Cities and water in the anthropocene Flashcards
What is happening to urban areas?
They are rapidly expanding
How fast is population growth in London compared to other cities?
Population growth in London is now slower than that of the most populated cities
By how much do cities account for greenhouse gas emissions?
80%
What percentage of the world energy production do cities consume?
75%`
What type of metabolism is more sustainable: linear or circular?
Circular
What type of metabolism do cities tend to have?
Linear metabolism
How much of the land surface do cities take up?
2.8%
How much of the Earth’s land surface does agriculture take up?
125
What percentage of the 9.2 billion projected people are expected to live in cities by 2050?
75%
How many urbanities are there expected to be by 2050?
7 billion
How many urbanities were there in 2007?
3 billion
What is the rural diet composed of?
Complex carbohydrates, vegetables, grains and fruits
What does the urban diet consist of?
Animal protein, refined fat, refined sugar, alcohol and oils
What has caused the transition from a rural diet to an urban one?
Westernisation
Increased wealth
Industrialisation
Globalisation
What problem has globalisation caused?
It has left some people behind
What is an issue with waste as cities grow?
It is becoming harder to deal with
What is a good example of how vulnerable cities are?
Hurricane Katrina
What is there a pressure on cities to provide?
Pressure to provide services and resources
Where were most of the city dwellers located in 1950?
Europe and the Americas
Where will the majority of city dwellers be by 2050?
Asia and Africa
What is an issue with urban growth?
Future urban growth disproportionately in developing countries and disproportionately ‘informal’ housing
What has there been an explosion of over the past 30 years?
The slums
What are slums often close to?
Rich areas
What is an issue with slums on the coast?
They are growing quickly and are already vulnerable
Flooding
Erosion
What percentage of the world’s population lives in deltas?
1%
What is happening to Miami?
The risk of flooding is becoming so great that soon it will not be able to be insured
Who created a poverty map?
Charles Booth
Why is groundwater in London rising?
Due to the pressure of urban buildings on the clay soil
How does damming cause issues for deltas?
It holds back sediment on which the deltas depend
How many major deltas are sinking?
24
Where are 22 of the word’s top 30 cities for air pollution located?
In India
How many cities exceed the WHO guidelines for air pollution?
Every single city in the Middle East and Africa, 99% of cities in south Asia and 89% of cities in east Asia
How many people a year die prematurely from air pollution exposure?
7 million
What is the cost of lost labour to the global economy as a result of air pollution?
4225bn
Explain what is happening in Ho Chi Minh city
It has two separate master plans, one for the historic west foreseeing a wall of skyscrapers marching down the river. The new developments are often built on raised land to protect them from flooding, while ironically blocking rainwater from flowing freely into the river and so causing more floods elsewhere. More than a third of the city’s historic buildings have been destroyed over the past 20 years
Who is more affected by air quality?
Young people
How many people a year die prematurely in the UK due to air pollution?
40,000
What happens if heritage is destroyed and culture is lost?
Tourism declines
Why are there socio-political issues with drainage basins?
They can cross borders
What does the Colorado River no longer do?
It no longer flows to the sea
How is there a water stress?
In terms of water availability per person per year
Why do we need to hold back water?
So we have some reserved
What is there a disparity between?
Extraction and consumption of water
When was a bad time for water waste?
20th century
On average how many dams are built?
We build one large dam every day and have done for the past 130 years
How many dams in the world are there that are over 15m in height?
45,000
What resource is expensive to get to cities?
Water
Where is a place that has seen a large growth in dams?
North America
What qualifies as a large dam?
Anything over 15m
What did they have to do to the Three Gorges Dam?
They had to lower the water level due to the pressure on the Earth’s crust
What is a cultural issue that causes issues?
Open defecation in fields
What happens as the population grows?
More water is needed for food
What are three water issues?
Sanitation and water quality
Water for food
How is there a disparity in water?
In some areas, the water footprint is lower despite there being more people
What was an issue with the Millenium Development Goals?
Water was not included in them
Was water included in the Sustainable Development Goals?
Yes
How much of the global freshwater withdrawals does agriculture account for?
70%
How much water could be required to feed everyone in 2050?
50% more water could be needed
