Issues Of Environmental Degradation Environmental Sciences Essay

Environmental degradation is a process through which the natural environment is compromised in some way, reducing biological diversity and the general health of the environment. This process can be entirely natural in origin, or it can be accelerated or caused by human activities. Many international organizations recognize environmental degradation as one of the major threats facing the planet, since humans have only been given one Earth to work with, and if the environment becomes irreparably compromised, it could mean the end of human existence. One of the major threat the planet faces today, environmental degradation, is bound to make life difficult for all the life forms, including human beings, now or later. Studies by some of the eminent organizations reveal that the deterioration of environment is occurring at an alarming rate. In fact, the High Level Threat Panel of the United Nations has enlisted environmental degradation as one of the ten threats for us. This issue shares space with problems like poverty, terrorism and civil war in the list, and this itself highlights the fact that we are heading for a certain disaster. It is defined as a process wherein the natural environment of the planet is degenerated to such an extent, that the biodiversity and the general health of the planet is subjected to drastic reduction. In other words, this phenomenon can be defined as deterioration of the Earth’s natural surroundings as a result of excessive exploitation of the available resources. These resources include water, air, flora, fauna, soil etc. Basically, the life on the planet is interwoven to such an extent that a decrease in a particular attribute triggers a domino effect on all the other attributes dependent on it. It is the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife. It is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable.

Environmental degradation is one of the Ten Threats officially cautioned by the High Level Threat Panel of the United Nations.

Fig,1 Showing pollution from chimneys

Causes:

Environmental degradation is a result of the dynamic inters play of socio-economic, institutional and technological activities. Environmental degradation can be attributed to various human activities, as well as some natural processes, with the later having an insignificant share. Most of the resources on the planet are vulnerable to depletion, and the rates at which we are exploiting them have already brought some of them to the brink of exhaustion. Exploitation of the fossil fuels is the best example of this phenomenon. Large scale exploitation has depleted the fossil fuel reserves across the world, thus leaving us with no option but to find an alternate source of energy. Other human activities which have been contributing to environmental degradation include urbanization, overpopulation, deforestation, pollution, hunting, etc.

Environmental changes may be driven by many factors including economic growth, population growth, urbanization, intensification of agriculture, rising energy use and transportation.

Poverty still remains a problem at the root of several environmental problems.

Social Factors:

Population

Population is an important source of development, yet it is a major source of environmental degradation when it exceeds the threshold limits of the support systems. Unless the relationship between the multiplying population and the life support system can be stabilized, development programmes, howsoever, innovative are not likely to yield desired results.

Population impacts on the environment primarily through the use of natural resources and production of wastes and is associated with environmental stresses like loss of biodiversity, air and water pollution and increased pressure on arable land.

Fig.2 Population in India

India supports 17 per cent of the world population on just 2.4 per cent of world land area. Its current rate of population growth at 1.85 per cent continues to pose a persistent population challenge. In view of the linkages between population and environment, a vigorous drive for population control need hardly be over emphasized.

Poverty

Poverty is said to be both cause and effect of environmental degradation. The circular link between poverty and environment is an extremely complex phenomenon. Inequality may foster unsustainability because the poor, who rely on natural resources more than the rich, deplete natural resources faster as they have no real prospects of gaining access to other types of resources. Moreover, degraded environment can accelerate the process of impoverishment, again because the poor depend directly on natural assets. Although there has been a significant drop in the poverty ratio in the country from 55 percent in 1973 to 36 percent in 1993-94, the absolute number of poor have, however, remained constant at around 320 million over the years. Acceleration in poverty alleviation is imperative to break this link between poverty and the environment.

Urbanization

Lack of opportunities for gainful employment in villages and the ecological stresses is leading to an ever increasing movement of poor families to towns. Mega cities are emerging and urban slums are expanding.

There has been an eightfold increase in urban population over 1901-1991. During the past two decades of 1971-91, India’s urban population has doubled from 109 million to 218 million and is estimated to reach 300 million by 2000 AD.

