Category: sustainability
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Urban Green Spaces and Human Health
Vipin Kumar and Sonali Chauhan There is an increasing demand for residential and commercial spaces , as infrastructure is often preferred over natural spaces in the city. The industrial model of development through which we create our cities results in a double kill – i) decline in natural green spaces (which are pollution controlling agents…
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Island City
Shiwani Standing in the shade of a tree on a hot summer day is often relaxing and refreshing. One would appreciate this all the more had they experienced the sweltering heat of Delhi’s summer. Being one of the most densely populated cities on the planet, the temperatures in the core areas of the city are…
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Gust of Dust
Shiwani The Indo-Gangetic Plains stretching from north India all the way to the east have been witnessing very poor air-quality during the pre-monsoon season (March to May) for the past few years. Delhi, due to its geographical location, is placed in the middle of the dust-laden Westerly winds originating from the Arabian Peninsula or the…
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Saving the Remnants
Vijaylakshmi Suman Recently, the Haryana government moved a bill to amend the 118-year-old Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) – a law which inhibits construction activities in large sections of the Aravalli’s. While the PLPA is not applicable to those areas falling under Master Plans, the bill allows the continued existence of those unauthorised constructions that…
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Water is the New Gold
Vijaylakshmi Suman How believable is the claim that World War III will be fought over water? NASA’s satellite data revealed that out of 37 of the earth’s largest aquifers, 21 are recognised as “overstressed”, with almost no scope of natural replenishment. However, these facts may not be hard to believe considering the present drought situation…
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Health Equity and Sustainable Urban Growth
Vipin Kumar Better livelihood, proper medical facilities, and higher education are responsible for the continuous movement of people from rural to urban areas. Almost 30% of the total Indian population resides in cities (Census 2011) and contributes around 50% of the total GDP. To achieve effective economic development, sustainable utilization of resources is obligatory. Water…
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Rising Garbage Mounds Galore
Vijaylakshmi Suman How particular are you when it comes to throwing waste in a dustbin and not littering the surroundings? Most of us are very careful about it, and dumping waste at the right place gives us a sense that we have fulfilled our duty by keeping up with the basic etiquettes we learnt in…
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Urban Development at the Cost of Rural Exploitation
Vipin Kumar In India, technological advances, improvements in health services, development of better academic institutes, and massive scale of industrialization has caused the en masse movement of people from rural to urban areas. Large-scale urban development through the construction of residential complexes, hospitals, educational institutions, commercial complexes, parking lots, roads, service lanes, parks and gardens,…
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Twinkle, Twinkle City Light: The Effects of Artificial Lighting on Species
By Sonali Chauhan Homo sapiens or humans can be termed as the most adaptable species on the planet. We not only adapt to our immediate environment but also modify it like no other species can. Urban ecosystems or cities are an epitome of the extent we can modify a particular space. Satellite images are an…
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Green Spaces in the Urban
By Fizala Tayebulla Keywords: Urban Green Space, Urban Park, Human-Environment Relation, Urbanization Under the ambit of urban green space- urban public park or a metropolitan park is a green and open space in cities that offer recreation to residents and visitors. Urban parks are typically maintained by the government on a local level but may…