Project Proposal The Effects of Urbanization on Developing Countries

As the global economy grows, countries all over the world are developing and urbanizing at an alarming rate. Though it is economically beneficial, this growth and consequent urbanization leaves a pattern of deforestation in its wake. By comparing the developing nation of Brazil and the developed nation of China , it is possible to determine the ways in which urban growth affects countries at different economic standings. Various studies have shown that urbanization is occurring much faster in developing countries, so that by the late 1990s about three-quarters of the worlds 2.5 billion urban residents lived in developing countries (www.worldbank.org). In the developed country of China, urbanization is continuing more slowly and only adding to the already existing problem of deforestation, while in Brazil they have only recently begun to see a move from rural to urban areas and consequently an urbanization-inspired increase in deforestation. In the developed country of China , however, the government is doing more to combat environmental degradation, though researchers agree that much more work is needed (www.worldbank.org). We specifically examined the ways in which deforestation affects total forest area, pollution rates (encompassing waste production and greenhouse gas emissions), and biodiversity loss. Looking at these three areas, it is possible to see an emerging trend of urbanizations immediate negative effects on the surrounding forest areas and the countrys environmental well-being.

In Brazil , the countrys economy has shifted from once being almost all agriculturally dominated to its current concentration around the service industry. The makeup of the labor force indicates that most are no longer employed as farmers in rural areas, but as workers in a service branch. According to the CIA World Factbook: Brazil , the service industry made up 66% of the labor force in 2003, while agriculture only attributed to 20%. This statistic is indicative of the fact that more and more Brazilians are seeking work in urban settings, leading to eventual urbanization and deforestation. As this growth continues, we have seen a great decline in the amount of forest area. Roughly 78% of the primary forest

has been destroyed, leaving only 55% of the countrys tropical forest (Levine 2005). In addition to a loss of forest cover, Brazil has also experienced an increase in pollution rates as a result of its growing industrial areas and concentrated urban dwellings. As industries increase in developing nations, so does the pollution. Furthermore, there is a possible link between poorer countries and the amount of pollution emitted. Industry in lower-income areas displays a higher concentration of the dirtiest industrial sectors and of smaller plants (which are dirtier) (Dasgupta, Lucas, Wheeler 2002). As deforestation and pollution rates continue to grow, the amount of biodiversity in the country is adversely affected. In Brazil , the Amazon Rainforest has been hit the hardest by deforestation rates. Between May 2000 and August 2006, Brazil lost nearly 150,000 square kilometers of forestan area larger than Greece (Butler 1995-2004). As Brazil increases its efforts towards quick economic growth, urban expansion has had a tremendous effect on the amount of deforestation, and ultimately its environmental health.

In China , urban development has been steadily growing for many years. Today, according to the CIA World Factbook: China , industry accounts for 48.1% of the countrys GDP and services account for 41%. Agriculture, however, still serves as the career for 45% of the labor force. This relatively high number demonstrates the idea that developed countries, while economically rich from industry and services, are still slower to develop than underdeveloped countries like Brazil . As China does gain industry however, there has been a large amount of deforestation in the region. Relative scarcities of food, timber and environmental goods resulting from both population and economic growth are believed to be the most fundamental causes of forest change (Zhang). Because it is a developed country however, the government has instituted more programs to encourage forest growth. Despite a logging ban put in place in 1999, studies show that over the past five years Chinese loggers exceeded their quota by an average 75 million cubic meters every year (www.teradaily.com). As deforestation continues and urban areas develop, pollution rates rise similarly to what is seen in Brazil . Since the country has become industrialized, air pollution has been a growing problem. In the 1970s black smoke filled the air of urbanized areas, the 80s saw a tremendous rise in the amount of acid rain, and today the large amount of fossil-fuel burning cars has greatly deteriorated the air quality (He, Huo, Zhang 2002). Finally, the urbanization and consequent deforestation has resulted in a major loss of China s biodiversity. Habitat destruction contributes to the endangerment of 70% of imperiled species, second only to overexploitation (Yiming, Wilcove 2005). In 2006, the Yangtze River Dolphin was declared extinct after 20 million years of existence. Its home was in the Yangtze River Basin , which now serves as the home of over 1/3 of China s population. The dolphins extinction is attributed to the destruction of its habitat (Li 2006). Though the Chinese government is creating more means in which to combat

deforestation, pollution, and biodiversity loss, urbanization has greatly attributed to the countrys gradual environmental decline.

As both Brazil and China continue to urbanize, a definite relationship is emerging between urban growth and deforestation. Though the government does more in the developed country of China to combat environmental problems, both countries are still witnessing a loss of forest area, higher pollution rates, and a decrease in biodiversity.

braz_defor_88-05-lrg.jpg www.mongabay.com

Table 7: The Decline of Forest Cover in 20th Century Sichuan12

Year

Forest Cover (% of province)

1937

34.0

1948

20.0

1962

11.5

1976

13.3

1980

12.0

1988

19.2

http://www.library.utoronto.ca/pcs/state/chinaeco/forest.htm

Works Cited

Butler , Rhett. Deforestation in the Amazon. Tropical Rainforests. 1994-2005. http://www.mongabay.com/brazil.html

China Says Deforestation Still a Major Environmental Problem. Terradaily News. 18 Jan. http://www.terradaily.com/2005/050118102656.tgm9j244.html

2005.

CIA World Factbook, Brazil . 8 March 2007. https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/br.html

CIA World Factbook, China . 8 March 2007. https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ch.html

Dasgupta, Susmita and Robert E.B. Lucas and David Wheeler. Plant size, industrial air

pollution and local incomes: evidence from Mexico and Brazil . Environment and

Development Economics. Cambridge University Press, 2002.

http://www.journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract? fromPage=online&aid=101619#

He, Kebin and Hong Huo and Quiang Zhang. URBAN AIR POLLUTION IN CHINA : Current

Status, Characteristics, and Progress. Annual Review of Energy and the

Environment. Vol. 27: 397-431. Nov. 2002.

http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev.energy.27.122001.083421

Levine, John. Brazil : Profit and Poverty Fuel Deforestation. World Socialist Web Site. 2006. http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/jan2005/amaz-j15/sjtml

Li, Ling. Rare Dolphins Extinction a Red Flag for Biodiversity Loss. Worldwatch Institute.

28. Dec. 2006. http://www.worldwatch.org/node/4817 Urban Air Pollution. Worldbank. Page 69, Chapter 10. June 2004. http://www.worldbank.org/depweb/english/beyond/beyondco/beg_10.pdf

Yiming, Li and David S. Wilcove. Threats to Vertebrate Species in China and the United States. Bioscience. Article: pp 147-153. Feb. 2005. www.bioone.org

Zhang, Yaoqi. Deforestation and Forest Transition: Theory and Evidence in China. World

Forests, Society and Environment. Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands.

Pp.41-65. http://www.sfws.auburn.edu/YaoqiZhang/deforestation%20and%20and %20forest%20transition%20in%20China.pdf