Sustainable development: Sustainable development can be defined as an approach to the

economic development of a country without compromising with the quality of the environment
for future generations. In the name of economic development, the price of environmental damage
is paid in the form of land degradation, soil erosion, air and water pollution, deforestation, etc.
This damage may surpass the advantages of having more quality output of goods and services.

Sustainable Development Goals

 To promote the kind of development that minimizes environmental problems.

 To meet the needs of the existing generation without compromising with the quality of the
environment for future generations.

Objectives of Sustainable Development

1. Economic Growth: For creating an economy that is sustainable and growing in the right
direction.
2. Protecting the Environment: This objective focuses on contribution by humans towards
protecting and enhancing the natural environment, by minimizing pollution and waste, also
working towards reducing the global carbon footprint.
3. Social Inclusion: This objective focuses on providing the facility of housing for future
generations and assisting in creating healthy, strong and vibrant global communities.

Achieving Sustainable Development

Sustainable development can be achieved if we follow the following points:

 It can be achieved by restricting human activities.

 Technological development should be input effective and not input utilizing.
 The rate of consumption should not surpass the rate of salvation.
 For renewable resources, the rate of consumption should not surpass the rate of production
of renewable substitutes.
 All types of pollution should be minimized.
 It can be achieved by sensible use of natural resources.

Importance of Sustainable Development

Following are the importance of sustainable development:
1. Using the available resources judiciously and working towards maintaining the ecological
balance.
2. To prevent degradation of the environment and laying emphasis on protecting the environment.
3. To prevent overexploitation of resources.
Sustainability: Sustainability consists of fulfilling the needs of current generations without
compromising the needs of future generations, while ensuring a balance between economic
growth, environmental care and social well-being.

Environmental sustainability: Environmental sustainability focuses on the conservation of

biodiversity without foregoing economic and social progress. The foundations of environmental
sustainability are: safeguarding water, saving energy, reducing waste, using recyclable packaging,
limiting or eliminating the use of plastics, using sustainable transport, reusing paper and protecting
flora and fauna.
Sustainable Development Goals: there are a total of 17 goals.

1. Ending poverty. This goal has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, since it has been
calculated that in 2020, some 119 - 124 million people fell into extreme poverty.
2. Ending hunger. The pandemic has also affected this goal, given that 70-161 million people
around the world went hungry as a result of the health crisis.
3. Ensuring good health and fostering the well-being of all age groups. After a decade of
advances in this field, the pandemic has resulted in a shortening of life expectancy. Additionally,
it is difficult to measure the real impact of the pandemic due to a lack of data.
4. Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education. Although the completion rates for primary
and secondary education have increased, in many countries, there is a lack of basic school
infrastructure in terms of drinking water and electricity.
5. Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and children. In this area, more needs
to be done, since women make up just 25.6% of national parliaments, 36.3% of local governments
and 28.2% of managerial positions.
6. Ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for
all. According to UN data, 129 countries are not on track to achieve sustainable water resources
by 2030.
7. Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, clean and modern energy for all. In the world there
are still some 759 million people without access to electricity.
8. Promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Although the economic
recovery is underway, the pandemic has meant a loss equivalent to 255 million full-time jobs.
9. Building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and
fostering innovation. Global manufacturing production fell in 2020 but, at the end of the same
year, the production of medium and high-tech goods boosted the economic recovery.
10. Reducing inequality within and among countries. To achieve this objective by 2030 further
development is required because the pandemic is expected to affect the progress achieved so far
in terms of reducing inequality.
11. Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. UN data
reveals than 156 countries have already developed national urban policies, but only half have been
implemented.
12. Ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. Just as we noted at the start of the
article, there is still widespread consumption of plastic. In 2020, however, a total of 700 policies
and implementation activities were reported under the framework of programmes on sustainable
consumption and production.
13. Taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Many countries and companies
are making a major effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but more actions need to be taken
to curb climate change.
14. Conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable
development. Without doubt, as shown by the data cited in the introduction, the sustainability of
our oceans is threatened above all by plastic pollution.
15. Protecting, restoring and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. Progress to
protect key areas of biodiversity has stalled over the past 5 years and there are ever more
endangered species.
16. Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development. The pandemic has
intensified children's risk of exploitation for child labour, and only 82 countries have independent
national human rights institutions that meet international standards.
17. Strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the global partnership for
sustainable development. Some 63% of low and lower-middle income countries need additional
funding to cope with the pandemic.
Sustainable agriculture: Sustainable agriculture can be defined in many ways, but ultimately it
seeks to sustain farmers, resources and communities by promoting farming practices and methods
that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities. Sustainable agriculture fits
into and complements modern agriculture. It rewards the true values of producers and their
products. It draws and learns from organic farming. It works on farms and ranches large and small,
harnessing new technologies and renewing the best practices of the past. The three pillars of
sustainable agriculture are social, ecologically sound and economically viable.

