Bringing Nature to the Urban City
Urbanization in India has risen to a greater extent and has had a greater impact on humanity and their livelihood. There are various steps initiated by various organizations and associations in order to sustain the ecological balance all over. One of the forms to protect and uphold environment is adopting urban forestry.
Urban forestry is one of the prominent initiation plans which are carried out in various cities. Organizations and the government is making people aware of it through various mediums. Various practitioners, scholars and community leaders have come up with innumerable ways in which trees/ greenery can become a major part of life to create a green ecosystem. This in turn creates a better quality of life from all the aspects like mental, physical, psychological, economical, aesthetic and recreational. In short urban forestry refers to the revolution of spreading greenery.
In order to have a healthy living we can plant more trees in spaces which are awaiting the development of buildings and dwellings. Due to the development and rise of real estate the initiation of covering the urban areas into green areas is often neglected. Various urban forestry programs are being carried out in many places. Over the last few years people have realised the important role of trees and greenery in and around the urban residences.
Advantages of a green urban space:
Greenery in urban areas not only provides economic benefits but also environmental and social benefits. Urban infrastructure is divided into two elements, i.e., grey elements which comprise of the buildings, roads and utilities and the green element, which comprise of the trees. When compared, grey elements cause more harm by compelling storm water to wash off the roofs, roads, parking areas, streets and other parts. All these gather up in the rivers and lakes by contaminating them. Green elements which have trees, grass, shrubs and other vegetation interact with the natural systems like air, soil and water. Unlike grey elements, green elements soak up the storm water and filter the pollutants before entering the lakes and rivers.
Tips to flourish urban forestry:
Plants trees and avoid the runoff of storm water. Trees help in protecting the water runoff to a great extent by intercepting rainwater on trunks, leaves and branches. The remaining water either evaporates or soaks up in the ground by reducing the amount of runoff water. Planting tress also helps in the volume of water as well. Various countries have taken up urban forestry in order to prevent the runoff of rainwater.
Controlling urban heat: Due to the scarcity of tress the land is directly exposed to sunlight and creates excessive heat. This follows by an increase in the temperature. A rise in the temperature may cause chaos in the human life. In such cases, to avert such disasters planting of trees is an important aspect. Trees will help by absorbing sunlight and reducing the temperature. They also prevent various objects from radiating the heat. Apart from this they provide shade and form a cooler air around by releasing the water vapour in the atmosphere. Urban forest also provides indirect benefits by reducing the heat all over the urban area.
Air pollution control: this is one of the most important aspects which affect the urban areas. The large amount of pollution creates warmth and pollutes the environment. To prevent these planting of trees is very important to maintain a healthy life. These days there is an increase in the air pollution which has led to a greater impact on human health.
Creating a wildlife habitat: In order to have a natural surroundings, it is advisable to provide wildlife habitat which in turn can lead to the growth of greenery.
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