Urban development or Environmental degradation?

Land Degradation in Arouca

Almost all of us at one point in time have heard the saying "A picture tells a thousand words." This picture for example which shows the construction of the Arouca River bridge does in fact display multi-faceted problems that may not have been taken into consideration. Before I condemn this urban development project as being "bad", I would like to state that this bridge will have a positive influence for the residents of Arouca as well as those citizens who use the Eastern Main Road as their main transport route. It also displays Arouca's urban growth as the older bridge would now be built to a more modern design. As such there would be a more efficient transport route available for access by the public.

Regardless of the benefits development brings, the process in which  reconstruction undergoes usually creates many environmental impacts during its time of construction. What can you interpret from the picture above? In my opinion, four things come to mind.

1. Land Degradation
2. Air Pollution
3. Noise Pollution
4. Water Pollution

These are some of the major environmental problems being faced today.

Before this area was cleared for construction that is besides for the  bridge, previously the area surrounding the bridge was densely occupied by forest/or large trees as the picture still indicates. This area had to be cleared and graded for the reconstruction because the new bridge required more space to be built. As a result of the removal of these large rooting systems which held together the soil, the land can become vulnerable to erosion by wind, rainfall and even mass movement which can occur due to the body of water situated below, the river.Besides from this degradation that can occur, there is the loss of habitat and ecosystems due to the disruption in the river and by trees. Therefore both fishes and birds have to relocate to find a new place to dwell.

 Arouca Eastern Main Road : Shows the proximity of residents to construction site

Another impact of this bridge development is air pollution. During this construction, the movement in and out of the area by trucks constantly raises dust particles. As there is no trees to intercept the wind blown, the dust that is raised when construction is being done has a profound impact as the atmosphere becomes highly polluted as chemicals used in the materials  for the bridge structure fumigate the area on a daily basis. This can result in allergic reactions amongst residents as it is in close proximity to households. Therefore those persons who suffer from respiratory illnesses would be severely affected as this construction is not a short building process but a long one. Even those who do not suffer from respiratory illnesses can have a low resistance to it and can also develop sinus problems which can be very irritating. Besides being a health hazard to many, the large amounts of dust that is raised on a daily basis contributes to the pollution of households, for example the home environment becomes contaminated regularly thus frustrating  the residents who have to be dusting and cleaning on a daily basis. This was the complaint of a relative of mines who live in the area. She complained about the discolouration of her white washing machine now cream in colour, which was located in her yard was due to the constant dust settling.

Contributing to these environmental effects is the noise which can become intolerable when it is being created daily. This is due to the heavy equipment being transported in and out of the construction site as well as the machinery when doing work. Residents in the neighbourhood encounters problems with this because the noise disturbs their own peace and quiet in their homes as well as cause their pet animals to become irritable from the constant movement in and out the area. This noise also contributed to the relocation of many species from this area due to  the disturbance which was created in their original habit.

Lastly, all these factors come together and individually contributed to water pollution as there is a river situated directly below the bridge. Water becomes polluted due to the heavy soil material which have been pushed into the river by the land degradation. The noise disturbance as well creates a problem for river fishes to spawn due to the vibrations travelling far distances in the water as well as chemicals from materials used to build may be leaked into the water contributing to eutrophication or causing the water pH to change. These factors play a hand in hand role in polluting the water ways and changing its course. 

In an article by the Newsday (February 2014), due to construction at this site there was an incident in which the contractor Jusamco had an accident where they ended up breaking a main WASA pipe. This contributed to areas east and west of the corridor experiencing water lost. Approximately 400,000 households were affected by this which created frustration from the citizens. Even when the problem eventually fixed, many households experienced getting dirty water from their taps. This story can be followed in the following articles "My People are on it" or "Customers must wait 24 more hours".

According to Richard Peiser in his article on "Urban Sprawl" (2012), environmental degradation has resulted from market and regulatory failure to protect the environment. Market failure because it contributes to inefficient development and the poor establishment of open-space and Regulatory failure because it promotes the gluttonous use of land for development. As a result, not only the environment is affected but failure to properly plan can  impact on the lives of people due to the health hazards that can arise.

Reference:

Richard Peiser. 2012. "Urban Sprawl," The Town Planning Review 72: no.3: 284.

I See Lots...

The Waterfront and its Environment

The beautiful city of Port of Spain on entry one can gaze upon a few high rise buildings. Just to list a few, The Twin Towers, The Nicholas Tower and the Hyatt Regency Trinidad.  For many who have visited the capital, a must stop is the waterfront which is located next to the Hyatt as well as the Port. At the waterfront area, one can see many boats harbored and beyond you can see the never ending blue ocean. Or so it may seem!

This water body which bounds the five star hotel Hyatt, is in fact polluted. Even though it appears clean due to the absence of garbage, the water quality here is unsatisfactory in my opinion. The Hyatt Regency is the number one hotel in Trinidad which facilitate in the hospitality of many foreigners such as Government Officials, Celebrities and even Tourist who visit the country for varying reasons. As such, you would expect to leave these visitors with a positive impression of our sweet T&T.  However the slumped area seen upon entrance to the city could be an 'eyesore' to witness as well as the contamination of the water from Sea Lots adjoining with the ocean is very unpleasant. Would you not prefer that our 5 star hotel which overlooks the sea be a clean blue, not one that is obscured by the dark waste? 

