Geography in Everyday Life
Relationship between people and nature in their neighbourhoods
benefits people bring to nature
benefits nature bring to people
disadvantages nature bring to people
sense of place in neighbourhoods
sustainable urban neighbourhoods
ecosystem services
hazards
building sustainable urban neighbourhoods
lowering air temperatures
how?
the presence of vegetation provides shade and reduces the amount of direct sunlight on surfaces.
the presence of vegetation cools the surrounding air through evapotranspiration as the water that plants absorb through their roots is released into the air as water vapour
removal of air pollutants
how?
during photosynthesis, vegetation absorbs carbon dioxide and other air pollutants and releases oxygen
provision of recreational spaces
how?
nature areas offer numerous opportunities for outdoor activities
direct and frequent interactions with nature can bring about health and well-being
people can promote the importance of environmental protection through community activities
how?
local communities can raise awareness about the nature areas by encouraging positive behaviour that does not damage nature
local communities can also organise or participate in conservation efforts. clean-up programmes to remove pollutants from the environment help restore natural habitats and provide a healthy environment for species to thrive
human-wildlife conflcts
wildlife animals can attack the residents if it was threatened or fearful
residents may provoke the lizard, and may cause the lizard to be scared and attack residents for self-defence.
disadvantages people bring to nature
worsening pollution and disturbing wildlife
littering can worsen pollution in natural areas. animals can get cut by metal cans or become entangled with plastic containers and bags
some animals may also mistake litter for food and consume it. this may cause the animals to get hurt and suffer, eventually lead to their death
causing soil erosion and disturbing wildlife
when people hike along non-designated trails in nature areas, they may cause soil compaction which prevents rainwater from infiltrating the surface
this leads to higher surface flows and soil erosion as the flowing water washes away the soil particles.
Moreover, people may trample on the vegetation, damaging plants and affecting their growth
how is it acquired?
significant or memorable events at local landmarks and gathering places
Repeated encounters with objects and people
this helps us recall the character and features of places that we come across and create meanings and memories of them
landmarks are highly visible and easy for most people to remember. They may serve symbolic or historical purposes. Landmarks may hold positive and negative memories. They may feature public symbols that reflect a community's response to a tragedy, serving as a place for people to preserve their memories of loved ones. Aside from landmarks, our interactions with people at everyday places may result in us developing an attachment to these paces, enabling us to feel a sense of belonging to our neighbourjoods
how can it be represented?
through different forms and types of media by individuals and organisatons which reflects people's ideas, memories, and the significance of the location. An individual may express their sense of place in different forms such as texts, audio, graphics and imagies. This can be shared with others through various media types such as print media, broadcast media and internet-based media
sustainable development is development that meets the need of the present population by achieving high standards of living for all and by ensuring the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
social sustainability
economic sustainability
environmental sustainability
achieved by ensuring residents feel included and have a sense of shared identity
this can be fostered by having shared community spaces to promote regular social interactions
residents can come together to discuss issues affecting their neighbourhood and find solutions to various challenges
this builds resilience and positive relationships between residents, as this helps to maintain a culture of open communication, mutual respect and understanding
achieved by ensuring that a neighbourhood has a high enough population density, which helps to support local businesses, and keep transport and infrastructure costs low
Residents can take up employment at local business shops, earn income and increase their standard of living
transport and infrastructure can be kept low. Transport infrastucture may be located closer to one another, keeping the cost of developing transport infrastructure low. This is because connecting infrastructures need not be built or built over long distances. Hence transportation cost for residents are lowered
ample protection
when there is ample protection for nature, wildlife can thrive in our urban spaces and human-wildlife conflict coexistence can be fostered. efforts should be made to protect existing native species, habitats, and ecosystems and re-establish existing species. biodiversity in neighbourhoods can be maximised by having a wide variety iof habitats including trees, parks and roof gardens in the neighbourhood. Planting a variety of species ensures better shelter and food sources for wildlife, enhancing overall biodiversity.
having facilities that support waste minimisation and recycling
To promote waste minimisation and recycling, it's important to have well-placed recycling facilities, like blue bins, throughout neighborhoods. High population density helps make waste collection and recycling more cost-effective. Encouraging recycling can also be supported by organising community recycling events either by residents or local councils.
