Green Space Depletion

Definition:
The depletion of green space involves the use of natural,
environmentally friendly land for other developmental causes
e.g. new factories, industrial buildings, offices, tourist attractions
Causes:
Limited spacing
Some areas in the world are overpopulated and the land
available is small. Thus, the supply of land is increased
through centrifugal expansion of the urban areas.
Increased demand for housing
Due to the large population of some areas in the world
and limited land (e.g. Lagos and Hong Kong), the
demand and price for housing is significant. This can
cause the construction of more housing spaces in
nearby Greenfield sites.
Effects and Impacts:
Effects of having green space
Improved ecology/environment
of the urban area
Improvement in quality of
environment
Creates job opportunities

Effects of depleting the green

space
Destruction of natural habitat
Loss of species and habitat of
animals and plants
Building on greenfield sites leads
to the need for transport,
facilities, etc.

Growth of businesses within the

company (especially tourism)
Managing these Issues:
To manage the issues of green space depletion, there are multiple
things that can be done to preserve or create a better environment
especially for urban areas.
These methods include:
Building public parks
Awareness campaigns for green space preservation and
protection
Awareness campaigns for the damage done through the
depletion of green space.

Case Study Examples:

In HICs and LICs, the preservation and protection of green space
can be shown through these case studies:

HIC Mexico City Green Plan

o Objective: To recover or improve green areas for better
recreational and environmental purposes
o Achievements: 232,748 trees, shrubs and other plants
has been planted to date.
o 21,000 m2 of green roofs have been installed on
buildings
o To learn more about Mexico City Green Plan you
can visit: http://www.slideshare.net/RRI/mexico-citypresentation or
http://www.mexicocityexperience.com/green_living/

LIC Namibia Community Conservancies

o Objective: to create a community-based natural
resource management program to combat both poverty
and environmental unsustainability.
o Began in 1996, it had expanded to over 50 registered
conservancies by 2007. (11.9 million hectares in surface
area, over 14% of the area of country)
o Benefits over 230,000 rural dwellers
o Significant increase in wildlife
Number of elephants doubled
Number of Oryx, springbok, mountain zebra
increased by tenfold
o Local people gain an income through tourism, hunting
concessions, campsite management, selling arts &
crafts, etc.