In short Sustainable Agriculture is:

 Economically Viable: If it is not profitable, it is not sustainable.
 Socially Supportive: The quality of life of farmers, farm families and farm communities is
important.
 Ecologically Sound. We must preserve the resource base that sustains us all.
Sustainable forest management: Sustainable forest management, also known as sustainable
forestry, is the practice of regulating forest resources to meet the needs of society and industry
while preserving the forest's health. Therefore, sustainable forest management is always looking
to strike a balance between the demand for the forest's natural resources and the vitality of the
forest.
However, all national sustainable forest management requirements must include the following:

 Maintenance, conservation and enhancement of ecosystem biodiversity.

 Protection of ecologically important forest areas.
 Prohibition of forest conversions.
 Recognition of free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples.
 Promotion of gender equality and commitment to equal treatment of workers.
 Promotion of the health and well-being of forest communities.
 Respect for human rights in forest operations.
 Respect for the multiple functions of forests to society.
 Provisions for consultation with local people, communities and other stakeholders.
 Respect for property and land tenure rights as well as customary and traditional rights.
 Compliance with all fundamental ILO conventions for worker rights.
 Working from minimum wage towards living wage levels.
 Prohibition of genetically modified trees and most hazardous chemicals.
 Exclusion of certification of plantations established by conversions, including conversions
of ecologically important non-forest lands (e.g. peatlands).
 Climate positive practices such as reduction of GHG emissions in forest operations.

Sustainable water management (SWM): Sustainable water management means using water in a
way that meets current, ecological, social, and economic needs without compromising the ability
to meet those needs in the future. It requires water managers to look beyond jurisdictional
boundaries and their immediate supply operations, managing water collaboratively while seeking
resilient regional solutions that minimize risks.

Water is at the core of sustainable development and is critical for socio-economic development,
healthy ecosystems and for human survival itself. It is vital for reducing the global burden of
disease and improving the health, welfare and productivity of populations. It is central to the
production and preservation of a host of benefits and services for people. Water is also at the heart
of adaptation to climate change, serving as the crucial link between the climate system, human
society and the environment.

Water is a finite and irreplaceable resource that is fundamental to human well-being. It is only
renewable if well managed. Today, more than 1.7 billion people live in river basins where
depletion through use exceeds natural recharge, a trend that will see two-thirds of the world’s
population living in water-stressed countries by 2025. Water can pose a serious challenge to
sustainable development but managed efficiently and equitably, water can play a key enabling role
in strengthening the resilience of social, economic and environmental systems in the light of rapid
and unpredictable changes.

Disaster: A disaster is defined as a disruption on a massive scale, either natural or man-made,

occurring in short or long periods. Disasters can lead to human, material, economic or
environmental hardships, which can be beyond the bearable capacity of the affected society. As
per statistics, India as a whole is vulnerable to 30 different types of disasters that will affect the
economic, social, and human development potential to such an extent that it will have long-term
effects on productivity and macro-economic performance.

Disasters can be classified into the following categories:

 Water and Climate Disaster: Flood, hail storms, cloudburst, cyclones, heat waves, cold
waves, droughts, hurricanes.
 Geological Disaster: Landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes
 Biological Disaster: Viral epidemics, pest attacks, cattle epidemic, and locust plagues
 Industrial Disaster: Chemical and industrial accidents, mine shaft fires, oil spills,
 Nuclear Disasters: Nuclear core meltdowns, radiation poisoning
 Man-made disasters: Urban and forest fires, oil spill, the collapse of huge building
structures
Disaster Management: The Disaster Management Act of 2005 defines Disaster Management as
an integrated process of planning, organizing, coordinating and implementing measures which are
necessary for-

