We are going to study the pros and cons of the development of a

local infrastructure. To begin with, I am going to talk about the

benefits of developing such.

1. Urban areas have significantly lower birth rates than rural are
as, thereby reducing environmental pressures from population
growth. Though it may sound trivial, it is rather required to ext
end modernization to facilitate the implementation of birth co
ntrol.

2. Urban areas provide better pooprtunities to educate and mobil

ize residents concerning environmental issues. With the exten
tion of traffic network, they can travel to town centres more of
ten to receive better education, thereby understanding how to
take care of their own living environment.

3. The capital spent by the govt in environmental protection is m

ore intensive and effective in urban areas than in rural areas.
More convenient access to rural areas, as a result of infrastruc
tures, helps the government monitor the implementation or ur
banization progress in rural areas.

However, every coin has two sides. There are still many problems
brought by developing local infrastructure. The major concerns
are pollution and destruction to natural environment.

First of all, when developing such, some habitats of wildlife such

as trees, shrubs and other natural vegetation will be destroyed.
These also results in soil erosion and extinction of some native
species as you can see in these pictures. Nature serves as the
resource silo of raw materials and foundation for infrastructures.
Extraction of resources destroys the beauty of the environment.
If no remedial measures are taken, serious problem of soil
erosion, if not desertification, will result.

Land can be used as fields for production of food. With the

exploitation of land for urbanization, food production will be
reduced. For example, if infrastructures are constructed on
farmland in the New Territories, local vegetable supply will reduce
to a great extent.

Being forced by the conversion, peoples in rural areas were

forced to migrate to urban areas. This will result increasing
demand of resources such as fossil fuels, fresh water and food.
Those migrants may also find it difficult to adapt to the city life or
find suitable jobs for their living. Destruction to the culture of the
migrants also leads to loss of cultural diversity of a country.

There will also be flooding and landslides. Because roads and

buildings do not absorb rainwater but vegetation does. Soil not
bound by roots of trees will easily slide down from deep slopes,
especially after heavy storms. Without considering the geology of
foundation, careless placement of infrastructures also poses
threats to lives of users.

Carbon monoxide and other gaseous products from industries,

vehicles and burning fuels will cause serious air pollution. This
will probably relate to the cause of acid rain and global warming.
Increased production of greenhouse gases will further destroy the
vegetation in other areas, causing further problem, such as soil
erosion, extinction of species, etc.

Some infrastructures, such as public hospitals, will increase the

discharge of sewage. If sewage is discharged directly without
treatment, it will cause serious pollution on marine lives. It may
also cause health problem to human as we consume seafood.

Conclusion:
The disadvantages brought by development of infrastructure are
far more than that of benefits. And the disadvantages are
disastrous. However, the only concern of the government is
about money. Is economic really of great importance to out
society? Should we seriously think about it? Remember, we do
not have the rights to mess our environment up.

 pros: efficient transportation promoting the economic

development
 cons: serious pollution e.g. reclamation, air pollution