Such rapid and unplanned expansion of cities has resulted in degradation of urban environment. It has widened the gap between demand and supply of infrastructural services such as energy, housing, transport, communication, education, water supply and sewerage and recreational amenities, thus depleting the precious environmental resource base of the cities. The result is the growing trend in deterioration of air and water quality, generation of wastes, the proliferation of slums and undesirable land use changes, all of which contribute to urban poverty.

Economic Factors

To a large extent, environmental degradation is the result of market failure, that is, the non existent or poorly functioning markets for environmental goods and services. In this context, environmental degradation is a particular case of consumption or production externalities reflected by divergence between private and social costs (or benefits). Lack of well defined property rights may be one of the reasons for such market failure. On the other hand, Market distortions created by price controls and subsidies may aggravate the achievement of environmental objectives.

The level and pattern of economic development also affect the nature of environmental problems. India’s development objectives have consistently emphasized the promotion of policies and programmes for economic growth and social welfare. Between 1994-95 and 1997-98, the Indian economy has grown a little over 7 per cent per annum: the growth of industrial production and manufacturing averaging higher at 8.4 per cent and 8.9 per cent respectively during these years. The manufacturing technology adopted by most of the industries has placed a heavy load on environment especially through intensive resource and energy use, as is evident in natural resource depletion (fossil fuel, minerals, timber), water, air and land contamination, health hazards and degradation of natural eco-systems. With high proportion fossil fuel as the main source of industrial energy and major air polluting industries such as iron and steel, fertilizers and cement growing, industrial sources have contributed to a relatively high share in air pollution. Large quantities of industrial and hazardous wastes brought about by expansion of chemical based industry have compounded the wastes management problem with serious environmental health implications.

Transport activities have a wide variety of effects on the environment such as air pollution, noise from road traffic and oil spills from marine shipping. Transport infrastructure in India has expanded considerably in terms of network and services. Thus, road transport accounts for a major share of air pollution load in cities such as Delhi. Port and harbor projects mainly impact on sensitive coastal eco systems. Their construction affects hydrology, surface water quality, fisheries, coral reefs and mangroves to varying degrees.

Direct impacts of agricultural development on the environment arise from farming activities which contribute to soil erosion, land salination and loss of nutrients. The spread of green revolution has been accompanied by over exploitation of land and water resources, and use of fertilizers and pesticides have increased many fold. Shifting cultivation has also been an important cause of land degradation. Leaching from extensive use of pesticides and fertilizers is an important source of contamination of water bodies. Intensive agriculture and irrigation contribute to land degradation particularly salination, alkalization and water logging.

Institutional Factors

The Ministry of Environment & Forests (MOEF) in the Government is responsible for protection, conservation and development of environment. The Ministry works in close collaboration with other Ministries, State Governments, Pollution Control Boards and a number of scientific and technical institutions, universities, non-Governmental organizations etc.

Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 is the key legislation governing environment management. Other important legislations in the area include the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The weakness of the existing system lies in the enforcement capabilities of environmental institutions, both at the centre and the state.

There is no effective coordination amongst various Ministries/Institutions regarding integration of environmental concerns at the inception/planning stage of the project. Current policies are also fragmented across several Government agencies with differing policy mandates. Lack of trained personnel and comprehensive database delay many projects.

Most of the State Government institutions are relatively small suffering from inadequacy of technical staff and resources. Although overall quality of Environmental Impact Assessment

(EIA) studies and the effective implementation of the EIA process have improved over the years; institutional strengthening measures such as training of key professionals and staffing with proper technical persons are needed to make the EIA procedure a more effective instrument for environment protection and sustainable development.

Habitat Fragmentation

Habitat fragmentation carries long term environmental impacts some of which can destroy entire ecosystems. An ecosystem is a distinct unit and includes all the living and non-living elements that reside within it. Plants and animals are obvious members, but it will also include other components on which they rely on such as streams, lakes, and soils.

