ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

What is Environment ?

Environment is defined as the total planetary inheritance and the totality of all resources. It includes all the biotic and abiotic elements that influence each other.

All living elements- the birds, animals and plants, forests, fisheries etc. are biotic elements. Abiotic elements of the environment include non-living elements like air, water, land, rocks and sunlight etc.

Functions of the Environment 

1. Some of the functions of environment are:

i). Environment supplies resources (both renewable and non renewable resources) for production.

ii). Environment assimilates waste,

iii). Environment sustains life.

iv). Environment enhances quality of life.

2. The environment is able to perform these functions without any interruption as long as demand on these functions are within its carrying capacity. Carrying capacity implies two things:

i). Resource extraction should remain below the rate of resource regeneration.

ii) Generation of wastes should remain within the absorption capacity of the environment.

3. If these two conditions are not fulfilled, then an environmental crisis may occur. This is the situation all over the world. Many resources have become extinct and the waste generated is beyond the absorptive capacity of the environment.

4. Absorptive capacity of the environment means the ability of the environment to absorb degradation.

5. The intensive and extensive extraction of both renewable and non-renewable resources has exhausted some of these vital resources and we are compelled to spend huge amounts on technology and research to explore new resources.

6. Added to these are the health costs of degraded environmental quality -decline in air and water quality have resulted in increased incidence of respiratory and water-borne diseases. Hence expenditure on health is also rising. 

7. Global warming: Global warming is a gradual increase in the average temperature of the earth’s lower atmosphere. Global warming is caused by man-made increase in carbon dioxide (Co) and other greenhouse gases through the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. Some of the long term results of global warming are as follow : 

i) Melting of polar ice with a resulting rise in sea level and coastal flooding.

ii) Extinction of species as ecological niches disappear.

iii) More frequent tropical storms and

iv) An increased incidence of tropical diseases. 

8. Ozone Depletion: 

It refers to reduction in the amount of Ozone (a protective layer) in the stratosphere. The problem of Ozone depletion is caused by high levels of CFC used as cooling substances in air conditioners and refrigerators or as aerosol propellants and bromofluoro-carbons used in fire extinguishers. As a result of depletion of the ozone layer, more ultra violet (UV) radiation comes to earth causing damage to living organisms. The threat to India’s environment poses a dichotomy-threat of poverty-induced environmental degradation and, at the same time, threat of pollution from affluence and a rapidly growing industrial sector.  

State of India’s Environment 

1. India has a rich quality of natural resources.

2. India has rich quality of soil, hundreds of rivers and tributaries, lush green forests, plenty of mineral deposits beneath the land surface, vast stretch of the Indian Ocean, ranges of mountains, etc.

3. The black soil of the Deccan Plateau is particularly suitable for cultivation of cotton. It has led to concentration of textile industries in this region.

4.  The Indo Gangetic plains spread from Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal are one of the most-fertile, intensively cultivated and densely populated regions in the world.

5. India’s forests though unevenly distributed, provide green cover for majority of its population and natural cover for its wildlife.

6. Large deposits of iron-ore, coal and natural gas are found in the country. India alone accounts for nearly 20% of the world’s total iron-ore reserves.

7. Bauxite, copper, chromate, diamonds, gold, lead, lignite, manganese, zinc, uranium, etc are also available in different parts of the country.

Threat to India’s Environment 

1. Threat to India’s environment is poverty, pollution, and a rapidly growing industrial sector. Air pollution, water contamination, soil erosion, deforestation and wildlife extinction are some of the most pressing environmental concerns of India.

2.  The developmental activities in India have resulted in pressure on its finite natural resources, besides creating impacts on human health and well-being. Out of them the priority issues are

i). Land degradation and solid waste management.

ii). Biodiversity loss.

iii). Air pollution with special reference to vehicular pollution in urban cities.

iv). Management of freshwater.

v) Solid waste management. 

Land Degradation 

Land in India suffers from varying degrees and types of degradation stemming mainly from unstable use and inappropriate management practices.

The factors responsible for land degradation in India are:

i) Loss of vegetation occurring due to deforestation.

ii) Unsustainable fuel wood and fodder extraction

iii) Shifting cultivation

iv) Encroachment into forest lands

v) Forest fires and over grazing

vi) Non-adoption of adequate soil conservation measures

vii) Improper crop rotation

viii) Indiscriminate use of agro-chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides

ix) Improper planning and management of irrigation systems.

x) Extraction of groundwater excess of the recharge capacity.

xi) Open access resource and

xii) Poverty of the agriculture-dependent people.

