Sustainable Development of Housing and Environmental Impacts

Environmental Impacts of Housing Developments

• Housing developments in urban areas demand significant resource consumption to sustain their populations. These resources include:

  • Land for the construction of buildings, supporting infrastructure, and recreational spaces.

  • Electricity to provide power for homes and public facilities.

  • Food supplies for consumption by residents.

  • Water for drinking, domestic activities, and sanitation purposes.

• Conversely, housing developments generate substantial waste and various types of pollution:

  • Air pollution.

  • Water pollution.

  • Land pollution.

Depletion of Natural Resources

• The continuous expansion of housing leads to the significant depletion of natural resources, specifically regarding forests and water.

• Depletion of Forests:

  • Forests are cleared extensively to provide physical space for housing structures.

  • Forests are harvested to obtain wood and are cleared to facilitate the mining of iron, both of which are essential building materials.

  • Agricultural land expansion into forested areas is necessary to grow food for increasing city populations.

  • Global Tree Cover Loss Data (2001-2015):

    • Data measures loss in millions of hectares across various regions: Southeast Asia, Russia/China/South Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and North America.

    • Primary drivers of loss include urbanization, wildfires, forestry, shifting agriculture, and direct deforestation.

• Over-extraction of Water Resources:

  • Urban housing requires massive volumes of water for drinking and sanitation.

  • Large global cities consume approximately $500 \times 10^9\,litres$ of water per day.

  • Over-extraction leads to several environmental crises, including water scarcity, damage to local ecosystems, and land subsidence.

  • Projected Water Stress by 2040:

    • Extremely high stress: >80\%

    • High stress: $40-80\%$

    • Medium to high stress: $20-39\%$

    • Low to medium stress: $10-19\%$

    • Low stress: <10\%

    • India faces a potential "Zero Water Day" due to these pressures.

Environmental Pollution and Its Consequences

• Land Pollution:

  • Definition: The deposition of solid or liquid waste materials on the surface or underground in a way that contaminates soil and threatens public health.

  • Causes include chemical and industrial waste from factories, as well as the dumping of garbage and sewage from residential areas.

  • Impacts:

    • Chemicals and toxins leach into rivers, lakes, and groundwater, harming aquatic life and human drinking water.

    • Contact with contaminated soil causes skin diseases.

    • Inhalation of landfill gases leads to respiratory issues like asthma and long-term risks such as cancer.

  • Top Contributors to Land Pollution (Ranked):

    1. China: Industrial (copper, lead, mercury, arsenic) and Agriculture sectors.

    2. United States: Industrial, Agriculture, and Waste sectors.

    3. India: Agriculture (fertilisers, pesticides) and Waste sectors.

    4. European Union: Industrial and Agriculture sectors.

    5. Russia: Industrial (oil, coal, gas, deforestation) and Waste sectors.

• Water Pollution:

  • Definition: The contamination of water bodies.

  • Causes:

    • Surface runoff from streets carrying oil, rubber, and heavy metals from vehicles.

    • Untreated or poorly treated sewage containing bacteria and harmful chemicals.

    • Hazardous substances flowing from garbage dumps and industrial waste into groundwater.

  • Impacts:

    • Human Health: Risks of death from waterborne diseases like diarrhoea or dysentery.

    • Ecology: Aquatic life, such as fish, struggle to survive or thrive in polluted environments.

Distribution Analysis of Pollution-Related Deaths

• Question: Describe the distribution of deaths per $100,000$ people attributable to water pollution.

• Data Analysis:

  • Under $50$ deaths per $100,000$: Typically found in North America, Northern Africa, Australia, and Brazil.

  • $51-75$ deaths per $100,000$: Found in the western regions of South America and South-eastern Europe.

  • $76-100$ deaths per $100,000$: Found in various parts of Europe and South-east Asia.

  • $101-316$ deaths per $100,000$: Found in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, China, and Russia.

Impacts of Housing on Human Well-Being

• Housing improves both physical and mental health by providing essential services and social structures.

• Provision of Basic Needs:

  • Shelter and protection from extreme weather conditions.

  • Formal housing ensures access to sanitation, which serves to reduce the outbreak of contagious diseases.

  • Secure access to water and electricity.

• Presence of Amenities:

  • Amenities such as grocery shops, markets, and regional medical clinics (e.g., Telok Blangah Community Centre in the 1980s) make life easier and raise the overall quality of life.

• Presence of Communities:

  • Housing provides social spaces such as community centres and playgrounds.

  • These areas foster social gatherings, allow neighbors to build friendships, and cultivate a sense of camaraderie.

  • A strong community spirit leads to a sense of belonging and inclusivity, which correlates with a higher quality of life and social stability.

Sustainable Management of Housing

• Sustainable housing management is defined by two key pillars:

  1. Meeting current housing needs while minimizing negative impacts on the physical environment.

  2. Providing for both present and future needs by accounting for diverse and changing demographics.

• Core Strategies for Sustainable Management:

  • Integrated land-use planning.

  • Provision of inclusive public housing.

  • Installing environmental features.

  • Enhancement of slums (informal housing).

Implementation of Sustainable Strategies

• Integrated Land-Use Planning:

  • Coordinates the use of land for housing, industry, transport infrastructure, and nature conservation.

  • Balances economic, social, and environmental benefits.

  • Key Principle: Housing should be separated from pollutive industries, while transport and commercial buildings should be integrated close to or within housing projects.

• Provision of Inclusive Public Housing:

  • Caters to different age groups, economic brackets, and ability levels to ensure universal urban housing access.

  • Case Study: Inclusive Playgrounds (e.g., Singapore):

    • Designed for children of all abilities to promote understanding and acceptance.

    • Features: Wheelchair swings with locking mechanisms, merry-go-rounds for cognition, roller slides for body control, and sand-tables for touch sensory development.

    • Accessibility: Barrier-free paths from car parks and bus stops, and disability-friendly washrooms.

  • Evaluation:

    • Advantages: Meets diverse needs and promotes social bonding.

    • Disadvantages: High costs for specialized amenities and increased time/effort for varied architectural designs.

• Installing Environmental Features:

  • Uses green technology such as solar panels for common lighting, green roofs to lower temperatures, and water-efficient fittings.

  • Evaluation:

    • Advantages: Long-term cost savings by reducing fossil fuel reliance and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

    • Disadvantages: High initial installation costs and potential perceived inconvenience for residents (e.g., sorting trash).

• Enhancement of Slums (Informal Housing):

  • Governments recognize that improving existing informal housing is more sustainable than mass demolition and relocation.

  • Example: Vadodara, Gujarat, India – Slum Upgradation Strategy (2017-2020).

  • Evaluation:

    • Successes: Provision of electricity, water, and sanitation reduces disease and improves quality of life. Social services like clinics and schools improve health and job prospects.

    • Challenges: Lack of funding restricts widespread rollout. Deep-seated social issues like high crime rates, drug abuse, and societal stigmatization remain difficult to resolve.