1. Prevention of threat of any disaster

2. Reduction of risk of any disaster or its consequences
3. Readiness to deal with any disaster
4. Promptness in dealing with a disaster
5. Assessing the severity of the effects of any disaster
6. Rescue and relief
7. Rehabilitation and Reconstruction

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation

Proper planning and mitigation measures can play a leading role in risk-prone areas to minimize
the worst effects of hazards such as earthquakes, floods, and cyclones. These are the key areas
which should be addressed to achieve this objective:

 Risk Assessment and Vulnerability Mapping: Mapping and vulnerability analysis in a

multi-risk structure will be conducted utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS)
based databases like the National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM) and
National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).
 Increasing Trend of Disasters in Urban Areas: Steps to prevent unplanned urbanization
must be undertaken, with the plan of action formulated being given the highest priority.
State Governments/UTs concerned on the other hand focus on urban drainage systems with
special attention on non-obstruction of natural drainage systems.
 Critical Infrastructure: Critical infrastructure like roads, dams, bridges, irrigation canals,
bridges, power stations, railway lines, delta water distribution networks, ports and river,
and coastal embankments should be continuously checked for safety standards concerning
worldwide safety benchmarks and fortified if the current measures prove to be inadequate.
 Environmentally Sustainable Development: Environmental considerations and
developmental efforts, should be handled simultaneously for ensuring sustainability.
 Climate Change Adaptation: The challenges of the increase in the frequency and
intensity of natural disasters like cyclones, floods, and droughts should be tackled in a
sustained and effective manner with the promotion of strategies for climate change
adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
FLOOD:- happens when water quantity of any region exceed the normal requirement level
damaging the physical, infrastructural, economic and social set up of the affected area. Heavy
rainfall mainly causes flood in an area when the natural watercourse fails to channelize the excess
water. When the banks of the river fail to contain the heavy flow of water due to heavy rainfall,
inundation occurs; even high storms during tsunamis or cyclones can cause inundation near coastal
areas. Places without proper drainage system also get flooded during heavy rainfall.
Causes of Flood: Flood can cause due to any of the following or combination of the following
reasons:
 Excessive precipitation: Heavy precipitation or rainfall in an area than normal along with
poor drainage system can cause flood like situation. Flood can occur in both cases of heavy
rainfall for shorter duration and continuous light rainfall for many days.
 River runoff: Excessive supply of water in the upstream due to heavy rainfall or otherwise
can cause the downstream river water to run into the land or flood plain areas causing
inundation.
 Strong coastal wind or cyclone or tsunami: Strong coastal winds have the capacity to
carry water from the sea to the land causing inundation in the coastal areas. Besides,
Cyclones and strong winds can also bring heavy rainfall, causing flood on inland areas as
well.
 Breakage of dams or embankments: Embankments or levees are built alongside the river
to prevent overflowing of water or avoid flood like situation on the adjoining land.
However, breakage or leakage on the embankment can lead to overflowing of river water
on the flood plain also heavy water flow can break embankment and cause flood. Similarly,
dams, which are built to capture water flowing down from upland can cause floods if
broken due to excessive pressure of the stored water, even at times extra water from dams
are knowingly released to avoid possible breakage or leakages, which can also cause flood
like situation in the lower lands.
 Breakdown of ice dam: Ice dams occurs when glaciers or ice blocks restrict flow of river
water during freezing weather. This stored water behind ice sheets/ blocks or proglacial
lakes when released due to ice melting is more powerful than normal river water flow and
can cause inundation at the lower catchment areas. E.g. The Flood in Russel Fjord in Alaska
USA in 1986 caused due to breakage of Ice dam.
 Volcanic eruptions: Volcanic eruptions has caused floods in country like Iceland where
volcanic vent covered by thick layer of ice/ glacier got melted due to emission of hot lava.
The melting glaciers turns into fast flowing water down the steep volcanoes causing
inundation in the nearby areas.
Impacts of Flood: economic impact and environmental impact.

