GIEL Cluster 2: Sustainable Development Flashcards

Question

2.1 Sustainable urban neighbourhoods Define economic sustainability. -?

Answer 1

To ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous, fulfilling lives and economic progress can occur in harmony with nature

Answer 2

Bro ensure that societies are inclusive and resilient, where residents have a voice

Answer 3

A sub-division of an urban area that is distinguished by some characteristic or quality, where residents share commonalities

Answer 4

To sustainably manage nature resources and take urgent action on climate change to support the needs of present and future generations

Answer 5

-Ecosystems

Answer 6

-Ecosystems vary in size -Every aspect in ecosystems depends on one another, directly or indirectly -People are integral parts of ecosystems and dynamic interactions exist between people and other parts of the ecosystem -Activities carried out by people may directly and/or indirectly change the ecosystem in both +ve and -ve ways

Answer 7

-Ecosystem services refer to the benefits brought about by nature to people. -These services are produced by the living communities and non-living environment of ecosystems -These services are critical to our survival and their benefits are optimised when we have a healthy and thriving natural environment

Answer 8

-Provisioning services -Regulating services -Cultural services -Supporting services

Answer 9

-Provisioning ecosystem services refer to the tangible resources that people can get from ecosystem services such as food, water, and wood -Food is one of the most important provisioning services provided by nature to people and it can be obtained through means such as agricultural activities and fisheries -They can also be found in an urban neighbourhood ecosystem Example: Food is grown in urban community gardens focussed on planting edibles on rooftops of HDB in Tampines

Answer 10

-Regulating ecosystem services refer to the benefits obtained from the regulation of various ecosystem processes -In an urban neighbourhood, these include microclimate regulation, flood mitigation as well as air and water quality control

Answer 11

Regulating system services: -Include services such as climate regulation, disease outbreak regulation and flood regulation -These ecosystem processes work together to ensure that the ecosystems are functional, clean, sustainable, and resilient to changes

Answer 12

-local climate, water flows, local air quality -Trees can lower surface and air temperatures by providing shade to residents. On a larger scale, forests can help cool areas by generating rainfall -The vegetation cover can reduce surface runoff by retaining water in the soil. This is also known as water flow regulation, and is a key service provided by natural land cover -The trees or other plants in the park play an important role in regulating air quality by removing pollutants from the atmosphere.

Answer 13

-Cultural ecosystem services refer to the intangible benefits people obtain from ecosystems, including aesthetic experiences, educational opportunities and recreational activities -In an urban neighbourhood, the presence of green spaces can provide many cultural ecosystem services such as aesthetic appreciation and opportunities for stress-relieving activities -These activities may improve people’s physical & mental health and foster social belonging and group identity, thus strengthening their sense of place

Answer 14

Residents may gain aesthetic experiences from natural objects in urban neighbourhoods such as heritage trees, sky rise greenery and community gardens

Answer 15

-Supporting ecosystem services refer to services that are necessary for the functioning of all other ecosystem services (including soil formation, pollination, and photosynthesis)

Answer 16

-Soil is formed when micro-organisms and physical processes decompose organic matter and break them down into smaller particles -Soil is essential for the health of all terrestrial ecosystems as it provides a habitat for billions of organisms, contributes to biodiversity, and acts as a water filter

Answer 17

-In urban neighbourhoods, animals like wild bees play a significant role in crop pollination which is vital as it ensures that crops are able to reproduce to provide food for animals and humans -During photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, and this maintains the oxygen content of the Earth’s atmosphere. This ensures that all other ecosystem services can function

Answer 18

It is a geographic area with a dynamic complex or plant, animal and microorganism communities and the non-living environment interacting as a functional unit

Answer 19

Communities of living (biotic) things including living organisms like humans, animals, plants, insects and bacteria

Answer 20

-It is the environment which consists of non-living (abiotic) components like rocks, soil, water, sunlight and the built environment -Related to water bodies such as rivers and lakes

Answer 21

The benefits people obtain from ecosystems to make human life possible. It is categorised into provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting services

