PH 136: Human Settlements Urbanization and Health - PDF

PH 136: ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH HUMAN SETTLEMENTS, URBANIZATION, AND HEALTH Asst. Prof. Rose Abigail E. Duarte | February 3, 2025 BASIC HEALTH REQUIREMENTS...

PH 136: ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH HUMAN SETTLEMENTS, URBANIZATION, AND HEALTH Asst. Prof. Rose Abigail E. Duarte | February 3, 2025 BASIC HEALTH REQUIREMENTS OUTLINE 1.​ Shelter/Dwellings A.​ Human Settlements ○​ Housing is part of the foundation of a human a.​ Elements of Human Settlements b.​ Basic Health Requirements settlement c.​ Areas of Concern of Human Settlements ○​ Places of residence/current housing location affect B.​ Urbanization health a.​ Definition of a Philippine Urban Area 2.​ Water Supply b.​ Facts and Figures: Urban Life ○​ Human settlements are next to water supplies c.​ Impact of COVID-19 on Rural vs Urban Areas 3.​ Waste Disposal C.​ EH Issues and Urbanization Concerns ○​ Gatherings (e.g., festivals, parties, etc.) lead to waste a.​ Unplanned Urban Sprawl b.​ Substandard Housing production c.​ Overcrowding 4.​ Means of Communication d.​ Inadequate Sanitation and Waste Collection ○​ The ways in which communication is being fostered in e.​ Pollution the community f.​ Motor Vehicle Traffic and Traffic Injuries ○​ e.g., regular gatherings, announcements g.​ Urban Heat Island Effect 5.​ Roads and Public Transportation D.​ Approaches on Sustainable Communities ○​ Accessible and well-constructed means of a.​ Sustainable Development Goal 11 b.​ Policies and Regulations transportation, trade, and access to basic services c.​ Human Ecological Systems ○​ The lack of paved roads may serve as a health d.​ The Healthy City Approach challenge e.​ 4Ps for Sustainable, Inclusive, Safe and Resilient ○​ Means for transportation and trade Communities/Cities 6.​ Consumer Goods E.​ References ○​ Food and clothing must be available F.​ Review Questions 7.​ Infrastructure ○​ Physical infrastructure and systems HUMAN SETTLEMENTS ○​ e.g., hospitals, public markets ​ The totality of the human community - whether city, 8.​ Assistance to Vulnerable Groups town, or village - with all the social, material, organizational, spiritual, and cultural elements that sustain From BSPH 2025 Trans: it (1976 Vancouver Declaration) Lacking in Metro Manila ○​ Example: Town center, Robinsons Manila ​ Assistance to Vulnerable Groups ​ Territorial arrangements made by humans for their own ○​ Sidewalks - Not wide enough to facilitate navigation sake (Constantino Doxiadis) of PWDs; parked cars may be blocking them if present ELEMENTS OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS ○​ LRT train stations - No elevators and ramps for 1.​ Humans wheelchair users or those with walking disabilities; 2.​ Nature usually out of order and must undergo maintenance ○​ Settlements, even ones in remote areas, are often ​ Waste disposal found near bodies of water ○​ Sustains the needs of the population (e.g., Food, AREAS OF CONCERN OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS firewood) ​ Housing and Infrastructure 3.​ Society ​ Transportation and Mobility ○​ Each settlement needs structure, hierarchy, or ​ Peace and Order governance ○​ e.g., territories and boundaries 4.​ Shells ​ Water and Sanitation ○​ Establishments that house people ​ Pollution and Waste Management ○​ Places of gathering or shelter ​ Urban/Rural Migration 5.​ Networks ​ Energy Systems ○​ Relationships with other settlements are required in ​ Urbanization order to sustain themselves ○​ Access to public services URBANIZATION ​ The process by which towns and cities are formed and become larger as more and more people begin living and working in central areas ​ Mass movement of populations from rural to urban settings and the consequent physical changes to urban settings (Kuddus, M.A., Tynan, E. & McBryde, 2020. ○​ Increase in population will lead to changes due to an increase in demand for resources and infrastructure ​ Definitions of urban areas depend per country ○​ Number of residents ○​ Number of infrastructure Figure 1. Ekistic elements of human settlements. ○​ Administrative authority #MagkabigkisBenteSais Team 01 | 1 of 5  DEFINITION OF A PHILIPPINE URBAN AREA ○​ Informal settlement settings ​ Based on the National Statistical Coordination Board ​ Higher spread due to the inability to implement (NSCB) (2003) definition: social distancing 1.​ Population size of 5,000 or more OR ​ Less hand washing or sanitation facilities 2.​ At least one establishment with a minimum of 100 ○​ Casual employment employees OR ​ Many lost jobs, which may have contributed to 3.