UNIT V

UNIT V - SOCIAL ISSUES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

From unsustainable to sustainable development. Urban problems related to energy.

Water conservation, rain water harvesting, watershed management. Resettlement and
rehabilitation of people; its problems and concerns. Environmental ethics: Issues and
possible solutions. Climate change, global warming, acid rain, ozone layer depletion,
nuclear accidents and holocaust. Case studies.Wasteland reclamation.Consumerism and
waste products.Environment Protection Act.Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution)
Act.Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act.Wildlife Protection Act.Forest
Conservation Act. Issues involved in enforcement of environmental legislation. Public
awareness.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.

Sustainable development
Meeting the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future
generations, to meet their own needs.
True sustainable development
Optimum use of natural resources with high degree of reusability, minimum
wastage, least generation of toxic by products and maximum productivity.
Dimensions of sustainable development
Multi dimensional concept – derived from interactions between society, economy
and environment.

Aspects of sustainable development

i. Inter-generational equity
ii. Intra-generational equity

Approaches for sustainable development

1. Developing appropriate technology - locally adaptable, eco-friendly, resource
efficient and culturally suitable.
2. Reduce, reuse, recycle [3R] approach – reduces waste generation and pollution
3. Providing environmental education and awareness – changing attitude of the
people
4. Consumption of renewable resources – attain sustainability
5. Conservation of non renewable resources – conserved by recycling and reusing
6. Population control

Urban problems related to energy

1. Causes for urbanization
2. energy demanding activities
3. solution for urban energy problem

• Cities are the main centers of economic growth, trade, education, innovations and
employments.
 • Until recently, a big majority of human population lived in rural areas and their
economic activities centered around agriculture, cattle rearing, fishing, hunting or
some cottage industry.
• It was some 200 years ago, with the dawn of industrial era, the cities showed a rapid
development.
• Now about 50 percent of the world population lives in urban areas and there is
increasing movement of rural folk to cities in search of development.
• The urban growth is so fast that is becoming difficult to accommodate all the
industrial, commercial and residential facilities within a limited municipal boundary.
• As a result there is spreading of the cities into the sub-urban or rural areas too, a
phenomenon known as urban sprawl.
• In developing countries too urban growth is very fast and in most of the cases it is
uncontrollable and in planned growth.
• In contrast to the rural set-up the urban set-up is densely populated, consumes a lot of
energy and materials and generates a lot of waste.
• The energy requirements of urban population are much higher than that of rural ones.
• This is because urban people have a higher standard of life and their life style
demands more energy inputs in every sphere of life.
The energy demanding activities include
• Residential and commercial lighting.
• Transportation means including automobiles and public transport for moving from
residence to workplace.
• Modern life-style using a large number of electrical gadgets in everyday life.
• Industrial plants using a big proportion of energy.
• A large amount of waste generation which has to be disposed off properly using
energy based techniques.
• Control and prevention of air and water pollution which need energy dependent
technologies.
• Due to high population density and high energy demanding activities, the urban
problems related to energy are much more magnified as compared to the rural
population.

Water conservation
The process of saving water for future utilization
Need for water conservation
1. changes in environmental factors
2. better lifestyles
3. increase in population
4. deforestion
5. over exploitation of ground water
6. agricultural and industrial activities

Strategies of water conservation

1. Reducing evaporation losses
2. reducing irrigation losses
3. re use of water
4. preventing of wastage of water
5. decreasing run-off losses
6. avoid discharge of sewage
Methods of water conservation
1. Rain water harvesting- A technique of capturing and storing of rain water for
further utilization.
Objectives of rain water harvesting
1. increasing demands
2. recharging the ground water
3. reducing the ground water
4. increase in hydro static pressure

• Water being one of the most precious and indispensable resources needs to be
conserved.
• The following strategies can be adopted for conservation of water.

Decreasing run-off losses

• Huge water-loss occurs due to run-off on most of the soils, which can be reduced by
allowing most of the water to infiltrate into the soil.
• This can be achieved by using contour cultivation, terrace farming, water spreading,
chemical treatment or improved water-storage system.

(i) Contour cultivation

• On small furrows and ridges across the slopes trap rainwater and allow more time for
infiltration.
• Terracing constructed on deep soils have large water-storage capacity.
• On gentle slopes trapped run off is spread over a large area for better infiltration.

(ii) Conservation-bench terracing

• Conservation-bench terracing involves construction of a series of benches for catching
the run off water.

(iii) Water spreading

• Water spreading is done by channeling or lagoon-leveling.
• In channeling, the water-flow is controlled by a series of diversions with vertical
intervals.
• In lagoon leveling, small depressions are dug in the area so that there is temporary
storage of water.

(iv) Chemical wetting agents (Surfactants)

• Chemical wetting agents (Surfactants) increase the water intake rates when added to
normal irrigated soils.

(v) Surface crop residues

• Surface crop residues, Tillage, mulch, animal residues etc. help in reducing run-off by
allowing more time for water to penetrate into the land.

(vi) Chemical conditioners

• Chemical conditioners like gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) when applied to sodic soils
improve soil permeability and reduce run off.
• Another useful conditioner is HPAN (hydrolysed polyacrylonitrile).

(vii) Water-storage structures

 • Water storage structure like farm ponds, dug-outs etc. built by individual farmers can
be useful measures for conserving water through reduction of runoff.

Reducing evaporation losses

• This is more relevant in humid regions.
• Horizontal barriers of asphalt placed below the soil surface increase water availability
and increase crop yield by 33-40%.
• This is more effective on sandy soil but less effective on loamy sand soils.
• A co-polymer of starch and acrylonitrile called ‘super slurper’ has been reported to
absorb water upto 1400 times its weight.
• The chemical has been found to be useful for sandy soils.

Storing water in soil

• Storage of water takes place in the soil root zone in humid regions when the soil is
wetted to field capacity.
• By leaving the soil fallow for one season water can be made available for the crop
grown in text season.

Reducing irrigation losses

• Use of lined or covered canals to reduce seepage.
• Irrigation in early morning or late evening to reduce evaporation losses.
• Sprinkling irrigation and drip irrigation to conserve water by 30-50%.
• Growing hybrid crop varieties with less water requirements and tolerance to saline
water help conserve water.

Re-use of water
• Treated wastewater can be used for ferti-irrigation.
• Using grey water from washings, bath-tubs etc. for watering gardens, washings cars
or paths help in saving fresh water.

Preventing wastage of water

• This can be done in house-holds, commercial buildings and public places.
o Closing taps when not in use
o Repairing any leakage from pipes
o Using small capacity flush in toilets
Increasing block pricing
• The consumer has to pay a proportionately higher bill with higher use of water.
• This helps in economic use of water by the consumers

RAINWATER HARVESTING
• Rainwater harvesting is a technique of increasing the recharge of groundwater by
capturing and storing rainwater.
• This is done by constructing special water-harvesting structures like dug wells,
percolation pits, lagoons, check dams etc.
• Rainwater, wherever it falls, is captured and pollution of this water is prevented.
• Rainwater harvesting is not only proving useful for poor and scanty rainfall regions
but also for the rich ones.
 • The annual average rainfall in India is 1200 mm, However, in most places it is
concentrated over the rainy season, from June to September.
• It is an astonishing fact that Cherapunji, the place receiving the second highest annual
rainfall as 11000 mm suffers from water scarcity.
• The water flows with run off and there is little vegetation to check the run off and
allow infiltration.
• Till now there is hardly any rain-water harvesting being done in this region, thereby
losing all the water that comes through rainfall.

Rainwater harvesting has the following objectives

• To reduce run off loss
• To avoid flooding of roads
• To meet the increasing demands of water
• To raise the water table by recharging ground water
• To reduce groundwater contamination
• To supplement groundwater supplies during lean season.

Rainwater can be mainly harvested by any one of the following methods

o By storing in tanks or reservoirs above or below ground.
o By constructing pits, dug-we., lagoons, trench or check-dams on small rivulets
o By recharging the groundwater.
• Before adopting a rain-water harvesting system, the soil characteristics, topography,
rainfall pattern and climatic conditions should be understood.

Traditional Rain Water Harvesting

• In India, it is an old practice in high rainfall areas to collect rainwater from roof-tops
into storage tanks.
• In foot hills, water flowing from springs are collected by embankment type water
storage.
• In Himalayan foot-hills people use the hollow bamboos as pipelines to transport the
water of natural springs.
• Rajasthan is known for its `tankas' (under-ground tanks) and khadins (embankments)
for harvesting rainwater.
• In our ancient times we had adequate Talaabs, Baawaris, Johars, Hata etc. in every
city, village and capital cities of our kings and lords, which were used to collect rain-
water and ensured adequate water supply in dry periods.

Modern Techniques of Rain Water Harvesting

• In arid and semi-arid regions artificial ground water recharging is done by
constructing shallow percolation tanks.
• Check-dams made of any suitable native material (brush, poles, rocks, plants, loose
rocks, wire-nets, stones, slabs, sacks etc.) are constructed for harvesting runoff from
large catchment areas.
• Rajendra Singh of Rajasthan popularly known as "water man" has been doing a
commendable job for harvesting rain-water by building check dams in Rajasthan and
he was honoured with the prestigious Magsaysay Award for his work.
• Groundwater flow can be intercepted by building groundwater dams for storing water
underground.
 • As compared to surface dams, groundwater dams have several advantages like
minimum evaporation loss, reduced chances of contamination etc.
• In roof top rainwater harvesting, which is a low cost and effective technique for urban
houses and buildings, the rain-water from the top of the roofs is diverted to some
surface tank or pit through a delivery system which can be later used for several
purposes.
• Also, it can be used to recharge underground aquifers by diverting the stored water to
some abandoned dug-well or by using a hand pump.
• All the above techniques of rainwater harvesting are low-cost methods with little
maintenance expenses.
• Rainwater harvesting helps in recharging the aquifers, improves groundwater quality
by dilution, improves soil moisture and reduces soil erosion by minimizing run-off
water.