Habitats become fragmented when development breaks up solid stretches of land. Examples include roads which may cut through forests or even trails which wind through prairies. While it may not sound all bad on the surface, there are serious consequences.

Some wildlife species require large stretches of land in order to meet all of their needs for food, habitat, and other resources. These animals are called area sensitive. When the environment is fragmented, the large patches of habitat no longer exist. It becomes more difficult for the wildlife to get the resources they to survive, possibly becoming threatened or endangered. The environment suffers without the animals that play their role in the food web.

A more critical result is land disturbance. Many weedy plant species such as garlic mustard and purple loosestrife are both opportunistic and invasive. A breach in the habitat gives them an opportunity to take hold. These aggressive plants can take over an environment, displacing the native flora. The result is habitat with a single dominant plant which doesn’t provide adequate food resources for all the wildlife. Entire ecosystems are threatened with extinction.

Some weeds are so invasive and aggressive that they are declared noxious by the federal or state governments to prevent them from destroying unspoiled areas. The cultivation or even the sale of noxious weeds is prohibited by law.

Soil erosion and desertification:

 The development of the fertile top-soil takes centuries. But, it can be removed very easily due to human activities like over-cultivation, unrestricted grazing, deforestation and poor irrigation practices, resulting in arid patches of land. When large barren patches extend and meet over time, a desert is created. Internationally, it has been recognized that desertification is a major problem nowadays, particularly due to increased urbanization.

Water logging and soil salinity:

Irrigation without proper drainage of water leads to water logging in the soil. Besides affecting the crops, water logging draws salt to the surface of the soil.

The salt then is deposited as a thin crust on the land surface or starts collecting at the roots of the plants.    

 This increased salt content is inimical to the growth of crops and is extremely damaging to agriculture.

 Water logging and soil salinity are some of the problems that have come in the wake of the Green Revolution.

Inappropriate land use can lead to soil degradation. Bad farming techniques are often responsible for land degradation. Leaving fields bare, or ploughing them up and down the sides of a hill can cause severe soil erosion when it rains heavily as the soil has nothing keeping it in place. When the left over parts of crops and animal manure are ploughed back into the soil they serve to replenish and fertilize it. However, if the crops are cut to be fed to animals and the manure is burnt as a fuel, the soil will have no way of replenishing itself, and decreases in fertility.

Sometimes landowners make changes in the way they use the land in an attempt to make the land more productive, but often these changes damage the land and actually make it less productive.

Effects:

When factories produce harmful chemicals and toxic waste into bodies of water, humans suffer. Pesticides and fertilizers can also get into a region’s water system and pollute it. Drinking water is contaminated. Some residing in third-world countries are highly affected by the degradation of our planet and these unhealthy practices cause the following:

Illnesses

Death in children

Death in adults

More recently environmental degradation effects are becoming more and more obvious in form of range of environmental issues affecting the planet. The hazardous waste let out by the industries tends to contaminate the water bodies in the vicinity, thus leaving the water unfit for drinking. Similarly, greenhouse gases, such as CFCs and carbon dioxide, let out in the atmosphere have a devastating effect on the environment, thus making the planet vulnerable to a range of problems, including global warming and climate change. Humans have seldom sacrificed their basic necessities, but lately exploitation of resources to fulfill these basic necessities itself is taking a toll on the environment.

The effects of the major environmental problems on both health and productivity are:

a. Water pollution and water scarcity:

As per the estimation of UN, more than two million deaths and billions of illnesses a year are attributable to water pollution. Water scarcity compounds these health problems. Productivity is affected by the costs of providing safe water, by constraints on economic activity caused by water shortages, and by the adverse effects of water pollution and shortages on other environmental resources such as, declining fisheries and aquifer depletion leading to irreversible compaction.

