Urban Environmental and Social Challenges in a Globalized World
Urban Environmental Challenges
The Urban Heat Island Effect and Air Pollution
Most cities experience a heat island microclimate, with temperatures typically 1-4°C higher than surrounding rural areas. Several factors contribute to this phenomenon:
- Heat emission and reflection from buildings (residential and industrial).
- Heat absorption and radiation by cement, bricks, and asphalt.
- Sunlight reflection from building windows.
- Pollutant emissions (from industries, vehicles, heating systems) creating smog, which traps radiation.
- Lack of wind to disperse heat and bring in fresh air currents.
The heat island effect has several impacts:
- Changes in season duration (shorter winters, longer summers), leading to increased energy consumption for air conditioning.
- Increased incidence of lung diseases.
Urban Waste Management
Large cities consume significant resources (water, energy) and generate substantial waste. Landfills create environmental problems, particularly air and soil pollution. To address this, we must:
- Reduce waste production.
- Recycle as much waste as possible.
- Modify industrial processes and adopt clean technologies.
- Manufacture recyclable products and reduce packaging.
- Change consumption patterns.
Waste management strategies include:
- Treatment plants for glass, paper, and plastic.
- Composting plants.
- Biogas plants utilizing organic matter decomposition.
Social Issues in Urban Areas
Social Inequalities and Spatial Segregation
Cities often exhibit significant social inequalities and spatial segregation based on purchasing power. Luxurious neighborhoods exist alongside areas of poverty, where residents (unemployed, homeless, undocumented immigrants) struggle to meet basic needs (food, clothing, shelter). This “fourth world” often occupies older city districts with deteriorating buildings and infrastructure. As wealthier residents leave, these areas become populated by those with limited purchasing power, often elderly, creating ghettos. This economic segregation can be compounded by cultural and linguistic differences, as immigrant groups cluster together for mutual support, leading to further spatial segregation.
Access to Housing
High housing costs force some residents, particularly those with limited resources, to relocate to the periphery.
Globalization in the 21st Century
Economic Globalization
Globalization has primarily economic implications. The world has become a single market where any product can be produced and sold anywhere. Advanced transportation and communication systems facilitate this global market. Economic power now relies on technology and information control. New technologies (IT, telematics) allow companies to control economic activity without needing factories in their home countries. Offshoring to less developed countries is profitable due to lower labor costs and fewer regulatory hurdles.
Economic globalization integrates the global economy into a single, capitalist-dominated system. This creates interdependence of production systems and reduces national governments’ control over their economies. This interdependence assigns specific functions to each country or region based on:
- Unequal distribution of natural resources.
- Unequal distribution driven by companies seeking to expand market share and profits.
- Unequal distribution of wealth.
Multinational corporations are the key players in globalization, operating in multiple countries directly or through subsidiaries. They influence production, investment, and job creation, often overshadowing national governments’ economic policies. No country or region remains untouched by this process.