06 Social Issues and Environment

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K L UNIVERSITY, Environmental Studies Page 1

K L UNIVERSITY

FRESHMAN ENGINEERING DEPARTMENTENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Social Issues, Human Population and the Environment:

Achievement of Sustainable development

Sustainable development:"Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of futuregenerations to meet their own needs".- The World Commission on Environment and Development, Brundtland Commission 1987. Sustainable development requires economic development, environmental development, andhuman development that must meet the needs of the present without compromisingsustenance of the future. The primary objective of the Sustainable Development is toreduce the absolute poverty of the world's poor through providing lasting and securelivelihoods that minimize resource depletion, environmental degradation, cultural disruptionand social instability.UN Conference on Environment and development (UNCED) Earth Summit 1992 at Riode Jeneiro, Brazil. 5 significant agreements in Agenda -21 about all global problems.

Key aspects of the Sustainable development:a. Inter generation equality: Stopping over-exploitation of resources, reduce wastedischarge and emissions and maintain ecological balanceb. Intra generation equality: Minimizing wealth gaps within and between nations. Ourtechnology will be useful for producing drought tolerant varieties for uncertain climate andnew vaccines for infectious diseases, clean fuel for domestic and industrial use.

Measures for Sustainable development:Using appropriate technology: (Concept is known as Design with nature)

Locally adaptable

Eco-friendly

Resource efficient

Culturally suitableInvolves

Local resources

Local labour

Indigenous technology

Cost effective and sustainableReduce, Reuse and Recycle approachPrompting environmental education and awarenessResource utilization as per carrying capacity

Indian context of Sustainable development:Framing well planned strategy for our developmental activity while increasing oureconomic growth. Established National council of environmental planning and coordination(NCCP) 1972, Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF)- 1985


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URBAN PROBLEMS RELATED TO ENERGY No lighting and ventilation in houses and industries Transportation means from residence to workplace Usage of large no of electrical gadgets Large amount of waste generation For control and prevention of air and water pollutants require more energy Less no of buses for over crowded population No proper drainage system Tree cutting for road widening More traffic and pollution from industries and vehicles Individual vehiclesmore no of cars for status More economic standards hence dont care about

Conservation of water Electricity Petroleum Products

Water conservation rain water harvesting watershed management.Water Consumption in India

Average water consumption around the world is about 53 liters per head per day. In India,we expect to soon have only about 20 liters available per head per day. We have haddroughts for a long time, and now with global climate change, things will become even moredifficult. The glaciers are receding from the Himalayan Mountains. They are about one fifththe size they were about 60 years ago.

The waters from the Himalayan glaciers provide water for about 70 percent of all the peoplein Asia. In India, we have three major rivers - the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra and it

is likely that they will drain to small rivers. In most of northern India, there will be no wateraccording to some leading water experts. Right now there are floods. The flood area hasincreased from 25 million hectares to 60 million hectares in the last 30 years. That is anindication that the water is draining away, and these will become dry areas. This is expectedto happen in less than 30 years.

India needs to invest in water infrastructure at all levels from large multipurpose waterprojects to small community watershed management and rainwater harvesting projects

Water Issues in India

According to the recent report on Water in India from India-Report, http://www.india-

reports.com/summary/water.aspx ,the various issues related to Water Management in Indiaare given below:

* River Pollution: All of Indias fourteen major river systems are heavily polluted, mostlyfrom the 50 million cubic metres of untreated sewage discharged into them each year

* Water Conflicts: Severe water shortages have already led to a growing number ofconflicts across the country. Nearly 90% of Indias territory is drained by inter-state rivers.The lack of clear allocation rules and uncertainty about water sharing has led to majordisputes between states.

* Ground Water Pollution: The primary reasons are industrial pollution and extensivefarming leading to agrochemical pollution of the groundwater. In case of industries, it is due


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to lack of treatment of effluents that are pumped into rivers and streams leading togroundwater pollution.