Fig. 3 Water pollution

b. Air pollution:

As per the estimation of UN, urban air pollution is responsible for 300,000-700,000 deaths annually and creates chronic health problems for many more people. Restrictions on vehicles and industrial activity during critical periods affect productivity, as does the effect of acid rain on forests and water bodies.

c. Solid and hazardous wastes:

Diseases are spread by uncollected garbage and blocked drains; the health risks from hazardous wastes are typically more localized, but often acute. Wastes affect productivity through the pollution of groundwater resources.

d. Soil degradation:

Depleted soils increase the risks of malnutrition for farmers. Productivity losses on tropical soils are estimated to be in the range of 0.5-1.5 per cent of GNP, while secondary productivity losses are due to siltation of reservoirs, transportation channels and other hydrologic investments.

Fig. 4 Land degradation

e. Deforestation:

Death and disease can result from the localized flooding caused by deforestation. Loss of sustainable logging potential and of erosion prevention, watershed stability and carbon sequestration provided by forests are among the productivity impacts of deforestation.

f. Loss of biodiversity:

The extinction of plant and animal species will potentially affect the development of new drugs; it will reduce ecosystem adaptability and lead to the loss of genetic resources.

g. Atmospheric changes:

Ozone depletion is responsible for perhaps 300,000 additional cases of skin cancer a year and 1.7 million cases of cataracts. Global warming may lead to increase in the risk of climatic natural disasters. Productivity impacts may include sea-rise damage to coastal investments, regional changes in agricultural productivity and disruption of the marine food chain.

h. Poverty:

In many countries in Africa, crop harvests are falling as consumption increases. People are finding less nutritious food to eat. One argument held is that while fields in wealthier nations are used to grow crops for biofuel, poorer countries, especially those around the Equator, are vulnerable to weather changes, water shortages, and urbanization. All of these factors are increasing the health and lives of thousands. Some scientists and environmentalists are asking that non-food items and agriculture waste be used as alternative fuel for vehicles instead.

i.Losing Earth’s Beauty:

As humans dump waste products, use chemicals, and over fish in the oceans and seas, areas of beauty such as coral reefs are damaged. At times the destruction is so great that is cannot be reversed. We are killing our planet and the consequences are tremendous.

One example of this lies within the coast lands of Thailand. Here marine and coastal resources at risk. Vast areas of mangrove wetlands have been lost. Coral reefs continue to suffer degradation, and the total fish available for catching is declining. Not only is the degradation causing marine and coastal resources to be lost, but this issue holds large economic problems. When there are not enough fish to catch, fishermen are without income to support themselves and their families. In some coastal towns, the shores are eroding at a rate of one to five meters per year. This results in an annual loss of more than six billion baht ($150 million) in economic terms.

Conclusion:

 The impact of environmental disasters can be devastating on the social, economic, and environmental systems of a country or region as well as the global ecosystem. Environmental disasters do not recognize man-made borders, and threaten the legacy left to future generations of a clean and supportive environment. Because of the interdependency of earth ecosystems international co-operation is paramount to prevent, and when disaster strikes, respond to relieve quickly and effectively the effects of environmental disasters. Thus, Governments, International organizations and communities must work together – at all levels – to lessen the risks associated with environmental degradation and its contributing factors, such as climate change, and ensure that vulnerable people are prepared to survive and adapt. At the same time, companies, organizations and individuals must also ensure that their work is environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Types of environmental degradation:

There are many different types of environmental degradation. Some of the main types in Namibia are soil erosion, deforestation, bush encroachment, desertification and salinisation.

Soil erosion

Soil erosion is the gradual wearing away of soil by either physical breakdown or chemical solution which is then transported away by means of water, wind or ice to another location.

Soil erosion is the leading cause of damage to our soils, leaving them barren and ultimately less productive. It can take centuries to create just a few centimeters of soil and only a few moments to destroy the same few centimeters. Today the rate of erosion has been speeded up by human activities. Consequently making soil erosion an ever-increasing problem. Soil erosion results from the ways that people use the land. Practices such as tree felling cause deforestation, and can lead to soil erosion. The removed trees would usually guard the soil from rain and wind as their roots hold the soil in place. Additionally many land owners cut down trees to create space in which to plant crops and raise animals which eventually can lead to soil erosion.

