Climate Responsive Design

Instructor: Kamel Mahaddin

Zein Al Tarawneh
1610121
TOPIC 1
Forests
Introduction
Forest is the home of various living species. It is a precious resource which nature
provides. The species that live in the forests are interdependent. Forest life is driven
by factors such as climate, water, and sunlight. Variety of plants in most forests is
available: herbs, shrubs, and trees depending on the region's climate. By the method
of photosynthesis plants produce their own food and animals rely on plants and other
animals for their food. Plants also often rely on animals for processes such as
pollination and seed dispersal. Many trees are spread around large areas of the globe.
Forests can be categorized as: tropical, evergreen, partially evergreen, deciduous, and
dry forests depending on the present climate conditions and types of trees. Forests can
include non-living elements such as lakes, wetlands, soil, rocks and so forth. A forest
is known as an ecosystem building area.
The importance of forest
Forests are important to civilization. Below are some points which illustrate the
importance of forests:
1. They help us breath
Forests filter out oxygen from which we will breathe and consume the carbon dioxide
from which we exhale (or emit). A single mature, leafy tree is estimated to provide a
day's supply of oxygen for anywhere between two and ten people. Phytoplankton is
more common in the ocean, supplying half of the Earth's oxygen but forests are still a
critical source of fresh air.
2. They're not just trees
Nearly half of the known species of Earth live in forests, including 80 per cent on
land. This diversity is especially abundant in tropical rainforests, but forests are
teeming with life across the planet: insects and worms work nutrients in the soil, bees
and birds disperse pollen and seeds, and keystone species such as wolves and big cats
keep hungry herbivores under control.
3. There is life in the forest of not just animals and trees, also people
Around 300 million people worldwide live in forests, including an estimated 60
million indigenous people whose survival depends almost entirely on indigenous
woodland. Many millions more live along or near the forest fringes, but even a
scattering of urban trees, among other benefits, will increase property values and
reduce crime.
4. Cool breeze
The trees also establish essential oasis of shade on the ground by developing a canopy
to hog sunlight. Urban trees help buildings remain cool, minimizing the need for
electric fans or air conditioners while large forests can tackle challenging tasks such
as curbing the impact of a city's "heat island" or controlling regional temperatures.