​ Five or more establishments with a minimum of 10 specific health outcomes employees and five or more facilities within a ○​ Presence of low-income migrants and refugees two-kilometer radius from the barangay hall ​ Not all people present were registered under their ​ All barangays in NCR are automatically classified as urban respective LGUs ○​ Inadequate Access to Sanitation FACTS AND FIGURES: URBAN LIFE EH ISSUES AND URBANIZATION CONCERNS ​ 4.2 billion or more than half of the world’s population lives in cities (2019) UNPLANNED URBAN SPRAWL ​ By 2041, it is projected that almost 6 billion will live in ​ Development with low regard to urban planning urban areas (UN, 2019) ○​ Adequate planning should consider factors such as: ​ By 2050, 70% of the world’s population will be living in ○​ Roads that will efficiently accommodate the towns and cities (WHO, 2019) population ​ 95% of urban expansion will take place in the developing ○​ Zoning of commercial spaces, residential areas, world places for worship, hospitals, schools, and transport ​ The world’s cities occupy just 3% of the Earth’s land, but hubs account for 60-80% of energy consumption and 75% of ​ Linked to environmental degradation carbon emissions ○​ Deterioration of the environment ○​ Facilities and industries are concentrated in urbanized ○​ Depletion of natural resources such as air, water, and areas soil ○​ Destruction of ecosystems Philippine Statistics ○​ Extinction of wildlife ​ As of Sept 30, 2018, according to DILG: ○​ 17 Regions ○​ 81 Provinces ○​ 145 Cities ○​ 1,489 Municipalities ○​ 42,045 Barangays Figure 3. Change in built-up areas in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao. ​ Figure 3 shows the increase in built-up areas in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao Figure 2. Urbanization levels by region SUBSTANDARD HOUSING. IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON RURAL VS URBAN AREAS ​ Housing that poses a risk to the health and physical well-being of its occupants, neighbors, and visitors ​ More cases in urban areas due to crowding ○​ Inappropriate materials ○​ Crowding facilitated virus transmission ​ Substandard housing influences health ​ Public health measures were harder to implement in urban ○​ Increased risk of disease areas ​ Number of occupants exceeds available space ○​ Some measures were not applicable (e.g., social ​ Easier transmission of communicable diseases distancing) ​ Vulnerability to pests ​ Factors that hardened the impact of COVID-19 on ○​ Decreased mental health urban areas ​ Lack of Privacy ○​ High population density ​ Noise pollution ​ High population density made it harder to access healthcare services PH 136 | Urbanization 2 of 5  ○​ Greater impacts of emergencies and disasters (e.g., ​ The share of road space in Metro Manila is only 20% for Flooding, earthquake) → increased injuries and public transport, while private vehicles occupy 80% deaths ​ Road traffic and accidents Informal Settlements in Manila URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT ​ 556,526 households—about 3.4 million people— of which ​ The observed higher temperature that cities or urban areas 18% or around 614,436 people are living in experience compared to the surrounding rural areas disaster-prone areas ○​ Causes heatstroke, heat exhaustion, and heat cramps ​ 60,130 households, equivalent to 360,780 people, live in shanties along major riverbanks, creeks, and other Urban Green Spaces waterways ​ Public green areas used predominantly for recreation, such ​ Housing is an important determinant of health, and as gardens, zoos, parks, and suburban natural areas and substandard housing is a significant public health issue forests ​ HEALTH BENEFITS FROM GREEN SPACES: OVERCROWDING ○​ Psycho-physiological stress reduction ​ Increased risk for communicable diseases ○​ Improved mental health and cognitive function ○​ e.g., respiratory infections, skin diseases, and ○​ Reduced cardiovascular morbidity illnesses through fecal-oral route ○​ Reduced prevalence of type 2 diabetes ​ Lack of privacy leads to depression, stress, and anxiety ○​ Higher levels of greenness are associated with decreased rates of all-cause mortality INADEQUATE SANITATION AND WASTE COLLECTION ​ Increases risk for diarrheal diseases and parasitic infections Sanitation in the Philippine Cities ​ 43⁄112 or 38% of established sanitary landfills are operational (as of June 2012) ​ Landfills - Final destination of garbage ○​ Sanitary Landfill - Not just excavated, there are liners and specific infrastructure that will prevent the garbage from leaching into the soil ​ Has limited capacity; when filled up, we find another landfill ​ Not sustainable ​ There are houses along open dumps Figure 4. Health benefits from green spaces ​ Only a few cities outside Metro Manila (including Baguio, Vigan, and Zamboanga) have sewerage systems, though APPROACHES ON SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES these serve less than 3%–5% of the service area SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 11 population ​ SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities ○​ Ayala Alabang has its own wastewater treatment ○​ Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, plant resilient, and sustainable ​ Caters to Alabang Town Center, nearby malls, ​ Better urban planning and management are needed to and residences make the world’s urban spaces more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. POLLUTION ​ As of May 2017, 149 countries were developing ​ Noise and air national-level urban policies. ○​ Short-term effects: asthma, emphysema ○​ Long-term health impacts: chronic stress, respiratory POLICIES AND REGULATIONS diseases, cancer, heart disease ​ National Urban Development and Housing Framework ​ Waste and Land ​ The Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992 ○​ Water-related diseases ​ Climate Change Act of 2009 (CCA) ​ Disaster Risk Reduction Management Act of 2010 Most Polluted Cities in PH in 2023 (perceived) ​ Local Government Code (Rep. Act No. 7160) 1.​ Manila 2.​ Cebu HUMAN ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS 3.