Environment & Sustainable Development

Environment is defined as the total planetary inheritance and the totality of all resources. It includes all the biotic (living elements like birds, animals, plants, forests) and abiotic (non-living elements like air, water, land, sunlight, rocks) factors that influence each other.

When the rate of resource extraction exceeds the rate of regeneration, the environment fails to perform its vital function of sustaining life. This leads to an environmental crisis characterized by:

• Depletion of resources (e.g., deforestation, falling water tables).
• Accumulation of waste beyond absorption capacity.
• Interruption in the supply of resources for future generations.

Renewable Resources	Non-Renewable Resources
Trees (if replanted) Fish (if harvest is sustainable) Water	Petroleum Coal Iron-ore

Two major environmental issues facing the world today are Global Warming and Ozone Depletion.

• (i) Rising Population: Increases pressure on finite resources (land, water) leading to over-exploitation. Problem: Challenge to provide basic amenities without degrading nature.
• (ii) Air Pollution: Caused by vehicles and industries. Problem: Increases healthcare expenditure due to respiratory diseases.
• (iii) Water Contamination: Dumping industrial waste into rivers. Problem: Shortage of safe drinking water and spread of water-borne diseases.
• (iv) Affluent Consumption: Richer lifestyles use more energy and create more waste. Problem: Management of solid waste and higher energy demand.
• (v) Illiteracy: Lack of awareness about hygiene and conservation. Problem: Difficulty in implementing environmental laws.
• (vi) Industrialisation: Rapid factory growth leads to pollution. Problem: Balancing economic growth with environmental protection.
• (vii) Urbanisation: Expansion of cities leads to slum growth and encroachment on green cover. Problem: Civic infrastructure collapse.
• (viii) Reduction of Forest Coverage: Reduces carbon absorption. Problem: Climate change and loss of biodiversity.
• (ix) Poaching: Threatens wildlife. Problem: Ecological imbalance and loss of natural heritage.
• (x) Global Warming: Rise in temperature. Problem: Rising sea levels threatening coastal cities and erratic monsoons affecting agriculture.

The environment performs four vital functions:

• Supply of Resources: It supplies renewable (wood, water) and non-renewable (coal, oil) resources for production.
• Assimilation of Waste: It absorbs the waste generated by production and consumption activities.
• Sustenance of Life: It provides genetic and biodiversity essential for life on earth.
• Aesthetic Services: It provides scenic beauty (landscapes, waterfalls) that enhances the quality of life.

[Image of causes of land degradation diagram]
The major factors responsible for land degradation are:

• Deforestation: Reckless cutting of trees leads to soil erosion.
• Unsustainable Fuel Wood Fodder Extraction: Excessive removal of vegetation cover.
• Shifting Cultivation: Traditional farming methods that degrade soil fertility.
• Encroachment into Forest Lands: Expansion of agriculture and settlements.
• Forest Fires: Destruction of vegetation and soil structure.
• Improper Crop Rotation: Intensive farming without adequate soil replenishment.

When the environment is damaged, we incur huge “opportunity costs” (what we sacrifice):

• Health Costs: Pollution leads to diseases (asthma, cholera), forcing people to spend money on healthcare instead of education or investment.
• Lost Productivity: Sick workers cannot work efficiently.
• Clean-up Costs: The government spends billions on cleaning rivers (e.g., Namami Gange) which could have been used for infrastructure.

[Image of sustainable development goals diagram]
Steps include:

• Control Population Growth: To reduce pressure on resources.
• Use Non-Conventional Energy: Shift to solar, wind, and hydro power (clean energy).
• Organic Farming: Reduce chemical fertilizers to protect soil health.
• Efficient Technology: Use CNG for transport and LED bulbs for lighting to save energy.
• Waste Management: Composting and recycling waste (e.g., Gobar Gas plants in rural areas).

India is rich in natural resources:

• Rich Soil: The Indo-Gangetic plains are among the most fertile regions in the world.
• Mineral Wealth: The Deccan Plateau is rich in iron ore, coal, and bauxite.
• Biodiversity: India has lush green forests and a vast variety of flora and fauna.
• Water Resources: A vast network of rivers provides water for irrigation and power.

Yes, it is largely a recent phenomenon.
Reason: In the past (pre-industrial era), the demand for resources was less than the environment’s supply, and waste generation was within its absorption capacity.
However, with the Industrial Revolution and population explosion, demand has exceeded supply, and waste generation has crossed the assimilation capacity, triggering the crisis.

• (a) Overuse: Excessive pumping of groundwater for irrigation leading to a falling water table; rapid deforestation for timber.
• (b) Misuse: Discharging untreated industrial chemical waste into rivers; using rivers as dumping grounds for sewage.

• Land Degradation: Soil erosion and loss of fertility.
• Biodiversity Loss: Extinction of wildlife due to habitat destruction.
• Air Pollution: High levels of particulate matter in urban areas (vehicular emissions).
• Fresh Water Management: Pollution of rivers and scarcity of drinking water.

Correcting environmental damage is expensive.
Explanation:
If a factory pollutes a river, cleaning it requires technology and labour. The money spent on this clean-up represents an opportunity cost because that same money could have been used to build schools or hospitals.
Thus, environmental damage forces society to sacrifice development funds for repair work, slowing down real progress.

• Past Scenario: Supply of resources > Demand. The environment could easily replenish resources and absorb waste. Pollution was not a major issue.
• Current Scenario: Demand > Supply. Due to population growth and industrialization, we are extracting resources faster than they can regenerate (e.g., deforestation) and dumping waste faster than nature can absorb (e.g., smog).
• Reversal: This shift from “Abundance” to “Scarcity” is the supply-demand reversal that defines the modern environmental crisis.

Yes, this is true.
Poverty Induced: The poor rely on nature for survival. They cut trees for firewood (causing deforestation) and graze animals on open land (causing soil erosion) because they lack alternatives.
Affluence Induced: The rich consume excessively. High ownership of private cars (air pollution), use of ACs (global warming), and industrial waste from producing luxury goods create pollution.
Thus, India faces a double threat from both ends of the economic spectrum.

Sustainable Development is development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
It emphasizes that we should not inherit the earth from our ancestors but borrow it from our children. It requires preserving natural capital (resources) rather than depleting it.

Strategies relevant to a typical Indian locality:

• Use of Solar Energy: Installing solar panels on rooftops for water heating and electricity (Solar Energy).
• Rainwater Harvesting: Collecting rainwater to recharge groundwater levels.
• Use of CNG/Public Transport: Switching to CNG vehicles or using metro/buses to reduce air pollution.
• Waste Segregation: Separating wet (organic) and dry (recyclable) waste at the household level to facilitate composting and recycling.

Intergenerational Equity means fairness between generations.
Sustainable development argues that the current generation has a moral obligation to leave the planet in a condition that is at least as good as the one they received.
If we deplete all oil or destroy the ozone layer today, the future generation will suffer (inequity). Therefore, protecting resources ensures that future generations have equal opportunities for development.

(Discussion Point):
Adding 70 lakh cars depletes:

• Petroleum: A non-renewable fossil fuel.
• Clean Air: As emissions increase, the resource of “breathable air” is degraded.

• Paper (Newspapers, magazines)
• Plastic bottles and containers
• Glass bottles
• Metal cans (Aluminum, Steel)
• E-waste (old phones, batteries – specialised recycling)