Flood Control and Management:

 There ought to be a master plan for flood control and management for every flood prone
basin.
 Ample flood-cushion should be made available in water storage ventures, wherever viable,
to enable improved flood management. Flood control needs to be given superseding
consideration in the reservoir regulation policy even if it means sacrificing some irrigation
or power benefits, in highly flood prone areas.
 More importance should be given to non-structural actions such as flood plain zoning and
flood proofing for minimizing losses and to bring down the recurrent expenditure on flood
relief, flood forecasting and warning etc.
 In order to minimize the loss of life and property in the event of floods, there has to be
stringent regulation of settlements as well as economic activity in the flood plain zones.
Flood proofing should also be done to lessen the loss of life and damage to property.
 The flood forecasting activities should be modernized, value added and extended to other
areas not yet covered. Inflow forecasting to reservoirs must be established for their
efficacious regulation.

Methods of Flood Management

Given below are the methods of Flood management in India:

 Construction of Dams and Reservoirs.

 Redirecting the excess water to canals and floodways.
 Excess water can be used for groundwater replenishment.
 The self-closing flood barrier (SCFB) is a flood defense system designed to protect people
and property from inland waterway floods caused by heavy rainfall, gales or rapid melting
snow.
 Having a planned disaster preparedness plan and an integrated solution and approach.

Earthquake: An earthquake is the shaking of the surface of the earth due to the sudden release of
energy in the earth’s crust. As a result, seismic waves (also known as S waves) are created. The
seismic activities in an area determine the type and intensity of the earthquake.

Earthquakes are caused due to sudden tectonic movements in the earth’s crust. When the tectonic
plates slide over one another, there is a cause of orogeny which results in earthquakes and
volcanoes. These disturbances cause vibrations that spread in all directions. As there is a relative
motion of these plates, there is stress built up, which breaks by releasing the stored energy known
as shock waves.
There are a total of 5 earthquake zones in India, and they are:

 Zone 5: Highly prone to earthquakes. Punjab, Kashmir, and North-East India.

 Zone 4: Parts of Delhi, Jammu, Bihar, and Indo-Gangetic basin.
 Zone 3: Moderate damage risk. Western Himalayan plains, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
 Zone 2 and 1: Low damage risk
What to do During an Earthquake?
Before the disaster:

 Connections of gas lines and appliances must be made flexible.

 An earthquake readiness plan must be kept ready, including locating a shelter house,
canned food and up to date first aid kit, gallons of water, dust masks, goggles, firefighting
equipment, a torch, and a working battery-operated radio.
 Architects and structural engineers must be consulted before laying the foundation of
buildings in earthquake-prone areas. Also the building must be manufactured as per the
rules and regulations laid by the disaster management committee.
 Awareness must be spread among friends and family members about the above-mentioned
measures.
Dos and Don’ts:
 One must stay indoors until the shaking stops and it’s officially announced that it is safe to
exit.
 One must stay away from bookcases, furniture, and heavy appliances that may fall.
 The shelter must be under a table or bed, and hold on to a post or any other fixture.
 If one is outdoors, the shelter must be taken in a clear stop away from buildings, trees, and
power lines.
After the disaster:
The following are the measures that must be undertaken after the calamity is over.

 First aid kits must be used to tend to persons with minor injuries such as bleeding and
bruises. Whereas seriously injured individuals must not be moved until they are out of
danger and proper medical help has arrived.
 If the person is not breathing, rescue breathing must be administered. If the person has no
pulse, CPR must be given.
 Tumbling shelves and falling items must be taken care of and damaged walls made of
bricks must be avoided.
 Main gas valves must be checked for leaks. The main power switch must be turned off if
there is a possibility of damage. Broken appliances must be unplugged until the damage is
repaired.
 One must stay away from downed power lines and any object or appliance in contact with
it.

What are the Effects of an Earthquake?

Following are the effects of the earthquake:

 Ground shaking: Surface waves that are near the epicenter are responsible for the
earthquake. The intensity of ground shaking depends on the duration, local geology, and
distance.
 Damage to a man-made structure.
 An outbreak of fire and spilling of hazardous chemicals.
Landslide: The movement of the rocks or debris etc., on a slope downwards, is called a landslide.
It is a type of "mass wasting ", which refers to the movement of any mass, soil, or rocks under the
influence of gravity. It is one of the natural hazards and can be a disaster if the damages occur in
large amounts.
According to the Oxford dictionary, "landslides is a mass of earth, rock, etc. that falls down the
slope of a mountain or a cliff ".

Causes of Landslide: Landslides are caused by various factors, which are mentioned below:
 It can be caused because of heavy rain.

