Urbanization Pollution

What affect does urbanization have on different areas of the world?

What is urbanization?

• Urbanization is when people move from rural areas to urban areas.
• Urbanization sometimes results in pollution and/or deforestation.
• Most people move to urban areas for opportunity and/or health care.
• Cities with large populations produce more green house gases and pollution.
• Urbanization can be good, but could destroy an animals environment. 

Facts about urbanization

• More than half of the world's population lives in urban areas.
• People are building the equivalent of a city like Vancouver every week.
• Most growth is in countries like China, India, and Africa.
• 40% of deaths worldwide are caused by pollution.
• Most pollution is caused by urbanization.

Untitled Slide

• Air pollution from factories kills around 3 million people a year.
• In 100 years or so we might have no green space left from urbanization.
• Overpopulation is when the environment can't support the amount of people.
• 75-100% of pollution in North America is caused by urbanization.
• Over one half of the world's population lives on less than 1 dollar a day. 

WHICH AREAS ARE MOST AFFECTED BY URBANIZATION?

The Amazon Rain Forest is greatly affected by urbanization. 55% percent of the Amazon Rain Forest could be gone by 2030. Some animals that are almost extinct from this rapid urbanization include Jaguars, Hyacinth Macaws, Golden Lion Tamarin (Monkeys), and Amazon River Dolphins.

China is very affected by urbanization/pollution,(mostly air pollution). 1 third of 113 cities in China failed to meet national air standards last year. This doesn't just affect people, but animals as well. Only 1% of people living in cities in China, out of 560 million people, breath air considered safe by European air standards.

Over the last century the forest cover around the world has been compromised by urbanization, leaving the percentage of green space covering the land to an all time low of 30%. Approximately 18 million acres of forest are lost each year because of urbanization.

OTHER PROBLEMS CREATED BY URBANIZATION.

When more people move to a city more buildings are needed. Sometimes they destroy animals environments displacing or killing that animal, or insect. Animals that feed off those animals or insects that were displaced or were killed could starve. This could create a chain reaction in the food chain, eventually starving many animals and/or insects.

Thank you all for attentively listening to my presentation.

Bibliography

http://www.ehow.com/list_6763875_species-being-affected-deforestation-amazo...
www.conserve-energy-future.com
www.deforestation.php
www.factsanddetails.com
www.eschooltoday.com
www.mckinsey.com