Environmental Studies

& Disaster Management

(EVS-121)

Course Instructor

Dr Imtiyaz Jahangir Khan

(Assistant Professor)

Division of Environmental Sciences

Faculty of Horticulture, SKUAST-K

Lecture-1

Syllabus:

1 Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies:

Definition – Scope and importance – Need for public awareness
2 Natural Resources:
Renewable and non-renewable resources. Natural resources and
associated problems.

1 MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

1 INTRODUCTION

➢ The word environment is derived from the French word ‘environner’

which means to ‘encircle or surround’.
➢ Thus our environment can be defined as “the Social, Cultural and
Physical conditions that surround, affect and influence the
survival, growth and development of people, animals and plants”

1
 ➢ This broad definition includes the natural world and the technological
environment as well as the cultural and social contexts that shape
human lives.
➢ It includes all factors (living and nonliving) that affect an individual
organism or population at any point in the life cycle; set of
circumstances surrounding a particular occurrence and all the things
that surrounds us.

2 SEGMENTS OF ENVIRONMENT

Environment consists of four segments.

1. Atmosphere- Blanket of gases surrounding the earth.

2. Hydrosphere- Various water bodies present on the earth.
3. Lithosphere- Contains various types of soils and rocks on the earth.
4. Biosphere- Composed of all living organisms and their interactions
with the environment.

3 MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

➢ The Environment studies is a multi-disciplinary science because it

comprises various branches of studies like chemistry, physics,
medical science, life science, agriculture, public health, sanitary
engineering etc.
➢ It is the science of physical phenomena in the environment. It studies
about the sources, reactions, transport, effect and fate of physical and
biological species in the air, water, soil and the effect of from human
activity upon these.
➢ As the environment is complex and actually made up of many
different environments like natural, constructed and cultural
environments, environmental studies is inter disciplinary in nature
including the study of biology, geology, politics, policy studies, law,
religion engineering, chemistry and economics to understand the
humanity’s effects on the natural world.
➢ This subject educates the students to appreciate the complexity of
environmental issues and citizens and experts in many fields.
➢ By studying environmental science, students may develop a breadth of
the interdisciplinary and methodological knowledge in the
environmental fields that enables them to facilitate the definition and
solution of environmental problems.

2
4 SCOPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Environmental studies as a subject has a wide scope. It includes a

large number of areas and aspects, which may be summarized as follows:

1. Natural resources- their conservation and management

2. Ecology and Biodiversity
3. Environmental pollution and control
4. Human population and environment
5. Social issues in relation to development and environment

These are the basic aspects of environmental studies which have a

direct relevance to every section of society. Several career options have
emerged in these fields that are broadly categorized as:

(i) Research and development in environment:

Skilled environmental scientists have an important role to play in

examining various environmental problems in a scientific manner and
carry out R&D activities for developing cleaner technologies and
promoting sustainable development.

(ii) Green advocacy:

With increasing emphasis on implementing various Acts and Laws

related to environment, need for environmental lawyers has emerged,
who should be able to plead the cases related to water, air, forest,
wildlife, pollution and control etc.

(iii) Green marketing:

While ensuring the quality of products with ISO mark, now there is an
increasing emphasis on marketing goods that are environment
friendly. Such products have ecomark or ISO 14000 certification.
Environmental auditors and environmental managers would be in
great demand in the coming years.

(iv) Green media:

Environmental awareness can be spread amongst masses through

mass media like television, radio, newspaper, magazine, hoardings,
advertisements etc., for which environmentally educated persons are
required.

3
 (v) Environmental consultancy:

Many non-government organizations, industries and government

bodies are engaging environmental consultants for systematically
studying and tackling environment related problems.

5 IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

a. The importance of environmental studies is that, the current trend of

environmental degradation can be reversed if people of educated
communities are organized, empowered and experts are involved in
sustainable development.
b. Environmental factors greatly influence every organism and their
activities.

c. At present a great number of environmental issues, have grown in size

and complexity day by day, threatening the survival of mankind on
earth. These issues are studied besides giving effective suggestions in
the environment studies.

d. The environment studies enlighten us, about the importance of

protection and conservation of our natural resources, indiscriminate
release of pollution into the environment etc.

