6.-Module-5_part-1_Urbanization

The S.T.S. Connections of Climate Change

• Module 5 Overview

  • Focuses on the interconnections between climate change and several topics:

    • Urbanization

    • Human Health

    • Biodiversity

    • Agriculture & Food Security

    • Water Resources

  • Learners to apply the STS (Science, Technology, Society) approach as introduced in Module 1.

  • Encouragement to explore and analyze interrelations to create a personal understanding.

Urbanization

• Topic 1 of Module 5

Intended Learning Outcomes

• By the end of this section:

  1. Understand how population demographics affect the ecological footprint and climate change.

  2. Analyze the relationships between birth rates, mortality rates, life expectancy, and migration.

  3. Connect demographic variables to urbanization and climate change discussions.

  4. Evaluate urbanization's pros and cons.

  5. Integrate concepts for creating sustainable environments.

Human Population Dynamics

• Support Capacity Queries:

  • How many people can the Earth realistically support?

  • Understanding urbanization’s link to population.

Growth Patterns

• Historical Growth Trends:

  • Initially slow, current exponential growth for 200 years due to:

    • Expansion into diverse habitats.

    • Advances in agriculture improving food production.

    • Significant drops in death rates from healthcare improvements.

• Current Trends:

  • Growth includes 83 million people (2011) mainly in middle and low-income countries.

  • Projection: 95% of population growth until 2050 to occur in least-developed nations.

Cultural Carrying Capacity

• Defines the number of people a region can support while maintaining comfort and freedom.

• Additional measuring parameters needed for Earth's sustainability for human existence.

Measures of Sustainability

• Discussion point: Is this growth beneficial or detrimental?

Global Context and Comparisons

• Query on the Philippines’ population ranking in 2015 and recent statistics.

Philippine Context

• Fertility Rates:

  • Global Total Fertility Rate (TFR) dropped from 5 to 2.5 (1955 - 2011).

  • TFR of 2.1 needed for population stabilization.

Influencing Factors on Birth and Fertility Rates

• Influences that dictate average birth rates:

  • Dependence on children as a labor source.

  • Cost of child-rearing and education.

  • Availability of pensions.

  • Urbanization effects.

• Additional factors:

  • Women's education and employment opportunities.

  • Legal and cultural influences on reproductive choices.

Death Rate Influencers

• Improvements leading to extended life expectancy:

  • Nutrition, healthcare, sanitation contributions.

  • Indicators: life expectancy and infant mortality rate significance.

  • Reflecting societal health standards.

• Notable mortality data:

  • Over 4 million infants die each year despite declines in rates.

Migration Effects

• Migration statistics:

  • Movement of people due to various factors including job search, conflict, and environmental changes.

  • Environmental refugees classified based on ecological degradation.

• Formula for population changes:

  • Births + Immigrants = Deaths + Emigrants.

AIDS Impact on Population

• AIDS has drastically influenced demographics:

  • Over 29 million deaths between 1981-2010, continuing losses.

  • Alters age structure and life expectancy, with significant effects on labor force.

Population Decline Parameters

• Discussion point on countries facing rapid population decline.

• Consideration of migration policies in response to declining populations.

Population Control Strategies

• Three effective methods:

  • Reduce poverty.

  • Enhance women's societal status.

  • Promote family planning and reproductive health.

Economic Development and Population Growth

• Industrialization leads to slower population growth phases:

  • Stages: Preindustrial, Transitional, Industrial, Postindustrial.

• Potential pitfalls for less-developed countries stuck in rapid growth.

Empowering Women

• Education and rights of women linked to lower birth rates:

  • Consequences of women’s economic status on fertility rates.

  • Statistics showing disparity in income and land ownership.

• Observations on the differences in children’s average counts based on literacy.

Family Planning Importance

• Overview of family planning impact:

  • Significantly reduced potential global population figures.

  • Health insight into pregnancy and abortion statistics.

  • Exploration of regulations surrounding family planning in various cultures.

Urbanization Issues

• Problems arising:

  • Urban sprawl leading to inefficient land use and pollution.

  • Historical demographic patterns with increasing urban poverty rates.

Major Trends in Urbanization

• Escalating urban population projections:

  • Growth from 2% in 1850 to an expected 70% by 2050.

• Analysis of poverty urbanization in less-developed countries.

Urban Resource and Environmental Management

• Discussion of pollution concentrations:

  • Urban areas as central pollution sources, impacting health.

• Urban heat islands caused by infrastructure and emissions.

Urban Living Conditions

• Struggles of the urban poor in less-developed regions:

  • Living conditions in slums and lack of essential services.

  • Discussions on health outcomes in suboptimal environments.

Sustainable Urban Growth

• Potential for more sustainable cities mentioned through:

  • Smart growth principles to optimize land use.

  • New urbanism encouraged to promote walkable communities.

Ecocity Case Study: Curitiba, Brazil

• Highlights of Curitiba’s urban management:

  • Development of public transport over car infrastructure.

  • Transformation of flood areas into parks.

  • Focus on recycling and education initiatives.

Conclusion

• Invitation to continue with further modules enhancing the understanding of urbanization and climate change relates to human health, biodiversity, and sustainability.