ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS AND SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
The World’s Leading Environmental Problems
The climate crisis is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, and we are
not ready for it. While the crisis has many factors that play a role in its
exacerbation, there are some that warrant more attention than others.
Here are some of the biggest environmental problems of our lifetime.
These five megatrends present major global threats for planet Earth —
problems that must be solved if the world is to remain a supportive
habitat for humans and other species. DW looks at causes and possible
solutions.
1. Air pollution and climate change.
Air pollutants have a complex relationship with climate change.
Some pollutants, such as black carbon and ozone, increase warming by
trapping heat in the atmosphere, while others, such as sulfur dioxide
forming light reflecting particles, have a cooling effect on the climate.
The World Health Organization recently estimated that one in nine
deaths in 2012 were attributable to diseases caused by carcinogens and
other poisons in polluted air.
Problem: Overloading of the atmosphere and of ocean waters with
carbon. Atmospheric CO2 absorbs and re-emits infrared-wavelength
radiation, leading to warmer air, soils, and ocean surface waters - which
is good: The planet would be frozen solid without this.
Solutions: Replace fossil fuels with renewable energy. Reforestation.
Reduce emissions from agriculture. Change industrial processes.
2. Deforestation
Deforestation is the permanent removal of trees to make room for
something besides forest. This can include clearing the land for
agriculture or grazing, or using the timber for fuel, construction or
manufacturing. Forests cover more than 30% of the Earth's land
surface, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
Forests are a resource, but they are also large, undeveloped swaths of
land that can be converted for purposes such as agriculture and grazing.
In North America, about half the forests in the eastern part of the
continent were cut down for timber and farming between the 1600s and
late 1800s, according to National Geographic.
Problem: Species-rich wild forests are being destroyed, especially in the
tropics, often to make way for cattle ranching, soybean or palm oil
plantations, or other agricultural monocultures.
Solutions: Conserve of what's left of natural forests, and restore
degraded areas by replanting with native tree species. This requires
strong governance - but many tropical countries are still developing,
with increasing populations, uneven rule-of-law, and widespread
cronyism and bribery when it comes to allocating land use.
3. Species Extinction
Extinctions happen when a species dies out from cataclysmic events,
evolutionary problems, or human interference.
Extinction happens when environmental factors or evolutionary
problems cause a species to die out. The disappearance of species from
Earth is ongoing, and rates have varied over time. A quarter of mammals
is at risk of extinction, according to IUCN Red List estimates.
To some extent, extinction is natural. Changes to habitats and poor
reproductive trends are among the factors that can make a species’
death rate higher than its birth rate for long enough that eventually,
none are left.
Humans also cause other species to become extinct by hunting,
overharvesting, introducing invasive species to the wild, polluting, and
changing wetlands and forests to croplands and urban areas. Even the
rapid growth of the human population is causing extinction by ruining
natural habitats.
Problem: On land, wild animals are being hunted to extinction for
bushmeat, ivory, or "medicinal" products. At sea, huge industrial fishing
boats equipped with bottom-trawling or purse-seine nets clean out
entire fish populations. The loss and destruction of habitat are also
major factors contributing to a wave of extinction - unprecedented in
that it is caused by a single species: humans.
Solutions: Concerted efforts need to be made to prevent further loss of
biodiversity. Protecting and restoring habitats is one side of this
- protecting against poaching and wildlife trade is another. This should
be done in partnership with locals, so that wildlife conservation is in
their social and economic interest.
4.Soil degradation.
Problem: Overgrazing, monoculture planting, erosion, soil compaction,
overexposure to pollutants, land-use conversion - there's a long list of
ways that soils are being damaged. About 12 million hectares of
farmland a year get seriously degraded, according to UN estimates.
Solutions: A wide range of soil conservation and restoration techniques
exist, from no-till agriculture to crop rotation to water-retention
through terrace-building. Given that food security depends on keeping
soils in good condition, we're likely master this challenge in the long
run. Whether this will be done in a way equitable to all people around
the globe, remains an open question.
5.Overpopulation.
Problem: Human population continues to grow rapidly worldwide.
Humanity entered the 20th century with 1.6 billion people; right now,
we're about 7.5 billion. Estimates put us at nearly 10 billion by 2050.