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT

Water shed management – The management of rainfall and resultant run-off

Factors affecting watershed
1. Unplanned land use
2. deforestation
3. droughtly climates
Objectives
1. To minimize of risk of floods
2. For improving the economy
3. for developmental activities
4. To generate huge employment opportunities
5. To promote forestry
6. To protect soil from erosion
 • The watershed is defined as the land area from which water drains under gravity to a
common drainage channel.
• Thus, watershed is a delineated area with a well-defined topographic boundary and
one water outlet.
• The watershed can range from a few square kilometers to few thousand square
kilometers in size.
• In the watershed the hydrological conditions are such that water becomes
concentrated within a particular location like a river or a reservoir, by which the
watershed is drained.
• The watershed comprises complex interactions of soil, landform, vegetation, land use
activities and water.
• People and animals are an integral part of a watershed having mutual impacts on each
other.
• We may live anywhere; we would be living in some watershed.
• A watershed affects us as it is directly involved in sustained food production, water
supply for irrigation, power generation, and transportation as well as for influencing
sedimentation and erosion, vegetation growth, floods and droughts.
• Thus, management of watersheds, treating them as a basic functional unit, is
extremely important and the first such Integrated Watershed Management was
adopted in 1949 by the Damodar Valley Corporation.

Watershed degradation
• The watersheds are very often found to be degraded due to uncontrolled, unplanned
and unscientific land use activities.
• Overgrazing, deforestation, mining, construction activities, industrialization, shifting
cultivation, natural and artificial fires, soil erosion and ignorance of local people have
been responsible for degradation of various watersheds.

The objectives of watershed management are as follows:

• Rational utilization of land and water resources for optimum production causing
minimum damage to the natural resources is known as watershed management.
• To rehabilitate the watershed through proper land use adopting conservation strategies
for minimizing soil erosion and moisture retention so as to ensure good productivity
of the land for the farmers.
• To manage the watershed for beneficial developmental activities like domestic water
supply, irrigation, hydropower generation etc.
• To minimize the risks of floods, droughts and landslides.
• To develop rural areas in the region with clear plans for improving the economy of
the region.

Watershed Management Practices

• In the Fifth Five Year Plan, watershed management approach was included with a
number of programmes for it and a national policy was developed.
• In watershed management, the aspects of development are considered with regard to
the availability of resources.
• The practices of conservation and development of land and water are taken up with
respect to their suitability for peoples' benefit as well as sustainability.

Various measures taken up for management include the following:

(i) Water harvesting
• Proper storage of water is done with pro-vision for use in dry seasons in low rainfall
areas.
• It also helps in moderation of floods.
(ii) Afforestation and Agroforestry
• In watershed development, afforestation and crop plantation play a very important
role.
• They help to prevent soil erosion and retention of moisture.
• In high rainfall areas woody trees are grown in between crops to substantially reduce
the runoff and loss of fertile soil.
• In Dehradun trees like Eucalyptus and Leucaena and grasses like Chysopogon are
grown along with maize or wheat to achieve the above objectives.
• Woody trees grown successfully in such agroforestry programmes include Dalbergia
sissoo (Sheesham), Tectona panda (Teak) and Acacia nilotica (Keekar) which have
been used in watershed areas of river Yamuna.

(iii) Mechanical measures for reducing soil erosion and runoff losses
• Several mechanical measures like terracing, bunding, bench terracing, no-till farming,
contour cropping, strip cropping etc. are used to minimize runoff and soil erosion
particularly on the slopes of water-sheds.
• Bunding has proved to be a very useful method in reducing run-off, peak discharge
and soil loss in Dehradun and Siwaliks.

(iv) Scientific mining and quarrying

• Due to improper mining, the hills lose stability and get disturbed resulting in
landslides, rapid erosion etc.
• Contour trenching at an interval of 1 meter on overburden dump, planting some soil
binding plants like Ipomoea and Vitex and draining of water courses in the mined area
are recommended for minimizing the destructive effects of mining in watershed areas.

(v) Public participation

• People's involvement including the farmers and tribals is the key to the success of any
watershed management programme, particularly the soil and water conservation.
• People's cooperation as well as participation has to be ensured for the same.
• The communities are to be motivated for protecting a freshly planted area and
maintaining a water harvesting structure implemented by the government or some
external agency (NGO) independently or by involving the local people.
• Properly educating the people about the campaign and its benefits or sometimes
paying certain incentives to them can help in effective people's participation.
• Successful watershed management has been done at Sukhomajri Panchkula, Haryana
through active participation of the local people.
• Watershed management in Himalayan region is of vital importance since most of the
watersheds of our country lie here.
• Several anthropogenic activities accelerate its slope instability which needs to be
prevented and efforts should be made to protect the watershed by preventing
overgrazing, terracing and contour farming to check runoff and erosion etc.
• On steeper slopes with sliding faces, straw mulching tied with thin wires and ropes
helps in establishing the vegetation and stabilizing the slopes.
RESETTLEMENT AND REHABITILISATION

Problems and Concerns

• Economic development raises the quality and standard of living of the people of a
country.
• Developmental projects are planned to bring benefits to the society.
• However, in the process of development, very often there is over-exploitation of
natural resources and degradation of the environment.
• Besides this, quite often, the native people of the project site are directly affected.
• These native people are generally the poorest of the poor, underprivileged tribal
people.
• Various types of projects result in the displacement of the native people who undergo
tremendous economic and psychological distress, as the socio-economic and
ecological base of the local community is disturbed.

(a) Displacement problems due to dams

• The big river valley projects have one of the most serious socio-economic impacts
due to large scale displacement of local people from their ancestral home and loss of
their traditional profession or occupation.
• India is one of countries in the world leading in big dam construction and in the last
50 years more than 20 million people are estimated to have been directly or indirectly
affected by these dams.
• The Hirakund Dam has displaced more than 20,000 people residing in about 250
villages.
• The Bhakra Nangal Dam was constructed during 1950.s and till now it has not been
possible to rehabiltate even half of the displaced persons.
• Same is the case with Tehri Dam on the river Bhagirathi, construction of which was
green signalled after three decades of long campaign against the project by the noted
activist Sunderlal Bahuguna the propagator of Chipko Movement .
• The immediate impact of the Tehri Dam would be on the 10,000 residents of the Tehri
town. While displacement is looming large over the people, rehabilitation has become
a more burning issue.

(b) Displacement due to Mining

• Mining is another developmental activity, which causes displacement of the native
people.
• Several thousands of hectares of land area is covered in mining operation and the
native people are displaced.
• Sometimes displacement of local people is due to accidents occurring in mined areas
like subsidence of land that often leads to shifting of people.

(c) Displacement due to Creation of National Parks

• When some forest area is covered under a National Park, it is a welcome step for
conservation of the natural resources.
• However, it also has a social aspect associated with it which is often neglected.
• A major portion of the forest is declared as core-area, where the entry of local
dwellers or tribals is prohibited. When these villagers are deprived of their ancestral
right or access to the forests, they usually retaliate by starting destructive activities.
 • There is a need to look into their problems and provide them some employment.

REHABILITATION ISSUES
• The United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights [Article 25(1)] has
declared that right to housing is a basic human right.
• In India, most of the displacements have resulted due to land acquisition by the
government for various reasons.
• For this purpose, the government has the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 which
empowers it to serve notice to the people to vacate their lands if there is a need as per
government planning.
• Provision of cash compensation in lieu of the land vacated exists in section 16 of the
Act.

The major issues related to displacement and rehabilitation are as follows:

• Tribals are usually the most affected amongst the displaced who are already poor.
Displacement further increases their poverty due to loss of land, home, jobs, food
insecurity, loss of access to common property assets, increased morbidity and
mortality and social isolation.
• Break up of families is an important social issue arising due to displacement in which
the women are the worst affected and they are not even given cash/land
compensation.
• The tribals are not familiar with the market policies and trends. Even if they get cash
compensation, they get alienated in the modern economic set-up.
• The land acquisition laws ignore the communal ownership of property, which is an
inbuilt system amongst the tribals. Thus the tribals lose their communitarian basis of
economic and cultural existence. They feel like fish out of water.
• Kinship systems, marriages, social and cultural functions, their folk-songs, dances and
activities vanish with their displacement. Even when they are resettled, it is
individual-based resettlement, which totally ignores communal settlement.
• Loss of identity and loss of the intimate link between the people and the environment
is one of the biggest loss. The age-long indigenous knowledge, which has been
inherited and experienced by them about the flora, fauna, their uses etc. gets lost.

Rehabilitation Policy

• There is a need for a comprehensive National Rehabilitation Policy.

• Different states are following different practices in this regard.
• There is a need to raise public awareness on these issues to bring the resettlement and
rehabilitation plans on a humane footing and to honour the human rights of the
oustees.

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
Refers to the issues, principles and guidelines relating to human interactions with
their environment.
Environmental problems
1. Deforestation
2. Population growth
3. Pollution due to effluent and smoke
4. Water scarcity
5. Land degradation
Solutions
1. Reducing the energy sources
2. recycle and reuse of waste products
3. Soil degradation
4. Sustainable development
5. Protection of Bio – diversity
6. Reducing the population

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS

• Over exploitation of forests, land, water as well as various living components of biosphere
and failure to tackle the problem of pollution and environmental degradation are exposing the
humanly to the thread of a global environment crisis.
• It emphasis that real development cannot occur unless the strategies which are formulated are
implemented are environmentally sustainable.
• Even though our government is formulating several rules, regulations, policies, laws, it is the
duty of each and every one to protect our nature.
• Therefore human beings are ethically responsible for the preservation of the world’s
ecological integrity.
• The environment ethics literally means conscious efforts to protect environment and to
maintain its stability from the pollutants.

Following are some of the ways to safeguard environment.

• To sacrifice the consumption of some of the good which reduces environment quality.
• Minimize the resource utilization and conservation
• Adopt sustainable and eco friendly development. (e.g) reduction of waste, recycling, waste
management and harvesting non conventional energy.
• If we change as individuals then the society will also change by itself.
• The society is nothing but an extension of the individual.

Climate
The average weather of an area
Causes of climate change:
1. Presence of green house gases
2. Depletion of ozone gases
Effect of climate change
1. Migration of animals
2. upsetting the hydrological cycles results in floods and droughts
3. changes in global pattern of winds.

Climate is the average weather of an area. It is the general weather. conditions, seasonal variations
and extremes of weather in a region. Such conditions which average over a long period- at least 30
years is called climate.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1990 and 1992 published best available
evidence about past climate change, the green house effect and recent changes in global temperature.
It is observed that earth’s temperature has changed considerable during the geological times.

It has experienced several glacial and inter- glacial periods. However, during the past 10,000 years of
the current interglacial period the mean average temperature has fluctuated by 0.5. 1°C over 100 to
200 year period.

We have relatively stable climate for thousands of years due to which we have practised agriculture
and increased in population. Even small changes in climatic conditions may disturb agriculture that
would lead to migration of animals including humans.

Anthropogenic (man-made) activities are upsetting the delicate balance that has established between
various components of the environment. Green house gases are increasing in the atmosphere resulting
in increase in the average global temperature.

