Main: Addressing Inefficiencies in Urban Markets with Low Cost Rural Development Services

In the passages below Prof Chan talks about the ecological, social, cultural, economic and ecological costs of rapid urban development in emerging economies. If we are to consider seriously the idea of building EcoCities we need take a hard look at how urban region can embrace more rural aspects in both look, feel and operation.

At the same time we need to question seriously the sustainability of existing migration patterns and consider the importance of support more effective rural development strategy to prevent rapid urban migration.

A key consideration and question is not only the cost of development and impact on quality of life for rural people as well as those in existing urban areas but also the ecological impact. There is evidence that enabling and empowering people to live sustainably and prosperly in rural regions can be a significant strategy in the development of a comprehensive approach to global sustainable development.

Addressing Inefficiencies in Urban Markets with Low Cost Rural Development Services

Prof Chan notes that many URBAN Services are Very Expensive:

• Centralized Water Supply & Distribution Network
• Centralized Human Waste Sewerage Network & Sewage Disposal
• Solid Waste Collection & Centralized Landfill Disposal
• Electric Power Stations and Grid Distribution
• Food & Feed Marketing & Distribution
• Public Transport
• Private Transport
• Harbor & Port Facilities
• Trade & Commerce
• Education Facilities & Schools
• Health Facilities & Hospitals
• Administrative Facilities & Government Offices
• Office Buildings for Work miles away from Home

Modern urban services for the most part do NOT exist in the SLUMS, so one can imagine the lack of hygiene here, without anything being done as remedies.  How can those rich nations tolerate such conditions?  Eventually, the rich people will suffer too.

At the same time The RURAL Services are mostly absent, so the Conditions are Most Primitive, but because of the wide space and the natural processes can still be effective until the natural limits are reached and the conditions can be made tolerable to reduce unsustainable levels of urban migrations.

Role of IF&WMS in Stabilizing or Reversing Unsustainable Urban Migration

Many appropriate technologies can still be used in the RURAL areas to solve existing problems with my Integrated Farming & Waste Management System (IFWMS) to make Sustainable Development POSSIBLE on site, where the problems originate:
1. Integrated LIVESTOCK Development (Cattle & Goat for Milk & Meat; Chicken, Duck & Goose for Egg & Meat; Pig & Sheep for Meat) in Extended Family or Cooperative Farms, with Digesters, Basins, Ponds & Fields, using my IFWMS involving Livestock,  Aquaculture, Agriculture, and Agro-Industry, with the Wastes of one process fully treated and utilized as Input for others

1. Decentralized (on-site) Human Excreta and Animal Manure in Anaerobic Digesters, followed by Aerobic Basins and Ponds, for COMPLETE Treatment and Recycling of ALL WASTES & WATER, using free-of-charge natural resources (air, soil, water, organisms, flora & fauna) and lowest-costs natural processes (physical, microbial, bio-chemical, & biological)  to generate Energy, Fertilizers, Foods and Feeds at the Lowest COSTS.
2. All the nutrients in the treated water are removed and used for various Plankton growth as natural Feeds for appropriate Fish and Shellfish, or for fertilizing Crops and Trees, and the purified water re-utilized.
3. All crop residues and macrophytes are re-utilized as substrate for cultures of mushrooms as Food and/ or earthworms as Feed.
4. Opportunities for BUSINESS are seized by the Farmers to make more profits for their produce, goods, and services.  The most important ones are generation of Electricity from the excess BIOGAS as co-generation with the Power Authorities, or CARBON Sinks with special crops as bio-fuel for vehicles.

Many countries are doing more and more Research & Development on such technologies, but are still reluctant to treat WASTES as RENEWABLE RESOURCES because of past and present prejudices.  They prefer to let them pollute the environment, with propagation of diseases and deaths among the poor in this world.