Socio-Environmental Impacts of Urbanization in Abu Dhabi - Dissertation Example

Socio-Environmental Impacts of Urbanization in Abu Dhabi Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Socio-Environmental Impacts of Urbanization in Abu Dhabi Over the last milenias, human beings have become increasing powerful environmental forces. This increase can be attributed to the advent of agriculture coupled with a growing population, which has forced humanity to convert more land for agricultural use and with the emergence of the industrial revolution; human beings began to affect the atmosphere (McKinney, 2008). Moreover, the global increase in population has enhanced the effects of economic and agricultural activities on the environment. However, it is important to note that while the world population is increasing, the global urban population is tripling. According to the United Nations (2016) report on the population of the world, 54.5 percent of the world's population resides in urban settlements. The United Nations (2016) report further notes that, 60 per cent of the global population will live in urban centers by 2030 and that one in every three people will live in an urban center with more than a million inhabitants. According to McKinney (2008) the urban population changes the environment through the consumption of water, energy, food, and land, as a result the degradation of the environment through over-exploitation affects the quality of life and the health of human beings in urban population. In addition to this, McKinney (2008) noted that urban population portray different consumption patterns as they consume a lot of food compared to people in rural areas. As such, this creates a strain on natural resources to fulfill the food and water demands of the increasing urban population. Nonetheless, urbanization not only affects the environment, but it also affects the social life of the people. The Arab Peninsula was characterized by a barren wilderness and a mere collection of huts in the expansive desert less than 60 years ago (Olmstead, & Tessler, 2016). However, with the discovery of oil and innovativeness of its leaders, the region has transformed into one of the leading tourist destinations, a hub for Fortune 500 companies and leading institution in the world (Olmstead, & Tessler, 2016). Oil provided the financial muscle for the development of countries like Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, among others, into re-known countries in the world. Moreover, the innovative thinking of the leaders in the region has transformed through rapid urbanization. In addition to this, the region attracts highly skilled and unskilled labor force that contribute to the significant urbanization in the region (Olmstead, & Tessler, 2016). Thus, it is evident that urbanization has transformed the shape of the Arabian Peninsula. According to a report by the United Nations (2016), 85% of the Arabian Gulf population will reside in Arabian cities by 2020. Furthermore, the report cited that the urban population is growing fastest in UAE and Qatar. The United Nations (2016) report further notes that the population of the United Arab Emirates is anticipated to increase to 7.9 million by 2020, which signifies an annual growth of 2.3% from the year 2010-2120. In addition to this, a report by the United Nations (2016), 84 percent of the UAE population dwells in the city of Abu Dhabi a figure that can rise to 86.7% by 2020. These statistics show that the majority of the population lives in the city of Abu Dhabi. The odd demographic realities of the Abu Dhabi have led to the phenomenon of collective households that account for more than a quarter the figure of families in the Emirates leading to the social repercussions due to the disharmony between collective households and private households who share the same building or neighborhood (Gibson, & Farah, 2012). Moreover, Gibson and Farah (2012) noted that the increase in population coupled with the economic development model has led to a shift in family patterns that have seen an increase in extended family pattern compared to the nuclear family pattern. This has negatively impacted the degree of the socialization process, family solidarity, and interaction between generations, thus diminishing the chances of exposing the younger generation to customs, values, heritage, and traditions of the people. Nonetheless, it is important to note that the age group of 15 to 60 made the majority of the Abu Dhabi population constituting 76.1 percent of the whole population and nearly two-thirds of the population are male (Gibson, & Farah, 2012). The United Arab Emirates has witnessed significant economic, technological, and political changes that have influenced the structure and functions in the country (Ramadhan, 2015). The UAE has been on the path of rapid urbanization fueled by the oil-rich economy. However, the issue of urban development has been a major issue for policy makers, public officials, planners, and environmental advocates in the UAE. The country scores high on developmental indices as shown by the significant economic and infrastructure development, intensive social development, and high per capita income (Ramadhan, 2015). However, the country faces environmental challenges due to lack of clean water and high energy consumption that contributes to high carbon levels in the country (Ramadhan, 2015). Abu Dhabi is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, and the exceptional level of growth witnessed in the city incorporates interdependent factors such as urbanization, economic diversification, and population growth. When these processes are combined, they result in significant social and environmental impacts in the city of Abu Dhabi. Ideally, urbanization leads to the expansion of the city, which attracts both people and investors from different parts of the world that lead to an increase in population. Moreover, as the city diversifies and grows through globalization, business corporations continue to raise tall buildings for offices and hotels in a densely urbanized Central Business District, where multinational corporations cluster in search