ICEH Papers

URBAN PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FOR HUMAN HEALTH


Kesavan, A. “Urban Planning And Environmental Management For Human Health” in Martin J. Bunch, V. Madha Suresh and T. Vasantha Kumaran, eds., Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Environment and Health, Chennai, India, 15-17 December, 2003. Chennai: Department of Geography, University of Madras and Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University. Pages 211 – 216.


Abstract:

I. Environment : The most important elements in Urban Planning relating to the Environment are primarily land and water. Equal to the demand of the water, there is also ever increasing demand for Urban Land. Hence the demand for water is steadily increasing and facing a threat to the Urban planner all over the world. As a result of the above said phenomena, the most productive agricultural areas are being gradually sacrificed for Urban Development.

II. Land Use Planning : The role of land use planning in the context of environmental management and natural disaster management is the starting point of the land use planning process. Land use planning principles are important for the overall guiding principles, which are determined at the National Level where the social economic growth and the Environmental visions are defined. Land use planning for sustainable economic development and the conservation of water sheds, and hazardous reduction would mainly involve the delineation of various development zones, with regard to optimum combinations of maintaining sustainable output and economic value levels of the land resources.

III. Urban Environmental Management: Urban environmental degradation has a disproportionate negative impact on the poor. It is observed that environmentally sensitive and hazardous Urban Areas, lacking basic environmental services and infrastructure are mostly occupied by the poor people. Lack of resources of local bodies, leads to inadequate maintenance or the expansion of basic amenities in Urban Areas.

IV. Key Environmental Public Health Problems: Human exposure to the hazardous industrial emissions cause wide spread health problems, like chronic obstructed lung diseases, acute respiratory infections, low birth weight and cancer etc.

In adult morbidity, the diseases such as Tuberculosis, and Cerebrospinal Meningitis are mainly caused due to over crowded living, sub–standard housing and poor ventilation and air pollution, which also causes respiratory ill–health among children. Atmospheric pollution and unhealthy conditions in work places or a combination of both causes environmental diseases such as Lung cancer and Tuberculosis.

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