This may upset the hydrological cycle, result in floods and droughts in different regions of the world,
cause sea level rise, changes in agriculture productivity, famines and death of humans as well as live
stock.

The global change in temperature will not be uniform everywhere and will fluctuate in different
regions.

The places at higher latitudes will be warmed up more during late autumn and winter than the places
in tropics. Poles may experience 2 to 3 times more warming than the global average, while warming
in the tropics may be only 50 to 100% on an average.

The increased warming at poles will reduce the thermal gradient between the equator and high latitude
regions decreasing the energy available to the heat engine that drives the global weather machine.

This will disturb the global pattern of winds and ocean currents as well as the timing and distribution
of rainfall. Shifting of ocean currents may change the climate of Iceland and Britain and may result
in cooling at a time when rest of the world warms.

By a temperature increase of 1.5 to 4.5°C the global hydrological cycle is expected to intensify by 5
to 10%. Disturbed rainfall will result in some areas becoming wetter and the others drier. Although
rainfall may increase, higher temperatures will result in more evapo-transpiration leading to annual
water deficit in crop fields.

Green house effect:

The progressive warming of earth surface due to blanketing effect of man made CO2 in
the atmosphere.
Green house gases- causing global warming
CO2, Ch4, N2O, CFCs
Effect on global warming- effects on
1. sea level
2. agriculture and forestry
3. water resources
4. terrestrial ecosystems
5. human health

Measures
1. reducing CO2 emission
2. utilizing renewable resources
3. Plant more trees
4. Adopt sustainable agriculture

Troposphere, the lowermost layer of the atmosphere, traps heat by a natural process due to the
presence of certain gases. This effect is called Green House Effect as it is similar to the warming
effect observed in the horticultural green house made of glass.

The amount of heat trapped in the atmosphere depends mostly on the concentrations of .heat
trapping. or .green house. gases and the length of time they stay in the atmosphere.

The major green house gases are carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs) and water vapours. The average global temperature is 15°C.

In the absence of green house gases this temperature would have been .18°C. Therefore, Green
House Effect contributes a temperature rise to the tune of 33°C.

Heat trapped by green house gases in the atmosphere keeps the planet warm enough to allow us and
other species to exist. The two predominant green house gases are water vapours, which are controlled
by hydrological cycle, and carbon dioxide, which is controlled mostly by the global carbon cycle.
While the levels of water vapour in the troposphere have relatively remained constant, the levels of
carbon dioxide have increased.

Other gases whose levels have increased due to human activities are methane, nitrous oxide and
chlorofluorocarbons. Deforestation has further resulted in elevated levels of carbon dioxide due to
non-removal of carbon dioxide by plants through photosynthesis.

Warming or cooling by more than 2°C over the past few decades may prove to be disastrous for
various ecosystems on the earth including humans, as it would alter the conditions faster than some
species could adapt or migrate. Some areas will become inhabitable because of drought or floods
following a rise in average sea level.
GLOBAL WARMING

• The green house gases are collected in the environment due to the activities of human beings.
• The green house gases produce green house effect.
• The green house gases allow the solar radiant ion of short wavelengths to pass through them
which are converted into long wavelength radiant ion.
• These radiations of long wavelengths do not escape away through the green house gases
therefore they remain in the atmosphere and rise the temperature of the atmosphere. Due to
which the global temperature is raising day by day.
• This event is called Global warming.
• Global warming is a great problem due to which the normal temperature of the earth has
increased higher than before.
Causes of global warming
• Increase in the amount of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere due to excessive
deforestation.
• Increase in the amount of oxides of carbon, oxides of nitrogen produced during the
combustion of fossil fuel like coal and petroleum partially or completely.
• Collection of chlorofluorocarbon in atmosphere due to use of aerosols in refrigerator and air
conditioners, use of foams and fire extinguishers.
• Nitrogen oxides gas is produced by chemical fertilizers used in agriculture and by the
combustion of fuel used in automobile.
• Various biotic activities, agricultural activities and decay of organic wastes produce green
house gases causing Global warming.
• Air pollution
• Depletion of ozone layer
• Volcanic eruptions
• Burning of fossil fuels
• Human activities
Effects of Global warming
• Rate of evaporation of water increases due to global warming creating shortage of water
availability.
• Due to global warming, the polar snow will melt, flooding the rivers and oceans which will
endanger the costal life.
• Due to global warming, the death of organisms (animals and plants) is possible.
• Water and air gets polluted rapidly.
• Global warming may cause erratic and untimely rainfall and droughts.
 • Ecosystem failure
• Economic collapse
• Storm
• Effects of human health
• Extinction
• Increase in temperature
Preventive measures of Global warming
• By discouraging deforestation and efforcing a complete control on excessive cutting of
forests.
• By encouraging plantation.
• Controlled and minimum use of fossil fuel with complete combustion.
• Complete ban over use of chlorofluorocarbons (aerosol).
• By replacing the use of fertilizers by biotic manure.
• By using alternative sources of energy in general.
• Use of bio-gas plants
• Use of nuclear power plants
• Installation of pollution controlling devices in automobiles (catalytic converter) and industries
(Electro Static Precipitators, Bag filters, Wet scrubbers etc)

ACID RAIN:
The precipitation of CO2 , SO2, and NO2 gases as pollutants in water.
Effects of acid rain
1. Human beings
Destroy life – nervous , respiratory and digestive system
Causes premature death from heart and lung disorders
2. On Buildings
Corrosion - Taj Mahal , houses, statues, bridges, metals
3. On terrestrial and lake ecosystem
Reduces rate of photosyenthesis, growth of crops, Fish population
And bio mass production
Control measures
1. Clean combustion technologies
2. using pollution control equipments
3. Replacement of coal by natural gas
4. Liming of lakes and soils
Acid Rains

• One of the major environmental issues facing human society at the National and International
level is the problem of acid.
• The rainwater is always slightly acidic as CO2 in the atmosphere gets dissolved in it.
• However during recent years, it has been noted a further lowering of pH of rainwater often as
2.4.
• This lowering of pH is due to the dissolution of acids in the rain water.
• Precipitation of oxides of sulphur and nitrogen with rain is termed acid rain.
• Acid rain is caused by air pollution.
• When atmospheric air contains sulphur dioxide (SO2) and oxides of nitrogen such as nitrous
oxide (N2O) and nitric oxide (NO), they dissolve in rainwater forming sulphuric acid and
nitric acid.
• The rain water falls as acid rain.
• The main source of oxides of sulphur and nitrogen is the burning of fossil fuels in power
plants based on coal and oil contribute more than 60% of all sulphur oxides and 25 to 20% of
nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere.
• Automobiles make a sustainable contribution in large cities.
• Ozone is now recognized as a major factor in the formation of acid rain.
• Acid rain affects both materials and organisms.
• It attacks building materials principally sandstone, limestone, marble, steel and nickel.
• In plants, it leads to Chlorosis (gradual yellowing in which the chlorophyll making
mechanism is impeded) or depigmentation of leaves.
• Acid rain increases the acidity of lakes and rivers.
• Vast tracts of forests and lakes in Europe and North America have been destroyed by acid.
• Acidity kills fish, bacteria and algae and the aquatic ecosystem collapses into sterility leaving
a crystal clear but ultimately a dead lake.

Oxides of sulfur and nitrogen originating from industrial operations and fossil fuel combustion are the
major sources of acid forming gases. Acid forming gases are oxidised over several days by which time
they travel several thousand kilometers. In the atmosphere these gases are ultimately converted into
sulfuric and nitric acids. Hydrogen chloride emission forms hydrochloric acid. These acids cause
acidic rain.

Effects of acid rain

Acid rain causes a number of harmful effects below pH 5.1. The effects are visible in the aquatic
system even at pH less than 5.5. It causes deterioration of buildings especially made of marble

e.g. monuments like Taj Mahal. Crystals of calcium and magnesium sulphate are formed as a result of
corrosion caused by acid rain.

lIt damages stone statues. Priceless stone statues in Greece and Italy have been partially dissolved by
acid rain.

l It damages metals and car finishes.

l Aquatic life especially fish are badly affected by lake acidification.

lAquatic animals suffer from toxicity of metals such as aluminium, mercury, manganese, zinc and
lead hich leak from the surrounding rocks due to acid rain.

l It results in reproductive failure, and killing of fish.

l Many lakes of Sweden, Norway, Canada have become fishless due to acid rain.

l It damages foliage and weakens trees.

lIt makes trees more susceptible to stresses like cold temperature, drought, etc. Many insects and
fungi are more tolerant to acidic conditions and hence they can attack the susceptible

trees and cause diseases.

Control of Acid Rain

lEmission of SO2 and NO2 from industries and power plants should be reduced by using pollution
control equipments.

l Liming of lakes and soils should be done to correct the adverse effects of acid rain.

lA coating of protective layer of inert polymer should be given in the interior of water pipes for
drinking water.

Ozone layer depletion:

Ozone is formed in the stratosphere by photo - chemical reaction
Ozone depleting chemicals:
Chloro Fluro carbon, Hydro chloro fluoro carbon, Bromo fluoroCarbon.

Effects
1. On human health – Skin cancer, cataracts, allergies etc.
2. On aquatic systems- phyto plankton, fish
3. On materials- paints, plastics
4. On climate – increasing the average temperature of the earth surface.
Control Measures
1. Replacing CFCs
2. Use of methyl bromide – crop fumigant
For the last 450 million years the earth has had a natural sunscreen in the stratosphere 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 of oxygen.

Thinning of Ozone Layer

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) are mainly responsible for ozone depletion in the stratosphere.

.Nitrous oxide emitted by supersonic aircrafts, during combustion of fossil fuel and use of nitrogen
fertilizers breaks ozone molecules.

Chlorine liberated from chlorofluorocarbons also break ozone molecules.

Nitrogen dioxide combines with chlorine and stops further destruction of ozone.

Effects of Ozone Depletion

Ozone depletion in the stratosphere will result in more UV radiation reaching the earth especially
l

UV-B (290-320 nm).

The UV-B radiations affect DNA and the photosynthetic chemicals. Any change in DNA can result in
mutation and cancer. Cases of skin cancer (basal and squamous cell carcinoma) which do not cause
death but cause disfigurement will increase.

Easy absorption of UV rays by the lens and cornea of eye will result in increase in incidents of
l

cataract.

Melanin producing cells of the epidermis (important for human immune system) will be destroyed by
l

UV-rays resulting in immuno-suppression.

