Ecological Remediation

Abstract

Anthropogenic development is the main actor in the destruction of our planet.
Urbanization, industrialization, and agriculture have been expanding exponentially at a global scale in an attempt to create prosperity and progress. Still, in the process of this never-ending pursuit of betterment for the human race, we are killing native biodiversity and entire ecosystems.
This graduation project in Urbanism and Landscape architecture will portray the current issues resulting from anthropogenic development, taking the Guanajuato, Mx, central region as a case study and reflecting on the challenges, scenarios, and possibilities for the future.
This thesis project aims to reflect and understand the current environmental, ecological, and social issues generated as a result of anthropogenic practices in the central region of Guanajuato, Mexico. Through research and resources such as literature, governmental projections, urban and geomorphological analysis; the thesis gives an understanding of the current conditions of the state of Guanajuato, MX focusing mainly on the central region of the state and in cities of Irapuato, Salamanca and Pueblo Nuevo as well as highlighting the disconnection between the built environment and the native biodiversity and nature.
The urban, industrial, and agricultural expansion in the region has completely neglected the state’s ecological elements and the role they play in our ecological cycles. As of now, the central region has annihilated most of the native biodiversity. The constant exploitation of the soil has resulted in erosion and compaction throughout the region, and the existing aquifers, lakes, ponds, and rivers have been extracted until their last drop.
Therefore, to react to a symbiotic change, the goal is to create a regional proposal that focuses on mitigating ecological and environmental problems in the region as well as enhancing the biodiversity in the landscape and the development of sustainable agriculture that supports native ecosystems as well as integration and balance in the urban areas through the halt of large cities expansions transitioning into a network of ecocities through sustainable compact towns redevelopments.
The aim is to find a regional strategy that enhances the native species through their ecological territory and designs and intervention for towns to develop and grow sustainably by creating a balance between people, animals, and plants.