Environmental degradation is the degradation of the environment through depletion of resources, which includes all the biotic and abiotic elements around us, such as air, water, soil, animals and all other living and nonliving elements of planet Earth. The main factors of environmental degradation are human (modern urbanization, industrialization, excess population growth, deforestation, etc.) and natural (floods, storms, drought, rising temperatures, fires, etc.) causes. Today, various types of human activities are the main causes of environmental degradation. Automobiles and industries increase the amount of poisonous gases like SOx, NOx, CO and smoke in the atmosphere. Therefore, the government should bridge the gap in the legal system to avoid illegal activities. This chapter discusses the impact of environmental degradation and its future implications, the plans for city planners, industry and resource managers that should be considered to mitigate the long-term effects of developmental environmental degradation.
Land Degradation
Garbage is common in urban and rural areas of India. It is a major source of pollution. Indian cities alone generate more than 100 million tonnes of solid waste per year. There are heaps of garbage on the corners of the roads. Public places and footpaths remain filled with filth and garbage, rivers and canals serve as garbage dumps. Soil is a critical element in the climate change equation and perhaps the least understood. Although models of soil organic matter decomposition predict increasing rates with increasing temperature, field measurements appear to contradict the model results (Sacks et al., 2002). In addition to increasing CO2 emissions, industrialization has also increased the amount of nitrogen deposition. Nitrogen deposition from human activities can help forests that are nitrogen-limited, but excessive nitrogen deposition can lead to soil acidification and reduce nutrient availability to plants (Eber et al., 2001; Magnani et al., 2007).
Degradation of water resources
Microbial contamination of groundwater due to sewage discharge and high concentrations of nutrients in marine and coastal waters due to agricultural runoff are among the most serious threats (Kumar et al., 2019a). Exposure to unsafe drinking water or bathing water can cause serious risks (both acute and delayed) to human health. While tap water is subject to treatment and required to meet extensive testing and purity standards, it is not always disinfected from diarrhea-causing microorganisms, as evidenced by a 1993 outbreak of waterborne illness caused by Cryptosporidium in Milwaukee. Apparently, it affected more than 400,000 people. Furthermore, fecal coliform in bottled water is not restricted (Nation Staff, 1996), and water bottled and sold in the same state is not subject to Food and Drug Administration standards (Hammitt et al., 2006).
Today 40% of water areas are unsuitable for fishing or swimming, and fish in 40 states have high levels of mercury. The Clean Water Act 1972 requires states to publish a list of all water bodies that fail to meet water quality standards and set pollution limits and reduce pollution in watersheds until the standards are met, compliance is negligible. and enforcement is weak. Untreated sewage discharge is the most important cause of surface and groundwater pollution in India (Kumar et al., 2019b). There is a huge gap between the production and treatment of domestic waste water in India. The problem is not only that India lacks adequate treatment capacity, but also that the sewage treatment plants that exist are not operated and maintained.
In a National Resources Defense Council study (Nation Staff, 1996) of bottled water quality, approximately one-fifth of the samples exceeded bacterial purity guidelines and/or safe levels of arsenic or other synthetic organic chemicals ( AJS, 1999). 25% to 40% of bottled water was solely municipal tap water. Cost of disease approach and Shuval calculated disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) to measure the health burden from diseases associated with exposure to polluted recreational coastal waters. India faces major problems with water pollution, mainly due to untreated sewerage. Rivers such as the Ganga, Yamuna and Mithi rivers, which all flow through highly populated areas, are thus polluted.
Waste material is another by-product of industries that poses a threat to the environment, leather and tannery industries, petroleum industries and chemical manufacturing industries form major waste products that are released directly into nearby streams without treatment, causing River pollution occurs and aquatic life is harmed. Most government-owned sewage treatment plants remain closed most of the time due to improper design or poor maintenance or lack of reliable power supply to run the plant, absentee employees and poor management. Research conducted by the World Health Organization has shown that out of 3121 towns and cities in India, only 209 have partially treated sewerage while only 8 have fully treated waste water. This reveals huge differences in waste water management across the country which has a devastating impact on the environment and people’s health. More than 100 Indian cities discharge untreated sewage directly into the Ganga River. India generates 29000 million liters of sewage per day and the treatment capacity is only 6000 million liters per day, which requires investment to bridge the gap.
Drought, Desertification And Water Scarcity
Drought and water scarcity are the third main impacts of climate change that may significantly contribute to climate-related migration. Drought, desertification and water scarcity are likely to increase due to global warming. These events are estimated to affect approximately one third of the world’s current population. Drought is likely to displace millions of people around the world, leading to food insecurity and human livelihoods. Sea level rise will expand the salinity zones of groundwater and rivers, resulting in reduced availability of freshwater for humans and ecosystems in coastal areas. Additionally, changing rainfall patterns place pressure on the availability of clean water supplies.
