Other Contemporary Urban Environmental Issues

Question 1

Give the causes of air pollution

Answer 1

• Population expansion.
• Industrial / technological growth -> few pollutant reduction policies.
• Better standards of living -> afford luxuries.
• Greater manufacturing / energy consumption.
• Urbanisation -> higher population density.
• More vehicles worldwide.

Question 2

Give the effects of air pollution

Answer 2

Acidification -> damage vegetation / buildings
Eutrophication
Air pollutants -> produce ozone -> harm humans, animals, plants

Question 3

Give the short term health problems caused by air pollution

Answer 3

Eye, nose, throat irritation.
Respiratory illness eg bronchitis.
Headaches
Nausea
Allergic reactions
Aggregate athsma

Question 4

Give the long term health problems caused by air pollution

Answer 4

Brain, nerves, liver, kidney damage
Chronic respiratory illness
Lung cancer
Heart disease

Question 5

Give government / community level strategies towards air pollution

Answer 5

Governments…
Prevention rather than solution.
Investing in renewable resources.
Paying more attention to manufacturing activities.
Car companies creating more energy efficient cars.

Question 6

Give individual level strategies to prevent air pollution

Answer 6

Greater use of public transport.
Emphasis on recycling.
Encouraged to cut down use of luxury items.

Question 7

Name the places that are case studies for air pollution

Answer 7

London

Beijing

Question 8

Describe the HIC case study for air pollution

Answer 8

London
•1952 legislation -> reduce amount of smoke entering atmosphere.
•The Act of 1956 -> smoke-free zones, result of Great Smog (1952).
•Local councils now required to monitor levels of air pollution -> in 2015 nitrogen oxide levels were higher than EU’s recommended.
•Measures to clean up construction sites -> responsible for 12% of Nitrogen oxide emissions.

Question 9

Describe the LIC case study for air pollution

Answer 9

Beijing
•Population 11 million, density 27600/km2.
•Cold winters, hot summers -> dramatic difference in seasonal air pollution levels.
•Annual coal consumption = 21 billion tonnes in 2000 (30% industry).
•Domestic-use coal = 0.3% sulphur.

Emission control programmes…
— increase supply of gas for industrial use.
— convert residential fuel to gas.
— modify boilers.
— pave unsurfaced roads / plant trees etc -> reduce wind blown dust.

Question 10

Give the causes of urban dereliction

Answer 10

Run down housing estates / former industrial sites -> derelict.

Deindustrialisation -> abandoned inner city industrial buildings, pubs / shops became vacant due to decline.

Question 11

Give the effects of urban dereliction

Answer 11

• Higher crime / vandalism rates.
• House prices fall -> outmigration.
• High cost of urban renewal -> discourages renovation.
• More investment is needed.

Question 12

Give the ways that urban dereliction risks human health

Answer 12

• Contamination from industry remains in environment -> health problems eg heart disease, cancer.
• Eg industry in Glasgow had a high usage of toxic chemicals -> health issues.

Question 13

Give strategies for tackling urban dereliction

Answer 13

• Regeneration schemes on brownfield sites
-> improves physical env
-> revives older communities
-> preserves historical landmarks
-> reduces urban sprawl
X high cost of clearing land
X high levels of traffic in inner city areas

Question 14

Name the places that are case studies for urban dereliction

Answer 14

London

Dhaka

Question 15

Describe the HIC case study for urban dereliction

Answer 15

2012 Olympics ‘urban park’.
• 350 hectare area was cleaned up, East London.
• Largest new urban park in Europe.
• 100 hectares of open land.
• 45 hectares of new habitat.
• Excavated soil was treated - 80% was reused on site.
• 235,000m3 contaminated groundwater was treated.