Growing global populations, combined with growing affluence, is
putting ever greater pressure on essential natural resources, like water.
Most of the growth is happening on the African continent, and in
southern and eastern Asia.
Solutions: Experience has shown that when women are empowered to
control their own reproduction, and gain access to education and basic
social services, the average number of births per woman drops
precipitously.
Done right, networked aid systems could bring women out of extreme
poverty, even in countries where state-level governance remains
abysmal.
Man-Made Pollution
Man-made pollutants can threaten human health and compromise the
natural ecosystem and environment. Man-made pollution is generally a
byproduct of human actions such as consumption, waste disposal,
industrial production, transportation and energy generation.
Pollutants can enter the surrounding environment in various ways,
either through the atmosphere, water systems or soil, and can persist
for generations if left untreated.
Types of Man-Made Pollutants
Air Pollution
Air pollution occurs when harmful chemicals or particulate matter are
introduced into the atmosphere. Depending on the type and severity,
air pollution can damage human and animal health as well as the
natural environment. Major contributors to air pollution are
transportation, industry and agriculture, which respectively release
large amounts of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and methane (to name
a few) into the atmosphere. Furthermore, as air pollution changes the
chemical composition of the atmosphere it can lead to systemic
changes in climate systems.
Water Pollution
Water pollution occurs as bodies of water (oceans, lakes, rivers,
streams, aquifers and atmospheric water) become contaminated by
man-made waste substances. Water contamination can have adverse
effects on human health (for instance, when drinking water sources
are contaminated) and surrounding ecosystems. Pollution of local
water systems can occur through individual activities (for example,
disposing of consumer detergents down sewer drains), industry or
agricultural (such as the runoff of chemical fertilizers).
Soil Pollution
Soil pollution occurs as harmful man-made substances leach into the
soil. This can be caused by pesticide run-off, leakage of underground
storage tanks, dumping, percolation of contaminated surface water to
lower soil strata or the presence of landfills. Soil contamination by
man-made pollutants can have devastating consequences to
ecosystems as contaminants travel up the food chain from plants to
higher-order carnivores. Contamination of soil used for agriculture or
in proximity to a public drinking water source can have similarly dire
consequences for human health.
Radioactive Pollution
Radioactive pollution can result from the improper disposal of nuclear
waste, the accidental discharge of core material from a nuclear power
plant or the detonation of a nuclear explosive device. Depending on the
type of nuclear material present, radioactive contamination can last for
decades, as each nuclear isotope has its own half-life. Ionizing
radiation is destructive to living tissue and can cause chronic illnesses
(particularly forms of cancer), mutation and, in large doses, death
immediately following exposure.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change is impacting human lives and health in a variety of ways.
It threatens the essential ingredients of good health - clean air, safe
drinking water, nutritious food supply, and safe shelter - and has the
potential to undermine decades of progress in global health.
Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause
approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition,
malaria, diarrhea and heat stress alone. The direct damage costs to
health is estimated to be between USD 2-4 billion per year by 2030.
Areas with weak health infrastructure – mostly in developing countries
– will be the least able to cope without assistance to prepare and
respond. WHO supports countries in building climate-resilient health
systems and tracking national progress in protecting health from
climate change.
Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases through better transport, food
and energy-use choices results in improved health, particularly through
reduced air pollution. The Paris Agreement on climate change is
therefore potentially the strongest health agreement of this century.
WHO supports countries in assessing the health gains that would result
from the implementation of the existing Nationally Determined
Contributions to the Paris Agreement, and the potential for larger gains
from more ambitious climate action.
SDG’S
The Sustainable Development Goals(SDG’s), also known as the Global
Goals were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a
universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure
that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.
The 17 SDG’s are integrated that is they recognize that action in one
area will affect outcomes in others and that development must balance
social, economic and environmental and sustainability.
Through the pledge to Left No One Behind,countries have committed to
fast track progress for those furthest behind first. That is why SDG’s are
design to bring the world to several life changing zeros, including zero
poverty, hunger, AIDS and discrimination against women and girls.
Everyone is needed to reach these ambitious targets. The creativity,
know how technology and financial resources from all of society is
necessary to achieve the SDG’s in every context.
