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Environment Conservation and Management
Dr. Santosh Kumar Sharma
Mobile No: 09406660463, Email: santosh_ujj@yahoo.com
What is the Environment?
• The environment encompasses thewhole of life on earth and thecomplex interactions that link theliving world with the physical world.
• Covers everything contained withinthe air, land and water.
• Spatial and temporal changes arethe characteristics of environmentaldynamics.
As per Environment (Protection)Act, 1986, environement includesall the physical and biologicalsurroundings of an organismalong with their interactions.Environment is thus defined as“the sum of water, air and landand the inter-relationship thatexist among them and with thehuman being, other livingorganisms and materials”.
Environment Defined…
Gaia hypothesis: James Lovelock (1974)Earth existed as a single living organism. He described howorganic and inorganic components interact through complexreactions to balance an environment where life can exist.
Environmental ChangeHumans are the most significant agent of environmental change:
• Overpopulation• Overconsumption of natural
resources: topsoil, water, air• Transforming and destroying
natural environments • Eradicating unique species• Human-induced climate change
Human Impacts on the Environment
• Overpopulation: Earth’s central environmental problem.
• More people consume more resources and produce more waste.
• Gap between Rich and Poor:
Highly Developed Countries: 18 % of the world’s populationUS, Canada, Japan, most of Europe
Poor Countries: 82% of world’s population (ModeratelyDeveloped and Less Developed)
• Rapid population growth can cause resources to be overexploited• Poverty drives natural resource exploitation
Population Size and Resource Consumption
• Highly developed countries have less than 20% of the world’s population, but consume:
– 86% of aluminum
– 76% of timber
– 68% of energy
– 61% of meat
– 42% of fresh water
• Also, produce 75% of waste and pollution.
Human Impacts on the Environment
The Tragedy of the Commons!
• Sustainability:– Ability to meet current needs without
compromising the ability of futuregenerations to meet their needs
– Environment will function indefinitely
– Based on:• Effects of our actions on the environment
• Earth’s resources are finite
• Understanding impacts of consumption
• Shared responsibility for environmentalsustainability
• Currently are not we livingsustainably…?
Sustainability and Earth’s Capacity to Support Humans
Why protect, conserve, or manage our environment…
• a sustained, wise, and rational use of natural resources
• keeping some natural resources for use by future generations
• attaining a balance in the natural ecosystem to reduce environmental damage
• maintaining a balance between economic growth and sustainable development
• Securing the future for humankind.
Goals of Environment Management
Establish general principles about how the natural world functions.Identifying, understanding, & solving problems that we have created.
Global Environmental Issues
• Global Warming
• Ozone Layer Depletion
• Acid Rain
• Deforestation
• Loss of Biodiversity
• Water Pollution
• Desertification
• Waste Disposal and
• Energy Crisis
Global Warming• Greenhouse gases – maintain earth’s
temperature.
• Anthropogenic activities emit GHGs trappingmore heat.
– According to IPCC global surfacetemperatures have increased by 0.88°C sincethe late nineteenth century. It is projected toincrease by 1–2ºC by 2050 and 2–5ºC by2100 (IPCC 2001, 2007).
– sea-level rise of 15–23 cm during thetwentieth century
• Predicted effects:
– Higher sea levels
– Higher temperatures
– Variability in climate
– Impact on agriculture and ecosystems
• The Kyoto Protocol (1997)
Sea level is rising: 20 cm in the last century
R.A. Rhohde, www.globalwarmingart.com
Recent sea-level contributions of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets (2007) Science 315:1529-1532.
Ozone Layer Depletion
• Stratosphere ozone (~15-30 km) absorb harmful UVradiation (UVB, 290-320nm) from sunlight.
• Ozone depletion – various free radical catalysts, the mostimportant are the hydroxyl radical (OH·), the nitric oxideradical (NO·) and atomic chlorine (Cl·) and bromine (Br·).
• Human activity has dramatically increased the chlorineand bromine. These elements are found in certain stableorganic compounds, especially chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),which may find their way to the stratosphere withoutbeing destroyed in the troposphere due to low reactivity.
• CFCs are used as refrigerants, solvents and insulation.
CFCl3 + UV Light ==> CFCl2 + Cl Cl + O3 ==> ClO + O2
ClO + O ==> Cl + O2
Ozone Depletion process
• One chlorine atom candestroy from 10,000 to100,000 ozonemolecules before it isfinally removed fromthe stratosphere
• ~ 84% of stratospheric chlorine comes from manmade sources.
• A ‘hole’ is observed over Antarctica.
• Depleted ozone levels cause the following impacts:
Increased penetration of UV light to earth
Increased risks of skin cancer and eye diseases
Damage to agricultural crops
Disruption to marine food chains
• At near ground level, ozone is an air pollutant. Even at alow concentration (ppm), it is irritating to respiratorysystem.
• Ozone Depletion Counter MeasuresMontreal Protocol: International agreement signed in
September 1987 to phase out ozone depletingchemicals.
Tax imposed for ozone depleting substancesOzone friendly substitutes- HCFC (less ozone depleting
potential and shorter life)
Acid Rain• The burning of fossil fuels
leads to atmosphericemissions of NOx and SO2
• React with water and O2 tomake sulfuric and nitric acids.Sunlight increases the rate ofthese reactions
• Rain, snow and fog can bepolluted with these acidiccompounds and deposit atthe earths surface
• The deposition of acids can:
– Damage forests and soils
– Causes acidification of water bodies
– Disturb wildlife
– Cause the decay of building and other structures
– Impact on human health
Deforestation• Tropical rainforests deforestation – wood
products, mining, dams, wildlife etc.