Biodiversity Loss 

i) India holds 17% of the world's human, 2.5% of the geographical area and 20% of livestock population on its land. In order to hold livestock and humans in the country. The high density of the population and livestock and the competing uses of land for forestry, agriculture, pastures, human settlements and industries exert an enormous pressure on the country’s finite land resources.

ii) The country needs 0.47 hectare of land to meet the basic needs but it has only 0.08 hectare of land which causes felling of forests and soil erosion. 5.3 billion tonnes of soil is eroded every year. As a result, the quantity of nutrients lost due to erosion each year ranges from 5.8 to 8.4 million tonnes. 

Air Pollution 

1. In India, air pollution is widespread in urban areas where vehicles are the major contributors and in a few other areas which have a high concentration of industries and thermal power plants. Pollution from vehicles and industries are the major sources of air pollution.

2. Vehicle Pollution Vehicle emissions are of particular concern since these are ground level sources and thus, have the maximum impact on the general pollution. The number of vehicles has increased from 3 lakh in 1957 to 67 crores in 2003. In 2003, personal transport vehicles (two wheeled and cars only) contributed about 80% of the total number of registered vehicles thus, contributing significantly to air pollution load.

3. Industrial Pollution India is one of the ten most industrialized nations of the world. This status has brought with it unwanted and unanticipated consequences like unplanned urbanization, pollution and the risk of accidents. The CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) has identified seventeen categories of industries (large and medium scale) as significantly polluting.

4. The various measures adopted by the Ministry of Environment and the central and state pollution control boards may not yield reward unless we consciously adopt a path of sustainable development. 

Pollution Control Boards:  In order to address two major environmental concerns in India, viz. water and air pollution, the government set up the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 1974. This was followed by states establishing their own state level boards to address all the environmental concerns. Functions of the control boards are:

1. These boards provide technical assistance to governments in promoting cleanliness of streams and wells by prevention, control and abatement of water pollution, and improve the quality of air and to prevent, control or abate air pollution in the country.

2. These boards also carry out and sponsor investigation and research relating to problems of water and air pollution and for their prevention, controlor abatement.

3. They also organize, through mass media, a comprehensive mass awareness programme for the same. The PCBs prepare manuals, codes and guidelines relating to treatment and disposal of sewage and trade effluents.

4. They assess the air quality through regulation of industries.( state boards, through their district level officials, periodically inspect every industry under their jurisdiction to assess the adequacy of treatment measures provided to treat the effluent and gaseous emissions).

Management of Freshwater 

Water is an equally important element of life and its pollution is equally serious. Water becomes polluted when chemicals and other waste materials are dumped into it. Polluted water is the principal cause of diseases like diarrhoea and hepatitis. Thus, the management of fresh water is essential to sustain life.

Solid Waste Management 

i) One of the most serious issues arising out of the wave of rapid urbanization and the subsequent lifestyle changes is the management of domestic and industrial solid wastes generated domestically and well as in various industries adjoining or inside the cities. Not just the amount, but the nature of the solid waste is also changing with increasing share of plastics and packaging materials.

 ii). Municipal laws governing the urban local bodies are unable to devise adequate provisions to deal effectively with the burgeoning problem of solid waste management. One of the most critical aspects of Solid Waste Management is dealing with the garbage dump sites of the cities- most of them being open and nearby to residential areas.

iii) Solid Waste Management Rules 2016: These rules replace the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, are now applicable beyond municipal areas and have included urban agglomerations, census towns, notified industrial townships etc. They focus on segregation of waste at source, responsibility on the manufacturer to dispose of sanitary and packaging wastes, user fees for collection, disposal and processing from the bulk generator.

Sustainable Development 

1. Environment and economy are interdependent and need each other. Hence, development that ignores its repercussions on the environment will destroy the environment that sustains life forms.

2. Sustainable development:

The concept of sustainable development was emphasized by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), which defined it as: ‘ Development that meets the need of the present generation without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs’.

