Environmental Impact (AQA A Level Geography)

• All urban areas have environmental impacts, locally and globally
• High densities of people and structures compete for space
• They consume large quantities of resources - water, energy etc.
• Generate pollution, congestion and waste
• Consume green and natural spaces, and sprawl over vast areas 

Examples of Some Local and Global Environmental Impacts of Urban Areas

• These issues are particularly serious in LDEs and EMEs, where there is conflict between short-term economic development plan and protection of the environment
• The greatest concern is the state of air quality, noise, and congestion in LDEs as industrial development increases
• For EMEs it is the increase in consumption (which increases waste) and traffic, although housing, industrial and infrastructure issues are reduced
• Urban areas are therefore, considered 'hot spots' of production, consumption and waste generation
• However, they have to potential to increase energy efficiency and sustainability of society as a whole

• The ecological footprint is defined as:

The area of land needed to provide the necessary resources and absorb the wastes generated by a community. 

• Tokyo metropolitan area is almost 3 times the total land area of Japan
• The biggest ecological footprints are found in HDEs, where the needs and demands are 10 times larger than LDE cities of similar sizes
• Transport:
  • Large numbers of vehicles and public transport in urban areas need a large amount of fossil fuels
  • This emits a lot of waste gases and particulates
  • However, some urban areas have efficient public transport which reduces their ecological footprint
• Building:
  • Materials needed for development are greatest in EMEs, placing a strain on the Earth
  • Expansion of high rise buildings in HDEs also require natural resources
  • Slow development allows for nature to replace used materials
• Needs:
  • Higher population and development leads to higher rates of consumption, which in turn leads to higher waste production and a higher footprint
• Given that nearly 70% of global population will live in urban areas by 2050, the development of sustainable cities is important

Ecological Footprint

The ecological footprint - urban areas have higher ecological footprints compared to rural areas