Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies

The study which deals with the environment and it s components is known as environmental study The world is divided into two major parts Natural world and Built world

World
Natural world
Contains Plants , animals, air, water, soil etc.

Built world
Contains social institute, organizations, and other things using science and technology etc.

Environmental component Biotic

Includes plants , animals, microorganism etc.

Abiotic
Includes air, soil, water, temperature, atmosphere etc.

Scope and Importance of Environmental

It s study is necessary to control pollution Over exploitation of resources Acid rain, global warming ,energy crisis etc. It helps to create new jobs in the field of environment. It also helpful to demonstrate control uses of resources

Need for Public Awareness

Public awareness is necessary for controlling the environment degradation. A Centre of Environmental Education (CEE) has been setup by the ministry of environment.  The main objective of this organization is to improve public awareness and understanding of
the environment.

Following methods are suggested for environmental awareness among the people
Introduction of environmental education at all stages from school to university level. Involvement of media, radio and T.V. Organization of training programmes information and knowledge by expertise
of

Natural Resources
Natural resources are components of environment. It includes energy, minerals, soil, forest, food, water and plants. Natural resources can be divided into two major parts

Natural Resources

Renewable resources

Non-renewable resources

Renewable Resources
These are non-exhaustive. They can be generated again and again within a given span of time. For example solar energy, biomass energy, hydropower energy etc.

Non-renewable Resources
These are exhaustive. They can t be generated again and again within a given span of time. It takes many years for regenerate. For example minerals etc. coal, petroleum,

Classification of Natural Resources

Forest resources Water resources Mineral resources Food resources Energy resources Land resources

Forest Resources
It is a very important renewable resources. It is a biotic community and a valuable wealth. 1/3rd of the earth is covered by the forest

Forest Usage
Trees provides oxygen by photosynthesis which is necessary for human beings. Trees absorb CO2 which plays a major role in global warming. It provides food, timber for surviving the life.

It also provides many important chemical which used in medicine and in industries. It helps in preventing soil erosion It also absorb many toxic gases and help in cleaning the air.

Deforestation
Destruction of forest is known as deforestation . Forest are burned or cut down for various reasons e.g. clearing of land for agriculture, expansion of cities, and many more. This deforestation is disastrous and irreversible. At present we are losing forests at the rate of 1.7 crores hectares annually.

Causes of Deforestation

Fuel requirement Shift agriculture Industrial demand Construction projects Grazing land Forest fire Mining operations

Effects of Deforestation

Soil erosion Expansions of deserts Decrease in rainfall Lose of fertile land Effect on climate

Loss of biodiversity Lowering of water level Economic losses Loss of medicinal plants Environmental changes

Effects of Timber Extraction

Commercial and industrial demand could out-strip supply leading to decimation of forests particularly wood.

Major effects of timber extraction on forest and tribal people are Soil erosion specially on slopes Sedimentation of irrigation system

Forest fragmentation Loss of biodiversity Climate change Loss of animal and plant species Exploitation of tribal people by contractors Loss of non-timber products

Effects of Mining
Major effect of mining operations on forest and tribal peoples are Degradation of land Loss of top soil due to deforestation Water pollution due to discharge of highly mineralized mine water Air pollution due to greenhouse gases (CH4 )

Loss of flora and fauna Fire hazards Ore transport hazard  tribal people may be forced into a new way of life for which they are unprepared Migration of tribal people from mining areas to other areas in search of land and food

Effects Dams or River Valley

Major effect of dams or river valley on forest and tribal peoples are Degradation of catchment areas Command area development Deforestation and loss of flora and fauna

Increased incidence of water borne diseases (malaria, filaria etc.) Acute scarcity of fuel wood and other forest products for tribal people Rehabilitation and resettlement of those affected

Case studies
Himalayan region
 Increasing destruction and degradation of forest contribute to heave erosion of top soil Erratic rainfall and recurring floods Loss of productivity

North eastern states

 Increasing destruction and degradation of forest decrease rainfall in these areas

Water Resources
Water is the source of life on the earth. Around 70% of the earth surface is covered by water mainly in the form of ocean. Less then 1% of total water is available in the form of fresh water.

Importance of water
It is essential not only human but also all life. About 60% of human body is water. Every metabolic activity within human body completed with water. Therefore it is pre-requisite for development.

Over-utilization of water
99% of earth water is unsuitable for beneficial human use. Less then 1% of total water is available in the form of fresh water. This little fresh water comes from surface water and ground water sources

Surface water source

Various surface water sources are Natural lakes and ponds Artificial impounding reservoirs Rivers and streams Sea water Degradation of the sources by disposal of sewage and industrial effluents without treatment are major environmental issue

Ground water source

After glaciers, ice caps and snowfield ground water is the largest fresh water reservoir It is colorless and clear water but hard. If withdrawn method is faster than natural method for example using pump and other machine than it can cause several kinds of problems Refilling of these reservoirs are very time consuming and difficult

Floods
It is short lived events that can happen suddenly. It is caused by intense storms that produce more runoff than an area can store. Rivers, cyclones, storms can cause floods. Floods may be of following types

Floods
Flash floods easo al floods Coastal floods

Flash floods
It is caused by local mountainous catchments.
rainfall in

Coastal floods
It is caused by storm surge which is generated by a combination of wind friction and low air pressure.