Fair people (can’t produce enough melanin) will be at a greater risk of UV exposure.

lPhytoplanktons are sensitive to UV exposure. Ozone depletion will result in decrease in their
population thereby affecting the population of zooplankton, fish, marine animals, in fact the whole
aquatic food chain.

l Yield of vital crops like corn, rice, soybean, cotton, bean, pea, sorghum and wheat will decrease.

lDegradation of paints, plastics and other polymer material will result in economic loss due to effects
of UV radiation resulting from ozone depletion.

Nuclear accidents and Holocaust

The release of large amounts of nuclear energy and radioactive products into the
atmosphere.
Nuclear accidents can occur at any stage of the nuclear fuel cycle. However, the possibility of reactor
accidents is viewed more seriously because the effects of reactor accidents are more drastic.

Many estimates of hypothetical accidents in a nuclear power station are made. Such estimates are
made taking into consideration various parameters like reactor safety measures which if fail would
release large amount of reactor contents, that is, radioactive debris affecting a substantial portion of
human population within a particular site in a particular area.

The modern fusion bombs (nuclear bombs) are of the explosive force of 500 kilotons and 10
megatons. In case of a world war total nuclear exchange of more than 5,000 megatons can be
expected. Nuclear bombardment will cause combustion of wood, plastics, petroleum, forests etc.

Large quantity of black soot will be carried to the stratosphere. Black soot will absorb solar radiations
and won.t allow the radiations to reach the earth. Therefore, cooling will result.

The infrared radiations which are re-radiated from the atmosphere to the earth will have very less
water vapours and carbon dioxide to absorb them.

If they leave the lower atmosphere the green house effect will be disturbed and cooling will occur.
Due to this cooling effect, water evaporation will also reduce.

Therefore, infra-red radiations absorbing water vapours will reduce in the atmosphere. This will also
cause cooling.

In the stratosphere there won’t be significant moisture to rainout the thick soot. So, due to nuclear
explosions, a phenomenon opposite to global warming will occur.

This is called nuclear winter. It may result in lower global temperature. Even the summer time will
experience freezing temperature. It will drastically affect crop production.

Crop productivity will reduce substantially causing famines and human sufferings.

The Chernobyl nuclear accident, 1986 has resulted in wide spread contamination by radioactive
substances. (already mentioned in air pollution episodes). The devastation caused by nuclear bombs
are not only immediate but may be long lasting.

Towards, the end of World War II, bombing of Dresden, Germany caused huge firestorms.

This caused particle ladden updrafts in the atmosphere.

Case study:

In Nuclear holocaust in Japan 1945, two nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
cities of Japan. One fission bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. This holocaust (large scale destruction
of human lives by fire) killed about 100,000 people and destroyed the city. This forceful explosion
emitted neutrons and gamma radiations. It had the force of 12 kilotons of trinitrotoluene (TNT). The
radioactive strontium (Sr90) liberated in the explosion resembles calcium and has the property of
replacing calcium of the bones. As a result large scale bone deformities occurred in the inhabitants of
these cities. Even after more than 50 years the impacts of the nuclear fallout are still visible.
Waste land reclamation
Waste land:- The land which is not in use – unproductive , unfit for cultivation
another economic uses.
Types of waste land:
Uncultivable waste land – Barren rocky areas, hilly slopes, sandy desserts.
Cultivable waste land- degraded forest lands, gullied lands. Marsh lands, saline land etc.,
Causes for waste land formation:
1. Soil Erosion, Deforestation, Water logging, Salinity
2. Excessive use of pesticides
3. Construction of dams
4. Over-exploitation of natural resources
5. Sewage and industrial wastes
6. Mining
7. Growing demands for fuel, fodder wood and food causes degradation and loss
of soil productivity.
Objectives of waste land reclamation
1. To improve the physical structure and quality of the soil
2. To prevent soil erosion
3. To avoid over – exploitation of natural resources
4. To conserve the biological resources
Methods of waste land reclamation
1. Drainage
2. Leaching
3. Irrigation practices
4. Green manures and bio fertilizers
5. Application of Gypsum
6. Afforestation programmes
7. Social forestry programmes

Economically unproductive lands suffering from environmental deterioration are known as

wastelands. The wastelands include salt affected lands, sandy areas, gullied areas, undulating uplands,
barren hill-ridge etc.

Wastelands are formed by natural processes, which include undulating uplands, snow-covered lands,
coastal saline areas, sandy areas etc. or by anthropogenic (man-made) activities leading to eroded,
saline or waterlogged lands.

The major anthropogenic activities leading to waste land formation are deforestation, overgrazing,
mining and erroneous agricultural practices. Although deserts are wastelands formed by natural
process, but there are many human activities which accelerate the spreading of desert as we have
already discussed.
Wasteland Reclamation Practices

Wasteland reclamation and development in our country falls under the purview of Wasteland
Development Board, which works to fulfill the following objectives:

l To improve the physical structure and quality of the marginal soils.

l To improve the availability of good quality water for irrigating these lands.

l To prevent soil erosion, flooding and landslides.

l To conserve the biological resources of the land for sustainable use.

Some important reclamation practices are discussed here.

(i) ) Land development and leaching: For reclamation of the salt affected soil, it is necessary to
remove the salts from the root-zone which is usually achieved by leaching i.e. by applying excess
amount of water to push down the salts.

(ii) Drainage: This is required for water-logged soil reclamation where excess water is removed by
artificial drainage.

(a) Surface drainage: This is used in areas where water stands on the fields after heavy rains by
providing ditches to runoff the excess water. Usually 30-45 cm deep ditches lying parallel to each
other at 20-60 m distance are able to remove 5 cm of water within 24 hours.

(b) Sub-surface drainage: Horizontal sub-surface drainage is provided in the form of perforated
corrugated PVC pipes or open-jointed pipes with an envelope of gravel 2-3 m below the land surface.
Chances of evaporation of water leading to accumulation of salts almost become nil in this method.
The World Bank has funded sub-surface drainage system at Sampla, Rohtak (Haryana) for reducing
soil salinity by this method.

(iii) Irrigation Practices: Surface irrigation with precise land leveling, smoothening and efficient
hydraulic design help to reduce water logging and salinity. High frequency irrigation with controlled
amount of water helps to maintain better water availability in the upper root zone. Thin and frequent
irrigations have been found to be more useful for better crop yield when the irrigation water is saline
as compared to few heavy irrigations.

(iv) Selection of tolerant crops and crop rotations: Tolerance of crops to salts is found to range from
sensitive, semi-tolerant, tolerant to highly tolerant.

(v) Gypsum amendment: Amendment of sodic soils with gypsum is recommended for reducing soil
sodicity as calcium of gypsum replaces sodium from the exchangeable sites.
(vi)Green-manures, fertilizers and biofertilizers: Application of farm yard manure or nitrogen
fertilizers have been found to improve saline soils.

(vii) Afforestation Programmes: The National Commission on Agriculture (NCA) launched several
afforestation schemes in the VIth plan to cope up with the problem of spreading wasteland. The
National Wasteland Development Board, in the Ministry of Environment and

Forests has set a target of bringing 5 million ha of wasteland annually under firewood and fodder
plantation.

(viii) Social Forestry Programmes: These programmes mostly involve strip plantation on road, rail
and canal-sides, rehabilitation of degraded forest lands, farm-forestry, waste-land forest development
etc.

CONSUMERISM AND WASTE PRODUCTS

Objectives of consumerisation:
1. Improves rights and power of the buyers
2. Making the manufacturer liable
3. Reuse and recycle the product
4. Reclaiming useful parts
5. Reusable packing materials
6. health and happiness
Sources of wastes:
Glass, papers, garbage’s, food waste, automobile waste, dead animals, etc..
E – Waste
Computers, printers, mobile phones, Xerox machines, calculators, etc.
Effects of wastes:
1. Dangerous to human life
2. degrade soil
3. Cadmium in chips, Cathode ray tube , PVC cause cancer and other respiratory
problems.
4. Non biodegradable plastics reduce toxic gases.
Factors affecting consumerisation and generation of wastes:
1. People over – Population
2. Consumption over - Population

Consumerisation of Waste products

Consumerisation – Consumption of resources
Traditionally favorable rights of sellers- Right to introduce product, price , Incentives.
Traditionally buyer rights-Right to buy, right to expect the product to perform as claimed

Important informations to be known by buyers: - ingredients, manufacturing dates, expiry

etc.

Consumerism refers to the consumption of resources by the people. While early human societies used
to consume much less resources, with the dawn of industrial era, consumerism has shown an
exponential rise.
It has been related both to the increase in the population size as well as increase in our demands due to
change in life-style. Earlier we used to live a much simpler life and used to have fewer wants. In the
modern society our needs have multiplied and so consumerism of resources has also multiplied.

Our population was less than 1 million for thousands of years ever since we evolved on this earth.
Today we have crossed the six billion mark and are likely to reach 11 billion by 2045 as per World
Bank estimates. Let us see how the changing population trends influence consumerism of natural
resources and generation of wastes. Two types of conditions of population and consumerism exist.

(i) People over-population: It occurs when there are more people than available supplies of food,
water and other important resources in the area. Excessive population pressure causes degradation of
the limited resources, and there is absolute poverty, under-nourishment and premature deaths.

This occurs in less developed countries (LDCs). Here due to large number of people, adequate
resources are not available for all. So there is less per capita consumption although overall
consumption is high.

(ii) Consumption over-population: This occurs in the more developed countries (MDCs). Here
population size is smaller while resources are in abundance and due to luxurious life-style per capita
consumption of resources is very high.

More the consumption of resources more is the waste generation and greater is the degradation of the
environment. Thus, consumerism varies with the country and USA is known for maximum
consumerism.

The throw-away attitude and luxurious life-style of the west results in very high resource use as
compared to less developed countries. With every unit of energy, mineral or any resource used there
is waste generation and pollution in the environment.

Environmental legislation and laws – Important protection acts

1. Water Act 1974, 1978
2. Water amendment Act , 1987,
3. Air Act ,. 1981.
4. Wild life Act 1972
5. Forest Act 1980 and
6. Environment Act 1972.

Issues involved in Enforcement of Environmental legislation:

1. Drawbacks of wildlife protection Act
2. Drawbacks of Forest Act 1980 and
3. Drawbacks of Environment Act 1972.
ENVIRONMENT (PROTECTION) ACT, 1986
This act is to take action to protect and improve environment and set up the followings

1. Standard of quality of air, water or soil

2. Maximum permissible limits of concentration of pollutants (including noise pollutant)
3. procedures and safe guard for handling hazardous items
4. Prohibition of using hazardous items
5. Prohibition and restriction of certain industries in certain area
6. Procedure and safe guard for prevention of accidents
Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986
State Pollution control board is to follow the guidelines provided in schedule VI.