Environment studies have become significant for the following reasons:

1. Environment Issues being of International Importance:

It has been well recognized that environment issues like global

warming, ozone depletion, acid rain, marine pollution and loss of
biodiversity are not merely national issues but are global issues and
hence must be tackled with international efforts and cooperation.

2. Problems Cropped in The Wake of Development:

Development, in its wake gave birth to Urbanization, Industrial

Growth, Transportation Systems, Agriculture and Housing etc.
However, it has become phased out in the developed world. The North,
to cleanse their own environment has, fact fully, managed to move
‘dirty’ factories to South. When the West developed, it did so perhaps
in ignorance of the environmental impact of its activities. Evidently
such a path is neither practicable nor desirable, even if developing
world follows that.

4
 3. Explosively Increase in Pollution:

World census reflects that one in every seven persons in this plant
lives in India. Evidently with 16 per cent of the world's population and
only 2.4 per cent of its land area, there is a heavy pressure on the
natural resources including land. Agricultural experts have recognized
soils health problems like deficiency of micronutrients and organic
matter, soil salinity and damage of soil structure.

4. Need for An Alternative Solution:

It is essential, specially for developing countries to find alternative

paths to an alternative goal. We need a goal as under:

(1) A goal, which ultimately is the true goal of development an

environmentally sound and sustainable development.

(2) A goal common to all citizens of our earth.

(3) A goal distant from the developing world in the manner it is from
the over-consuming wasteful societies of the “developed” world.

5. Need To Save Humanity From Extinction:

It is incumbent upon us to save the humanity from extinction.

Consequences to our activities cause destructing the environment and
depleting the biosphere, in the name of development.

6. Need For Wise Planning of Development:

Our survival and sustenance depend. Resources withdraw, processing

and use of the product have all to be synchronized with the ecological
cycles in any plan of development. Our actions should be planned
ecologically for the sustenance of the environment and development.

6 NEED FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS

1. Growing Population:
A population of over thousands of millions is growing at 2.11 per
cent every year. Over 17 million people are added each year. It puts
considerable pressure on its natural resources and reduces the
gains of development. Hence, the greatest challenge before us is to
limit the population growth. Although population control does
automatically lead to development, yet the development leads to a
decrease in population growth rates.

5
2. Poverty:
India has often been described a rich land with poor people. The
poverty and environmental degradation are mixed with one
another. The vast majority of our people are directly dependent on
the nature resources of the country for their basic needs of food,
fuel shelter and fodder. About 40% of our people are still below the
poverty line.
3. Environment degradation:
It has adversely affected the poor who depend upon the resources
of their immediate surroundings. Thus, the challenge of poverty
and the challenge of environment degradation are two facets of the
same challenge.
4. Agricultural Growth:
The people must be made familiar with the methods to sustain and
increase agricultural growth without damaging the environment.
High yielding varieties have caused soil salinity and damage to
physical structure of soil.
5. Need to Increase Ground water:

It is essential of rationalizing the use of groundwater. Factors like

community wastes, industrial effluents, chemical fertilizers and
pesticides have polluted our surface water and affected quality of
the groundwater. It is essential to restore the water quality of our
rivers and other water bodies. Suitable strategies for conservation
of water, provision of safe drinking water and keeping water bodies
clean should be developed.

6. Development and Forests:

Forests serve catchments for the rivers. With increasing demand of
water, plan to harness the mighty river through large irrigation
projects were made. Certainly, these would submerge forests;
displace local people, damage flora and fauna. As such, the dams
on the river Narmada, Bhagirathi and elsewhere have become areas
of political and scientific debate. Forests in India have been
shrinking for several centuries owing to pressures of agriculture
and other uses. Vast areas that were once green, stand today as
waste lands. These areas are to be brought back under vegetative
cover. The tribal communities inhabiting forests, respects the trees,
birds and animals give them sustenance. We must recognize the
role of these people in restoring and conserving forests. The
modern knowledge and skills of the forest department should be
integrated with the traditional knowledge and experience of the
local communities. The strategies for the joint management of
forests should be evolved in a well planned way.