• Deforestation rates in some countriescontinue to increase despite worldwidepressures.
• The impacts of deforestation include:
– Loss of livelihood for local inhabitants.
– Habitat & biodiversity loss (soil erosion,food, drought etc.)
– Loss of carbon sink
Forests Provide Important Economic and Ecological Services
• Support energy flow and chemical cycling
• Reduce soil erosion
• Absorb and release water
• Purify water and air
• Influence local and regional climate
• Store atmospheric carbon
• Habitats
• Wood for fuel
• Lumber
• Pulp to make paper
• Livestock grazing
• Recreation
• Employment
Biodiversity• Refers to the numbers, variety and
variability of living organisms andecosystem. Includes all terrestrial,marine and other aquatic organisms.
• Biodiversity has three key components:
– Genetic diversity
– Species diversity
– Ecological diversity
• About 2.1 million spp. are known toexist.
BIODIVERSITY IN INDIA
Thar desert - The climate and vegetation
in this area is a contrast to the Himalayan
region.
Western Ghats - One of the two
biodiversity hotspots in India.
Sunder bans - The largest mangrove
forest in India.
Chilika - This wetland area is protected
under the Ramsar convention.
Himalayas - This majestic range of
mountains is the home of a diverse range
of flora and fauna. Eastern Himalayas is
one of the two biodiversity hotspots in
India.
Source: earthtrends.wri.org
Loss of Biodiversity• BD provide ecosystem services,
maintaining ecological stability,aesthetic and cultural benefits.
• Need not the Greed!
• Causes of BD loss
Pollution of wetlands.
Over-exploitation of resources.
Construction of large dams.
Commercial hunting and poaching.
Habitat fragmentationEmergence
of discontinuities in
organism’s preferred
environment.
Fragmentation and
destruction of
Great Ape habitat
in Central Africa.
Edge Effects
Threats to Reefs10% of the coral reefs around the world are already dead. Coral bleaching is another manifestation of the problem and is showing up in reefs across the planet.
Impact of loss of BD
• Increased vulnerabilityof species extinction
• Ecological imbalance
• Reduced sources offood, structuralmaterials, medicinal
• Loss of genetic resources
• Cost increase to thesociety
Water Pollution
• Direct impacts on living organisms
• Effects of water pollution include:
– Diseases such as typhoid,cholera etc.
– Eutrophication
– Toxic materials, throughmining
– Organic chemicals
– Sediments disrupt aquatic ecosystems
– Aesthetic quality loss
Desertification• Removing ground cover and
degrading fertile land initiates desertification.
• Water washes away nutrients, the land becomes inhospitable.
• The process is accelerated by overuse fragile areas of land
Waste Disposal• Waste disposal methods include:
– Open dumping and landfill
– Ocean dumping
– Exporting waste
– Waste to energy plants
• Minimising the waste stream:
– 3R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle
– Composting
– Waste to energy
• Hazardous waste disposal: environment and human health
Energy Crisis• Overexploitation of
existing non-renewable energy resources
• Pollution• Quest for clean energy
source• Renewable energy
Other Issues
• Land Degradation• Air Pollution• Urbanization
• Habitat Fragmentation• Sound Pollution
• Introduction of exotic species
Stockholm conference – June 5, 1972World Environment Day – June 5 United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development – Riode Janeiro, June 1992
World Summit on SustainableDevelopment – Johannesburg, 2002
Nobel Peace Prize first time in 2004was awarded to KenyanEnvironmentalist Wangari Maathaifor her contribution to SustainableDevelopment.
International efforts to for environmental protection:
Environmental laws
• The Department of Environment was established in India in 1980 to ensure a
healthy environment for the country.
• This later became the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 1985.
• The EPA (Environment Protection Act), 1986 came into force soon after the
Bhopal Gas Tragedy and is considered an umbrella legislation as it fills many
gaps in the existing laws.
General
1986 - The Environment (Protection) Act
1986 - The Environment (Protection) Rules
1989 - The objective of Hazardous Waste (Management and Handling) Rules
1989 - The Manufacture, Storage, and Import of Hazardous Rules
1989 - The Manufacture, Use, Import, Export, and Storage of hazardous
Microorganisms/ Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells Rules
1991 - The Public Liability Insurance Act and Rules and Amendment, 1992
1995 - The National Environmental Tribunal Act
1997 - The National Environment Appellate Authority Act
1998 - The Biomedical waste (Management and Handling) Rules
1999 - The Environment (Siting for Industrial Projects) Rules
2000 - The Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules,
2000 - The Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules
2001 - The Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules,
2002 - The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) (Amendment)
2002 - The Biological Diversity Act
Environmental laws
Forest and wildlife
1927 - The Indian Forest Act and Amendment, 1984
1972 - The Wildlife Protection Act, Rules 1973 and Amendment 1991
1980 - The Forest (Conservation) Act and Rules, 1981,
Water
1882 - The Easement Act
1897 - The Indian Fisheries Act
1956 - The River Boards Act
1970 - The Merchant Shipping Act
1974 - The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act The CPCB
(Central Pollution Control Board) was constituted under this act.
1977 - The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act
1978 - The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Rules
1991 - The Coastal Regulation Zone Notification
Air
1948 – The Factories Act and Amendment in 1987
1981 - The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act
1982 - The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Rules
1982 - The Atomic Energy Act
1987 - The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act1988 - The Motor Vehicles Act
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