​ Quezon City 4.​ Baguio 5.​ Makati MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC AND TRAFFIC INJURIES Transport and Mobility in the Philippines ​ Inadequate transport planning and ineffective traffic management ​ Fifth country in the world with the worst traffic conditions (Numbeo Traffic Index for Country 2015 Mid-Year Report) ​ Road-based transportation ​ Metro Manila commuters: ○​ 70% public transport ○​ 30% use private vehicles Figure 5. Conceptual Framework of Human Ecology PH 136 | Urbanization 3 of 5 ​ There are many environmental factors that can influence 4PS FOR SUSTAINABLE, INCLUSIVE, SAFE, AND our health RESILIENT COMMUNITIES/CITIES ○​ The environment provides for human systems at the ​ Plan individual, family, and community levels ○​ Do we have a plan to improve our urban areas and ○​ At the same time, we should be responsible stewards how we provide public health in these heavily of the environment urbanized cities? ​ Policies THE HEALTHY CITY APPROACH ​ Proper Plan or Policy Implementation ​ What is a healthy city? ○​ If we have plans and policies, do we implement them ○​ One that is continually creating and improving properly? physical and social environments ​ Personal Commitment ○​ Enables people to mutually support each other to ○​ At a personal level, we can also commit to contribute perform and develop their maximum potential within our spheres of influence ○​ Puts health, social well-being, equity, and sustainable development at the center of local policies, strategies, and programs [WHO, 2020] ○​ Governance is a key factor in achieving a healthy city ○​ Guided by the principles of health for all, universal health coverage, intersectoral governance for health, health-in-all-policies, community participation, social cohesion, and innovation [WHO, 2020] Healthy City Checklist ​ A healthy city aims to provide… ○​ A clean, safe physical environment of high quality (including housing quality) ○​ An ecosystem that is stable now and sustainable in the long term ○​ A strong, mutually supportive, and non-exploitative community ○​ A high degree of participation in and control by the citizens over decisions affecting their lives, health, and well-being Figure 6. The determinants of health and well-being in the urban context ○​ The meeting of basic needs (food, water, shelter, income, safety) for all the city’s people In terms of environmental health, there are many determinants ○​ Access by the people to a wide variety of of health and well-being in the urban context. The natural and experiences and resources, with the chance for a built environment will ultimately affect our health. [Duarte, 2025] wide variety of contact, interaction, and communication REVIEW QUESTIONS (BSPH 2025) ○​ A diverse, vital, and innovative economy 1.​ All are ekistic elements of human settlements except ○​ Connectedness with the past, with the cultural and for? biological heritage of city dweller,s and with other a.​ Nature groups and individuals b.​ Society ○​ A form that is compatible with and enhances the c.​ Networks preceding characteristics d.​ Culture ○​ An optimum level of appropriate public health and e.​ None of the above sickness care services, accessible to all 2.​ All are basic health requirements of human settlements ○​ High health status (high levels of positive health and except for? low levels of disease) a.​ Consumer goods b.​ Waste disposal Top 5 Healthy Cities in the World c.​ Peace and order ​ Copenhagen, Denmark d.​ Road and public transportation ​ Okinawa, Japan ​ Monte Carlo, Monaco 3.​ Urbanization is defined as? ​ Vancouver, Canada a.​ Mass movement of populations from urban to rural ​ Melbourne, Australia b.​ Abrupt shift of rural areas to urban c.​ Process by which city becomes larger as more people From BSPH 2025 Trans: live and work in central areas Marikina City as a Healthy City d.​ The definition of urban areas depends per country, ​ Covered public market including taking into account its land mass ​ Dedicated bike lanes and bikeways 4.​ What may be classified as an urban area according to ​ Hassle-free streets the National Statistics Coordination Board? ​ Walkable streets a.​ City 1 that has a population size of 3,500 people ​ Street fixtures b.​ City 2 that has 7 establishments each with 15 ○​ Streetlights and traffic lights employees ​ Well-constructed Healthy City Center c.​ City 3 that has one establishment with 50 employees ​ Clean food laboratory d.​ City 4 that has 2 facilities within a 5-kilometer radius of the barangay hall PH 136 | Urbanization 4 of 5 5.​ A noticeable increase in temperature in urban areas compared to the surrounding rural areas is known as? a.​ Urban Heat Island Effect b.​ Rural Heat Island Effect c.​ Suburban Heat Island Impact d.​ Urban Cold Spot Syndrome 6.​ True or false: Substandard housing and overcrowding increase the risk for communicable diseases only. 7.​ True or false: The government is also liable for substandard housing. 8.​ True or false: 60% of the population depends on private vehicles. 9.​ The Urban a.​ RA 10121 Development and b.​ RA 7279 Housing Act of 1992 c.​ RA 9729 10.​ Local Government d.​ RA 7160 Code 11.​ Climate Change Act of 2009 12.​ Disaster Risk Reduction Management Act of 2010 REFERENCES ​ Lectures Duarte, P. A. E. (2025). Human Settlements, Urbanization, and Health. PH 136 | Urbanization 5 of 5