3.  Edward Barbieri, a renowned personality had also given the definition of sustainable development Sustainable development is one which is directly concerned with increasing the material standards of living of the poor at grass root level.

4. Sustainable development aims at decreasing the absolute poverty of the poor by providing lasting and securing livelihoods that minimize resource depletion, environmental degradation, cultural disruption and social instability.

5. The Brundtland Commission emphasizes on protecting the future generation. A moral obligation to hand over the planet Earth in good order to the future generation, i. e., the present generation should bequeath a better environment to the future generation.

6. The present generation can promote development that enhances the natural and built environment in ways that are compatible with

i) Conservation of natural assets.

ii) Preservation of the regenerative capacity of the world’s natural ecological system.

iii) Avoiding the imposition of added costs or risks on future generations.

7. According to Herman Daly, a leading environmental economist, to achieve sustainable development, the following needs to be done

i) Limit the human population to a level within the carrying capacity of the environment.

ii) Technological progress should be input efficient and not input consuming.

iii) Renewable resources should be extracted on a sustainable basis.

iv) For non-renewable resources rate of depletion should not exceed the rate of creation of renewable substitutes.

v) Inefficiencies arising from pollution should be corrected. 

 Strategies for Sustainable Development 

i) Use of Non-conventional Sources of Energy:  India hugely depends on thermal and hydro power plants to meet its power needs. Both of these have adverse environmental impacts. Thermal power plants emit large quantities of carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas. If it is not used properly, it may cause land and water pollution.

ii). LPG, Goobar Gas in Rural Areas Rural Areas:  Rural households in India generally use wood, dung cake (upla) or other biomass as fuel. This practice has several adverse implications like deforestation, reduction in green cover and air pollution. To rectify the situation, subsidized LPG is being provided. Besides it, goobar gas plants are being encouraged through easy loans and subsidies. LPG is the clean fuel. It does not create any household pollution and also wastage is minimized. For goobar gas plants, cattle dung is fed in the plant to function which produces gas and slurry is used as organic soil fertilizer.

iii). CNG in Urban Areas:  In Delhi, the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as fuel in the public transport system has significantly lowered air pollution and the air has become cleaner in the last few years.

iv). Wind Power:  In areas, where speed of wind is usually high, windmills can provide electricity without any adverse impact on the environment. The turbines move with wind and electricity gets generated. Its initial cost remains high but it can be recovered easily.

v) Solar Power:  India naturally endowed with a large quantity of solar energy in the form of sunlight. Through Photovoltaic Cells In India, solar energy is used in different forms for agriculture products, daily use products and even to warm ourselves in winters. Through photovoltaic cells, solar energy can be converted into electricity and this technology is extremely useful for remote areas and for places where supply of power lines is either not possible or proves very costly. This technique is also totally free from pollution.

vi) Mini-Hydel Plants:  Mountainous regions streams can be found almost everywhere. Most of such streams are perennial. Mini-hydel plants use the energy of such streams to move small turbines which generate electricity. Such power plants are more or less environment friendly.

vii) Traditional Knowledge and Practices:  Traditionally, Indian people have been close to their environment. If we look back at our agriculture system, healthcare system, housing, transport, etc we find that all practices have been environment friendly. But in recent years, we have been moving away from these practices. This has caused large scale damage to our environment. During olden times, we used Ayurveda, Unani, Tibetan and Folk systems for the treatments but now we are ignoring the traditional system and we are moving towards the western system. Not only these products are environmentally friendly but they are free from side effects too.

viii)  Bio Composting : The increased agricultural production in the last few decades because of which we switched to using chemical fertilizers which are adversely affecting the water bodies, ground water system, etc. But again farmers in large numbers have started using organic fertilizers for production. In certain parts of the country, cattle are maintained only because they produce dung which is an important fertilizer and soil conditioner. Earthworms can convert organic matter into compost faster than the normal composting process. This process is now being widely used. Indirectly, the civic authorities are benefited too as they have to dispose of reduced quantities of waste. 

ix) Bio pest Control : With the advent of the Green Revolution, the country entered into the use of chemical pesticides to produce more which laid the adverse impacts on soil, water bodies, milk, meat and fishes. To meet this challenge, better methods of pest control should be brought. One step is pesticides based on plants like neem. Even many animals also help in controlling pests like snakes, peacocks, etc.

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