* Poor management, crumbling infrastructure and depleting resources: By 2020, Indiasdemand for water will exceed all sources of supply. Indias past investments in large waterinfrastructure have yielded spectacular results with enormous gains in food security and inthe reduction of poverty. However, much of this infrastructure is now crumbling. Faced withpoor water supply services, farmers and urban dwellers alike have resorted to helpingthemselves by pumping out groundwater through tube wells. Today, 70% of Indias irrigationneeds and 80% of its domestic water supplies come from groundwater. A number of areasare already in crisis situations: among these are the most populated and economicallyproductive parts of the country.

* Corruption: About one in 10 households paid bribes to regularize their water connection* Inadequate storage capacity: Developed, arid countries (United States, Australia) have

built over 5000 cubic metres of water storage per capita. Middle-income countries like SouthAfrica, Mexico, Morocco and China can store about 1000 cubic metres per capita. Indiasdams can store only 200 cubic metres per person. India can store only about 30 days ofrainfall, compared to 900 days in major river basins in arid areas of developed countries.

* Aquifer Depletion: Already about 15% of Indias food is being produced using non -renewable, mined, groundwater.

There is clearly an urgent need for action. First, India needs a lot more water infrastructure.Compared to other semi-arid countries, India can store relatively small quantities of its ficklerainfall. New infrastructure needs to be built, from large multipurpose water projects to smallcommunity watershed management and rainwater harvesting projects.

Water conservationWater conservation refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling of waste water fordifferent purposes like cleaning , manufacturing , agriculture etc

1. Decreasing run-off losses2. Reducing evaporation losses3. Storing water in soil4. Reducing irrigation losses5. Re-use of water6. Prevention of wastage of water7. Pricing to the water8. Conservation of Water resources in our daily life.

a. Use only as much water as you require. Close the taps well after use. Whilebrushing or other use, do not leave the tap running, open it only when yourequire it. See that there are no leaking taps.

b. Use a washing machine that does not consume too much water. Do not

leave the taps running while washing dishes and clothes.c. Install small shower heads to reduce the flow of the water. Water in which the

vegetables & fruits have been washed - use to water the flowers & plants.d. At the end of the day if you have water left in your water bottle do not throw it

away, pour it over some plants.

Rain Water HarvestingThe process of collecting, conveying & storing water from rainfall in an area for beneficialuse.

a.Storage of rain water on surface for future useb.Recharge to ground water


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- Pits- Trenches- Dug wells- Hand pumps- Recharge wells- Recharge shafts

-Lateral shafts with bore wells

- Spreading techniques

Storage in tanks, reservoirs, underground storage Roof Rain Water Harvesting Land based Rain Water Harvesting Watershed based Rain Water harvesting

For Urban & Industrial Environment Roof & Land based RWH


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Advantages:1. An ideal solution to water problems in areas having inadequate water resources2. The ground water level will rise3. Mitigates the effects of drought & achieves drought proofings4. Provides high quality water, soft and low in minerals5. Reduces the runoff which chokes the storm water drains6. Flooding of roads and low land areas are reduces7. Quality of ground water improves8. In saline or coastal areas & Islands, rain water provides good quality water9. Soil erosion will be reduced10. Saving of energy per well for lifting of ground water. (A one meter rise in water level

saves about 0.40 KWH of electricity).11. Provides self-sufficiency to water supply.12. The rooftop rain water harvesting is less expensive & easy to construct, operate and

maintain.

13. In desert, this method is only a good relief.

Water Shed management

The process of creating and implementing plans, programs, and projects to sustain andenhance watershed functions that affect the plant, animal, and human communities within awatershed boundary.

A watershed is an area of land from which surface water drains into a single outlet like astream or a river or a lake. The rain water flows from the ridges, along the slopes, into thenallas and finally collects in the village ponds. This entire area with one common drainage is

called a watershed. Water conservation interventions includes contour trenches, gullyplugging, vegetative and field bunding, percolation tanks.

Positive Impacts

1. Assured availability of water2. Improved water quality and hygiene3. More land availability and productivity4. Increased employment5. Improved morale6. Better water management7. Less disease

8. Better quality of life9. Better ecological balance

Components of Watershed

The three main components in watershed management are Land management Water management and Biomass management.


