11: Discuss on the dilemma between urbanization, industrialization and conservation. What are some local examples which illustrate the conflicting interests between economic development and the conservation of the environment?
Humans have increasingly altered the natural environment for various purposes such as settlement, agriculture and industry. They have also increasingly replaced the natural landscape with the urban and industrial establishments.
Urbanization and industrialization are proceeding all over the world at an unprecedented rate. Because of social and economic development, there have been rapid changes of land use from agriculture purposes. Today, many new urban and industrial areas are also established on lands reclaimed from the sea.
Urbanization and industrialization bring about intensive economic growth and technological development. However, they are responsible for creating serious environmental problems. For instance, water pollution arises from industrial and domestic sewage, and air pollution arises from industrial processes and the burning of fossil fuel to generate electricity.
However, most environmentalists and a growing number of economists and business leaders believe that unlimited economic growth is not sustainable. They think that as rapid economic development goes on, more and more natural habitats will be destroyed, pollution problems will become increasingly severe, and natural resources will be depleted. These will ultimately i=limit or even inhibit economic development. In other words, economic development should rely on the sustainable use of natural resources and protection of the environment.
The method of cost-benefit analysis is a useful way to study the relationship between economic development and conservation. The principle is to compare the estimated short-term and long-term impact on the environment with the estimated economic benefits for the society.
Possible solutions to the conflicts between economic development and conservation include:
1. Compromise between conflicting parties in such a way that economic development progresses with minimum damages to the natural environment;
2. Diverting economic development to the improvement of environmental quality.
Example of the conflicting interests between economic development and the conservation of the environment
The conflict between the railway extension project of the Kowloon-Canton
Railway and the conservation of the Long Valley wetland. Long valley is a
habitat for 210 bird species and also an ecologically important wetland. It has
minimal habitat fragmentation, low levels of human disturbance, and a high
degree of microhabitat diversity. There had been a plan of KCR to extend the
railway system by cutting through