Degradation of fisheries
In many parts of the world, fish is one of the important components of the human diet. For this reason, the number of fish caught from natural water bodies has increased tremendously. This fact may tell us about the need to study fish stocks in natural water bodies, especially commercial fisheries, so that they can be managed in an optimal manner. Losses in fisheries include loss of natural and fishing material due to fish spoilage, breakage, size, discarding of bycatch, and operational losses. Although the extent of the problem varies from place to place, across the country the vast majority of fish caught is lost before reaching consumers. Need assessment is the first step towards overcoming the disadvantages and defining the solution to the problem at hand.
The main causes of losses were fishing practices, inadequate handling facilities, and delays between catch, collection and distribution, absence of regulations governing the quality and standards of fish sold for human consumption, and regular supervision by the government. Lack of and poor extension service and fragmentation of duties and responsibilities in different institutions. Nevertheless, protection of marine and coastal areas and habitat restoration should not be seen as solutions that replace traditional management approaches, but need to be components of an integrated program of coastal zone and fisheries management.
Loss Of Biodiversity
India is a treasure trove of biodiversity, with a large variety of plants and has been identified as one of the eight important “Vavilorian” centers of origin and crop diversity. India accounts for 8% of the total global biodiversity, with an estimated 49,000 species of plants, of which 4900 are endemic (Groom et al., 2010). The Himalayas, the Khasi and Mizo hills of north-eastern India, the Vindhya and Satpura ranges of northern peninsular India and the Western Ghats ecosystem contain about 90 per cent of the country’s higher plant species and hence have special importance for traditional medicine.
Biodiversity is declining at two scales – β diversity (differences in biodiversity between regions, with species identity becoming similar in more and more places) and γ diversity (global biodiversity is declining), but at particular locations. , α diversity may increase due to the addition of invaders (Sacks et al., 2002; Sacks and Gaines, 2003). Sachs and Goins (2003) explain that this phenomenon is not limited to islands – rather, local biodiversity is increasing in many continental locations as well. Some authors have reported declines in several components of biodiversity (Pimm et al., 1995; Vitousek et al., 1997; Sala et al., 2000). Relevant is the fact that the level of extinction over the past 300 years is at least several hundred times higher than expected based on the geological record (Diamond, 1989; DiRozzo and Raven, 2003). Destruction of wildlife is a separate factor, that is deforestation and human interference, with hunting believed to have been one of the most.
Education and environmental preferences
Education is an essential tool for environmental protection. Education increases a person’s ability to receive, decode, and understand information, and information processing and interpretation has an impact on learning and changes in behavior. In recent years, education has been considered a means of sustainable development and thus the fight against pollution. At present time in whole world Education is “a permanent learning process that contributes to the training of citizens aimed at the acquisition of knowledge, various types of soft skills and information, and good manners. The positive impact of education on the quality of the environment can be seen in three ways. Most First, educated people are more aware of environmental problems and hence have behavior and lifestyle favoring environmental improvement and demand for eco-friendly products and reduce population growth.
Conclusions and Recommendations
At present time in whole world Environmental degradation is one of the most urgent environmental issues. Depending on the damage, some environments may never recover in whole world. The plants and animals living in these places will be lost forever. The primary causes of environmental degradation in India are attributed to rapid growth of population coupled with economic development and overuse of natural resources. To minimize any future impacts, city planners, industry and resource managers must consider the long-term effects of development on the environment. Major environmental disasters in India include land degradation, deforestation, soil erosion, habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity. Economic growth and changing consumption patterns have led to increased demand for energy and increased transportation activities. Air, water and noise pollution as well as water scarcity dominate environmental issues in India. According to World Bank estimates, between 1995 and 2010, India made the fastest progress in the world in addressing its environmental issues and improving its environmental quality. Nevertheless, India still has a long way to go to reach the same level of environmental quality enjoyed in developed economies.
There are many ways that can help reduce the degradation of our environment. The most effective way to control pollution and depletion is to complete the legal framework. Some loopholes exist in contemporary law, which inherently encourage misconduct. Therefore, the government should fill the gap in the legal system to avoid illegal activities. There is an urgent need to amend the provisions related to exploitation of natural resources as over-exploitation is the main cause of loss of biodiversity. The government has long shaped its perception of economic as well as social ways to solve the pollution problem, but implementation has been limited. Eliminating environmental pollution and healing our ecology requires more than one effort to succeed. Officials at all levels should be involved not only in policy-making but also in implementation and monitoring of progress, so that national long-term environmental goals are achieved, resulting in sustainable development.
• Government can use economic rewards and punishment system to encourage afforestation.
• Buy recycled products.
• Conserve water.
• Do not litter or throw waste at inappropriate places.
• Conserve energy.
• Join awareness groups.
• Talk to others about the effects of environmental degradation.
• Become an advocate for saving our planet.
• Improve the quality of drinking water.
• Prevent accidental use of other unapproved sources.
• Increase the quality of water used.
• Improve access and domestic supply.
• Improve sanitation.
• Strict laws should be passed to control water pollution by individuals and various bodies.
• Safety measures should be implemented to prevent oil spills.
• Chemical waste should be converted into harmless biodegradable substances before being discharged into rivers and streams.
• Waste should be burned in incinerators with inbuilt equipment to prevent water pollution.
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