Urban ecology: a way forward

What is urban ecology? The term is self-explanatory. Yet, let me illuminate the unaware. When one talks about the environment, the first that comes to mind are forests and mountains. But urban ecology is as much a part of the environment as rural ecology. Urban ecology deals with how cities are altered, in a positive or negative way, and the effect that this has on the population. This includes but is not limited to: construction of artificial water reservoirs such as dams; updated irrigation techniques; the wiping out of agricultural land; the establishment of factories and industrial units leading to massive air pollution; the clearing of forests for construction leading to a loss of biodiversity; the contamination of water supplies due to bad drainage and sewage systems; the accumulation of solid waste and its improper disposal; and the effects of climate change on the urban environment.

In Pakistan, urban areas or cities are up to 20 degrees warmer during the summer heat waves because of lack of urban planning and unequal green space distribution. But how does one distribute land equally while taking into consideration both aspects of nature and humans? If we want to live in harmony with nature, we must seriously consider the effects that urban development can have on the surrounding environment. For example, making modifications in the aquatic system in urban areas such as Karachi — a coastal area — will result in decreased stream diversity and increased pollution. Moreover, it is pertinent to watch over how green spaces are maintained. We must look towards addressing long-standing challenges such as urban flooding and the spreading of disease through grass-root development and community engagement.

Urban planners or ecologists are supposed to address these issues and find adequate solutions to the pressing problems of the modern world. With Pakistan’s population rapidly surging, there is an ever-increasing need to find a balance between nature and communities by deciding how much suburban areas should be allocated in and around residential areas. Similarly, with a high demand for urban centers, it is the job of urban ecologists to maintain the required green area for peaceful co-existence with nature. Land should be allocated carefully to sustain the growing population of the city. Another grave challenge is to curtail deforestation, which is a major cause of concern due to rapid urbanisation.

We must understand that urbanisation is accompanied by serious environmental implications as scant resources have to be divided among a large population. The idea of urban ecology within the grand scheme of things is to shift the perspective from ‘challenges’ to ‘solutions’. Urban ecology is trying to find a way forward for the peaceful coexistence of all species. The reality however is much different than these proposed definitions. Cities are built to cater to the elite and powerful. Urban planners are currently aiding this process by creating a utopian urban landscape — a safe haven of sorts — for a small segment of the population while completely ignoring the rest.

The way forward in urban ecology is by realising the realities and consequences attached to these phenomena and acting accordingly so that resources are distributed and development is done in a more equitable manner. At some point we also might encounter the ecological paradox of eliminating nature in a bid to conserve it.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2022.

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