The current average population increase globally is estimated at 81 million people per year. This growth causes people to move to cities in search of better job opportunities or otherwise termed as in search for greener pastures. As a result, cities are congesting and resources are becoming limited if not depleting.
What solutions are needed to ensure these urban centres can take the strain, and provide liveable, sustainable environments for their inhabitants?
Reducing pollution is a must do. Air pollution is an environmental crisis that needs to be tackled at source, is it deforestation, charcoal burning, or fossil fuel plants. It’s all linked to human population growth and carbon emissions.”
As our population grows, waste generation also increases and if this is not managed well then it becomes a dilemma. This waste will end up in our landfills and waterways if not sustainably managed. Cities should put in place the best infrastructure to manage waste in a sustainable manner, proper waste separation at source, waste collection management and waste upcycling/down cycling/recycling and disposal.
Water scarcity and poor water quality can trigger or exacerbate conflict among communities. Human and environmental health are threatened as a result. Governments need to create solutions that are sustainable to local water issues. The impacts of climate change in several regions, such as prolonged droughts, floods will only worsen if our human activities negatively impact on the environment this calls for urgent measures to curb climate change.
Its time to give global heating, wildlife extinction and pollution the urgent attention and prominence that demands.
Article by Pracksidis Wandera
November 2019