Question 16

Describe the LIC case study for urban dereliction

Answer 16

Dhaka
• Derelict land -> due to redundant tanneries.
• Little investment for regeneration -> lack of gov funding.
• Sites often occupied by squatters / illegal rubbish dumps.
-> soil / water pollution / health issues

Question 17

Give the causes of water pollution

Answer 17

• Surface runoff from streets - oil, heavy metals.
• Industrial waste.
• Poorly treated sewage.
• Rubbish dumps.
• Toxic waste.
• Chemical / fuel storage.
• Intentional dumping of hazardous substances.
• Air pollution eg acid rain, nitrate / ammonium deposition.

Question 18

Give the effects of water pollution

Answer 18

• Over 1.2 billion people lack access to clean water.
• 80% of all infectious diseases are waterborne.
• Creates breeding ground for malaria carrying mosquitos.
• Damage to ecosystems -> extinction of species.

Question 19

Give the effects of water pollution on health

Answer 19

• Heavy metals -> slow development -> birth defects / cancer.
• Industrial waste -> damage health of aquatic life and those who eat them.
• Microbes -> infectious diseases to aquatic animals / pollute drinking water -> cholera / typhoid fever -> LIC infant mortality.
• Organic matter + nutrients -> eutrophication.
• Suspended particles -> reduces drinking quality / sunlight penetration -> disturb growth of plants / micro organisms.

Question 20

Is there lower water quality in LICs / HICs? Why?

Answer 20

LICs due to lack of money, inadequate technology, lack of effective legislation

Question 21

What do HICs focus on when trying to improve water quality?

Answer 21

Construction of water treatment facilities / wastewater plants.
Regulation aimed at point source polluters.

Question 22

Name the types of strategies used to manage water pollution

Answer 22

• Low impact development (LID).
• Legislation, regulation, enforcement.
• Education / awareness.
• Improvements in sewage / waste water processing.
• Appropriate technology.

Question 23

Define low impact development

Answer 23

A stormwater management approach to reduce storm water runoff.
Inc - vegetation, permeable surfaces.
Eg permeable streets, green roofs, rain gardens, urban parks

Question 24

How does legislation, regulation and enforcement help to manage water pollution?

Answer 24

Eg incentive based approaches that charge polluters per unit,
Factories have limits on amount of pollution they can discharge.

Question 25

How does education and awareness help manage water pollution?

Answer 25

If people know about causes / effects of water pollution they can try to avoid adding to the problem.
Eg 2014, Wessex Waters used mobile billboards in hotspot areas to encourage people to bin wet wipes rather than flush them

Question 26

How can appropriate technology help manage water pollution?

Answer 26

Eg Janicki Omniprocessor
Small scale technology -> clean water in LICs.
Boils raw sewer sludge -> separates water vapour from solids.
Solids put into fire -> steam -> generate electricity for the processor + local community.
Water out through cleaning system -> safe to drink.

Question 27

Name the places that are case studies for water pollution

Answer 27

River Thames

Yamuna River, New Delhi

Question 28

Describe the HIC case study for water pollution

Answer 28

River Thames, London.
• cleanest river in the world that runs through a major city.
• declared biologically dead 50 years ago.
• war time bombing destroyed sewers -> pollution.
• river became oxygen deprived due to bacteria + waste.
• 1960s -> sewer systems improved.
• factories became more environmentally aware.
• tighter pesticide regulations / charity cleaned up river.
• pollution from toxic metals decreased -> stricter industry regulations.
• now over 125 species of fish in river.

Question 29

Describe the LIC case study for water pollution

Answer 29

Yamuna River, New Delhi
Pollution due to..
• 58% of waste goes into the river.
• Over 500 factories are situated along river -> all dump waste.
• Human settlements -> pesticides, insecticides, people washing, defecating into river.

Effects…
• Unable to support marine life.
• Biodegradable waste -> overgrowth of algae -> loss of oxygen.
• Arsenic levels increased by 20x in last 20 years -> cancer, skin problems.
• Farmers use water for agriculture -> get diseases.

Efforts made…
• Gov promised to clean up River -> spent 2000 cores.
• cleared slums / installed inexpensive toilets.
• Fines set for dumping waste.
-> most plans failed and very little has been done.