Sea Lots Water Pollution

Those who are familiar with the Sea Lots environment and for many who may not have notice, observe the environment the next time you take a trip to Post of Spain. You will be given a clear visual of this distasteful sight and unfortunately you would be greeted with its unpleasant odour. So whine up those glasses!!

The Sea Lots area is directly linked with the open sea and it is a clear indication of the water quality in the vicinity. Sea Lots which is home to many squatters is severely polluted with varying amounts of garbage ranging from glass bottles to old plastic that have accumulated by the residents occupying the area. This is illustrated in the picture which shows a heavily polluted, dark and muddy water. This is due to the area having poor drainage and little to no infrastructure for sewage or pipe borne water. The residents here are usually employed at the waterfront or at the Sea Lots Industrial Centre. As such they remain in a dormant position in which the case is they are encouraged to pollute on an everyday basis.

According to Richard Peiser urban planning should contain policies governing utility provision which would discourage sprawl but however due to the absence of the laws, areas like Sea Lots and the Beetham will continue to prevail. Furthermore, due to the pull factors such as good schools and safer neighbourhoods versus the push factors of poor schools, high crime rates and the deteriorating home values are substantially the reason why there is currently a high concentration of poverty in the city region as the poor are not able to afford the commodities of the suburban environment (Rusk, 1995)

As such the Government and the people needs to be more aware of the water pollution problem which is generated in the city life especially by those who are residents of the slumped areas because they are faced directly with serious health threats that can be fatal(Hall, 2006:154)Therefore to avoid or reduce these problems associated by sprawl, regional management is necessary so that all municipalities within the metropolitan can benefit in their best interest instead of individual areas maximizing their own self-interest. With this, proper facilities and infrastructure can be put into place for not only the suburban dwellers who can afford the safer environments but the poor city dwellers who face health threats on a daily basis (Peiser 2001:296)

Reference:

Tim Hall.2006.Urban Geography 3rd edition. London/New York: Routeledge,154.

Richard Peiser. 2012. "Urban Sprawl," The Town Planning Review 72: no.3: 296.

David Rusk. 1995.  Cities without suburbs. Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson Centre Press.

 

Port of Spain Field Trip: Placecheck findings on the CBD and Belmont

Placecheck: CBD (Independence Square/ Brian Lara Promenade/Charlotte-Henry-Fredrick/Woodford Square)

Brian Lara Promenade- Port of Spain

The CBD of Port of Spain is the main commercial centre and it is located at the heart of the city. When touring this area in the city, there are a variety of sectors ranging from the street vendors to our own skyways (malls) where there are the social interactions of many. While walking through the CBD, what can be observed is the business of the people who speedily walk through the promenade or streets on their way to work as well as the down-town traffic which is most evident by many vehicles. Firstly seen on the Brian Lara Promenade were the mixing of people socially interacting. It acts as a meeting place for the young and even the old. Cultures here are mixing and as a result this area should be better protected or even patrolled to ensure that its area is not degraded. Therefore to maintain this area more waste disposals should be placed as well as public facilities should be invested in. Crossing these busy streets and walking in the highly dense business district is several streets that are occupied by many street vendors. These streets are so congested that the entrance to other stores or buildings become obscured. For example Charlottte street operates as a market as the roads on both sides are encroached by these vendors. As these areas a busy on a daily basis improvement to be done should be the increase of more patrols due to the mass movement in on out of these densely occupied streets. Also what should be implemented is the proper disposal of waste as street vendors usually discard of their spoilt vegetables in the drains which can clog them and lead to future flooding during the wet seasons. Even though the CBD has its negativities, its serves its purpose by providing a diverse commercial zone that is surrounded by many tall buildings. Further into the city to Woodford park, this area was well maintained and serves its purpose for relaxing and social interactions. However in order to make these areas such as the promenade and this park more operational, the level of homelessness witnessed in these areas should be reduced.

Placecheck: Belmont

 Belmont

Situated on the outskirts of Port of Spain is the first suburban area known as Belmont. This settlement came about as a result of the first set of free slaves in Trinidad. Development in Belmont even though it is an old suburban area, it shows no indication of or ever having urban planning. This is suggested by the close proximity of houses to each other as well as the streets which are narrowly spaced throughout. This was due to the transport routes being developed after housing. Due to this, this area has created a close knitted relationship with the residents. Everyone come together as one and it is evident in the culture shared. Even on the streets the busy hustle experienced in the CBD is not experienced here as people are more relaxed and interact on personal levels in my own observation. Even though not all of Belmont interacts in this ways because there is crime and violence prevalent in this area, it cannot be said that it is a Belmont problem due to the stigma attached that "Belmont is bad". Crime occurs all over Trinidad. Also there is the heavy flooding which occurs during the wet season when the East dry River overflows. This is usually encouraged due to the heavy pollution by residents. Besides these negatives, Belmont has the luxury of being closely located to the CBD in comparison to other areas that are further away from this commercial zone. Furthermore, Belmont is home to the cultural origins of mas and pan. Even though modernization has occurred, Belmont still holds on to its own community culture. To improve the Belmont community, improvement should be made into creating parks to facilitate in sports to lower crimes of the idle youths and also improve the quality of communication within this environment.