 Deforestation is also one of the main reasons for landslides because trees, plants, etc., keep
the soil particles compact and due to deforestation, the mountain slopes lose their protective
layers because of which the water of the rain flows with unimpeded speed on these slopes.

 It can be caused by earthquakes as well.

Effects of landslides: Short Term Impacts

 The natural beauty of the area is damaged.

 Loss of life and property
 Roadblocks
 Destruction of railway lines
 Channel blocking because of the falling of rocks.
 It leads to the diversion of river water, which can cause floods as well.

Long Term Impacts

 Landscape changes can be permanent.
 The loss of fertile land or cultivation land.
 Erosion and soil loss can lead to environmental problems.
 Population shifting and migration.
 Effects on the sources of water.
 Some roads can be damaged or closed permanently.

Prevention and Mitigation: The following measures can be taken in this regard:
 The country should identify the vulnerable areas and actions should be taken in this regard
on a priority basis.
 Early warning systems and monitoring systems should be there.
 Hazard mapping can be done to identify the areas which are more prone to landslides.
 Restriction on the construction in the risky areas should be imposed.
 Afforestation programs should take place.
 Restricting development in landslide areas and protecting the existing ones.
 The country should specify codes or standards etc. For the construction of the buildings
and other purposes in such areas of risk.
 Insurance facilities should be taken by the people to deal with the loss.
 Terrace farming should be adopted in hilly areas.
 Response teams should be quick to deal with landslides if they occur

Cyclone: The storms caused by wind blowing around the low-pressure areas are called cyclones.
Similarly, storms around the high-pressure areas are called anticyclones. There are types of
cyclones:

1. Tropical Cyclone: Storms originating from warm tropical seas or oceans are known as tropical
cyclones. These types of cyclones are characterized by high winds, low atmospheric pressure, and
relentless rainfall. India generally faces tropical cyclones.

2. Temperate Cyclone: Storms originating outside the tropics are generally referred to as
temperate cyclones. These cyclones, also known as extratropical and frontal cyclones, generally
occur in temperate and Polar Regions. These types of cyclones do not usually occur in India.
Cyclone Disaster Management

1. Hazard Mapping – It suggests that using hazard mapping, one can predict the vulnerable
areas affected by the storms. It maps the pattern of old cyclones using their wind speed,
areas affected, flooding frequency etc.
2. Land use planning – With the effective implementation of land use planning, the key
activities and settlements can be avoided in the most vulnerable areas. For example, a
settlement in the floodplains is at utmost risk. Hence, authorities should plan ahead to avoid
such risks.
3. Engineered Structures – These structures withstand the wind forces and prove to mitigate
the losses. The public infrastructure of the country should be designed keeping in mind the
hazard mapping of the cyclone.
4. Cyclone Sheltering – At national, state and regional level, the construction of cyclone
shelters should be taken up to help the vulnerable community from cyclones. The shelters
should be built considering the population density, transportation and communication,
distance from the affected areas of the past, and the areas’ topography.
5. Flood Management – As the cyclonic storms lead to heavy rainfall that further lead to
flooding in various areas; important should be given to the flood management. The
drainage systems should be well-designed to mitigate flooding. The participation both from
the government and the local community is required for this.
6. Vegetation Cover Improvement – To increase the water infiltration capacity, improving
vegetation cover is of high importance. Planting trees in rows, coastal shelterbelt
plantations, mangrove shelterbelt plantations, etc. can help break the wind force and
mitigate the severe losses.
7. Mangrove Plantation – The ecologically-efficient mangroves should be planted more.
India has 3 per cent of the world’s mangroves cover. The root systems of mangroves help
in mitigating tsunamis, soil erosion etc. (Read about important facts, the significance
of Mangroves in the linked article.)
8. Saline Embankment – Along the coast, saline embankments help protect habitation,
agricultural crops, and other important installations.
9. Awareness of the public – The participation of the community increases with the number
of public awareness initiatives. The governments at all levels should initiate programs
bringing awareness about the natural calamities and making provisions for higher local
participation in the mitigation process.

