The Earth is the source of life. It is a system that coordinates physical, chemical, biological and ecological elements in a manner that makes life possible. Any substantive alteration of one of its components can affect other areas and the entire system.
To create awareness for protection of the planet earth, Earth Day is observed on 22nd April. The first Earth Day was observed in 1970. This year is Earth Day’s 45th anniversary. The theme for Earth Day 2015 is “It’s Our Turn to lead".
Climate change is now one of the greatest environmental issues. The global warming is largely attributed to the increase of greenhouse gases. The increase in carbon dioxide concentration, which is gathered in the atmosphere due to burning of fossil fuel and industrial activities, has been impacting the global warming to a big extent.
The human population on the earth is growing, resulting in the expansion of human settlements and an increase in a wide range of problems. Urban areas seem to be a threat to the environment since they generate more than three-quarters of carbon emissions globally. For the first time ever, more people live in the world's cities than in rural regions. Presently, 31% of India’s population lives in urban areas as per Census of India report, 2011.
Odisha, with 41 million people, is the eleventh-most populous State in India. Over the last decade, Odisha has witnessed a 14.1-per cent growth in its population, while the urban population increased at a rate of 27.2%.
Cities are the key to sustainability. As the city grows in size and population, harmony among the spatial, social and environmental aspects of a city and between its inhabitants becomes of paramount importance. This trend points to the need for urban sustainability which uses green building practices and creative city planning to reduce environmental damage. low carbon society scenarios visualise social, economic and technological transitions through which societies respond to climate change. Planning of sustainable region needs to incorporate the idea of low carbon society and low carbon economy in urban areas. As cities spread out, work-related trip distances and other travel activities increase. This often leads to a higher reliance on personal motorised transport. It is observed that compact cities emit less CO2 emissions, on a per capita basis, from passenger transportation than sprawled cities.
India’s cities are the largest and fastest-growing consumers of materials and energy, producers of waste and emitters of greenhouse gases. A low carbon approach to the planning and management of cities can contribute towards meeting the Government of India’s target of reducing the carbon intensity. The Energy Conservation Act, 2001 empowered the Central and State Governments to: Specify energy consumption standards for notified equipment and appliances; Establish and prescribe energy consumption norms and standards for designated consumers; Prescribe energy conservation building codes for efficient use of energy and its conservation in new commercial buildings having a connected load of 500 kW ; Get an energy audit conducted by an accredited energy auditor in the specified manner and interval of time. Under the provisions of the Act, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) was established with effect from 1st March, 2002. The BEE in India has enacted an energy conservation building code (ECBC), which has been mandatory for large commercial buildings in some areas. The code enforcement falls in the jurisdictions of States and local municipal authorities. ECBC compliant buildings save 30% of energy. Even partial compliance can save 18% to 20% of energy.
The environment of the city of Bhubaneswar has been degraded due to high population growth and different manmade activities. The effects of climate change have been observed since last few years in the city. The temperature in summer is ranging in most of the days around 400 degree C, which is not only affecting the health and comfort of the people but also demands more energy.
In rapidly developing cities, urban planning and its effective implementation requires land-use planning that creates land-use patterns within cities that can provide services without the loss or degradation of natural habitats. local governments can proactively carry out integrated land-use planning to address adverse impacts from urban sprawl, including increased private motorised transport, air pollution and urban heat island effect.
Carbon sequestration can reduce the amount of GHG emissions that are produced in the city. It involves removing GHG emissions from the atmosphere, either through enhancing natural ‘carbon sinks’ by conserving forest areas, the development of new carbon sinks (reforestation or afforestation) or through the capture and storage of GHG produced within the city. Importance should be given to plant more trees and develop green belts that can reduce a city’s carbon emissions significantly. Many buildings are designed in the city without considering climatic conditions of the area. These buildings need air-conditioning to keep them cool. Using air-conditioning leads to more energy use, which results in more carbon dioxide emission. Architects should keep climatic conditions in mind and design building that will cut down energy consumption.
Climate change will go on forever. To reduce its impacts on settlements and infrastructure, it is critical to develop appropriate mitigation and adaptation responses. Climate-responsive buildings have minimal adverse impacts on the natural environment. They also seek to maximise opportunities for indoor environmental quality and performance, saving money, reducing waste, increasing worker productivity and creating healthier environment for people to live and work.
To decrease urban CO2 emission and energy consumption, a lot of cities over the world have adopted low Carbon Economy as a new development philosophy, and to create low Carbon City has become a common goal. The same philosophy can be applied in India.
Developing climate-responsible master plan will protect the environment. Master Plans and Comprehensive Development Plans (CDPs) need to incorporate climate change considerations. Components of land-use plan including zoning, FAR, setback, etc., should be implemented properly for sustainable development.
Sustainability is not only about city planning and energy conservation in building design; it is not only about environmental protection and management systems. Sustainability is about the way people live and work in the city. Every individual has a key role for protection of the earth. Everything individuals do in their lives has an impact on the environment. To protect the earth, communities should develop sustainable solutions to meet the basic needs in every sphere of their life.
(Dr Praharaj teaches at the Department of Architecture, College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar)