Question

how your locality has changed over the past two or three decades ,including changes in the way people are dependent on local and global ecosystem services, land use,population,status or quality of the environment etc.

Answer 1

      Ecosystem services that we see, are related to clean drinking water supply, disposal and decomposition of waste.  They services are grouped as  1)  production of Food and water, 2) regulating control of climate and disease,  3) supporting services for nutrient cycles and crop pollination,  and 4) cultural services for spiritual and recreational.

     The global regulations for food products are applicable in our locality too.  Various cultural events that happen around the World, are also driving our recreational activities.  Disease control related activities too take place in synchronism with the global situation now.    

    Our locality was not very populated in my childhood, that is when I was going to Nursery school nearby in my colony itself.  I have been watching my locality over the last decade.  It has changed a lot.  There have been developments in all fronts.

   All residents have built comfortable houses for themselves or are living in appartment buildings.  They are all working in respectable organizations public and private.  Long ago they used to take buses or use bicycles and scooters to go for work.  Most of them now use cars small and big.

    We had to go some distance to buy groceries and other things.  Now, we have many things available at the stretch of hands.  We get them home delivered too.  The roads are have changed from kachcha Earthen lanes to well laid nice tar roads. 

    The municipality does good work by keeping the roads clean.  They also take care of the waste dumped into the garbage boxes on the roadsides.  There are plants laid on both sides of the road.  Thus there have been a lot of changes.  A few years ago, a building in our locality has been designated as the community hall for social functions, festivals, marriages etc.

   Some of the residents of the locality are old and retired.  I observe that they often go to nearby temples. They visit the local park with many plants and trees with a pathway for morning and evening walks.  We have a local metro/train station and bus station also nearby.  Important change is that prices have gone high in the last decade.  People are now technology oriented.

   I know that in some other localities, chemical plants are releasing smoke, and gases into the air.  Some small industries are mixing their disposed liquids into some canals. Some localities are not having good sewerage.  The garbage disposals are not being regular too.  These are all very bad contributors to our environment and could harm our health and existence.

     Along with positive happenings, there have been some disadvantages too.  The life has become hurried.  There is pollution in terms of chemicals, green house gases, vehicular pollution, dust rising from the traffic  etc.  I am disturbed some times by the busy traffic late in to the night.  Due to too much of population, buildings the climate that used to be cool in summer, has now become hot.  Global warming has affected us too.
 
    Use of land now is nearly 90% in the city limits.  Vegetation has not grown that much in proportion.  Too much of population in the town has caused shortage of water.   Many agricultural lands and gardens near our town have been unfortunately converted into residential and shopping complexes.

    Water, food and energy supplies have become global.  Food is collected nationwide and is redistributed appropriately.  Natural calamities occurring locally have not a lot of impact on food availability.

     The rains that used to fall regularly in the rainy season are arriving with delays.   We hear reports of groundwater levels going down.  So many apartments and constructions have installed rain water harvesting mechanisms.  There is water supply from nearby river that comes to houses after treatment for potability.  Further use of purchased bottled filter water has become common now.  These plants generate a lot of waste water, apparently.

     There is an impact on availability of Electrical energy too.  It comes from National grid, with less dependency on the local availability.  Further there are a lot of overhead cables all over the streets.  They are filling up the space in the locality with the electromagnetic radiation.  Use of non-eco friendly materials has increased.