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Land management Land characteristics like terrain, slope, formation, depth, texture, moisture, infiltration

rate and soil capability are the major determinants of land management activities in awatershed.

The broad category of land management interventions can be as follows; Structural Measures Vegetative Measures Production Measures Protection Measures

Water management Water characteristics like inflows (precipitation, surface water inflow, ground water

inflow) water use (evaporation, evapotrasnpiration, irrigation, drinking water) outflows(surface water outflow, ground water out flow) storage (surface storage, ground waterstorage, root zone storage) are the principal factors to be taken care of in sustainablewater management.

The broad interventions for water management are listed below;Rain Water HarvestingGround Water RechargeMaintenance of Water BalancePreventing Water PollutionEconomic use of water

Biomass managementMajor intervention areas for biomass management are indicated below;

Eco-preservation Biomass Regeneration

Forest Management & Conservation Plant Protection & Social Forestry Increased Productivity of Animals Income & Employment Generation Activities Coordination of Health & Sanitation

Benefits:1.Improve water quality by breaking down, removing, using or retaining nutrients,organic waste and sediment carried to the wetland with runoff from the watershed.2. Reduce severity of floods downstream by retaining water and releasing it duringdrier periods.3. Protect stream banks and shore lines from erosion.

4. Recharge groundwater, potentially reducing water shortages during dry spells.5.Provide food and other productssuch as commercial fish and shellfishforhuman use.6. Provide fish and wildlifeincluding numerous rare and endangered speciesfoodhabitat, breeding grounds, and resting areas.7.Increase opportunities for recreationbird watching, waterfowl hunting,photographyand outdoor education.


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Environmental Impact AssessmentThe EIA process in India consists the following phases

1. Project Proposal : Any proponent embarking on any major development

project shall notify IAA in writing by the submission of a project proposal in

order for it to move to the next stage which is screening.2. Screening : Screening is done to see whether a project requiresenvironmental clearance as per the statutory notifications.

3. Scoping and consideration of alternatives: Scoping is a process of detailingthe terms of reference of EIA. It has to be done by the consultant inconsultation with the project proponent and guidance, if need be, from ImpactAssessment Agency. Quantifiable impacts are to be assessed on the basis ofmagnitude, prevalence, frequency and duration and non-quantifiable impacts

(such as aesthetic or recreational value), significance is commonlydetermined through the socio-economic criteria. After the areas, where theproject could have significant impact, are identified, the baseline status of

these should be monitored and then the likely changes in these on account ofthe construction and operation of the proposed project should be predicted

4. Base line data collection: The site-specific primary data should be monitoredfor the identified parameters and supplemented by secondary data if

available.5. Impact prediction and Assessment of Alternatives: For every project, possible

alternatives should be identified and environmental attributes compared.

Alternatives should cover both project location and process technologies.Alternatives should then be ranked for selection of the best environmentaloptimum economic benefits to the community at large. Once alternatives havebeen reviewed, a mitigation plan should be drawn up for the selected option

and is supplemented with an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) toguide the proponent towards environmental improvements.

6. EIA Report : An EIA report should provide clear information to the decision-maker on the different environmental scenarios without the project, with theproject and with project alternatives.

7. Public hearing : After the completion of EIA report the law requires that thepublic must be informed and consulted on a proposed development after thecompletion of EIA report.

8. Decision-making : Decision making process involve consultation between theproject proponent (assisted by a consultant) and the impact assessmentauthority (assisted by an expert group if necessary). The decision on

environmental clearance is arrived at through a number of steps includingevaluation of EIA and EMP.

9. Monitoring the clearance conditions: Monitoring has to be done during both

construction and operation phases of a project. It is done not just to ensurethat the commitments made are complied with but also to observe whetherthe predictions made in the EIA reports are correct or not.


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ACID RAINOxides of sulfur and nitrogen originating from industrial operations and fossil

fuel combustions are the major sources of acid forming gases. Acid forming gasesare oxidized over several days by which time they travel several thousand

kilometers. In the atmosphere these gases are ultimately converted into sulfuric andnitric acids. Hydrogen chloride emission forms hydrochloric acid. These acids causeacidic rain. Acid rain is only one component of acidic deposition. Acidic deposition isthe total of wet acidic deposition (acid rain) and dry deposition.