Answer 22

-potential hazards, negative consequences, residents

Answer 23

-Fire hazards -Air pollution hazards -Traffic hazards

Answer 24

-A hazard refers to a process, phenomenon, or human activity that may cause loss of life, other health impacts, property damage, as well as social and economic consequences, and environmental degradation -Can be classified as natural or man-made -Some examples of natural hazards include earthquakes and volcano eruptions while examples of man-made hazards include traffic hazards

Answer 25

-In urban neighbourhoods, fire hazards may occur in both residential and non-residential areas -Common causes include unattended cooking and faulty electrical appliances and wiring which can ignite nearby flammable materials, resulting in a fire -The impacts of fire include: 1. Health impacts 2. Property damage

Answer 26

-During a fire, people may suffer from burn injuries if they are unable to evacuate in time, and severe burn injuries may lead to disabilities or deaths -High levels of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide may be released during a fire, and may cause carbon monoxide poisoning. This may cause headache, dizziness, weakness and confusion, and even leading to loss of consciousness and death. They can make it more difficult for people to escape a fire. -Other irritants from a fire, such as acid gases, can permanently damage a person’s respiratory system -Smoke inhalation can cause breathing difficulties and suffocation, which may lead to death

Answer 27

-Fires can destroy commercial or residential properties which leads to economic losses as goods, furniture, and important documents can be destroyed -Further costs may be incurred after the fire is over as money is required to repair and rebuild the properties that were damaged in the fire

Answer 28

-Air pollution occurs due to the presence of contaminating or polluting substances in the air that do not disperse properly and hence interfere with human health, welfare or produce other harmful environmental effects -Common causes include: -Burning vegetation:carbon dioxide and other pollutants are released into the atmosphere when vegetation burns, causing air pollution -Industrial and motor emissions: Increase in car ownership and usage led to an increase in air pollution hazards -Vehicles produce significant amounts of exhaust emissions such as nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and other pollutants

Answer 29

-Some of the -ve health impacts of air pollution include respiratory infections, heart diseases and lung cancer -Nitrogen dioxide is emitted in areas of high vehicle traffic -PM2.5, also known as particulate matter such as soot, smoke, dust and liquid droplets measuring less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, may be produced in urban neighbourhoods -These pollutants may lead to poor health -High lvls of exposure to nitrogen dioxide may lead to higher risks of asthma in children -It may also cause lung function decline in lower adults as PM2.5 can enter the bloodstream and lodge deep in human lungs

Answer 30

-Common causes include: -speeding -red-light running -Drink-driving -These accidents are often caused by irresponsible motorists who put other road users and themselves at risk

Answer 31

-People may suffer serious injuries when involved in a traffic accident, which may lead to disabilities or loss of life -Elderly pedestrians and motorcyclists typically account for a high percentage of traffic accident victims resulting in injuries or death.

Answer 32

Urban neighbourhoods may be sustainably built through environmental stewardship, disaster risk management and community resilience

Answer 33

-Promoting volunteerism among neighbourhood residents to share knowledge with others about the importance of healthy ecosystems. This helps residents become more aware of what they can and should do to responsibly use and protect the natural environment. -Forming partnerships between public and private stakeholders in environmental stewardship efforts. Different stakeholders may have different perspectives, resources, and expertise to enhance the environmental stewardship efforts. Hence it is crucial for them to come together to steward the environment

Answer 34

-It refers to the actions taken by individuals or groups, to protect, care for or responsibly use the environment to pursue environmental and/or social outcomes

Answer 35

-It can be practised by individuals, organisations and/or governments -Seek to conserve natural resources -Preserve the existing natural environment -Repair the damages and reverse the negative impacts caused by humans to ensure its sustainability (Hence, environmental stewardship can help to build sustainable urban neighbourhoods)

Answer 36

Example: NParks promotes volunteerism in communities through ground-led initiatives such as Friends of the Parks. Participants may gain greater community ownership and stewardship of parks in their neighbourhoods Example: -Urban neighbourhoods produce large amounts of waste, so it is important that waste materials are recycled -Residents and public and private stakeholders must all play their part in ensuring an efficient and sustainably waste recycling process -A portion of waste disposed of in recycling bins cannot be recycled. Hence, to ensure that recycling is optimized. public agencies like NEA should continue to engage residents on the importance of waste recycling as well as how and what they should recycle -Residents play a vital role in the proper recycling of their waste, public agencies enhance awareness and education, while private stakeholders provide recycling facilities, Through this partnership, environmental stewardship efforts can be enhanced and sustained.

