Urbanization or habitat destruction?

Do you know where most of the people live? Nowadays, the answer seems to be obvious: we live in cities. It is estimated that half of the world’s population live in cities (click here); however, the physical space we name “city” has not always been like we know it today. As population grown, it was necessary to find new spaces not only for people to live, but also for them to have a secure and comfortable space where settling down. As a consequence, the process of urbanization started, and the zones that in the past were part of the countryside or forest, today are considered as part of urban zones.

Urbanization is the growth of urban areas as a result of rural migration. This process has lots of benefits; for example, cities are more efficient in supplying basic needs than rural areas; the access to education, health, and social and cultural services is more available to people; and social integration is better than in villages. 

Although all these benefits, urbanization has a negative impact in our environment. This process can increase atmospherically temperature; produce pollution due to factories and automobiles; change the natural water circle; and destroy natural habitants of flora and fauna.

Population will go on growing; therefore, urbanization is something we cannot stop. Do you think that it is fair to use the place of animals and plants to create cities? Is human developing more important than animals and plants’ security? Can we do something to preserve natural areas free of urbanization?

Click here to watch a video about the struggle burrowing owls have to face because of urbanization.

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