Rain water is turned acidic when its pH falls below 5.6.In fact clean ornatural rain water has a pH of 5.6 at 200c because of formation of carbonic acid dueto dissolution of CO2 in water. The Adirondack Lakes located in the state of NewYork are known to receive acid rains. The strong acids like sulphuric acid (H 2SO4)

and nitric acid (HNO3) dissolved or formed in rain water dissociate or releasehydrogen ions near by increasing the acidity in rain drops.

Generally sulphuric acid forms a major fraction of acid rain, followed bynitric acid and a very small fraction of other acids. However, in urban areas Calcium(Ca2+), Magnesium (Mg2+) and ammonium (NH4+) ions help to neutralize the raindrops shifting and overall H+ towards basic scale. The overall pH is due to the neteffect of carbonic acid, sulfuric, nitric acid and other acidic constituents or anyneutralizers such as ammonia.

In the absence of rain, dry deposition of acid may occur. Acid forming

gases like oxides of sulphur and nitrogen and acid aerosols get deposited on thesurface of water bodies, vegetation, soil and other materials. On moist surfaces or inliquids these acid forming gases can dissolve and form acids similar to that formed inacid rain. If the oxidizers are present on the liquid surfaces then these gases

undergo oxidation to form acids. Fine particles or acid droplets can act as nuclei forwater to condense to form rain droplets. By such process sulfuric acid isincorporated into the droplets. In the clouds additional SO2 and NO2 contact thedroplets and get absorbed which can be oxidized by the dissolved hydrogenperoxide (H2O2) or other oxidizers. In the droplets falling from the clouds additionalacidic gases and aerosol particles get incorporated, further decreasing their Ph. Aunit decrease in pH value 10 times increase in acidity. Average pH in rainfall overeastern United States from April 1979 to March 1980 was less than 5.0.In India acid

rain is recorded from certain places;

Effects of acid rains

Acid rain causes no of harmful effects below ph 5.1the effects are visible in theaquatic system even at ph less than 5.5.

It causes deterioration of buildingsespicially made of marbles eg.Taj mahal. Crystals of calcium and magnesium sulphate are formed as a result of

corrosion caused by acid rains. It dameges the stone statues .princeless stone stuates in greece and italy

have been partially disolved by acid rains. It damages the metals and car finishes. Aquatic life especially fish are badly affected by lake acidification.


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Aquatic animals suffer from toxicity of metals such as aluminium, mercury,manganese, zinc and lead which leaks from the surrounding rocks due toacid rains.

It results in reproductivity faliure and killing of fish. Many lakes of sweden,norway,canada have become fish less due to acid

rains. It damages foliage and weakens trees. It makes trees more susceptible to stress like cold

temperature,drought,etc.Many insect and fungi are mare tolerant to acidicconditions and hence they can attack the susceptible trees and causediseases.

Control of acid rains Emission of SO2 and NO2 from industries and power plants should be reduced

by using pollution control pollution control equipments. Limiting of lakes and soil should be done to correct the adverse effects of acid

rain. A coating to protect layer of inert polymer should be given in the interior of

water of water pipes of drinking water.

GLOBALWARMINGTroposphere, the lowermost layer of the atmosphere, traps heat by a natural processdue to the presence of certain gases. This effect is called GREEN HOUSE EFFECT.It is similar to the warming effect observed in the atmosphere depends mostly on theconc. of HEAT TRAPPING or GREENHOUSE gases and the length of time they stayin the atmosphere.

The major greenhouse gases are Carbon Dioxide, Ozone, Methane,

chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Nitrous Oxide and water vapour. The average globaltemperature rise to the tune of 15 degrees. In the absence of greenhouse gases thistemperature would have been -180C. Therefore, greenhouse effect contributes a

temperature rise to 330C. Heat trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmospherekeeps the planet warm enough to allow us and other species to exit. The twopredominant greenhouse gases are water vapours, which is controlled mostly by theglobal carbon cycle. While the levels of water vapour in the troposphere haverelatively remained constant, the levels of carbon dioxide have increased.