Seasonal floods
It is caused by melting of snow or seasonal rainfall.

Flood Management
It s aimed to Reduce risk of floods Reduce vulnerability to floods Improve preparedness Improve knowledge about the floods

Damage caused by flood

Loss of life, property, crops, and livestock. Disease related to interrupted water supply and sanitation. Damage to building and infrastructure. Pollution caused by flooding of waste deposits

Dams
Dams are built for storage of huge amount of water Various benefits of dams are .. Hydroelectricity generation Ensuring a year-round water supply. Flood control and soil protection. Irrigation during dry periods

Disadvantage of dams
Some dams are loss much water through evaporation. Salts left behind by evaporation increase salinity of the water. Growth of snail population in shallow permanent canal increase transmission of Schistosomiasis

Submergence of large area of land that might include fertile field and human settlements. Resettlement and rehabilitation of displaced people. A number of water related disease have been casually linked with the creation of water reservoirs e.g. Malaria, Schistosomiasis etc.

Mineral Resources
Any naturally occurring inorganic substance is known as Mineral. Some mineral elements are essential for the formation and functioning of the body of all living beings. Mineral resources are broadly defined as Elements Chemicals Compounds Rocks

Use and exploitation of Mineral

Depending on the use, minerals can be divided into several broad categories  e.g. elements (for metal production, building materials and technology) Minerals for chemical industry Minerals for agriculture

Predominant mineral resources are non-metallic except iron and consumed at much grater rate that the element used for their metallic properties Annual world consumption of a few selected elements are Na and Fe are used at a rate of about 0.1 to 1.0 billion metric tons per year

N, S, K and Ca are used at a rate of about 10 to 100 million metric tons per year Zn, Cu and Al are used at a rate of about 3 to 10 million metric tons per year Au and Ag are used at a rate of about 10 thousand metric tons per year

Increasing demands from industry, transport and agriculture are a main cause of shortage of minerals and of great concern Some of the suggested measure in this direction are Recycling Developing more efficient technologies Designing smaller equipments Finding new uses of glass, ceramics, plastics and synthetic fibers

Environmental effects of extracting and using mineral resources It depends upon following factors Ore quality Mining procedure Local hydrological conditions Climate Rock types Size of operation Topography etc.

Major environmental impacts of mining and processing operation are Degradation of land Pollution of surface and ground water Air pollution due to emission of dust and gases Adverse impact on historical and religious places Impact on biological environment

Case study
Aravallis area of Rajasthan is rich in mineral wealth Hon rable Supreme Court s decision on Nov. 20, 2002 led to clouser of all these mines in Rajasthan Mountain plays a major role in control the climate. Hence peoples are force to join the maintenance of Mountain and Mines

Food Resources
Food is essential materials for all living beings. Essential material with in the food is known as nutrients. Basic sources of food on the earth are Crops Livestock And aquaculture

World Food Problem

FAO estimates that about 840 million people remain chronically hungry. Whereas 800 million of them in developing country There are two types of food insufficiency 1- Undernourishment 2- Malonourishment

Undernourishment
Undernourishment is the lack of sufficient calories in available food. 2500 calorie is required per day over the whole word. People who received less than 90% of their minimum dietary intake on a long term are consider Undernourishment. They don t have enough energy for an active, productive life.

Malonourishment
Malonourishment is the lack of specific components of food such as proteins, vitamin or essential chemical elements. It is possible to have excess food and still suffer from Malonourishment due to lack of specific components. In richer countries people often eat too much meat and fat and too little fibers, vitamins and other components.

Changes Caused by Agriculture

Agriculture has both primary and secondary environmental effect. Primary effect is on site effect whereas secondary effect is off site effect. The main effects of agriculture on the environment is ..

Local changes
This occur at or near the site of farming. It include soil erosion and sedimentation downstream in local rivers.

Regional changes
It include deforestation, desertification, large scale pollution, sedimentation in major rivers

Global changes
It include climate changes.

Effect of Modern Agriculture

It has both positive and negative effects on environment. Modern pesticides have created a revolution in agriculture in the short term But the long term effect on human body is very serious.

Effect of Fertilizers
It increases crop yields. They can be easier to store, apply. But these cause a no. of problems for example They can be serious source of pollution Increase levels of phosphate in water are responsible foe entrophication.

