Private Enterprise and Financial Markets > Environment > Urban Environment and Pollution Control
The Context of Urban Environmental Management
In order to understand the context of Urban Environmental Management, the following urban dimensions are described in further detail:
Physical and Functional Dimensions in Urban Centers: A first factor that determines the urban context is the scale or size of the settlement. According to this factor, in Latin America there are: "small cities" that can have more than 50,000 inhabitants, intermediate cities with around 500,000 inhabitants, big cities with around 2 million inhabitants, and finally, the metropolis or metropolitan areas that can have several million of inhabitants as is the case of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Ciudad de México, Buenos Aires or Bogotá (all with more than 6 million inhabitants). Generally, the administration of such metropolis covers several municipalities and jurisdictions.
A second characteristic of urban centers is their economic activity or function within its territory of influence, be it local, regional or national. In most cases, urban centers offer a great variety of activities and hold diverse functions that may determine the nature and magnitude of the environmental problems that they may face. For instance, in a city where industry is the main sector, the regulation of air quality and industrial buildings may be a local environmental priority. Likewise, in a city that provides plenty of services, areas such as mobility and transportation and their relationship to the quality of life of its citizens will be a high priority in the environmental agenda. Another example can be illustrated by a port city, whose influence can reach both regional and national levels. Such city will have to prioritize areas like coastal zone management, land use planning, water and air pollution and solid waster management. An adequate management of these environmental sectors may have positive economic impacts both at the local and regional levels.
Moreover, and according to their scale and function, urban centers have a close relationship with the ecosystems surrounding them as well as the overall territorial periphery. Such relationship is determined by the demand of natural resources as well as by the impacts from urban activities affecting them. Because many cities depend on the supply of water from river basins, both the quantity and quality of this resource is essential to sustain the urban ecosystem, which includes both the urban areas and its rural surroundings. Therefore, for cities it is imperative to protect the sources of water that serve them - in particular sources of water in their periphery- by establishing effective pollution controls and economic incentives that foster environmentally sustainable activities.
Administrative and Financial Determinants for Urban Environmental Management: Urban centers have administrative structures and financial instruments that enable the development, operation and maintenance of basic local infrastructure (e.g. water and sanitation, solid waste management, transportation, housing, etc.) and the management of natural resources and the environment. In most countries in the region, municipal governments are responsible for different sectors linked to urban environmental management. Nonetheless, this situation may vary depending on the progress of the decentralization processes in each particular country. In this context, municipal responsibilities may include regional planning and development, land use planning and regulation, property registration, provision of basic services and natural resources conservation, among others.
As municipal and local governments continue strengthening their capacities to administer these tasks, urban centers will have a better performance when facing the challenges of rapid urban growth and hence, they will enable a better quality of life for their inhabitants. Moreover, the municipal administration is responsible to ensure the operation, growth and financial sustainability of public services through the adequate pricing and collection of fees, revenue generation, and access to finance both from national and international markets.
Social Dimension of Urban Growth and Environmental Management: Urban environmental management is closely linked to social unrest and poverty. It is estimated that almost 50% of urban citizens in Latin America and the Caribbean live in poverty. In the region, there is direct relationship between environmental degradation and the quality of life, in particular in areas where urban poverty resides. Generally, the poor are located in illegal neighborhoods or marginal settlements that lack an adequate coverage and quality of basic services. As a result, people living in these areas are more vulnerable to environmental and health risks and hazards; in some cities, these conditions are already critical.
As mentioned before, many of the settlements where the poor live are located in risky areas for urban growth including areas with instable soils, steep slopes and watersheds. Location in such areas increases the vulnerability to natural hazards and events such as slides, floods and earthquakes. In addition, location of settlements in these risky areas hinders the efficient progress of road infrastructure, transportation, water and sanitation systems, public lighting and other public services.
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Relevant Document: Lineamientos Estratégicos para la Gestión Ambiental Urbana en Centroamérica
