Environmental Challenges (Aug 2021)
Systematic review of how eco-environmental transformation due to urbanization can be investigated in the sustainable development of Indian cities
Abstract
The existing model of urban development is found responsible for growing environmental problems in the cities. This is due to the greater focus on the economic development at the cost of the environment. As a result, it led to some serious problems like air, water, soil pollution in the cities. It urged for a better ecologically based urban planning system wherein addressing the transformation from the natural landscape to the urbanscape is essential for effective management. However, still, in developing countries like India, no significant attention is given to environmental management in case of urban planning. The absence of specific directions to investigate the eco-environmental transformation in urban planning is one of the major reasons behind this. This study through the systematic review of 72 existing literature tried to identify the current theories and concepts to address the eco-environmental transformations in the urban areas. It found four different themes for investigating the said issues in the urban centres. These are land use & land cover prediction, green space, ecosystem services, and perception study. Lots of articles are available on the first three issues. But, the fourth theme contains a comparatively less number of articles. In fact, most of the works on this theme were carried out in the recent past. This study tried to summarize all the facts associated with these themes through intense revision. Finally, it also tried to highlight the methods or ways that can be adapted to apply these in Indian cities.