5. They help earth breath

Trees also have a different way of beating the heat: they trap CO2 that causes global
warming. Plants still need some CO2 for photosynthesis, but now Earth's air is so
filled with extra pollution that forests are only breathing in to combat global warming.
CO2 is preserved for centuries mostly in wood, leaves and soil.
6. Rain
Large forests can influence patterns of regional weather and even establish their own
microclimates. For example, the Amazon rainforest creates atmospheric conditions
that facilitate not only daily rainfall there and in surrounding agriculture, but even as
far away as the North American Great Plains
7. They prevent floods
Tree roots are key allies in heavy rain, especially for low-lying areas such as plains on
the river. They help the ground withstand more of a flash flood, by slowing the surge,
minimizing soil loss and damage to property.
8. They refill water reservoirs
Soaking up surface water also preserves aquatic wetlands, in addition to flood control.
Modern storm water brings increasingly toxic chemicals, ranging from gasoline and
lawn fertilizers to pesticides and pig manure, which flow across watersheds and
ultimately create "dead" low-oxygen zones.
9. Blocks the wind
Forests are like giant sponges, capturing water instead of making it roll over the
surface, but they cannot consume it all. Water that gets past its roots trickles down
into aquifers, replenishing sources of groundwater that are vital for worldwide
drinking, sanitation and irrigation
10. Keeps dirt still
A root network of a forest stabilizes large quantities of soil, bracing the base of the
entire ecosystem against wind or water erosion. Deforestation not only disrupts all of
this, but the resulting soil erosion can cause new life-threatening problems such as
landslides and dust storms.
11. Clean up contaminated soil
Apart from keeping soil in place, forests can also use phytoremediation to clean up
certain contaminants. Trees can either sequester or degrade the toxins to make them
less toxic. This is a valuable ability, allowing trees to absorb sewage overflows, spills
along the roadside or polluted runoff.
 12. Dirt air safe
We are heralding houseplants for air purification, but don't forget the forests. You will
clean up even larger-scale air emissions, and not just CO2. Trees consume a wide
variety of airborne contaminants including carbon monoxide, dioxide of sulfur and
dioxide of nitrogen. In the US alone, it is estimated that urban trees save 850 lives a
year and $6.8 billion in direct health care costs only by eliminating toxins from the
environment.
13. They muffle emissions caused by noise
Sound fades in forests making trees a common barrier to natural noise. The muffling
effect is primarily due to rustling leaves — and other white forest noise, such as bird
songs — so only a few well-placed trees can reduce background sound by 5 to 10
decibels, or around 50 per cent when human ears perceive it
14. Food
Not only do trees grow fruits, nuts, seeds and sap, but they also allow for a cornucopia
on the forest floor, from edible mushrooms, berries and beetles to larger games such
as deer, turkeys, rabbits and fish.
15. They help us create things
Where will mankind be without resin and timber? We've been using these sustainable
resources for a long time to do everything from paper and furniture to homes and
clothing, but we do have a history of getting carried away, contributing to overuse and
deforestation. But it is becoming easier to find responsibly obtained thanks to the
growth of tree farming and sustainable forestry tree products.
16. Jobs
According to the United Nations, more than 1.6 billion people rely on forests to some
degree for their livelihoods and 10 million are working directly in forest management
or conservation. Forests contribute about 1% of the world's gross domestic product
through the production of timber and non-timber products, the latter alone supporting
up to 80% of the population in many developing countries.
17. Brings out majesty
Natural beauty can be the most evident and yet the least measurable advantage
provided by a forest. Nevertheless, the abstract mix of shade, greenery, movement and
tranquility can bring tangible benefits for people, including inspiring us to value and
conserve old-growth forests for centuries to come.
The importance of trees in forests
Trees are necessary. They give us oxygen, store carbon, sustain the soil and give life
to the wildlife of the world as the largest plants on the earth. They do send us the
tooling and shelter materials.

Not only are trees essential for life, but as the longest living species on earth, they
give us a link between the past, present and future.
It’s critical that woodlands, rainforests and trees in urban settings, such as parks, are
preserved and sustainably managed across the world.

Trees canopies serve as a physical barrier, collecting dust and removing airborne
contaminants. Each year each single tree loses up to 1.7 kilograms. These also provide
shelter and reduce noise from solar radiation.

Research shows that your blood pressure decreases, your heart rate increases and your
stress levels go down within minutes of being surrounded by trees and green space.

Trees benefit the atmosphere as they grow, Trees absorb carbon dioxide, and the
carbon they store in their wood helps slow the pace of global warming.

They minimize wind speeds and cool the air as they remove moisture from their
leaves and reflect heat upwards. It is calculated that trees can lower a city's
temperature by 7 degrees.

Trees also help stop flooding and erosion of the soil, storing thousands of liters of
storm water as I mentioned above.

Trees support biodiversity Hosting large microhabitats in Trees. When they're young,
they offer incredible communities of birds, insects, lichen and fungi housing and food.
When ancient, their trunks also provide the hollow cover needed by species such as
bats, wood boring beetles, tawny owls and woodpeckers.

Trees build communities Trees enhance a place's distinctive character, and promote
local pride. Urban woods can be used as an educational resource and for events such
as walking and bird-watching to bring communities together. For children to play in
and explore their sense of adventure, trees are invaluable too.

Trees develop the economy People are drawn to live, work and invest in a green
climate. Data indicates that, when properties are close to mature trees, average house
prices are 5-18 per cent higher. When there are parks and trees nearby, businesses
benefit from a cleaner, happier workforce.

Trees secure the future finally; the number of people with homes in towns will
outstrip those living on the plains for the first time in history. Parks and trees are to
become an even more important aspect of urban life. They should a value for the
future, and support them.
The world's most prominent trees

1. Sisters Olive Trees of Noah

Noah's Sisters Olive Trees is a 16-variety olive grove near Bcheale, Lebanon. It is
estimated the trees are around 5,000 years old. According to local folklore, one of the
trees in this grove supported the olive branch that the dove carried to Noah to mark
the end of the flood. Now, the trees grow olives.

