trees, pocket parks and roof gardens and different variety of the types and species of plants and trees planted in an area will provide adequate shelter and food for a wider variety of wildlife to thrive. Thus, maximising the biodiversity in neighbourhood
Important to have concerted efforts aiming at protecting existing native species, habitats and ecosystems and re-establish species that once existed
Having facilities that support waste minimization and recycling:
Conveniently located recycling facilities and infrastructures such as blue recycling ins around estates can encourage residents to recycle. With the high enough population density in the neighbourhood, more residents will be encouraged. Thus, an adequate amount of waste can be collected and recycled in an economically viable manner
Recycling can be encouraged through neighbourhood-scale recycling activities organised by residents or town council
E.g Town council may put up posters or banners to educate and encourage their residents to recycle properly
Energy and water-efficient design approaches for buildings and landscapes:
Buildings and landscapes are designed to be energy and water efficient or are installed with smart technology and eco-friendly features
E.g - Cool paint is used under the HDB Green Towns program to reduce energy consumption by lowering the temperature
Rainwater is used for block washing of void decks and corridors to reduce overall water consumption
These features minimizes the use of resources
2.2 Ecosystem services in neighbourhod
What is an ecosystem?
Ecosystem consist of living communities and the non-living environment interacting with one another
Vary in size
Every aspect in an ecosystem depends of one another, directly or indirectly
People are an integral part of the ecosystem and dynamic interaction exist between people and other parts of ecosystems
Activities carried out by people may directly or indirectly change the ecosystem in a positive and negative way
Ecosystem services
Benefits brought about by nature to people
Produced by living communities and non-living environment
Critical to our survival and their benefits are optimised when we have a healthy and thriving natural environment
4 types of ecosystem services: provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting
Provisioning ecosystem services
Tangible resources obtained from ecosystems
Plants and animals provide food and nutrition through means such as agricultural activities and fisheries
Fresh water bodies such as lakes, streams and rivers provide drinking water
Nature provides different types of fuel such as firewood, coal and oil
E.g : Food is grown in urban community garden that focus on planting edibles on rooftops at Tampines's HDB blocks
Regulating ecosystem services
Benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem process
Ecosystem processes work together to ensure that the ecosystems are functional, clean, sustainable and resilient to changes
Regulating water quality: roots of mangroves trap sediments and filter the water
Regulating climate change: plants lower surface and air temperature by providing shade and cool the environment
Regulating soil erosion: tree roots bind the soil
Regulating air quality: trees and other plants removes pollutants from the atmosphere
E.g: In Bishan Ang Mo KIo park, Trees regulate local climate change by providing shade and generate rainfall and regulate air quality by removing pollutants. Vegetation regulate water flow by reducing surface runoff
Cultural ecosystem services
Non-material benefits obtained from ecosystems
Nature spaces provide opportunity for residents to come together to engage in leisure activities which fosters social-belonging, group identity , strengthening their sense of place
Recreational activities done amongst nature helps relieve stress and maintain physical and mental health
Some environments attract opportunities for tourism and aesthetic appreciation: heritage trees, skyrise greenery and community gardens
E.g Bukit Timah Nature Reserve provides opportunities for hiking and fieldwork
Bodhi Heritage tree provides aesthetic experience
Supporting ecosystem services
Services necessary for the production of other ecosystems
Water cycle provides organisms with a supply of water
Nature provides habitats for organisms
Nutrient cycling provides plants and animals with food, which are then returned to the environment through decomposition
2.3 Common hazards in urban neighbourhoods
What are hazards?
Human activity that may cause the loss of life, health impacts property damage, social and economic consequences
Classified as natural or man-made i.e earthquake vs traffic hazards
Fire hazards
Occur in both residential and non-residential areas
Common causes: unattended cooking, faulty electrical appliances and wiring , flammable materials
Health Impacts:
Released of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide may lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. This may cause dizziness, confusion, loss of consciousness, making it difficult to escape. When they are unable to evacuate in time, they may suffer from severe burn injuries or even death
Irritants like acid gases can damage a person's respiratory system
Inhalation of smoke can lead to breathing difficulties and suffocation
Property damage:
When fire destroys commercial or residential properties, goods, furniture and important documents are destroyed, leading to economic losses. Further costs would be incurred as money would be required to repair and rebuild the properties that were damaged
Air pollution hazards
Occurs due to the presence of contaminants or pollutants that do not disperse properly, thus interfering with human health, welfare and leading to harmful environmental effects
Common causes:
Burning vegetation which releases pollutants and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
Industrial and motor emissions (cars) where vehicles produce and release significant amounts of exhaust emissions i.e nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide. When car usage and ownership increases, amount of harmful emissions being released into the environment increases
Health impacts:
High level of exposure to nitrogen oxide from high level of traffic leads to higher risks of asthma in children, resulting in poor health
PM 2.5 can enter the bloodstream and lodge deep in human lungs, causing lung function decline in older adults
Traffic hazards - Common causes: speeding, red-light running, drink-driving caused by irresponsible motorists or drivers who put other road users and themselves at risk
-Health impacts: serious injuries, disabilities and even fatalists and death