Measures for Cyclone Management

 The infrastructures should be engineered and crafted to tolerate cyclones and other
catastrophes.
 Through the technique of hazard mapping the cyclone-prone areas can be estimated. It can
also predict the areas where the probability of higher impact of cyclones can occur. It
gauges the areas affected and other factors such as the wind speed of past years to present
an estimation.
 The cyclone shelters can be infrastructure for safeguarding the local population. The area's
topography must also be kept in mind while planning the construction and establishment
of cyclone shelters.
 Mangrove conservation can also lead to mitigating the occurrence of cyclones. The roots
of the mangrove in mitigating the probability of the occurrence of floods and cyclones.
 Saline embankments also assist in safeguarding habitats and crops.
 Leaves are the structures that prevent and mitigate the chances of floods. It obstructs the
wind and hence the cyclone as well.
 Mass awareness about the ways to adopt to safeguard themselves during a natural
catastrophe plays an instrumental role in saving lives.

Environmental Movement: An environmental movement is a type of social movement that

involves an array of individuals, groups and coalitions that perceive a common interest in
environmental protection and act to bring about changes in environmental policies and practices.
Environmental and ecological movements are among the important examples of the collective
actions of several social groups.
Cause of Environmental Movements

 The increasing confrontation with nature in the form of industrial growth, degradation of
natural resources, and occurrence of natural calamities, has resulted in imbalances in the
bio-spheric system.
 Major reasons for the emergence of environmental movements in India are as follows:
 Control over natural resources
 False developmental policies of the government
 Right of access to forest resources
 Non-commercial use of natural resources
 Social justice/human rights
 Socioeconomic reasons
 Environmental degradation/destruction and
 Spread of environmental awareness and media

Major Environmental Movements in India: Many environmental movements have emerged in

India, especially after the 1970s. These movements have grown out of a series of independent
responses to local issues in different places at different times.
Chipko Movement

 Chipko Movement started on April 24, 1973, at Mandal of Chamoli district of Garhwal
division of Uttarakhand.
 The Chipko is one of the world-known environmental movements in India.
 The movement was raised out of ecological destabilization in the hills.
 The fall in the productivity of the forest produces forced the hill dwellers to depend on the
market, which became a central concern for the inhabitants.
 Forest resource exploitation was considered the reason behind natural calamities like
floods, and landslides.
 On March 27 the decision was taken to ‘Chipko” that is ‘to hug’ the trees that were
threatened by the axe and thus the Chipko Andolan (movement) was born.
 This form of protest was instrumental in driving away the private companies from felling
the ash trees.

The Silent Valley Movement

 The silent valley is located in the Palghat district of Kerala.

 It is surrounded by different hills of the State.
 The idea of a dam on the river Kunthipuzha in this hill system was conceived by the British
in 1929.
 The technical feasibility survey was carried out in 1958 and the project was sanctioned by
the Planning Commission of the Government of India in 1973.
 In 1978, the movement against the project from all corners was raised from all sections of
the population.
 The movement was first initiated by the local people and was subsequently taken over by
the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP).
 Many environmental groups like the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), Bombay Natural
History Society (BNHS) and Silent Valley Action Forum participated in the campaign.

Human population Growth: population growth is the increase in the number of humans on
Earth. Consequently, global human population rapidly increased, and continues to do so, with
dramatic impacts on global climate and ecosystems.

Effects of Population Growth on our Environment: One of the factors responsible for
environment degradation is population growth or population density. In particular, population
density plays the most important role in shaping the socio-economic environment. Its effects are
felt on the natural environment also.

1. Generation of Waste: Due to his destructive activities, man has dumped more and more waste
in environment. As the man-made waste is not transformed, it causes degradation and the capacity
of environment to absorb more waste is reduced. Further, waste leads to air and water pollution.
2. Threat to Biodiversity: Due to his destructive activities, man has extracted more and more
minerals from the earth. Animals have been hunted and plants have disappeared. There has been
loss of biodiversity. These have led to ecological imbalance.