Answer 37

-It refers to the likelihood of damage to properties, injuries, and loss of lives from a disaster in a given period of time

Answer 38

-Disaster risks are the product of the interaction between three main factors: -Nature of hazard: The characteristics of the hazard -Vulnerability: The conditions determined by physical, social, economic and environmental factors, which increase the susceptibility of people and their belongings located in hazard-prone areas -Exposure: The situation of people and their belongings located in hazard-prone areas -To determine disaster risks, we cannot consider these factors in isolation. It is the interaction of all the factors that determines disaster risks.

Answer 39

-It refers to plans and actions that are implemented to prevent new risks from happening, reduce existing risks and manage disaster risks

Answer 40

-strengthens community resilience

Answer 41

Aims to reduce: -a neighbourhood's exposure to hazards, and -The vulnerability of people and properties to hazards Example: SG has a comprehensive disaster risk management plan. The main agency responding to disasters is the SCDF. Town Councils also have the responsibility to cooperate with other government agencies in securing public safety and preventing disease or injury

Answer 42

-Improving residents' emergency preparedness to respond to natural and technological hazards Example: The SCDF conducts a Community E mergency Preparedness Programme (CEPP), which focuses on key lifesaving skills and important emergency procedures -Implementation of monitoring and warning systems Example: SCDF has a Public Warning System (PWS) which is a network of sirens placed at strategic points throughout the city. It warns the public of imminent threats that may endanger lives and property such as natural and man-made disasters

Answer 43

-It refers to the ability of a community to resist, adapt to and recover from impacts of disasters in a timely and efficient manner

Answer 44

By: -Strengthening relationships among residents and raising their awareness of potential hazards -Developing residents' ability to organise themselves and equip themselves with resources to resist, adapt and recover from a disaster

Answer 45

-Disaster risk management plans in neighbourhoods may only be effective and sustainable if there is widespread support and long-term participation from the residents -Residents are encouraged to get to know their neighbours so that they can depend on one another during an emergency -It is important to note that neighbour relations are highly diverse, varying from one group to another and may also occasionally be problematic

Answer 46

-Residents in the neighbourhood can be involved in an inclusive planning process that involves community leaders, civil society organisations and the government -When residents actively participate in projects to minimise potential hazards in the neighbourhood, they can better understand the risks and adaptation options to communicate to the planners and government Example: The total defence framework is an all-round response to threats and challenges involving everyone in SG. It emphasises that everyone has a part to play, individually and collectively, to build a strong, secure, and cohesive nation

Answer 47

-The process of making adjustments to actual or expected hazards to moderate harm or take advantage of beneficial opportunities

Answer 48

-The actions taken by individuals or groups, to protect, care for or responsible use the environment to pursue environmental and/or social outcomes

Answer 49

-The practice of providing time and skills for the benefit of other people and causes rather than for financial benefit

Answer 50

The likelihood of damage to properties, injuries, and loss of lives from a disaster in a given period of time. It is the product of the interaction between hazard, exposure and vulnerability

Answer 51

The situation of people and their belongings located in hazard-prone areas

Answer 52

-Applying plans and actions to prevent new risks, reduce existing risks and manage disaster risks, thus contributing to the strengthening of resilience

Answer 53

-The ability of a community to resist, adapt and recover from the impacts of disasters in a timely and efficient manner

Answer 54

-The conditions determined by physical, social, economic and environmental factors, which increase the susceptibility of people and their belongings to the impacts of hazards

GIEL Cluster 2: Sustainable Development Flashcards

(78 cards)