The Denial of the Urban Ecosystem !

Way for the Efficient Management of the Natural System We are Living In

The Urban Ecosystem - Depiction
Source : - http://inhabitat.com/

We may have seen the management related problems regarding the sewerages and waste materials of various cities. Though the lack of awareness amongst the people is also an issue in this regard but it may also be increased by the various awareness programs relating the issue on the authorities behalf only. We can't wait for the people to get educated as this will ask for a period of time and still after becoming educated, it's not 100% sure that they will be educated with human values. This issue hence needs to be rooted out on the planning part only. Very few urban planners knows about the various urban ecosystem and if in case they are aware of the term, they will find it very difficult implementing them in their planning process, subsequently which leads them to ignoring the issue or rather just completing the various standards set by the concerned authorities. Very few of us may know that these urban ecosystem if wisely used, serves the best for the various 'Solid waste disposal systems'. For instance, if wetlands are considered, they results in better water management in advantage with, that it also reduces the cost factor and may increase the recreational cultural values. It may serve in a number of very intense issues. Planning has rather failed a long way in serving any these systems. 

Humanity is increasingly urban, but continues to depend on Nature for its survival. Cities are dependent on the ecosystems beyond the city limits, but also benefit from internal urban ecosystems. Seven different urban ecosystems have been identified: street trees; lawns/parks; urban forests; cultivated land; wetlands; lakes/sea; and streams.

When humanity is considered a part of nature, cities themselves can be regarded as a global network of ecosystems. If compared with true, natural ecosystems, the man-made ones are however immature due to features like their rapid growth and inefficient use of resources such as energy and water (Haughton and Hunter, 1994). Odum (1971) even observes cities to be ‘‘only parasites in the biosphere’’.

Most of the problems present in urban areas are locally generated, such as those due to traffic. Often the most effective, and in some cases the only, way to deal with these local problems is through local solutions. In this respect, the urban ecosystems are vital.

I have prepared a document which will help in giving you an overview with the values of urban ecosystems and how it may be used for regaining the things with the help of them. We, and more importantly planners should understand the 'Nature's Cycle' before doing any planning exercise as it leads to the quality of life of the thousands. Merging of an efficient environmentalist may give you some guidance and it'll surely help the whole urban area to be planned with a holistic and long serving approaches. Studies of various cities like Stockholm and Chicago, how they evolved and what were the things which timely,  sometimes their administration and sometimes the society themselves took the initiative and rooted out the problems they have faced. It's a high time for the developing nations, as the development is still in the early stages or you can say in the mid-early age and if it wouldn't been taken care of now, nothing can't be done ever after, except the destruction which will worsen the human life and their values.

My Administrator isn't working and hence not able to share the Google Doc. it seems the window has crashed, sorry for the inconvenience. I'll come back soon with the document as soon as I resolves the issue. Have fun till then and live every moment of your life as it'll never come back(and actually the moment passed never comes back). If any planners or concerned readers have some contradictories or comments, they are free to write to my mail, as the correct thing should always be valued under some parameters. I just want that the readers, do build in their minds some kind of imagination of the city they lives in and feel the difference, if it would have been your way, if you thinks that your city or the city you may have travelled earlier, could be made better if better planning activities would have occurred or rather, right and knowledgeable steps would have been taken.