having energy and water-efficient design approaches for buildings and landscapes
Buildings and landscaping in urban neighbourhoods may be designed to be energy- and water-efficient to minimise the use of resources
Smart technology and eco-friendly features can be installed
provisioning ecosystem services
regulating ecosystem services
cultural ecosystem services
supporting ecosystem services
supporting ecosystem services refer to services that are necessary for the functioning of all other ecosystem services, including soil formation, pollination and photosynthesis
provisioning ecosystem services refer to the intangible resources people get from ecosystems such as food, water and wood
food is one of the most important provisioning services provided by nature to people and it can be obtained through agricultural activities and fisheries. They can also be found in an urban neighbourhood ecosystem
regulating ecosystem services refer to the benefits obtained by the regulation of various ecosystem processes. It include services such as climate regulation, disease outbreak regulation and flood regulation. In an urban neighbourhood, these include microclimate regulation, flood mitigation and air and water quality control
trees can lower surface and air temperatures by providing shade to residents. The vegetation cover can reduce surface runoff by retaining water in the soil. Trees can regulate air quality by removing pollutants from the air through photosynthesis
cultural ecosystem services refer to the intangible benefits people obtain from ecosystems, including aesthetic experiences, educational opportunities and recreational activities
presence of green spaces in neighbourhoods can provide many cultural ecosystem services such as aesthetic appreciation and opportunities for stress relieving activities
these activities improve people's physical and mental health and foster social belonging and group indentity, strengthening sense of place
soil is essential for the health of terrestrial ecosystems as it provides a habitat for organisms, contributes to biodiversity and acts as a water filter
soil formation ensures that human activities such as agriculture can take place
in neighbourhoods, bees play a vital role pollinating plants so that crops are able to reproduce to provide food for animals
during photosynthesis, plants absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen, maintaining the oxygen content of Earth's atmosphere
a process, phenomenon or human activity that may cause loss of life, other health impacts, property damage as well as economic and social consequences
man-made hazards
Fires
air pollution
health impacts it causes
during a fire, people may suffer from burn injuries if they are unable to evacuate in time, leading to death and disabilities
high levels of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are released during a fire and may cause carbon monoxide poisoning. This may cause headache, dizziness, weakness and confusion, and may lead to death
smoke inhalation and irrtants can cause breathing difficulties and suffocation, leading to death and damage to the respiratory system
property damage
fires can destroy commerical or residential properties which leads to economic losses as goods, furniture and important documents may be destroyed
further costs may be incurred after the fire is over as money is required to repair and rebuild the properties that were damaged in the fire
traffic hazards
health impacts
respiratory infections, heart diseases and lung cancer. Nitrogen dioxide is emitted in areas of high vehicle traffic, high levels of exposure to nitrogen dioxide may lead to higher risks of asthma in children and can cause lung function decline in older adults if soot and smoke enters the bloodstream
causes
burning vegetation and increase in car ownership
causes
health impacts
speeding, red-light running and drink-driving
people may suffer serious injuries in a traffic accident, leading to loss of life
elderly pedestrians and motorcyclists account for a high percentage of traffic accidents resulting in death or injuries
ways to reduce such accidents
stop dangerous driving by taking videos or pictures of bad driving habits along roads and send them as evidence to the authorities to get them punished
government can enforce speed limits, include the use of speed cameras to refrain drivers from speeding
people can walk to nearby traffic lights or zerbra crossings to cross the road, no jaywalking
community can put up posters on walls to tell one another to practise road safety habits and to discourage dangerous actions such as jaywalking
disaster risk
the likelihood of damage to properties, injuries, and loss of lives from a disaster in a given period of time
diaster risk management
plans and actions that are implemented to prevent new risks from happening, reduce existing risks and manage disaster risk
this strengthens community resilience
community resilience
the ability of a community to resist, adapt to and recover from the impacts of disasters in a timely and efficient manner
developed by
developing residents' ability to organise themselves and equip themselves with rsources to resist, adapt and recover from a disaster
residents in the neighbourhood can be involved in an inclusive planning process that involves the community, organisations and the government
when residents actively participate in projects to minimise potential hazards, they can better understand the risks and adaptation options to communicate to the planners and the government
strengthening relationships among residents and raising their awareness of potential hazards
disaster risk management is only effective and sustainable when there is widespread support and long-term participation from residents. Residents are encouraged to get to know their neighbours so that they can depend on one another during an emergency