Effect of Pesticides
Major agriculture pests are insects, nematodes, bacterial and viral disease and vertebrates. Pesticides are used to kill these pests and improve crop yields. But these cause a no. of problems for example Effects on non target species toxicity

Short term effect of pesticides on human health including acute poisoning and illness caused by relatively high dose and accidental exposure Long term effect of pesticides on human health including cancer, birth defect, immunological problems and other chronic degenerative disease.

Water Logging
Water logging problem arises either due to surface flooding or due to high water table. Productivity of water logging soil is poor due to less oxygen Construction of canals has improved irrigation and increased the crop yield

Salinity
Salinity refers to increased concentration of soluble salts in soil. It results due to intensive agriculture practices. Due to poor drainage of irrigation and flood waters, the dissolved salts in water accumulate on soil surface. These excess salts form a crust on the soil and injurious to survival of plants

Salinity can be controlled by improving drainage and land can be reclaimed by leaching.

Case study
Studies carried out by the biologist revealed that eggs of predatory bird species in north America had thin, fragile shells that broken before hatching due to traced residues of DDT and degradation products of DDE in water .

Energy Resources
Energy is present in a no. of forms e.g. mechanical, thermal, chemical, biological etc. It has great importance I our daily life.  Important energy resources are

Energy Resources
Commercial fuels (Coal, lignite, petroleum natural gases and electricity). Non-Commercial fuels (fuel-wood, cow dung, agricultural waste). Primary energy resources (obtained from environments eg. (Coal, lignite, natural gases, solar ocean and geothermal energy).

Secondary energy resources (Donot occur in nature and derived from primary resources eg. (petrol, diesel, electrical energy). Conventional energy resources (Coal, petroleum, natural gases, water and nuclear energy). Non-Conventional energy resources (Solar, wind, geothermal biomass and nuclear energy)

Non-renewable energy resources (these are exhaustible and can not be replace once they are used eg. fossil fuels(Coal, oil, natural gases etc.) and nuclear power. Renewable energy resources (these are inexhaustible and can be replace once they are used eg. (Solar, water, thermal, geothermal and biomass energy.)

Growing energy needs

Today underestimate the size and scope of energy sources demands challenge ahead. For growing any country energy plays a very important role It is a fundamental goods for many other goods International energy agency estimate that by 2030 it is likely world energy demand will increase by 45%

Case study
Increasing demands of energy for growing the country and limited sources of are the serious problem now a days and it can be controlled by taking care full decision in developing the new resources of energy and stop the wastage of energy

Land Resources
Land is a major constituent of the lithosphere and is one of the main component of environment beside, water and plants. Soil as a natural resource of the land The surface layer of the land is called soil It is a renewable natural resource

It plays very important vital role in determination of the quality and composition of the biosphere Some of the important function of the soil are It provide mechanical support to the flora

Due the porosity and water holding capacity, soil serves as a reservoir of water and supplies water to the plants It contains a no. of bacteria, fungi, protozoanes and many other microbes which help in decomposition and mineralization of organic matter

Land degradation and its causes

Land degradation refers to deterioration or loss of fertility or productivity capacity of the soil The factors which are mainly responsible for land degradation are

Soil Erosion Salination Water logging Desertification Shifting cultivation And landslides

Soil Erosion
Soil erosion refers to the loss or removal of the superficial layer of the soil by the action of wind, water and human action Main factors which extent soil erosion are Distribution, intensity and amount of rainfall

Slope of the ground Soil type Vegetation cover Soil mismanagement

Desertification
It is a slow process of the land degradation that lead to desert formation It is like a skin disease It may occur either natural phenomenon linked to climate change or due to abusive use of land Over cultivation, overgrazing, deforestation, poor irrigation practices all contribute towards desertification The top soil which takes centuries to build up can be lost in just a few years through such practices

Landslides
Human activities such as construction of road and railway , canal, dams and mining in hilly area have affected the stability of hill slopes and damage the productivity vegetation cover both the above and below roads.

Main causes of landslides

Geological causes
Weak and sensitive materials Contrast in permeability

Morphological causes
Tectonic or volcanic uplift Wave, glacial erosion of slope toe Deposition loading slope Vegetation removal Freeze and thaw weathering Shrink and swell weathering

Anthropogenic causes
Loading of slope Drawdown Deforestation irrigation

Factor which initiate landslides

Water Top removal Strength reduction Earthquakes vibration

Equitable use of resources for sustainable lifestyle

What is to be sustained? And for how long Practically it means the magnitude and quality of stock of natural resources. It must have half life of 500 to 1000 years still this is much longer than current planning according to world bank Renewable natural resources can be considered as a assets that could provide a flow of resources Whereas nonrenewable re sources are finite in quantity and quality

Four oal ee e to attai a society ase on sustaina le consumption

Achieving complete reuse, recycle Halving fossil fuel Improve the uantity of material  e uction transportation