Some are as follows

• Advises industries for treating the waste water and gases – use of technology – achieve
prescribed standard.
• Encourage recycling and reusing the wastes
• Encourage recovery of biogas, energy and reusable matter
• Discharge of effluents and emissions into environment is permitted by SPCB after taking into
account capacity of the receiving water body.
• To emphasize clean technology to increase fuel efficiency and decrease environmental
pollutants
The act provides for environmental Audit for checking complying with the environmental laws and
regulations.

AIR (PREVENTION & CONTROL OF POLLUTION) ACT, 1981

Salient features

• Prevention, control and abatement of air pollution

• Air pollution has been defined as the presence of any solid, liquid or gaseous substance
(including noise) in the atmosphere in such a concentration that may be or tend to be harmful
to human being or any other living creature or plants or property or environment.
• Noise pollution – inserted in 1987
• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) & State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) similar to
water pollution board
• Section 20 provides for emission std to auto mobile and air pollution control area in
consultation with SPCB
• Direction of PCB can be appealed in the appellate authority.
THE AIR (PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF POLLUTION)

ACT, 1981

Salient features of the act are as follows:

(i) The Act provides for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution.

(ii) In the Act, air pollution has been defined as the presence of any solid, liquid or gaseous substance
(including noise) in the atmosphere in such concentration as may be or tend to be harmful to human
beings or any other living creatures or plants or property or environment.

(iii) Noise pollution has been inserted as pollution in the Act in 1987.

(iv) Pollution control boards at the central or state level have the regulatory authority to implement
the Air Act. Just parallel to the functions related to Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act,
the boards performs similar functions related to improvement of air quality. The boards have to check
whether or not the industry strictly follows the norms or standards laid down by the Board under
section 17, regarding the discharge of emission of any air pollutant. Based upon analysis report
consent is granted or refused to the industry.

(v) ) Just like the Water Act, the Air Act has provisions for defining the constitution, powers
and function of Pollution Control Boards, funds, accounts, audit, penalties and procedures.

(vi) Section 20 of the Act has provision for ensuring emission standards from automobiles. Based
upon it, the state govt. is empowered to issue instructions to the authority incharge of registration of
motor vehicles (under Motor Vehicles Act, 1939) that is bound to comply with such instructions.

(vii) As per Section 19, in consultation with the State Pollution Control Board, the state government
may declare an area within the state as .air pollution control area. and can prohibit the use of any fuel
other than approved fuel in the area causing air pollution. No person shall, without prior consent of
State Board operate or establish any industrial unit in the .air pollution control area.. The Water and
Air Acts have also made special provisions for appeals. Under Section 28 of Water Act and Section
31 of Air Act, a provision for appeals has been made. An Appellate Authority consisting of a single
person or three persons appointed by the Head of the State, Governor is constituted to hear such
appeals as filed by some aggrieved party (industry) due to some order made by the State Board within
30 days of passing the orders.
WATER (PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF POLLUTION) ACT 1974:

• Maintaining and restoring the wholesomeness of water by preventing and controlling its
pollution.
The salient features and provisions of Act are summed as follows.

• Maintenance and Restoration of Quality – surface and ground water

• Establishment of central PCB and state PCB
• Confers powers and functions to CPCB and SPCB
• The act provides for funds, budgets, accounts and audits of the CPCB & SPCB
• The act provides penalties for the defaulters and duties and powers
It provides for maintaining and restoring the wholesomeness of water by preventing and
controlling its pollution. Pollution is defined as such contamination of water, or such alteration of
the physical, chemical or biological properties of water, or such discharge as is likely to cause a
nuisance or render the water harmful or injurious to public health and safety or harmful for any
other use or to aquatic plants and other organisms or animal life. The definition of water pollution
has thus encompassed the entire probable agents in water that may cause any harm or have a
potential to harm any kind of life in any way. The salient features and provisions of the Act are
summed up as follows:

(i) It provides for maintenance and restoration of quality of all types of surface and ground water.

(ii) It provides for the establishment of Central and State Boards for pollution control.

(iii) It confers them with powers and functions to control pollution. The Central and State Pollution
Control Boards are widely represented and are given comprehensive powers to advise, coordinate and
provide technical assistance for prevention and control of pollution of water.

(iv) The Act has provisions for funds, budgets, accounts and audit of the Central and State Pollution
Control Boards.

(v) The Act makes provisions for various penalties for the defaulters and procedure for the same.

The main regulatory bodies are the Pollution Control Boards, which have been, conferred the
following duties and powers: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):

l It advises the central govt. in matters related to prevention and control of water pollution.
l Coordinates the activities of State Pollution Control Boards and provides them technical assistance
and guidance. l Organizes training programs for prevention and control of pollution.

l Organizes comprehensive programs on pollution related issues through mass media.

l Collects, compiles and publishes technical and statistical data related to pollution.

l Prepares manuals for treatment and disposal of sewage and trade effluents.

l Lays down standards for water quality parameters.

l Plans nation-wide programs for prevention, control or abatement of pollution.

l Establishes and recognizes laboratories for analysis of water, sewage or trade effluent sample. The
State Pollution Control Boards also have similar functions to be executed at state level and are
governed by the directions of CPCB.

l The Board advises the state govt. with respect to the location of any industry that might pollute a
stream or a well.

l It lays down standards for effluents and is empowered to take samples from any stream, well or trade
effluent or sewage passing through an industry.

l The State Board is empowered to take legal samples of trade effluent in accordance with the
procedure laid down in the Act. The sample taken in the presence of the occupier or his agent is
divided into two parts, sealed, signed by both parties and sent for analysis to some recognized lab. If
the samples do not conform to the prescribed water quality standards (crossing maximum permissible
limits), then .consent. is refused to the unit.

l Every industry has to obtain consent from the Board (granted for a fixed duration) by applying on a
prescribed Proforma providing all technical details, along with a prescribed fee following which
analysis of the effluent is carried out.

l The Board suggests efficient methods for utilization, treatment and disposal of trade effluents. The
Act has made detailed provisions regarding the power of the Boards to obtain information, take trade
samples, restrict new outlets, restrict expansion, enter and inspect the units and sanction or refuse
consent to the industry after effluent analysis. While development is necessary, it is all the more
important to prevent pollution, which can jeopardize the lives of the people.

Installation and proper functioning of effluent treatment plants (ETP) in all polluting industries is a
must for checking pollution of water and land. Despite certain weaknesses in the Act, the Water Act
has ample provisions for preventing and controlling water pollution through legal measures.
WILDLIFE (PROTECTION) ACT, 1972

The act, a landmark in the history of wildlife legislation in our country, came into existence in 1972.
Wildlife was transferred from State list to concurrent list in 1976, thus giving power to the Central
Govt. to enact the legislation.

The Indian Board of Wildlife (IBWL) was created in 1952 in our country, which after the enactment
of the Wildlife (Protection) Act actively took up the task of setting up wildlife National Parks and
sanctuaries. The major activities and provisions in the act can be summed up as follows:

(i) It defines the wild-life related terminology.

(ii) It provides for the appointment of wildlife advisory Board, Wildlife warden, their powers, duties
etc.

(iii) Under the Act, comprehensive listing of endangered wild life species was done for the first time
and prohibition of hunting of the endangered species was mentioned.

(iv) Protection to some endangered plants like Beddome cycad, Blue Vanda, Ladies Slipper Orchid,
Pitcher plant etc. is also provided under the Act.

(v) The Act provides for setting up of National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries etc.

(vi) The Act provides for the constitution of Central Zoo Authority.

(vii) There is provision for trade and commerce in some wildlife species with license for sale,
possession, transfer etc.

(viii) The Act imposes a ban on the trade or commerce in scheduled animals.

(ix) It provides for legal powers to officers and punishment to offenders.

(x) It provides for captive breeding programme for endangered species. Several Conservation
Projects for individual endangered species like lion (1972) Tiger (1973), Crocodile (1974) and Brown
antlered Deer (1981) were started under this Act.

The Act is adopted by all states in India except J & K, which has it own Act. Some of the major
drawbacks of the Act include mild penalty to offenders, illegal wild life trade in J & K, personal
ownership certificate for animal articles like tiger and leopard skins, no coverage of foreign
endangered wildlife, pitiable condition of wildlife in mobile zoos and little emphasis on protection of
plant genetic resources.
Wildlife [protection] act, 1972:

• Land mark in the history of wildlife legislation.

• 1976 the powers are transferred from state to central government.
• Indian Board for Wild life (IB W L) was created in 1952 in our country which after WLA,
1972, took up the task of setting National parks and sanctuaries.
Wildlife [protection] Act

• Defines wild life related terminology.

• Provide appointments of advisory Board, wildlife warden, their powers & duties etc.
• Prohibition of hunting of endangered species [was first] mentioned.
• List of endangered species is provided.
• Guides central 200 authorities.
• Provides grants for setting up of national parks, wild life sanctuaries etc.
• The Act imposes ban on trade & commence of scheduled animals.
• Provides legal proves to officers to punish the offenders.
• Provide captive breeding programme for endangered species.
Many conservation projects for endangered species were started under this act.

• Lion 1972
• Tigers 1973
• Crocodile [1974]
• Deer 1981.
FOREST (CONSERVATION) ACT, 1980

It deals with conservation of forest and includes reserve forest, protected forest and any forest land
irrespective of ownership.

Salient features

• State government can use forest only forestry purpose.

