Let’s make our cities greener and healthier

What you need to know:

It is expected that by 2050 nearly six billion people, or as much as 70 per cent of the global population will be living in urban areas.

Rapid urbanisation is now a big global development issue in many countries of the world. More and more people are moving to go and live in urban areas. More people live in cities than ever before.

It is expected that by 2050 nearly six billion people, or as much as 70 per cent of the global population will be living in urban areas.

Unfortunately, the trend does not augur well with natural resources conservation efforts. Many cities have witnessed unprecedented degradation of natural resources, including forests and trees that is caused by population growth, increasing demand for wood biomass for energy, expanding areas for agriculture and human settlements, among other reasons.

Many countries are now counting the costs of degradation and deforestation. They have had negative impacts on the economy, and the environment in terms of biodiversity loss, increase of greenhouse gas emission levels, disruption of water cycles, repeated droughts, increasing soil erosion and disruption of livelihoods.

Unguided rapid urbanisation is increasingly raising a concern over the future sustainability of cities. In many places urbanisation has been taking place at the expense of forest lands and depletion of other natural resources. This type of urbanisation culminates into conflict between natural resources conservation efforts and human activities.

But rapid urbanisation does not need to result in polluted urban sprawl. Trees and urban forests can make our cities greener, healthier and happier places to live in. Research has shown for example that planned growing of trees in urban areas helps provide cool air by up to 8 degrees Celsius, reducing air conditioning needs by 30 per cent. Urban trees are excellent air filters, removing harmful pollutants in the air and fine particulates. The International Day of Forests (IDF), which is celebrated on March 21 every year, is therefore an important reminder of the economic and ecological importance of forests and trees as they are responsible for sustaining life on the earth’s surface.

This year’s IDF theme is ‘Forests and Sustainable Cities’ that emphasizes the need to make our cities greener, healthier and happier places for people to live.

This global celebration of forests provides a platform to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and trees, and celebrate the ways in which they sustain and protect us.

We should therefore remind ourselves of the myriad of benefits provided by forests and trees for populations in and around urban areas. Forests and trees store carbon, which helps regulate the temperature and air, and eventually contribute to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Trees also improve the local climate, helping to save energy used for heating by 20-50 per cent.

Trees reduce noise pollution, as they shield homes from nearby roads and industrial areas. Local populations use the fruits, nuts, leaves and insects found in urban trees to produce food and medicines for use in the home, or as a source of income.

Wood fuel sourced from urban trees and planted forests on the outskirts of cities provides renewable energy for cooking and heating, which reduces pressures on natural forests and our reliance on fossil fuels.

Forests in and around urban areas help to filter and regulate water, contributing to high-quality freshwater supplies for hundreds of millions of people. Forests also protect watersheds and prevent flooding as they store water in their branches and soil.

Urban green spaces, including forests and garden of trees, encourage active and healthy lifestyles, improve mental health, prevent diseases, and provide a place for people to recreate and socialise.