With reference to either Waste management in urban areas or Transport management in urban areas, discuss the extent to which sustainability can be achieved.
Answer 1 (Transport) Sustainable management in urban areas is a constant theme for urban areas in both LEDCs and MEDCs. This essay will be based on whether transport management can be achieved sustainably and whether or not it is only transport management that can achieve sustainability or other aspects such as improved housing, preventing urban sprawl and protecting the environment also add to the possibility of achieving sustainability. Transport management in urban areas is approached differently in both LEDCs and MEDCs. However the problems as a result of increased congestion in cities are similar. Some of those problems include deliveries being late, causing businesses to slow down and therefore the economy of the area; increased car ownership and therefore congestion releases a lot of pollutants such as carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere. These cause problems such as acid rain when sulphur dioxide combines with water vapour forming sulphuric acid and carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas so increased levels add to the greenhouse effect and therefore global warming. Increased car ownership also lacks sustainability in terms of natural resource use so managing this transport in cities is important. In MEDCs the problem of obesity is rife with one in four adults in the UK that are obese and 10% of children so increased car ownership because it is convenient has resulted in a health problem in MEDCs such as the USA and UK. Increased congestion in LEDCs has also been negative. There are four million cars in Sao Paulo and the number is increasing by 10% every year and there are approximately 6000 injuries or deaths as a result of road accidents. The approach of LEDCs to manage transport is different to MEDCs as it involves a huge number of people due to the rate of urbanisation being...