Soil salinisation

This is a type of environmental degradation that is particularly common in naturally dry areas that undergo irrigation and do not allow for any fallow periods for the land to recover. Irrigation schemes are set up to provide a constant flow of water to dry lands so that crops can be grown.

However when irrigation systems are badly designed the results can be disastrous. The irrigation causes the water-table level to rise bringing natural salts to the surface. The salts cause problems as they restrict the root activity of the plant and therefore slow down its growth.

In areas with high rates of evaporation the salts become even more concentrated.

The final result is that the soils are too salty for plants to be able to grow in them and the degraded land has to be abandoned. Soils which have been affected by salinisation are very difficult and expensive to rehabilitate and often remain unused and abandoned.

Desertification

Desertification occurs when productive lands are turned into non-productive desert as a result of poor land-management. This generally occurs in semi-arid areas such as Namibia. (See the Information Sheet on Desertification)

Deforestation

This is the permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodlands which results in a loss of natural resources as well as a protective barrier for topsoil. (See the Information Sheet on Deforestation)

Bush Encroachment

Bush encroachment happens where woody vegetation gets so thick that it threatens farming lands. Bush encroachment happens because woody vegetation and grasses have different growth rates leading the woody vegetation to take over and dominate a piece of land. Before the introduction of domestic livestock, the balance between grasses and woody vegetation would have been kept in check by fires and game. This would have resulted in an African savannah dominated by grass with only a few scattered trees.

With the introduction of livestock the balance was upset. Most of the game was eliminated and selective grazers were brought in. Fire outbreaks have also been eliminated as far as possible due to human intervention. This means that grasses are heavily eaten but the trees which are usually controlled by fires, continue to grow. The result is a shift in the balance in favor of trees and woody vegetation.

Since the growth of grass is limited the soil is largely left bare making it especially susceptible to soil erosion by wind and water. The deposits of nutrients are therefore increasingly found only under trees and bushes, making it difficult for grasses to grow. Eventually the grasses cease to compete for water and die out.

Most of Namibia’s best farming lands are bush encroached.

As a consequence the land supports less and less livestock per hectare as the woody vegetation increases. It becomes more difficult for the cattle to move in or amongst the bushes in search for pastures. The majority of valuable nutrients and water in the soil are then taken up by the encroaching bush and the grasses cannot access them.

Loss of biodiversity

Loss of biodiversity is a reduction in the variety of plant and animal species.

In areas where environmental degradation has occurred there is often a loss of biodiversity as a result of the disruption to the ecosystem.

However the loss of biodiversity itself can be considered a form of environmental degradation.

The range of genetic make-up (plant and animal varieties) in a particular area can be considered to be a natural resource and is important in maintaining a healthy environment.

The biodiversity of an area can decrease as a result of pollution, poaching, expanding agriculture and urbanization. Sometimes there is a direct reduction in the number of a particular species which itself if being threatened, but more often it is as a result of a disruption in the ecosystem and food chain, which causes a domino effect, affecting a greater number of organisms.

HOW TO STOP ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION:

Legislations:

Various laws has been framed in India for the protection of environment and some of these are cited below- 

i) Section 268 to 290 of Indian Penal Code deals with public nuisances. Public nuisance means pollution of air, water, blasting, excessive smoke, filth and other polluting activities. 

ii) Section 133 and 143 of Code of Criminal Procedure Code and Section 91 of Code of Civil Procedure envisages that a person may approach a Magistrate and District Judge respectively by filing a complaint or petition about the public nuisance.

iii) Under Law of Torts, special damage can be claimed from nuisance maker/violator of environment.

iv) The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act’1974,

v) The Environment Protection Act’1986,

vi) Wildlife (Protection) Act’1972,

vii) The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act’1981,

viii) The Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Act’1960,

ix) The National Environment Tribunal Act’1995.