of business advantage and efficiency, which affect the natural environment in many ways. Furthermore, the influx of people into Abu Dhabi changes the population profile and the cultural landscape, which impose high demands on the resources such as water, housing, land, and power (Khirfan, & Jaffer, 2013). Also, Shirazi and Kazmi, (2016) noted that the changing population profile coupled with high birth rates in Emirate would continue to have an adverse impact on the population structure with regards to the available resources. In addition, these interlinked processes continue to shape the city of Abu Dhabi with both benefits and significant environmental effects. Nevertheless, these factors; increase in population, rapid expansion, and other socio-environmental factors affects Abu Dhabi in many ways as explored in this study. Urbanization has created a model of economic growth in Abu Dhabi that focuses on increasing the number of employment opportunities. This attracts many people from different regions of the world to the Abu Dhabi in search of employment. However, despite the increasing employment opportunities in the city, the rate of unemployment for the citizens of the country went up nearly three times the overall rate of unemployment in the whole of Emirate (Khirfan & Jaffer, 2013). This model of economic growth reflects a model that does not generate employment opportunities for citizens as well as the lack of structure to support the development of the local human resource. This calls for an economic growth model that can link economic growth to human resource development and enhance the role of technology, science, training, and education to develop knowledge and skills relevant to the labor market. Also, urbanization has rendered Abu Dhabi dependent on foreign labor, which has had negative impacts on the knowledge structure of the population. This is evident as the education level of nearly 79 percent of the whole population does not exceed the secondary school level, which reflects on the inability of the population to adapt to the new requirements of an integrated society (Gibson & Farah, 2012) Abu Dhabi is known for its cutting edge design, luxury architecture, and a global business hub for multinational business corporations. Unfortunately, this rapid urban development has had negative impacts on the environment. Al Marzooqi and Al Anouti (2014), notes that urbanization on the coastal zone has resulted in negative effects on the biodiversity present along the coast. Al Marzooqi and Al Anouti (2014) further pointed out that microorganism plays a major role in sustaining life on earth since they produce oxygen, contribute to the nutrient cycle, and store carbon. Thus, tampering with the biodiversity along the coast can have negative impacts on the life of both humans and microorganism around the sea. Furthermore, waste management, air pollution, energy consumption and production, and access to water have effects on both environment and human life. Ideally, Abu Dhabi is known as the world’s largest water and energy consumer (Walters et al., 2006). However, the lack of fresh water forces the people to clean sea water for consumption through desalination; a process that releases a lot of carbon into the environment. It is evident that the world has revolutionized in recent years with regards to urban structure, increased vegetation cover, and population which is positive for the development of humanity. However, these developments have contributed to an increase in environmental population. Thus, it is important to understand the factors that hasten environmental degradation and ways to curb them to develop a sustainable environment for the city of Abu Dhabi. In particular, a sustainable environment is essential for the development of a society and the ecosystem. Thus, coming up with ways and strategies to enhance a sustainable environment is essential for the growth of humanity and a sustainable environment for the future generation. Therefore, the current study will investigate the different effects of urbanization on the socio-environment of the city of Abu Dhabi. References Al Marzooqi, F., & Al Anouti, F. (2014). The Environmental Impact of Urbanization within Abu Dhabi on the Microbial Profile of Man-Made Beaches. International Journal of Environmental Pollution and Remediation. http://dx.doi.org/10.11159/ijepr.2014.012 Gibson, J., & Farah, Z. (2012). Environmental Risks to Public Health in the United Arab Emirates: A Quantitative Assessment and Strategic Plan. Environmental Health Perspectives, 120(5), 681-686. http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1104064 Khirfan, l., & Jaffer, z. (2013). Sustainable Urbanism in Abu Dhabi: Transferring the Vancouver Model. Journal of Urban Affairs, 36(3), 482-502. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/juaf.12050 McKinney, M. (2008). Effects of urbanization on species richness: A review of plants and animals. Urban Ecosystems, 11(2), 161-176. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11252-007-0045-4 Ramadhan, E. (2015). Sustainable Urbanization in the Arabian Gulf Region: Problems and Challenges. Arts and Social Sciences Journal, 06(02), 201-209. http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2151-6200.1000109 Shirazi, S., & Kazmi, J. (2016). Analysis of socio-environmental impacts of the loss of urban trees and vegetation in Lahore, Pakistan: a review of public perception. Ecological Processes, 5(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13717-016-0050-8 United Nations (2016) The World’s Cities 2016. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/urbanization/the_worlds_cities_in_2016_data_booklet.pdf Olmstead, K., & Tessler, M. (2016). Urban Development in the Arabian Peninsula. Hdl.handle.net. Retrieved 26 May 2017, from http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.4750978.0016.103 Walters, Timothy N., Alma Kadragic, and Lynne M. Walters. (2006). Miracle or Mirage: Is Development Sustainable in the United Arab Emirates? International Affairs (MERIA) Journal 10.3: 77-88. 4 Mar. 2014. http://www.gloria-center.org/2006/09/walters-kadragic-walters-2006-09-06/. Read More