GREENHOUSE GASESThe phenomenon that worries the environmental scientists is that due toanthropogenic activities there is an increase in the concentration of greenhouse

gases in the air that absorb infra-red light containing heat and results in the re-radiation of even more or the outing thermal infra-red energy, there by increased theaverage surface temperature beyond 15degree. The phenomenon is referred to asthe ENHANCED GREENHOUSE GASES to distinguish its effect from the one thathas been operating naturally for millennia.

CARBON DIOXIDEIt contributes about 55% to global warming from greenhouse gases produced by


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human activity. Industrial countries account for about 76% of annual emissions. Themain sources are fossil fuel burning 67% and deforestation, other forms of landclearing and burning 33%. CO2 stays in the atmosphere for about 500 years. CO2concentration in the atmosphere was 355ppm in 1990 that is increasing at the rate of1.5ppm every year.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)These are believed to be responsible for 24% of the human contribution ofgreenhouse gases. They also deplete ozone in the stratosphere. The main sourcesof CFCs include leaking air conditioners and refrigerators, evaporation. CFCs take10-15 years to reach the stratosphere and generally trap 1500 to 7000 times moreheat per molecule than CO2 while they are in the troposphere. This heating effect inthe troposphere may be partially offset by the cooling caused when CFCs depleteozone during their 65 to 110 years stay in the stratosphere. Atmosphericconcentration of CFC is 0.00225ppm that is increases at a rate of 0.5% annually.

IMPACTS OF ENHANCED GREENHOUSE EFFECT: Global Temperature Increase Rise in sea level Effects of human health Effects on agriculture

Ozone layer DepletionFor the last 450 billion years the earth has had a natural sunscreen in theatmosphere called the ozone layer. This layer filters out harmful ultraviolet radiations

from the sunlight and thus protects various life forms on the earth. Ozone is a form ofoxygen. The molecule of oxygen contains two atoms whereas that of ozonecontains three (O3).

In the stratosphere layer, ozone is continuously being created by theadsorption of short wave length ultraviolet radiations. Ultra violet radiations less than242 nanometers decomposes molecular oxygen into atomic oxygen (o) by photolyticdecomposition.Chapmans reactions:

O + hv O + O

The atomic oxygen rapidly reacts with molecular oxygen to form ozone.O + O O + M

Ozone thus formed distributes itself in the stratosphere and absorbs harmfulultraviolet radiations and is continually being converted back to molecular oxygen.O + hv O + O

absorption of UV rays results in heating of the stratosphere.The net resultant of the above reaction is an equilibrium concentration of ozone

.Ozone concentration in about 24km of the stratosphere i.e from 16km to 40km awayfrom the earth is about 10ppm. This equilibrium is distributed by reactive atoms ofchlorine, bromine which destroys ozone molecule and result in thinning of ozonelayer generally called ozone hole.

The amount of atmospheric ozone is measured by Dobson Spectrometer and isexpressed in Dobson units(DU).One Du is equivalent to a 0.01 mm thickness of


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pure ozone at the density it would possess if it were brought to ground levelpressure. Normally is 250 DU where as sub polar region it is on an average 450DU.It is because of the stratospheric winds which transport ozone from tropical towardsPolar Regions.

1. UV- radiations affect DNA and the photosynthetic chemicals. Any change in

DNA can result in mutation and cases of skin cancer.2. Absorption of UV rays by the lens and cornea of eye will result in increase

incidents of cataract.3. Melanin producing cells of epidermis will be destroyed by UV-rays resulting in

immuno-suppression. fair people will be at a greater risk of UV exposure4. Phytoplankton are sensitive to UV exposure. ozone depletion will result in

decrease in their population there by affecting the population of zooplankton,fish, marine animals, infect whole aquatic chain.

5. Yield of vital crops like corn, rice ,soya bean, cotton, bean, pea, sorghum andwheat will decrease.

6. Degradation of paints, plastics, and other polymer materials will result in

economic loss due to effects of UV radiation resulting from ozone depletion.