• Provision for conservation of all types of forests. Advisory committee appointed for
funding conservation
• Illegal non-forest activity within a forest area can be immediately stopped under this act.
• Non forest activity means clearing land for cash-crop agriculture, mining etc.
• However construction in forest for wild life or forest management is exempted from non
forestry activity.
1992 Amendment:
 • This amendment allows transmission lines, seismic surveys, exploration drilling and hydro
electric project in forest area without cutting trees or with limited cutting of trees – prior
approval central government (CG) to be sought.
• Wild life sanctuaries, National parks etc. are prohibited from exploration except with CG
prior approval.
• Cultivation of coffee, rubber, tea (cash crop), fruit bearing trees, oil yielding trees, trees of
medicinal values are also prohibited in reserved forest area with out prior approval from CG.
Has this may create imbalance to ecology of the forest.
• Tusser (a type of silk yielding insect) cultivation in forest area is allowed since it discourages
monoculture practices in forests and improves biodiversity.
• Plantation of mulberry for rearing silk worm is prohibited.
• Proposal sent to CG for non-forestry activity must have a cost benefit analysis and
environmental impact statement (EIS).
RIO EARTH SUMMIT (RIO Summit)

• Five years after the Brundtland Report, the UN General Assembly asked for a report on
progress made towards sustainable development and convened the United Nations Conference
on Environment and Development (UNCED)
• UNCED was held in June 1992 at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil
• The Rio Earth Summit as it became known was the largest environmental conference ever
held, attracting over 30,000 people including more than 100 heads of state.
• The objectives of the conference were to build upon the hopes and achievements of the
Brundtland Report, in order to respond to pressing global environmental problems and to
agree major treaties on biodiversity, climate change and forest management.
• Perhaps for the first time, a major environmental conference adopted a more nature-centered
approach towards environmental problems.
• Despite its environmental focus, the biggest arguments at the Earth Summit concerned
finance, consumption rates and population growth.
• The developed nations were calling for environmental sustainability, but the less
industrialized developing nations were demanding a chance to allow their economies to catch
up with the developed world.
The Earth Summit produced a number of outcomes including:

• The Convention on Biological Diversity;

• The Framework Convention on Climate Change;

• Principles of Forest Management;

 • The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development; and

• Agenda 21.

Forests

• One of the key agreements reached at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit was the Principles of Forest
Management.
• The Principles of Forest Management include a number of points.
• All nations should take part in "the greening of the world" through planting and conserving
forests.
• Forests should be managed in order to meet the social, economic, ecological, cultural and
spiritual needs of present and future generations.
• Unique examples of forest should be protected, for example ancient forests and forests with
cultural, historical, spiritual and religious importance.
• Pollutants that harm forests should be controlled.
• Forestry plans should consider the non-economic values of forests and the environmental
consequences of their management.
• Forest degradation should be avoided.

Public Awareness:
Our environment is presently degrading due to many activities like pollution,
deforestation, overgrazing, rapid industrialization and urbanization.
Objectives of public awareness
1. Create awareness among people of rural and city about ecological imbalances,
local environment, technological development and various development plants.
2. To organize meetings, group discussion on development, tree plantation
programmes exhibitions.
3. To learn to live simple and eco-friendlily manner.
Methods to create environmental awareness
1. In schools and colleges
2. Through mass – media
3. Cinema
4. Newspapers
5. Audio - Visual media
6. Voluntary organizations
7. Traditional techniques
8. Arranging competitions
9. Leaders appeal
10. Non – government organizations.
Conclusions:
There is a need to interlink the social aspects to develop and modernize the
technologies without losing traditional and human oriented social issues related to the
environment.
PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

Public awareness about environment is at a stage of infancy. Of late, some awareness has taken place
related to environmental degradation, pollution etc. but incomplete knowledge and information and
ignorance about many aspects has often led to misconceptions. Development has paved the path for
rise in the levels or standards of living but it has simultaneously led to serious environmental
disasters.

Issues related to environment have often been branded as antidevelopment. The wisdom lies in
maintaining a balance between our needs and supplies so that the delicate ecological balance is not
disrupted.

Some of the main reasons responsible for widespread environmental ignorance can be summed up as
follows:

(i) Our courses in Science, technology, economics etc. have so far failed to integrate the knowledge in
environmental aspects as an essential component of the curriculum.

(ii) Our planners, decision-makers, politicians and administrators have not been trained so as to
consider the environmental aspects associated with their plans.

(iii) In a zeal to go ahead with some ambitious development projects, quite often there is purposeful
concealment of information about environmental aspects.

(iv) There is greater consideration of economic gains and issues related to eliminating poverty by
providing employment that overshadows the basic environmental issues.

Methods to Propagate Environmental Awareness

Environmental awareness needs to be created through formal and informal education to all sections of
the society. Everyone needs to understand it because .environment belongs to all. and .every
individual matters. when it comes to conservation and protection of environment.. Various stages and
methods that can be useful for raising environmental awareness in different sections of the society are
as follows:

(i) Among students through education: Environmental education must be imparted to the students
right from the childhood stage. It is a welcome step that now all over the country we are introducing
environmental studies as a subject at all stages including school and college level, following the
directives of the Supreme Court.

(ii) Among the Masses through mass-media: Media can play an important role to educate the masses
on environmental issues through articles, environmental rallies, plantation campaigns, street plays,
real eco-disaster stories and success stories of conservation efforts. TV serials like Virasat, Race to
save the Planet, Heads and Tails, Terra-view, Captain planet and the like have been effective in
propagating the seeds of environmental awareness amongst the viewers of all age groups. (Plate VI,
VII).

(iii) Among the planners, decision-makers and leaders: Since this elite section of the society plays the
most important role in shaping the future of the society, it is very important to give them the necessary
orientation and training through specially organized workshops and training programmes. Publication
of environment - related resource material in the form of pamphlets or booklets published by Ministry
of Environment & Forests can also help in keeping this section abreast of the latest developments in
the field.

Objective:
To get a knowledge on human population and human rights
To educate the students on value education
To equip the students towards the modern technology with respect to
environment and human health.
Population density:
Number of individuals of the population per unit area or per unit volume.
Parameters affecting population size:
1. Birth rate or Natality
2. Death rate or Mortality
3. Immigration
4. Emigration
Population Growth
The rapid growth of the global’s population for the past 100 years from the difference
between the rate of birth and death.
Causes of rapid population growth:
1. The rapid population growth is due to decrease in death rate and increase in
birth rate
2. Availability of antibiotics, immunization, increased food production, clean
water and air decreases the famine-related deaths
3. In agricultural based countries, children are required to help parents in the
field that is why population increases in the developing countries.
Characteristics of population growth:
1. Exponential growth
2. Doubling time
3. Infant mortality rate
4. total fertility rate
5. Replacement level
6. Male/female ratio
7. Demographic transition
Variation of population based on age structure
1. Pyramid shaped – India , Bangladesh, Ethiopia,
2. Bell shaped – France, USA, UK
3. Urn shaped - Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Exponential growth: When a quantity increases by a constant amount per unit time e.g. 1, 3, 5, 7 etc. it
is called linear growth. But, when it increases by a fixed percentage it is known as exponential growth
e.g. 10, 102, 103, 104, or 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 etc. Population growth takes place exponentially and that
explains the dramatic increase in global population in the past 150 years.

Doubling time: The time needed for a population to double its size at a constant annual rate is known
as doubling time
Total Fertility rates (TFR) : It is one of the key measures of a nation .s population growth. TFR is
defined as the average number of children that would be born to a woman in her lifetime if the age
specific birth rates remain constant.

Infant mortality rate: It is an important parameter affecting future growth of a population. It is the
percentage of infants died out of those born in a year.

Replacement level: This is an important concept in population dynamics or demography. Two

parents bearing two children will be replaced by their offspring. But, due to infant mortality this
replacement level is usually changed.

Age Structure: Age structure of population of a nation can be represented by age pyramids, based
upon people belonging to different age classes like pre-reproductive (0-14 years), reproductive (15-44
years) and post reproductive (45 years and above). We get three types of age pyramids:

(a) Pyramid shaped: Here the very young population is more, making a broad base and old people are
less.

(b) Bell shaped: It occurs in countries like France, USA and Canada where birth rates have in the
past one or two decades declined resulting in people of almost equal number in age group 0-35 years.
So in the next 10 years, the people entering into reproductive age group is not going to change much
and such age-pyramids indicate stable populations (Fig 7.2(b)).

(c) Urn shaped: Here number of individuals in very young class is smaller than the middle
reproductive age class. It is associated with ubranisation and growth and occurs in four phases:

Zero population growth (ZPG): When birth plus immigration in a population are just equal to deaths
plus emigration, it is said to be zero population growth.

Male-Female ratio: The ratio of boys and girls should be fairly balanced in a society to flourish.
However, due to female infanticides and gender-based abortions, the ratio has been upset in many
countries including India. In China, the ratio of boys to girls became 140:100

in many regions which led to scarcity of brides.

Life expectancy: It is the average age that a newborn infant is expected to attain in a given country.
The average life expectancy, over the globe, has risen from 40 to 65.5 years over the past century. In
India, life expectancy of males and females was only 22.6 years and

23.3 years, respectively in 1900. In the last 100 years improved medical facilities and technological
advancement has increased the life expectancy to 60.3 years and 60.5 years, respectively for the
Indian males and females. In Japan and Sweden, life expectancy is quite higher, being 82.1-84.2 for
females and 77-77.4 for males, respectively.

Demographic transition: Population growth is usually related to economic development. There occurs
a typical fall in death rates and birth rates due to improved living conditions leading to low population
growth, a phenomenon called demographic transition.

Population Explosion
The enormous increase in population due to low death rate and high birth rate.
Causes:
Modern medical facilities, life expectancy, illiteracy,
Effects:
Poverty, Environmental degradation, Over –exploitation of natural resources
,Treat, Communal war
Remedy:- Through birth control programmes.

There has been a dramatic reduction in the doubling time of the global human population, as we have
already discussed. In the 20th century, human population has grown much faster than ever before.
Between 1950-1990, in just 40 years the population crossed 5 billion mark with current addition of
about 92 million every year, or so to say, adding a new Mexico every year. In the year 2000, the
world population was 6.3 billion and it is predicted to grow four times in the next 100 years. This
unprecedented growth of human population at an alarming rate is referred to as population explosion.

The Indian Scenario: India is the second most populous country of the world with 1 billion people. If
the current growth rates continue, it will have 1.63 billion people by 2050 and will become the most
populous country surpassing China.

So we are heading for very serious ramifications of the population explosion problem. Do we have the
resources and provisions for feeding, housing, educating and employing all those people being added
every year? If we look at the population statistics of our country we find that in just 35 years after
independence we added another India in terms of population.

On 11th May, 2000 we became 1 billion and now we can say that every 6th person in this world is an
Indian.
The Population Clock

Every second, on an average 4-5 children are born and 2 people die, thus resulting in net gain of
nearly 2.5 person every second. This means that every hour we are growing by about 9000 and
everyday by about 2,14,000.

Population explosion is causing severe resource depletion and environmental degradation. Our
resources like land, water, fossil fuels, minerals etc. are limited and due to over exploitation these
resources are getting exhausted.

Even many of the renewable resources like forests, grasslands etc. are under tremendous pressure.
Industrial and economic growth are raising our quality of life but adding toxic pollutants into the air,
water and soil.

As a result, the ecological life-support systems are getting jeopardized. There is a fierce debate on this
issue as to whether we should immediately reduce fertility rates through worldwide birth control
programs in order to stabilize or even shrink the population or whether human beings will devise new
technologies for alternate resources, so that the problem of crossing the carrying capacity of the earth
will never actually come.