Problem of pollution is the outcome of urbanization, overpopulation and industrialization. In modern times, therefore, it needs more effective legal opinions to counter the above. Accordingly Indian parliament passed The Environment Protection Act’1986 to safeguard the environmental degradation. The Indian Penal Code has few provisions on the subject, but they are ineffective when faced with the problems of an industrialized society. The first problem to attract the attention of certain state legislation in India was water pollution. But it was only in 1974 that a Central Act was enacted on the subject to be followed by The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act’1977 and thereafter most drastic law had been enacted as Environment (Protection) Act’1986. India first got the taste of environmental disaster by two catastrophes that befell India – the Bhopal disaster in 1984 and Sri Ram Fertilizer Plant leak in 1985.

The Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster (Processing of claims) Act’1985 gave the Central Government the sole authority to represent (in litigation) the victims of Bhopal for compensation claims against the Union Carbide Company. Sri Ram gas Leak did not generate legislative activity but prompted Mr. M.C.Mehta (On behalf of Hindustani Andolon) and certain other organizations to start to use the effective legal tool in the form of Public Interest Litigation (PIL). This gave the Supreme Court an opportunity to enunciate certain important doctrine on tort law, corporate law (particularly the civil liability of directors for wrongs committed by the corporate body).

Recently, Supreme Court has broadly and liberally interpreted the Article 21 and transgressed into the area of protection of environment and held that the protection of environment and citizen’s right to live in eco-friendly atmosphere interpreted as the basic right guaranteed under Article 21. Recently to mitigate the needs of environment related litigation, “Green Benches” had been constituted in many High Courts in the Country. Some of the following decisions of Supreme Court of India has a great ramification towards the protection and safeguarding the environment and maintain the ecological balance.

At one point of time, the damage caused to the environment reaches a stage wherein the environment can’t attain the required balance on its own. In such a situation, we humans need to step in, and ensure that the damage is curbed, and the balance is attained. Simple measures, such as conservation of electricity, use of alternative energy sources, avoiding the use of things that pollute the environment, soil conservation etc., can help in saving the environment from the threat of degradation. Environmentalists, the world over, are trying their best to save our environment, and we need to do our bit to make sure that they succeed. The need of the hour is to identify the causes of environmental degradation, and eliminate them one by one.

We need to understand the fact that we are a part of the interwoven life system on the planet, and any problems, like environmental degradation and environmental pollution, are bound to affect us directly or indirectly. Though the disaster is not expected to happen tomorrow or a hundred years from now, that doesn’t mean it will never happen at all. That being said, the onus is on us – the most intelligent species on the planet, to make sure that such problems are kept at bay.

Steps we can take:

There are ways which we can help to decrease degradation in our environment. Some of these include:

Purchase recycled products

Conserve water

Do not litter or toss waste into inappropriate places

Conserve energy

Join an awareness group

Talk with others about the impacts of environmental degradation

Be an advocate to save our planet!

Contact Your Government – Tell your local officials that you want information on the community’s water supply and local polluters. Make sure officials recognize your right to know about your water supply.

Dispose of Hazardous Waste – Make sure that hazardous waste is properly disposed of, not simply left around or placed with other garbage.

Don’t Dump Chemicals – Never pour toxic substances down the drain. Although water is cleaned, cities do not have the equipment to eliminate all toxic substances from the water supply.

Find Your Water’s Source – Learn about where your community’s water comes from. Keep a close eye on this water source and encourage others to do the same.

Read Well Reports – Community well operators often produce monitoring reports on the safety of local wells. Ask the operators to give you a copy of these materials and stay up-to-date on your wells.

Substitute Substances – You can make your own non-toxic versions of many popular products, such as insect repellents. Doing so prevents the toxic chemicals found in these products from entering the environment and the water supply.