The effects of urbanization and industrialization

1
The effects of urbanization and industrialization

• Land clearance and reclamation
• By Jennifer Chiu 6B (6)
• Ming Chuan Woo 6B(14)

2
Definition

• What is URBANIZATION??
• It refers to the process whereby a society
  changes from a rural to an urban way of life. It
  refers also to the gradual increase in the
  proportion of people living in urban areas.
• What is INDUSTRIALIZATION??
• It refers to the development of industry on an
  extensive scale

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Why there is rapid urbanization
industrialization?

• Since there is rapid growth in human population,
  so the demand for the expansion of the existing
  boundaries of urban areas is great.
• Modern agriculture involves more machinery and
  fewer labourers than before. Farmers lose their
  jobs and lands and are forced to move to urban
  areas with their families.
• Economic growth and advancement in technology
  result in the shift of agricultural societies to
  those based on manufacturing, commerce and
  services. This also accounts for the increasing
  demands for lands for commercial, industrial and
  tourism development

4
Case study of land clearance and reclamation

• Tung Chung and Chek Lap Kok Airport

5
Reclamation for the construction of Chek Lap Kok
Airport

• Since the old international airport was unable to
  accommodate the future air transport demand, a
  new airport was built in Chek Lap Kok.
• Chek Lap Kok is a small island. To construct the
  airport, large-scale reclamation was carried out
  to form the extensive land.

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The impact of land reclamation on the
environment

• Marine organisms are killed directly, buried as a
  result of dumping of soil at the reclaimed area,
  or removed from sea bottom during dredging with
  heavy machines
• The original shore line are changed and threatens
  the habitats of marine organisms
• Breeding grounds and feeding grounds of some
  species are destroyed
• Some unique habitats of endangered species are
  lost, e.g. Chinese White Dolphins
• Noise pollution of dredging destroys the sonic
  communication of dolphins and they easily lose
  their way and their lives are threatened

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The impact of land reclamation on the
environment

• Sand is dumped into the sea bottom and forms a
  lot of suspended solids in water,
• Turbidity ?
• Light penetration ?
• Photosynthesis of phytoplankton ?
• The organisms along this food chain are affected
• Suspended particles clog fish gills
• High turbidity reduces the visibility of animals
  and they have more difficulties to prey or escape
  from predators
• Sediments dumped into the sea may have various
  constituents.
• Nutrients, e.g. phosphates and nitrates, cause
  algal bloom
• Heavy metals and organic pollutants are harmful
  to marine organisms

8
Land clearance for residential use and for
building infrastructures in Tung Chung

• As the new airport is on an outlying island far
  away from the city centre, Tung Chung new town
  was developed to provide support services, to
  accommodate economic development and to serve as
  an attractive gateway to visitors.
• Communication facilities, infrastructure and
  transport facilities were needed to be improved.
• So forests and agricultural lands were cleared
  before they were converted to urban areas for the
  development.

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The impact of land clearance on the environment

• The loss of trees, shrubs, and other natural
  vegetation results in the destruction of habitats
  for wildlife.
• Deforestation causes soil erosion and extinction
  of some native species.
• Roads and buildings do not absorb rain water as
  vegetation does, leading to flooding and
  landslides problems.
• Soil may be washed from the bare ground during
  heavy rainfall which pollutes the aquatic
  environment and also threaten aquatic lives.

10
The Pros and cons of the development of a local
infrastructure

• Wan Chai Development Phase II

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Wan Chai Development Phase II

• The Wan Chai Development Phase II Project is the
  final phase of the Central and Wan Chai
  Reclamation.
• It will provide land for transport
  infrastructure, including
• the Central-Wan Chai Bypass
• the Island Eastern Corridor Link
• the MTR North Hong Kong Island Line
• the fourth rail harbour crossing section of the
  Shatin to Central Link.
• Also, opportunity is taken to improve the
  waterfront, with open plazas, landscaped areas,
  marinas, leisure, cultural and entertainment
  facilities.

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Discussion

• What are the PROS and CONS of the Wan Chai
  Development Phase II? Discuss in groups.

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Pros

• Improve the transport network
• of Hong Kong
• Enhance visual interest
• Provide a place for people to
• relax, to get away from the busy
• city environment
• Improve water quality in
• Causeway Bay typhoon shelter
• due to removal of bay
• Improve public access to the waterfront from
  existing urban areas.
• Provide recreational open space with spectacular
  views across the harbour.
• Provide place for future tourism and leisure
  orientated developments.
• New shoreline produce new habitats which support
  new ecosystems and new patterns of interaction of
  organisms are formed

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Cons (During construction)

• The construction of roads on land makes the area
  dusty and increase the amount of suspended
  particles, thus worsen the visibility in Wan Chai
• Noise pollution
• Suspended particles and oil contaminates the
  water used for flushing toilets and coolers
• Produce large amount of construction waste
• Visual pollution, waterfront is damaged
• Kill marine organism during dredging
• Destroy the habitat of marine organism

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Cons (After construction)

• Worsen the air quality in Wan Chai due to heavy
  traffic
• Elevated road will cause bad visual impact
• Narrowing the harbour roughens the sea and
  threatens the safety of sea traffic
• Waves also sweep sediments (may contain heavy
  metals, pollutants, rubbish, etc.) up and block
  sunlight from penetrating through, which affects
  the algae population and other marine life
• Reduce the rate of flow across the harbour,
  pollutants are accumulated and reduces the
  dissolved oxygen for the aquatic organisms

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Reference

• http//www.water.hut.fi/wr/research/glob/pubicatio
  ns/Haapala/pdf-files/URBANIZATION20AND20ENVIRONM
  ENT.pdf
• http//www.info.gov.hk/planning/p_study/comp_s/wci
  i/wc2txt_e.htm
• http//www.epd.gov.hk/eia/chi/register/report/exec
  utive/chinese/ceia_0572001/pdf/Exe_Summary_Chi4.pd
  f
• Manhattan Advanced-level Biology for Hong Kong
• Joint-us A level Biology Past Paper Suggested
  Solution
• Manhattan New Geography 5

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• THE END