There are two very important views on population growth which need a mention here:

Malthusian Theory: According to Malthus, human populations tend to grow at an exponential or

compound rate whereas food production increases very slowly or remains stable. Therefore,
starvation, poverty, disease, crime and misery are invariably associated with population explosion. He
believes .positive checks. like famines, disease outbreak and violence as well as .preventive checks.
like birth control need to stabilize population growth.

Marxian Theory: According to Karl Marx, population growth is a symptom rather than the cause of
poverty, resource depletion, pollution and other social ills. He believed that social exploitation and
oppression of the less privileged people leads to poverty, overcrowding, unemployment,
environmental degradation that in turn, causes over population. A compromise between the two views
is required because all these factors seem to be interdependent and interrelated. Equity and social
justice to all, allowing everyone to enjoy a good standard of living is the need of the hour that can
voluntarily help in achieving a stabilized global population.
Family welfare programme:
Objectives:
Slowing down the population explosion
Over exploitation of natural resources
Family planning programme:
Objectives;
Reduce infant mortality rate
Encourage late marriages
Improve women’s health
Control of communal diseases…

Family Welfare Programmes Population explosion is like a time bomb that must be diffused well in
time. The population must be kept much below the carrying capacity and stabilized, so that the
aftermath of explosion could be avoided. It is not precisely known as to how long can we continue our
exponential growth in population and resource use without suffering overshoot or dieback. We are
getting warning signals that if not controlled, the increasing population is going to deplete all the
resources beyond their regeneration capacity. A catastrophic doomsday model warns us that the earth
cannot sustain more than two more doublings i.e. 25 billion.

As evident, developed nations have already achieved a stabilization ratio of 1 around the year 2000,
which is more or less stabilized indicating zero population growth. Developing nations including
Asia, on the other hand, is yet having a high stabilization ratio nearing 3, which is however, on a
decline and is expected to lower down substantially by 2025. Stabilization in developing nations is
possible only through various family welfare programmes.

The Kerala Model (A case study) Kerala has earned the distinction of having lowest birth rates among
all the states of India.

ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH

Environment and human health:

1. Physical Hazards – Radioactive and UV radiations, Global warming,
Chlorofluro carbons, Noise etc.
2. Chemical Hazards – Combustion of Fossil fuels, industrial effluence,
pesticides, heavy metals,
3. Biological Hazards- Bacteria, Viruses, Parasites

In general terms a physically fit person not suffering from any disease is called a healthy person.
However, there are many other dimensions associated with the state of being healthy. According to
World Health Organisation (WHO) health is .a state of complete physical, mental and social well-
being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Human health is influenced by many factors like nutritional, biological, chemical or psychological.
These factors may cause harmful changes in the body.s conditions called disease.

Infectious organisms: Disease causing organisms pose greater environmental threats to health, more
severely in the developing countries especially the tropical ones.

High temperature and moisture along with malnutrition help many diseases to spread in these
countries. Microbes especially bacteria can cause food poisoning by producing toxins in the
contaminated food. Some moulds grow on food and produce poisonous toxins.

Infectious organisms can also cause respiratory diseases (pneumonia, tuberculosis, influenza etc.) and
gastrointestinal diseases (diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera etc.). There are various types of parasites that
cause diseases like malaria, schistosomiasis, filariasis etc.

Most of these infections take place when the environmental conditions are unclean and unhygienic.

Chemicals: A large number of chemicals are introduced in the environment by anthropogenic

activities. Industrial effluents containing various chemicals are of major concern.

Chemicals can be divided into two categories i.e. hazardous and toxic chemicals.

Hazardous are the dangerous chemicals like explosives, inflammable chemicals etc.

Toxic chemicals (toxins) are poisonous chemicals which kill cells and can cause death.

Many other chemicals can cause cancer (carcinogenic), affect genetic material (DNA) in cells
(mutagenic) or cause abnormalities during embryonic growth and development (teratogenic), while
there are others that affect nervous system (neurotoxins) and the reproductive system.

Some of the pesticides and other industrial pollutants may act as hormone analogs in humans and
other species. These environmental hormones affect reproduction, development and cause various
types of ailments including tumors. Many chemicals like DDT and other chlorinated pesticides
bioaccumulate in food-chain and show deleterious effects at the top of the food chain.

Many chemical substances present in wastewaters like heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, lead etc.)
fluoride and nitrate can affect human health. The adverse effects of some of these have already been
discussed in Unit 5. Metals can contaminate food while cooking in various types of utensils including
alloys like steel. Containers for canned food, especially which are acidic in nature, contaminate the
food with lead.
Lead also comes in water from the water-pipes where it is added for plumbing purposes.

Various alcoholic beverages contain lead while tobacco contains cadmium that goes in the body and
affects human health. Various chemicals, gases and particulates laden with chemicals, spewed into the
environment from various industries cause air pollution and affect human health.

The details of effects of air pollution on human health have already been given in Unit 5. Noise:
Although human ear is capable of tolerating a range of sound levels, yet if sound levels beyond the
permissible level exist for certain duration, it becomes painful and sometimes irreparable damage
occurs. Besides hearing damage various types of physiological and psychological changes are induced
by noise pollution. The details of effects of noise on human health are given in Unit 5.

Radiations: Radiations are known to cause short-term and longterm changes in various organs.
Cosmic rays and ultra-violet rays cause harmful effects on human health which may include cancer.
The details of ill effects of radiations on human health are given in Unit 5.

Diet: Diet has a very important role in maintaining health. Malnutrition makes humans prone to other
diseases. There is a strong correlation between cardiovascular diseases and the amount of salt and fat
in one.s diet. Food contamination can cause various ill effects. There had been cases of Dropsy in
India, a disease which occurred due to contamination of mustard oil with the poisonous seeds of
Argemone mexicana. Likewise various adulterated pulses, condiments, oils etc. sold in the market to
earn profit affect human health.

Settlement: Proper environment, availability of basic necessities of life like, water, sanitation etc. are
essential for healthy living. Housing is very important from security point of view. Improper
settlement and poor physical environment may cause various psychological problems which affect
various vital physiological processes in the body.

HUMAN RIGHTS:
1. Human right to freedom
2. Human right to property
3. Human right to freedom of religion
4. Human right to culture and education
5. Human right to constitutional remedies
6. Human right to equality
7. Human right against exploitation
8. Human right to food and environment
9. Human right to good health.
HUMAN RIGHTS

• Human right means that a human being must enjoy on this earth.
• Foundation of human was laid in 13th century. But positive hopes for all people for a happy, dignified
and secured living condition wee raised only after “Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR) by
UNO on 1012.1948.
• It highlights on protection to all individuals against injustice and human right violation.
• UNDHR defines specific rights to life, liberty, security, freedom of thought, association, freedom of
movement right of equal pay for equal work, right to form or join union, right to health care, education
etc.
• Universal declaration rights are universal but disparity between developing and developed countries.
• Poverty and population leads to violation of human rights.
WHO estimates

▪ One out of every five is malnourished, lacks clean drinking water, lacks hygienic conditions and
health facilities.
▪ One out of 3 lack fuel for cooking.
▪ 1/5 is desperately poor
▪ Every year 40 million people die due to contaminated water.
• Acute scarcity of employment.
• Merit of universal education and child labour prevention is of much less importance than his struggle for
existence.
• Developed and developing country give importance only to ‘respect to human rights’ and ‘non social –
economic rights’ respectively.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Human rights are the rights that a human being must enjoy on this earth since he/she is a human
being. Although the foundation of human rights was laid in the 13th century when resistance to
religious intolerance, socio-economic restraints and scientific dogmas resulted in some revolts mainly
due to the liberal thoughts of some philosophers. However, true hopes for all people for happy,
dignified and secure living conditions were raised with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UNDHR) by the UNO on December 10, 1948.

This declaration provided comprehensive protection to all individuals against all forms of injustice
and human rights violations. The UNDHR defines specific rights, civil, political, economic, social as
well as cultural. It defines the rights to life, liberty, security, fair trial by law, freedom of thought,
expression, conscience, association and freedom of movement. It emphasizes right to equal pay for
equal work, right to form and join trade unions, right to health care, education, adequate rest etc.
Although the human rights are considered to be universal, there is a wide disparity between the
developing and the developed countries. Population and poverty are often found to be the most
important causes of violation of human rights in the third world countries. Poverty often undermines
human dignity and without dignity there is no meaning of human right. In fact, talks of human rights
seem justified only when one can just manage to live on.

The World Health Organisation estimates indicate that one out of every five persons in this world is
malnourished, lacks clean drinking water, lacks proper hygienic conditions and adequate health
facilities; one out of three persons does not have enough fuel to cook or keep warm and one out of
five persons is desperately poor for whom life is nothing but struggle for survival. Every year 40
million people are dying due to consumption of contaminated drinking water.

There is acute scarcity of employment in the third world countries. Under such conditions, a poor
man feels that perhaps his child can earn something for himself or the family. For him, the merit of
universal education and child labour prevention is of much less importance than his grim struggle for
existence. For the developed countries, which have already attained a high stage of development in
material and economic resources, the social and economic rights are not that important as civil and
political rights.

Whereas, the reverse is true for the developing countries which are struggling for life under
conditions of extreme poverty, ignorance, illiteracy, malnutrition and diseases. For them the civil and
political rights carry little meaning. In June 1993, during the Vienna World Conference on Human
Rights the need for economic and social rights were considered as equal to the west.s political and
civil rights.

Respect towards human rights is now considered to be one of the important criteria for giving
development assistance to a country. In 1992, the Burton Bill passed in USA slashed 24 million
dollars of development assistance to some developing countries including India on the grounds of
showing poor human rights records. In India, human right issues have mostly centered around slavery,
bonded labour, women subordination, custodial deaths, violence against women and minorities, child
abuse, dowry deaths, mass killings of dalits, torture, arbitrary detentions etc. The constitution of India
contains a long list of people.s civil, political, economic and social rights for improving their life. Yet,
it is an irony that violation of human rights takes place rather too often in our country.

Social discriminations, untouchability, patriarchal society with male domination etc. still prevail in the
society which hinder the honour of human rights. Civil liberties and fundamental freedom are also
often violated by those who have money power. Communal violence against minorities has become
quite prevalent in our country. There is a need to respect the human rights of all people in every
nation for overall development and peace.

