P . A . W . S

By Pranavi Kompalli

Have you ever noticed something being built on the way to work or school? A new apartment, office, mall or restaurant… Every single thing constructed contributes to urbanisation. This isn’t always a good thing, especially for our animal friends. In this article, read more about urbanisation and it’s impacts on nature and animals.

The Truth about Urbanisation

Every structure built plays a role in the expansion of urbanisation, and when new buildings arise, our beautiful world full of nature and colour fades a little more. Think about it, so many animals lose there habitats, so many trees are cut down and so much space is lost. Terrible, right?

Loss of Bio-Diversity

Now, Bio-diversity. So many lives and ecosystems are tampered with when it comes to construction. For example, cutting down trees to build a movie theatre can mean destroying the homes of many ants, snakes, bees and other precious creatures. Furthermore, every part of an ecosystem is crucial; if one component (whether biotic or abiotic) is no longer able to serve it’s purpose, the whole ecosystem can collapse. To summarise this point, urbanisation can mean a staggering decline in bio-diversity.

Ecological Displacement

Ecological displacement refers to animals being forced out of their natural habitat. This is most often due to urbanisation. Additionally, When animals are no longer able to live in their own homes, they are faced with several challenges like food scarcity, increased stress, human conflict etc.

How Can I help

Unfortunately, there aren’t many ways we can contribute. One thing possible is to educate others and spread awareness about the current situation. Even though this is a small action, it can make a big difference.

In conclusion, I’d like to say that there isn’t a way to put a complete end to urbanisation, but we can definitely shape it with responsibility, compassion and respect for all the animals we share our planet with.