🌆3.2.3.7 - Other Contemporary Urban Environmental Issues Flashcards
What are some of the causes of water pollution?
Domestic waste Effluent from industries Leachates from landfill and dumping Rainwater Point sources (eg factories) Diffuse (non point) sources
What can be found in the River Mithi, Mumbai?
Untreated sewage, chemicals and disease causing microbes
What activities frequently take place on the banks of the River Mithi?
Illegal dumping of raw sewage
Industrial waste discharge
Washing vessels, animals and oily drums
Unauthorised discharge of hazardous waste eg zinc, lead
How has the River Mithi’s characteristics been affected by the pollution?
Its carrying capacity has been reduced and the pollution is a threat to marine life as well as water quality
What are the social impacts of water pollution?
Unpleasant
Disease
What are the economic impacts of water pollution?
Cost of treating the water
Knock on effects of trading eg fishing
What are the environmental impacts of water pollution?
Reduced capacity
Threat to marine life
Animals drinking from river in danger
What are the sources of water pollution in London?
Pollution form houses and agriculture Misconnections and wrong plumbing Appliances and dishwashers Soaps and chemicals Rain washing dirt from roads and car parks etc
What are the main causes of air pollution in Mumbai?
Industries in eastern suburbs and New Bombay
Rubbish incineration but the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
Insufficient control over emissions from vehicles
What happened in Mumbai in 2010?
A chlorine gas leak from the Sewri industrial led to 76 people being treated in hospital
How large is the Municipal garbage dump?
100 hectares, with nightly burning of rubbish occurring
What are the particulate matter readings in Mumbai?
2000 microgrammes per cubic metre, safe limit 150
What are the social impacts of air pollution?
Cancer causing particulate matter
Bronchitis and asthma common
What are the economic impacts of air pollution?
Ill people not attending work
Gas leaks putting people in hospital gives company a bad name and compensation had to be paid
What are the environmental impacts of air pollution?
High carbon monoxide levels
Particulate matter significantly higher than safe limit
When was the Mumbai monorail opened?
2012
What was the aim of the monorail?
To reduce car usage in the city and lower emissions from exhausts, encourage public transport
How were people encouraged to use bikes as opposed to cars?
By taking part in the cyclothon in 2010, with over 7000 participants
How is industrial pollution being lowered in Mumbai?
Chimneys must be above a certain height so that particulates dispersed more easily by wind and must have filters to take out poisonous gases
How are industrial effluents being clamped down on in Mumbai?
The authorities began to close all unauthorised activities which discharge effluents into the river
How was rubbish collection changed?
A proper system was set up to prevent citizens dumping rubbish into the river
What were people employed to do?
Those without jobs were employed to keep the river clean
What will be installed on the banks of the River Mithi?
Sewers, and sewage treatment plants
What is going to be done to the river bed?
It will be dredged to improve its carrying capacity
What is the T-charge?
A £10 charge paid by motorists driving into central London between 7am and 6pm
Which drivers have to pay the charges?
Those with the most polluting vehicles
How much money has been put in place to improve air quality in London by DEFRA?
£3 billion
What provisions have been put in place to improve London’s water quality?
Definitions of controlled waters
Water Protection zones and Nitrate Sensitive Areas
Offences of Polluting Controlled Waters
Discharge consents
What strategies has London put in place to improve water quality?
Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems
What is dereliction?
Buildings that have become dilapidated after being abandoned in urban areas, often caused by industrial decline
What are the impacts of dereliction?
Loss of tourism
Becomes an eyesore in the town
Can become home to squatters or animals
More difficult to regenerate the area
What is a brownfield site?
A piece of land which already has some construction and may well now be derelict
What is an example of a transformed derelict area?
The Olympic Park, East London
Water Pollution
. Pollutants directly or indirectly discharged into water
. Indirectly includes seeping into soils- infiltrates into groundwater
Causes of Water Pollution
. Air pollution- acid rain
. Domestic waste
. Surface runoff from draining urban landscape
Impacts of Water Pollution
. Damages aquatic ecosystems
. Loss of fish = destruction of livelihoods
. Disease i.e. cholera
Solutions to Water Pollution
. Improve waste water and sewage processing
. Educate
. Legislation, regulation, enforcement- industry fined per unit, and acceptable level is reduced each year
(Litter still pollutes water)
. SUDS
What percentage of pollution does filtering water through vegetation remove?
90%
Why is there greater water pollution in LIC’s?
Little regulation
Inadequate provision of treatment facilities
Causes of Urban Dereliction
. Industrial decline- lack of opportunity = less investment
. Economic crises- no money to pay for building upkeep
Impacts of Urban Dereliction
. Properties become worn down- encourages more dereliction
. Risk to human health- contamination i.e. old chemical factories
. Outmigration
. House prices fall
. Increase in crime and vandalism
. Decrease in trade for local businesses
Why do businesses in derelict areas see decreased trade?
. Loss of tourism
. Residents have little disposable income, don’t spend locally
Solutions to Urban Dereliction
. Councils have power to knock down derelict buildings- don’t as expensive
. Regeneration- London Docklands
. Focus on brownfield redevelopment- Battersea Power Station
. Create green spaces
. Land remediation- pollutants and contamination removed- redevelopment can occur
Causes of Atmospheric Pollution
Release of particles and noxious gases
Many from burning of fossil fuel
How does climate impact on atmospheric pollution?
. Wet + windy = pollution blown away
. Still + hot = pollution builds to harmful levels
Impacts of Atmospheric Pollution
. Human health- cancer, strokes, respiratory illness
. Global warming
. Diesel- carcinogenic particulates- erode buildings
. Sulphur dioxide = acid rain = increased weathering
Solutions to Atmospheric Pollution
. Clean Air Acts
. Urban Greening
. Transport Solutions
. Industrial Zoning
. Energy Efficient Homes
Why is Atmospheric Pollution generally worse in the developing world?
. Heavily reliant on fossil fuels
. Lack of legislation
(Developed world increasingly uses renewable technologies that are less polluting i.e. e cars and tidal power)
Mumbai river
River Mithi
Who cleans the River Mithi in Mumbai?
Unemployed
What is the biggest problem environmentally in Mumbai?
Traffic
How many cars are in Mumbai
18 million
What was built to reduce car driving?
Monorail to hold 500 passengers
What was done in Mumbai to reduce the UHI effect?
Green Roof Scheme to encourage planting on roof
What was Vision 40
Reduce floodrisk and manage rainwater to improve water quality
Causes water pollution in Mumbai
. Illegally dumped raw sewage
. Industrial waste
. Oil drums
. Animals
. Surface run off - picks up dirt
Causes of air pollution in Mumbai
. Emissions
. Incineration
. Industry