As the right to development was defined, another aspect of human right related to environment
emerged. After the Earth Summit 1992, the need for sustainable development was recognized. Soon
after on May 16, 1994 at Geneva, the United Nations drafted the first ever Declaration of Human
Rights and Environment, which embodies the right of every human being to a healthy, secure and
ecologically sound environment.
A sustainable society affirms, equity, security, attainment of basic human needs and environmental
justice to all. It is quite disheartening to look at the environmental inequities.

The developed nations utilizing most of the natural resources and reaping the benefits of industrial
development are not bearing the burden of their hazardous wastes, as they export such wastes to many
developing countries who have to face the toxic impacts of the hazardous wastes.

The worker class and the poor are the main victims and sufferers of adverse effects of industrial
toxins, foul smelling polluted air, unclean and unsafe drinking water, unhealthy working conditions,
occupational health hazards etc. The indigenous people and tribal people are the worst victims of
development who lose their homes and lands to dams and reservoirs and are deprived of their human
rights to native homes.

Draft Declaration of Human Rights and Environment The draft declaration describes the rights as
well as duties that apply to individuals, governments, international organizations and transnational
corporations. The preamble envisages a deep concern regarding the consequences of environmental
harm caused by poverty, debt programmes and international trade. Environmental damages are often
irreversible. Human rights violations may lead to further environmental degradation on a long-term
basis and the environmental degradation, in turn would lead to further human rights violation. The
principles of the draft declaration are divided into five parts.

Part I: It deals with human rights for an ecologically sound environment, sustainable development and
peace for all. It also emphasizes the present generation.s rights to fulfill its needs to lead a dignified
and good quality life. But, at the same time it lays stress on the fact that it should be without impairing
the rights of the future generations to meet their needs.

Part II: It mainly deals with human rights related to an environment free from pollution and
degradation. It also emphasizes the rights to enjoyment of natural ecosystems with their rich
biodiversity. It defines right to own native land or home. No one can be evicted from one.s native
place except in emergency or due to a compelling purpose benefitting the society as a whole which is
not attainable by other means. All persons have the right to timely assistance in the event of any
natural or technological disaster.

Part III: It deals with right of every person to environmental information, education, awareness and
also public participation in environmental decision making.

Part IV: It deals with the duties to protect and preserve the environment and prevent environmental
harm. It includes all remedies for environmental degradation and measures to be taken for sustainable
resource use. It emphasizes that states shall avoid using environment as a means of war and shall
respect international law for protection of environment.

Part V: This lays stress on social justice and equity with respect to use of natural resources and
sustainable development. Till now, however, it has not been defined in practical terms the threshold,
below which level of environmental quality must fall before a breach of individual human right will
said to have occurred or above which the level of environmental quality must rise. .Right to
development . has to be linked to .right to safe and clean environment. which has to be considered not
only at the level of individual but at community, national and global level.
Value education:
Types:
1. Formal education
2. Value education
3. Value - based environmental education
Objectives
1. To improve the integral growth of human beign
2. To create attitudes and improvement towards sustainable lifestyle.
3. To increase awareness about our national history our cultural heritage,
constitutional rights, national integration, community develo9pment and
environment.
4. To create and develop awareness about the values and their significance and
role
5. To know about various living and non- living organisms and their interaction
with environment.
Types of values:
1. Universal values
2. Cultural values
3. Individual values
4. global values
5. Spiritual values

VALUE EDUCATION

• Education is one of the most important tools in bringing about socioeconomic and cultural progress of a
country.
• The objective of education should not be merely coaching the students to get through the exams with
good results and get some good job.
• Education does not simply mean acquiring information but using the resources within the limits of
ethical value.
• The scientific and technological advancements have shrunk the world into a village.
• But in the drive to development man has become too materialistic, self centered and over ambitious.
• Value based education has a very significant role in providing proper direction to youth to inculcate
positive attitude and to teach them the distinction between right and wrong.
• It teaches them to be compassionate, peace loving, helpful, generous and tolerant so that they can
move towards more harmonious, peaceful, enjoyable and sustainable future.
• Value education help in arriving value based judgements based on practical understanding of various
natural principles.
• Value education increases awareness about our national history, our cultural heritage, national pride,
constitutional rights and duties, national integration, community development and environment.
• It is crucial to the retention of national identity, peaceful and harmonious society.
• Education should give overall development of the student personality.
• The main of education is to produce citizens with sound character and health.
 • Good citizens are the only hope for the progress and prosperity of the country.
• Life based upon good principles is an essential requisite.
• Therefore moral education should be included in the school curriculum.
• The curriculum should provide enough opportunity for pupils to acquire a considerable amount of
knowledge that is essential for morally responsible living in our democratic society.
• Value education shall prepare individuals for participation in social life and acceptance of social rules.
• Schools should provide a healthy environment for sharing responsibilities of community life and
relationships.
Value based environmental education

• Environmental education is something that every person should be well versed with.
• The principles of ecology and fundamentals of environment help to create a sense of earth citizenship
and a sense of care for the earth and its resources - a sense of commitment towards the management
of the resources in a sustainable way so that our children and grand children too have a safe and clean
planet.
• Following the Supreme Court directives 1998 environmental education has been included in the
curriculum right from the school stage to university level.
• The objective of it is to make everyone environment literate.
• Let us see how environmental education can be made value based one.

▪ Preparation of text books materials on environmental education – to built a positive attitude

towards environmental factors.
▪ Social values like love, tolerance, compassion can be woven into environment education. This
will help to nurture all forms of life and biodiversity.
Cultural and religious values

▪ Our culture and religions teach us not to exploit nature –but to perform such functions which project and
sacred nature.
▪ Therefore these values can be added up with environment education.
▪ Environment Education should stress on earth centric views rather than human centric view such that it
include the ethical values.
Global values

▪ Stress on the concept human is part of nature and all natural processes are inter linked and they are in
harmony.
▪ If this harmony is disturbed it may lead to imbalance in ecology and catastrophic results.
Spiritual values
 ▪ Highlights on self contentment, discipline, reduction of wants etc.
▪ This will reduce our consumerist approach.
▪ If the mentioned values are incorporated in environment education, the goal of sustainable development
and environment conservation can be easily attained.
▪ Value based environment education can bring about a total transformation of our mind set, our attitudes
and life style to protect nature.

HIV /AIDS
AIDS is the abbreviated form for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome caused
by a virus called HIV.
Effects;
1. Death
2. Loss of labor
3. Inability to work
4. Lack of energy
Woman and child welfare:
Objectives:
1. to provide education
2. To impart vocational training
3. To generate awareness
4. To improve employment opportunities
5. To restore dignity, equality and respect.
Role of information technology in environment:

Remote sensing:
Component- A platform, aircraft, A balloon, rocket, and satellite.
Functions:
1. Origin of electro magnetic energy
2. Transmission of energy
3. Interaction of energy
4. Detection of energy
5. Preprocessing of data
6. Data analysis and interpretation
7. Integration and other applications.
Applications:
In agriculture, forestry, land cover, water resources
Data Base- Collection of inter related data on various subjects.
Applications:
1. Ministry of environment and forest
2. National management information system
3. Environmental information system
Geographical information system:
Application:
Thematic maps are super imposed using soft wares.
Interpretation of polluted zones
To check unplanned growth and related environmental problems
Satellite data:
1. Helps in providing reliable information and data about forest cover
2. Provide information about forecasting weather
3. Reserves of oil , minerals can be discovered.
WORLD WIDE WEB: Current data.
Applications:
1. Online learning
2. Digital files or photos, animations on environmental studies.
Role of information technology in human health:
The health service technology involves three systems
1. Finance and accounting
2. Pathology
3. Patient Administration – clinical system.
Applications:
1. Data regarding birth and death rates
2. To monitor the health of the people effectively
3. The information regarding the outbreak of epidemic diseases.
4. Online Consultation
5. Drugs and its replacement..
Conclusion:
Gaining in-depth knowledge regarding human health, human rights and role
Played by modern technology to the environment.

ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN ENVIRONMENT

AND HUMAN HEALTH

Information technology has tremendous potential in the field of environmental education and health as
in any other field like business, economics, politics or culture. Development of internet facilities,
worldwide web, geographical information system (GIS) and information through satellites has
generated a wealth of up-to-date information on various aspects of environment and health. A number
of soft-wares have been developed for environment and health studies which are user friendly and can
help an early learner in knowing and understanding the subject.

Database

Database is the collection of inter-related data on various subjects. It is usually in computerized form
and can be retrieved whenever required. In the computer the information of database is arranged in a
systematic manner that is easily manageable and can be very quickly retrieved.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India has taken up the task of compiling a
database on various biotic communities. The comprehensive database includes wildlife database,
conservation database, forest cover database etc.

Database is also available for diseases like HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Fluorosis, etc. National Management
Information System (NMIS) of the Department of Science and Technology has compiled a database on
Research and Development Projects along with information about research scientists and personnel
involved.
Environmental Information System (ENVIS): The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government
of India has created an Information System called Environmental Information System (ENVIS). With
its headquarters in Delhi, it functions in 25 different centers all over the country.

The ENVIS centers work for generating a network of database in areas like pollution control, clean
technologies, remote sensing, coastal ecology, biodiversity, western ghats and eastern ghats,
environmental management, media related to environment, renewable energy, desertification,
mangroves, wildlife, Himalayan ecology, mining, etc.

The National Institute of Occupational Health provides computerized information on occupational

health i.e. the health aspects of people working in various hazardous and nonhazardous industries,
safety measures etc.

Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS)

Satellite imageries provide us actual information about various physical and biological resources and
also to some extent about their state of degradation in a digital form through remote sensing. We are
able to gather digital information on environmental aspects like water logging, desertification,
deforestation, urban sprawl, river and canal network, mineral and energy reserves and so on.

Geographical Information System (GIS) has proved to be a very effective tool in environmental
management. GIS is a technique of superimposing various thematic maps using digital data on a large
number of inter-related or interdependent aspects. Several useful soft-wares have been developed for
working in the field of GIS.

Different thematic maps containing digital information on a number of aspects like water resources,
industrial growth, human settlements, road network, soil type, forest land, crop land or grassland etc.
are superimposed in a layered form in computer using softwares. Such information is very useful for
future land-use planning.

Even interpretations of polluted zones, degraded lands or diseased cropland etc. can be made based on
GIS. Planning for locating suitable areas for industrial growth is now being done using GIS by
preparing Zoning Atlas. GIS serves to check unplanned growth and related environmental problems.

Our satellite data also helps in providing correct, reliable and verifiable information about forest
cover, success of conservation efforts etc. They also provide information of atmospheric phenomena
like approach of monsoon, ozone layer depletion, inversion phenomena, smog etc. We are able to