Let’s redefine public spaces, let’s bring back urban forests

There are two important ways in which we can bring in lasting change in the way cities develop: forestry and conservation of water bodies.  The more these resources we have in our cities, the more will be our ability to make the cities grow sustainably while fighting with the impacts of climate change. 

The unprecedented heatwave condition and water scarcity situation that Indian cities faced this year has put planners on an emergency action mode.  Looking at statements of politicians and government officials, one could guess that everyone wants to do something on a war-footing basis to solve the water and heat crises. That climate change is real and we are in a climate emergency is perhaps being realised by the planners and people alike.  There is an opportunity in the crisis and while it is good that planners and others are now interested to talk more about solutions, I would like to flag one cautionary note for all of them.  Solutions to the problems, which we have created for centuries, are not going to come overnight. 

We certainly need some knee-jerk measures to tackle heatwave or water-crisis type of problems.  We can plan to bring water to Chennai by trains from several hundred kilometres away, we may extend the school shut down period in Delhi or other cities for more number of days due to extended period of heatwave conditions, we can ask employees of IT firms to work from home as the office space does not want to take responsibility of providing water while the entire city is struggling for fetching a few litres, and many such adaptation measures.  However, the fact remains, these are immediate responses, not permanent solutions to the problems. To me there are two important ways in which we can bring in lasting change in the way cities develop: forestry and conservation of water bodies.  The more these resources we have in our cities, the more will be our ability to make the cities grow sustainably while fighting with the impacts of climate change. 

The natural public spaces

Cities have become the modern day’s symbol of aspirations.  They are growing at the cost of India’s villages, forests and water bodies. Globally, 2.5 billion people are projected to migrate to urban areas by 2050 and almost 90 percent of this is happening in Asia and Africa. 

Cities cover less than 2 percent of the earth’s surface, but consume 78 percent of the world’s energy. 

What does this mean?  In simple terms, they destroy soil, forests, rivers and water bodies of the rural people and turn into a cramped conglomeration of grey infrastructure which not only produces more than 60 percent of all carbon emissions but also put their own inhabitants to severe risks and hazards – caused by development and climate change.  This needs to change. Cities need to decongest, they need to create more green public spaces.

Many modern-day architects and planners suggest cities to adopt green and blue infrastructure.  For some, green infrastructure means plantation on roadsides, pavements, remaining open areas, vertical gardens on the high-risers &boundary walls, so on and so forth.  All these are good.  However, the long-lasting solution to making the cities really green that can fight impacts of climate change such as heatwaves and water scarcity requires protection of the remaining forests within the city limits and re-growing forests in open areas available; and if needed, by reclaiming some areas from the grey infrastructure.  Some of these actions would need very strong policy reforms, but worth it. The situation now warrants us as citizens to expect bold policy reforms to fight climate change more than looking for bold GDP centric economic reforms, if we are serious about the impacts of climate change.  The Chief Justice of India has, in a recent speech, emphasised on something very similar when he said, “single-minded focus on economic boom post-liberalisation had resulted in several environmental and human rights disasters in India.”

Investing in Urban Forestry

Some experts believe there is nothing like urban forestry, simply because the urban areas have already demolished the natural forests and have destroyed the character of the ecology that sustained particular types local species suitable for the soil and climate of the area.  It is therefore important to first decide, on an emergency basis, to keep protected all the remaining natural forests that still exist in some of the Indian cities. These could be mangroves or local biological parks or mango orchards.  Plantation of hundreds or thousands of trees in any location just does not make it a forest.  However, given the reality of our cities, one needs to find out a way. 

Cities need to invest in researching which combination of local natural species they need to plant and where so that these areas could grow into forests in a few decades.

Species selection is very important even in parks, pavements and other places. And what is more important is to involve urban communities, youngsters, children and almost everybody in these protection and plantation actions.  After all the green spaces they grow for themselves would benefit them in multiple ways.

A study from the USA’s Baltimore city shows how a consistent effort to increase the canopy cover of the city stands out as a great example as against losing tree cover of many other cities.  While the country lost 36 million urban trees – or 175,000 acres per year – between 2009 and 2014, Baltimore’s forest is growing by upwards of 5,000 new trees per year, the Popular Science reported. Studies have confirmed that forests help reduce heat, trap pollution and absorb auto emissions.  According to the same report, Baltimore’s cumulative 14,000 acres of canopy, for instance, ensnares in excess of 550,000 tons of carbon per year—offsetting 54 days’ worth of emissions from the city’s more than 600,000 residents. Research shows, as the Popular Science reports, that stress levels, muscle tension, asthma rates etc decrease if forests are present in your neighbourhood. 

Forests for better mental health

The new green public spaces very much at reach of urban population that I am trying to pursue with planners, would bring in much more benefits than listed above.

A study of European cities, that was published in May this year in the International Journal of Environmental Health Research found out that exposure to natural spaces during childhood develops an appreciation of nature and a healthy psychological state in adulthood.

This becomes very relevant given the fact that almost 75 percent of Europeans live in urban spaces now, which is expected to grow further in the coming decades.  Urban life, including schooling, is getting very stressful and children are fast getting used to indoor lifestyle which is detrimental to their mental health, studies find. 

Another important study, preliminary findings of which have just been reported in the Independent, comes up with a very interesting observation.  Despite staying in urban areas our brains get calm and at peace when exposed to rural environments.  “Humans may be hard-wired to feel at peace in the countryside and confused in cities – even if they were born and raised in an urban area,” reported the Independent. That’s not all.  Forests hold most of the rainwater for us.  We need to integrate them in our urban planning along with restoration and conservation of surface water bodies such as ponds, lakes and other systems; rivers and even floodplains.  A combination of these real green and blue infrastructure can help our cities fight impacts of climate change in the long run.

This article was first published on Urban Update