In many places, new homes are needed, but the only space available for building them is in the countryside. Some people believe it is more important to protect the countryside and not build new homes there. What is your opinion about this?

In recent times, population growth has resulted in more demands for housing. It is often argued that extra homes have to be built in the countryside where more space is available, while others disagree. I believe that the environment must be protected and expansion into the countryside be considered only as a last resort and under certain conditions. Construction in the countryside would, in fact, result in many problems for humans and animals alike, such as air pollution and the disruption of ecosystems, which are the root cause of many other problems. For example, in Delhi most of the countryside was destroyed in order to build new apartments, and now it has not only lost much of its biodiversity, but it has also turned into the most polluted city in India. Moreover, the countryside is a peaceful shelter for many city dwellers who need fresh air and relief from the stress and anxiety caused by city life. If this amenity is destroyed, the quality of these people’s lives would be yet more compromised. That said, citizens need accommodation for living, but there is very little space left in big cities and metropolises, which are crammed with high-rises and small apartment buildings. Although this can be overcome by building new apartments around the cities and in surrounding villages, I argue governments must look for other environmentally-friendly solutions. For instance, the residents of rural areas and less populated cities must be encouraged, through incentives and facilities, not to migrate to already over-populated cities. Nonetheless, if human encroachment into the nature is inevitable, measures should be taken to reverse the damage by creating green spaces inside the cities, such as parks, and green growth on the tops of buildings where feasible. The destruction of the countryside should not be taken as the easy option, as it will, overall, bring about more drawbacks than benefits if we recklessly lose our green lands to the insatiable human demand for housing; hence the need for more nature-based solutions.