Major Oak

Standing in the heart of Nottinghamshire's Sherwood Forest, England, the Big Oak is
thought to be the tree under which Robin Hood once took shelter. The age of this
English Oak is believed to be between the ages of 800-1000. Major Oak weighs an
estimated 23 tons and has a girth of 33 feet and branches which reaches up to 92 feet.
Large Oak was named "Tree of the Year for England" in 2014.

General Sherman

The giant sequoia is to be found in Sequoia National Park in California. General

Sherman is the largest tree in the entire world, weighing 52.500 cubic feet. The tree
was named after General William Tecumseh Sherman of the Civil War, and is
believed to be about 2,000 years old.
Topic 2

Desertification
Desertification, also called desertification, is the process of rising the biological
fertility of drylands (arid and semiarid lands) through natural or human causes.
Climate change, deforestation, overgrazing, poverty, political instability,
unsustainable irrigation practices or combinations of these factors can result in
decreases in productivity. The definition does not apply to the physical expansion of
existing deserts but to the specific processes that affect all dryland ecosystems,
including deserts as well as grasslands and scrublands.
The global desertification extend A little less than half of Earth's ice-free land surface
about 52 million square kilometers is drylands, and these drylands comprise some of
the world's poorest nations. The UN Environment Program (UNEP) states that
desertification has affected 36 million square kilometers (14 million square
kilometers) of land and is a significant worldwide concern.
Desertification Causes Overgrazing
Animal grazing is an immense issue for many areas that are starting to become desert
biomes. When so many animals in some areas are overgrazing, it makes it impossible
for the plants to grow back, which affects the ecosystem and causes it to lose its
former green glory.
Deforestation: When people try to move into an environment, or need trees to make
houses and do other tasks, then they contribute to desertification issues. The rest of
the biome can't survive without the plants (especially the trees) around.
Farming Practices: Some farmers do not know how to efficiently exploit the land.
They will effectively strip the land of everything it possesses before moving on to
another story. By stripping the soil of its nutrients, desertification is becoming more
and more a reality for the region used for agriculture.
Urbanization and other land building forms. Development, as described above, can
cause people to walk through and destroy the plant life. It can also cause soil
problems due to chemicals and other things which can damage the soil. When areas
become more urbanized, plants have fewer opportunities to develop and thus cause
desertification.
Shift in climate: Climate change plays a significant role in desertification. When the
days get warmer and drought cycles get more frequent, desertification becomes even
more inevitable. If climate change is slowed down, large areas of land will become
desert; as time goes by; some of these areas might also become uninhabitable.
Stripping Capital Ground. When a land area has natural resources such as coal, oil, or
minerals, people can come in and mine or carry it out. It normally strips nutrient soil,
which in turn destroys plant life, which in turn begins the process of becoming a
biome of the desert as time goes on.
Natural Disasters: There are several instances where natural disasters affect the land,
including drought. There's not much people can do in those situations except work to
try to help rehabilitate the land after it has already been destroyed by accident.
Desertification consequences Farming is almost impossible. When a region is a desert
then without special technology it is almost impossible to grow significant crops
there. To try to do so will cost a lot of money, so many farmers will have to sell their
land to leave the desert areas
Hunger: Without farms in these areas, the food provided by those farms will become
much scarcer and the people living in those local areas will be much more likely to try
to cope with hunger problems. Animals would even go hungry, triggering even
greater food scarcity.
Flooding: Flooding is a lot more apparent without the plant life in an environment.
Not all deserts are dry; those that are wet may experience a great deal of flooding
because there is nothing to stop the water from collecting and going all over the place.
Flooding may also have a detrimental effect on the availability of water which we will
explore next.
Low water quality: When a region transforms into a desert, the water quality will get
even worse than it would otherwise have been. It is because plant life plays a huge
role in keeping the water clean and clear; it gets much harder for you to be able to do
that without its presence.
Overpopulation: Animals and humans may migrate to other places where they can
potentially survive as places start to become abandoned. This causes crowding and
overpopulation, which would end up continuing the desertification process that has
begun this whole thing even in the long term.
Poverty: All of the problems we have addressed above (related to the question of
desertification) will lead to poverty if it is not held under control. Without food and
water, it is more difficult for people to survive, so it takes a great deal of time to try to
find the things they need.
Solutions
Policy Shifts on Desertification Approaches Related to How People Would Plant. In
countries where policy reform can actually be imposed on those in the country, policy
changes related to how much people can farm and how often they can farm on some
areas may be placed in place to help mitigate the issues often associated with farming
and desertification.
Changes in legislation on certain forms of land use. If people use land to gain natural
resources, or grow it for people to live on, then the policies that control them should
be ones that will help the land flourish, rather than encouraging them to further
damage the land. The policy changes may be sweeping, or depending on the form of
land use involved.
Training: Training is an extremely valuable resource in developing countries which
needs to be used to help people understand the best way to use the land they are
farming on. Through educating them on sustainable practices it would save more land
from being desert.
Advances in Technology. In certain situations, it's hard to try to stop desertification.
There needs to be research and developments in technology in those situations that
push the boundaries of what we know at present. Advances could help us find more
ways to prevent epidemics from occurring.
Moving Rehabilitation Efforts Together. There are some ways we can go back and
rehabilitate the land we've already been driving into desertification; it just takes some
time and resources to spend. In bringing these together we will avoid the problem
from being much more severe in already affected areas.
Sustainable activities intended to avoid desertification. There are plenty of ecological
practices which can be applied to actions which can cause desertification. By applying
these to what we can do with land we will make sure we don't turn the whole planet
into a desert.
Desertification is a big issue that needs to be tackled immediately, because if we take
the time to do it now, in the future we will avoid other problems. Through taking the
hard look at desertification we have the resources we need to efficiently get through
the processes.