THE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ACT, 2002The Biological Diversity Act 2002 is a law meant to achieve three main objectives:

The conservation of biodiversity; The sustainable use of biological resources; Equity in sharing benefits from such use of resources.

Its key provisions aimed at achieving the above are:1. Prohibition on transfer of Indian genetic material outside the country, without

specific approval of the Indian Government;2. Prohibition on anyone claiming an Intellectual Property Right (IPR), such as a

patent, over biodiversity or related knowledge, without permission of the IndianGovernment;

3. Regulation of collection and use of biodiversity by Indian nationals, whileexempting local communities from such restrictions;

4. Measures for sharing of benefits from the use of biodiversity, including transfer oftechnology, monetary returns, joint Research & Development, joint IPRownership, etc.;

5. Measures to conserve and sustainably use biological resources, including habitat

and species protection, environmental impact assessments (EIAs) of projects,integration of biodiversity into the plans, programmes, and policies of variousdepartments/sectors;

6. Provisions for local communities to have a say in the use of their resources andknowledge, and to charge fees for this;

7. Protection of indigenous or traditional knowledge, through appropriate laws orother measures such as registration of such knowledge;

8. Regulation of the use of genetically modified organisms;

9. Setting up of National, State, and Local Biodiversity Funds, to be used to supportconservation and benefit-sharing;


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10. Setting up of Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) at local village level,State Biodiversity Boards (SBB) at state level, and a National BiodiversityAuthority (NBA).

While some of the above provisions are progressive, there remain important

weaknesses, including the following:1. It exempts those plants that are registered under the Protection of Plant Varieties

and Farmers' Rights (PVPFR) Act, 2001. This Act provides corporations andscientists who are breeding new varieties of crops, to gain intellectual propertyrights (see more on the relationship between the Biodiversity and Plant Varietieslaws, below). Such an exemption means that the progressive provisions listedabove, many of which are absent from the PVPFR Act, would not apply to plantvarieties registered under PVPFR Act.

2. It does not provide citizens the power to directly approach the courts; such poweris restricted to an appeal in the High Court against any order by the NBA or theSBB.

3. It is unnecessarily soft on Indian corporate and other entities, requiring only "priorintimation" to a SBB for the commercial use of bioresources, rather thanpermission from the NBA as in the case of foreigners. This is unjustified, giventhat Indians (especially industrial corporations) are not necessarily any moreresponsible towards the environment or towards local communities, also someIndian companies could just be local fronts for foreign enterprises.

4. It does not fully empower local communities, to protect their resources andknowledge from being misused, or to generate benefits (except chargingcollection fees). It has very weak or no representation of local communitymembers on the State Biodiversity Boards or National Biodiversity Authority.

5. The power of declaring a Biodiversity Heritage Sites lies with the stategovernment (Article 37 of the Act): It is important that the heritage sites should bedesignated only after consultation and moreover consent of the affectedcommunities. Further, these should be in the control/management of localcommunities, and the provision for compensation made in the State BiodiversityFund (see Section 32) be applied only where there is a mutually agreed todislocation/curbing of rights. Else we will have the people-parks conflict recurringin another form, as decisions for which areas need to be conserved would be top-down.

Several organisations and people feel that the basic framework of the Act isproblematic, since it accepts intellectual property rights on biodiversity, could be

used to further commercialise biodiversity, and does not truly empower communities.Others feel that the Act provides some potential for checking biopiracy, achievingconservation, and facilitating community action. They stress that a combination ofstrong rules, and amendments related to the above points, would help strengthenthis potential.


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Please refer Bharucha Text book for the following topics

Resettlement and rehabilitation of people Environmental ethics: nuclear accidents

nuclear holocaust case studies. Environmental Legislation and objectives of1. Environment Protection Act,2. Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act,3.Water (Prevention and control of Pollution) Act,4. Wildlife protection Act,5. Forest conservation Act,6. Biodiversity ActPublic awareness

Human Population: Population growth variation among nations

Population explosion Family welfare programme Environment and human health Human rights Value education HIV / AIDS Women and child welfare Role of information technology in environment and human health .

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06 Social Issues and Environment