6
 7. Degradation of Land:
At present out of the total 329 mha of land, only 266 mha possess
any potential for production. Of this, 143 mha is agricultural land
nearly and 85 suffers from varying degrees of soil degradation. Of
the remaining 123 mha, 40 are completely unproductive. The
remaining 83 mha is classified as forest land, of which over half is
denuded to various degrees. Nearly 406 million head of livestock
have to be supported on 13 mha, or less than 4 per cent of the land
classified as pasture land, most of which is overgrazed. Thus, out
of 226 mha, about 175 mha or 66 per cent is degraded to varying
degrees. Water and wind erosion causes further degradation of
almost 150 mha This degradation is to be avoided.

8. Evil Consequences of Urbanization:

Nearly 27% of Indians live in urban areas. Urbanization and
industrialization has given birth to a great number of
environmental problems. Over 30 percent of urban Indians live in
slums. Out of India’s 3,245 towns and cities, only 21 have partial
or full sewerage and treatment facilities. Hence, coping with rapid
urbanization is a major challenge.

9. Air and water Pollution:

Majority of our industrial plants are using outdated and pollution

causing technologies and makeshift facilities devoid of any
provision of treating their wastes. A great number of cities and
industrial areas have been identified as the worst in terms of air
and water pollution. Acts are enforced in the country, but their
implement is not so easy. The reason is their implementation needs
great resources, technical expertise, political and social will. Again
the people are to be made aware of these rules. Their support is
indispensable to implement these rules.

2 NATURAL RESOURCES

2.1 INTRODUCTION

➢ Natural resources can be defined as ‘variety of goods and services

provided by nature which are necessary for our day-to-day lives’.
➢ Eg: Plants, animals and microbes (living or biotic part), Air, water,
soil, minerals, climate and solar energy (non- living or abiotic part).
➢ They are essential for the fulfillment of physiological, social,
economical and cultural needs at the individual and community
levels.

7
2.2 TYPES OF NATURAL RESOURCES

They are of two types of resources namely Renewable and Non-

Renewable Resources.

1. Renewable resources:
The resources that can be replenished through rapid natural cycles
are known as renewable resource. These resources are able to
increase their abundance through reproduction and utilization of
simple substances.

Ex: Plants, (crops and forests) and animals.

➢ Some examples of renewable resources though they do not have life

cycle but can be recycled.

Ex: Wood and wood-products, pulp products, natural rubber, fibers

(e.g. Cotton, jute, animal wool, silk and synthetic fibers) and leather.

➢ In addition to these resources, water and soil are also classified as

renewable resources.
➢ Solar energy although having a finite life, as a special case, is
considered as a renewable resource in as much as solar stocks is
inexhaustible on the human scale.
2. Non renewable resources:

The resources that cannot be replenished through natural processes

are known as non-renewable resources. These are available in limited
amounts, which cannot be increased. These resources include fossil
fuels (petrol, coal etc.), metals (iron, copper, gold, silver, lead, zinc
etc.), minerals and salts (carbonates, phosphates, nitrates etc.).Once a
non-renewable resource is consumed, it is gone forever.

Non-renewable resources can further be divided into two categories, viz.

A) Recyclable and

B) Non-recyclable

A) Recyclable:
These are non-renewable resources, which can be collected after
they are used and can be recycled. These are mainly the non-
energy mineral resources, which occur in the earth’s crust (Ex:
Ores of aluminum, copper, mercury etc.) and deposits of fertilizer
nutrients (e.g. Phosphate sock and potassium and minerals used
in their natural state (asbestos, clay, mica etc.)

8
 B) Non-recyclable: These are non-renewable resources, which cannot
be recycled in any way.
Ex: Fossil fuels and uranium, which provide 90 per cent of our
energy requirements

2.3 NATURAL RESOURCES AND ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS:

a. The main problem associated with natural resources is unequal

consumption.

b. A major part of natural resources are consumed in the ‘developed’

world. The ‘developing nations’ also over use many resources because
of their greater human population. However, the consumption of
resources per capita (per individual) of the developed countries is up
to 50 times greater than in most developing countries.

c. Advanced countries produce over 75% of global industrial waste and

greenhouse gases.

d. Energy from fossil fuels consumed in relatively much greater

quantities in developed countries. Their per capita consumption of
food too is much greater as well as their waste.