3. Strain on Forests: Man has established new housing colonies. National highways and
hydropower projects have been built and forests have been wiped out. These destructive activities
have increased and led to ecological imbalance.
4. Urbanization: Rapid growth of population has led to urbanization which has adversely affected
environment. Due to population pressure, natural resources in the cities are depleted at a fast rate
due to population pressure.
Moreover, population does not have proper sanitation facilities and pure drinking water. As a
result, the health of the people is adversely affected. No doubt, urbanization reduces pressure on
the rural environment, but it brings with if environmental damages through industrial growth,
emissions and wastes.
5. Industrialization: Underdeveloped countries are following the policy of heavy
industrialization which is causing environmental degradation. The establishment of such industries
as fertilizers, iron and steel, chemicals and refineries have led to land, air and water pollution.
6. Land Degradation: Intensive farming and excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides have led
to over-exploitation of land and water resources. These have led to land degradation in the form
of soil erosion, water logging and Salination.
7. Transport Development: Environmental degradation is also due to transport development in
the different parts of the world. The automobiles release huge quantities of poisonous gases such
as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. The development of ports and harbour
have led to oil spills from ships adversely affecting fisheries, coral reefs, mangroves and
landscapes.
8. Climatic Change: Climatic changes are irregular due to greenhouse gases. The thin skin of air
that surrounds the planet is being affected by human activities as never before. Urban people are
still being exposed to unaccepted levels of toxic pollutants. Further, forests are still being degraded
by acid deposition generated by faraway industries, and greenhouse gases continue to accumulate
in the atmosphere.

Human population growth impacts the Earth system in a variety of ways, including: Welfare and
Human health
 Increasing the extraction of resources from the environment. These resources
include fossil fuels (oil, gas, and coal), minerals, trees, water, and wildlife, especially in
the oceans. The process of removing resources, in turn, often releases pollutants and
waste that reduce air and water quality, and harm the health of humans and other
species.
 Increasing the burning of fossil fuels for energy to generate electricity, and to power
transportation (for example, cars and planes) and industrial processes.
 Increase in freshwater use for drinking, agriculture, recreation, and industrial processes.
Freshwater is extracted from lakes, rivers, the ground, and man-made reservoirs.
 Increasing ecological impacts on environments. Forests and other habitats are disturbed
or destroyed to construct urban areas including the construction of homes, businesses,
and roads to accommodate growing populations. Additionally, as populations increase,
more land is used for agricultural activities to grow crops and support livestock. This, in
turn, can decrease species populations, geographic ranges, biodiversity, and
alter interactions among organisms.
 Increasing fishing and hunting, which reduces species populations of the exploited
species. Fishing and hunting can also indirectly increase numbers of species that are not
fished or hunted if more resources become available for the species that remain in the
ecosystem.
 Increasing the transport of invasive species, either intentionally or by accident, as people
travel and import and export supplies. Urbanization also creates disturbed environments
where invasive species often thrive and outcompete native species. For example, many
invasive plant species thrive along strips of land next to roads and highways.
 The transmission of diseases. Humans living in densely populated areas can rapidly spread
diseases within and among populations. Additionally, because transportation has become
easier and more frequent, diseases can spread quickly to new regions.

Resettlement and rehabilitation of developmental project: affected persons and communities

Developmental projects are planned to bring benefits to the society. Major projects such as dams,
mines, expressways, or the notification of a National Park disrupts the lives of the people who live
there and may also require moving them to an alternative site. None of us would like to give up
the home we grew up in. Uprooting people is a serious issue. It reduces their ability to subsist on
their traditional natural resource base and also creates great psychological pressures. Especially
tribal people, whose lives are woven closely around their own natural resources, cannot adapt to a
new way of life in a new place. Thus no major project that is likely to displace people can be
carried out without the consent of the local people.
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. India is one of the 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 (Odisha) has displaced more than 20,000people residing in
about 250 village. The Bhakra Nangal Dam was constructed during 1950’s and till now it has
not been possible to rehabilitate even half of the displaced persons In the case of Tehri Dam
(Garhwal, Uttarakhand) on the River Bhagirathi, construction of which was green signaled 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 tribal is prohibited.

The Government is expected to find ‘good’ arable land to resettle displaced persons and provide
them with an adequate rehabilitation package to recover from the disruption. This has rarely
occurred to the satisfaction of the project affected individuals. In many cases across the country,
this has not been implemented satisfactorily for decades. Resettlement requires alternate land.
However, in our overpopulated country, there is no arable high quality land available. Thus most
project affected persons are given unusable wasteland.

Thus both the communities suffer and conflict over resources is a distinct possibility in future.
There are however situations where communities request for shifting to a new site. This is often
observed where people live inside or on the periphery of a National Park or Wildlife Sanctuary. In
these situations, such as the Gir in Gujarat, the local people have asked to be given alternate land
where they could live peacefully away from lions that kill their cattle, but the Government has
been unable to find suitable areas where they can be shifted for decades.