Topic 3

Urbanization
Among other factors, the prospect of employment and wealth draws people into
towns. Half of the world's population now lives in cities, with two-thirds of the
world's inhabitants predicted to live in urban areas by 2050. Yet two of the world's
most important issues still come together in cities today: poverty and environmental
degradation.
Bad air and water quality, insufficient water supply, waste management problems and
high energy usage are compounded by the rising population density and urban
environment demands. Strong urban planning will be important for addressing these
and other problems as urban areas expand around the world.

Threats
Intensive urban development will contribute to greater deprivation, with local
governments being unable to provide all residents with services.
Concentrated use of energy leads to increased air emissions with major public health
impacts.
Automotive exhaust is producing high levels of lead in urban air.
Large amounts of uncollected waste pose many hazards to the environment.
Urban growth will increase the risk of such environmental hazards as flash flooding
Pollution and physical obstacles to root growth facilitate the loss of tree cover in
urban areas.
The toxic chemicals, cars, and the lack of habitat and food supplies hinder animal
populations.

Solutions
Tackle poverty by promoting economic growth and job creation.
Local groups participate in municipal government.
Reduce air pollution by the development of energy usage and alternative transport
systems.
Establish public-private partnerships to provide services such as waste management
and housing.
Plant trees and integrate green spaces in community care as a central factor of urban
planning.

Conclusion of all of the above

In my opinion, as a result, Climate change, biodiversity loss and other modifications
to the ecosystem present serious threats to human health which need to be addressed.
Global warming and clearing of forests will lead to increased risk of diseases. What is
happening now worldwide is a great example, the crisis were going through because
of the covid 19 virus.
Deforestation, habitat changes as well as reducing green spaces in cities reduce many
of the essential ecological services forests provide and also decrease opportunities for
positive mental and physical health effects by visits to the woods. Land food and
medicinal plants are at risk from deforestation, over-harvesting, and destruction of the
environment.
The use of forests to enhance human health conditions and reduce forest-related
health threats demands much greater efforts both in science and in putting information
into action. Promoting both study and information transfer on the health effects of
forests in practice requires close cooperation between different sectors, particularly
between health care professionals and environmentalists. The effect on human health
of forests and green areas should not be dealt with in isolation, but should be
combined with other important and fundamental benefits of forests to humanity. And
in this way can one completely understand and leverage the health-promoting benefits
of green areas.