Chapter 4 Environment
Chapter 4 Environment
Chapter 4 Environment
Contents
• Definition
• Importance: Ecology and Eco-system
• Conservation of Environment
• Optimum Utilization of renewable resources
• Renewable and non-renewable sources
• Conflict of Resources
• Global Environmental Issues
• Environmental Issues of Nepal
Defination
Environment can be defined as a sum total of all the
living and non-living elements and their effects
that influence human life.
While all living or biotic elements are animals, plants,
forests, fisheries, and birds, non-living or abiotic
elements include water, land, sunlight, rocks, and air
Ecology
The word ecology is derived from Greek words “Oikos”
meaning house, habitat or place of living or
surrounding and ‘logos’ means study.
Science of interrelationship between living organisms
and their relationship with the environment
Ecology is also defined as the study of
interrelationship of different organisms with each
other and with their environment. It is concerned with
the general principal that applies to both animal and
plants.
Eco-System
It is a community of living organism in conjunction with
nonliving components of their environment interacting as a
system.
An ecosystem is formed by the interactions between all living
and non-living things .
Ecosystem = an ecological system;
= a community and its physical environment treated together as
a functional system
Ecosystems: basic features
Structure:
Living (biotic) Components: Producer (green plants),
Consumers (animals), decomposers (Microorganisms)
Nonliving (abiotic) Components: air, water, soil
Process:
Energy flow: Sun main source of energy
Cycling of matter (chemicals)
Components …
Importance of Ecosystems
Clean and store fresh water
Maintain air quality
Regulate climate
Prevent erosion
Maintain soil Productivity
Store & recycle nutrients
Maintain biological and genetic diversity
Provide medicine & pharmaceuticals
Conservation of Environment
Environmental conservation is the act of conserving or saving our natural
resources through careful management. This means we can use the
resources but wisely and responsibly. For eg, reducing waste, saving trees,
recycling, using renewable resources that don’t deplete our natural
resources.
Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the natural environment
on individual, organizational or governmental levels, for the benefit of the
natural environment and humans.
Approaches to Environment Conservation
Intra Country Efforts
Countermeasures
Environmental taxes on GHG emission
Development of renewable resource
Public awareness
Ozone depletion
Ozone layer blocks/observes most of the harmful
ultraviolet (UV) rays coming from the sun, thus
protecting human, plants and animals
Cause of O3 depletion: presence of
chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) in atmosphere
Source of CFC: using refrigerant, air conditioning, fire
extinguisher, cleaning solvent.
Countermeasures: Reduction in CFC use and
adaptation of environmentally safe alternatives to
CFCs for refrigeration
Environmental Issues : Nepal
Global Warming : Although comparatively Nepal is not a great contributor
of green house gases. The effects have been evident with the rapidly
melting glaciers and snow-less mountain peaks .
Environmental Issues : Nepal
Waste Management :
The volume of municipal and industrial solid waste is minimal in Nepal
compared to other municipalities around the world.
Mismanagement has made solid waste management a very serious
environmental problem.
Drinking Water Supply :
Although we boast about Nepal being a very rich country in Water
Resources, We have a very poor statistics of having access to safe
drinkable water.
Others rely on natural sources and risk acquiring deadly water borne
diseases.
Another problem is the community water supply systems being
unsustainable because of lack of regular maintenance .
Environmental Issues : Nepal
Food Scarcity :
Time and again we hear about people in western Nepal suffering from
food scarcity.
The land there and in most parts of Nepal is very infertile and
production is minimal with respect to input to cultivation
Natural Resources Exploitation:
Forests are being cut down to give way to highways, and other infra
projects.
Lot’s of other resources are being consumed at an alarming rate .
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