ED 79.

01
Urban Environmental Management Systems (3-0)
August Semester 2013

SESSION # 3

URBAN ECO-SYSTEM
IMPACT OF URBANIZATION ON THE

ECO-SYSTEM

NEED FOR PLANNING AND

MANAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS

Objective
Introduce the city as an ecosystem that feeds others and
dependent on nearby areas for energy, food, water and
other materials
Expected Learning Outcome
Ability to use the urban eco-system model to analyze the
changes and developments in the city and their
consequences

Urban Eco-System
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There has been some arguments whether it is correct to apply

the term eco-system to a city.
Many ecologists restrict the term eco-system to a more or less
closed and self-sufficient system of biotic and non-biotic
components, referring only to inflow and outflow of energy.
Other definition of eco-system is; any system of interacting
components which is isolated for the purpose of
ecological analysis
We subscribe to the second viewpoint.

More Explanations on Urban Eco-Systems

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1. As built-up areas that are the habitat of urban people (and

their pets, plants), and organism (e.g. moulds), and pests (e.g.
rats, weeds, parasites, etc.).

More Explanations on Urban Eco-Systems

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2. As the immediate life support system of the urban areas

and its surroundings, providing such ecological services, such as
water supply and land.

More Explanations on Urban Eco-Systems

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3. As the areas affected by urban activities and areas

providing life-support services (to urban areas) including supplies
of food, energy, water and material. Also those areas affected by
the emissions and waste flow from urban areas.

Urban Eco-System
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It is an overlay of several systems

generically,

specifically,

built system

building fabric

socio-economic system

spatial articulation

bio-physical system

infrastructure systems

administrative system

human settlement systems

land-use structure
natural bio-physical system
special systems, such as coasts,
wetlands, etc.

Urban Eco-System
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It is difficult to model the urban ecosystem

but it is important to view the city as an overlay of different systems
rather than systems mutually independent

Generic Model of an Urban Eco-System

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Source: Satterthwaite ed. (1999)

Urbanization
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What is Urbanization?

It means growth and change of certain areas of a country, and

the change of its social, demographic and economic structure
from a rural condition (often, agricultural condition) to an
urban condition (often, non-agricultural condition)
Urbanization can happen in three ways:
By natural population growth

By rural-to-urban migration

By reclassifying rural areas into urban areas

How to measure urbanization?

as the percentage of people living in urban areas

Urbanization is manifested in:

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1. Physical Change
(from relatively non-built up areas to built up areas with buildings and
infrastructure networks)
2. Functional Change

(from predominantly agricultural land-uses to predominantly non-agricultural

land-uses)
3. Spatial Growth
(from small area to a large area, both horizontally and vertically)
4. Socio-Economic Change
(from primary occupations such as farming, mining, fishing to secondary
occupations such as trading, manufacturing and services)

5. Demographic Change
(from low population densities to high population densities)

Trends in Urbanization by Region, 2003

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Impacts of Urbanization on Eco-System

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Urbanization is a ...
Positive phenomenon (motivating the economy, improving
the standard of living, etc.)
Negative phenomenon (demographic, socio-economic,
environmental, technological, administrative problems)
Impacts of urbanization on the eco-system are also
both positive (?) and negative.

Impacts are felt on the rural (sometimes natural) areas on

the periphery of urban areas and on the urban area itself

Impacts of Urbanization on Eco-System

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Source: Modified from

Yip and Low (1984)

Impacts of Urbanization on Eco-System

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Recommended Reading
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UNU/IAS (2003) Defining an Ecosystem Approach to Urban

Management and Policy Development