Environmental Degradation

“Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of

resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems; habitat destruction; the
extinction of wildlife; and pollution.

It is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or

undesirable.“

It occurs when the earth’s natural resources are depleted, and the environment is compromised in
the form of extinction of species, pollution in the air, water and soil, and rapid growth in
population.

Environmental degradation is one of the largest threats that are being looked at in the world
today. The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction characterizes
environmental degradation as the lessening of the limit of the earth to meet social and
environmental destinations and needs.

Types of Environmental Degradation

Land and soil degradation: Degradation of soil quality from poor farming practices, excessive
use of fertilizers and pesticides, leakage from landfills etc.

Water degradation: Pollution of water from trash dumped in oceans, illegal dumping, disposal
of large amounts of industrial waste into nearby rivers or lakes etc.

Atmospheric degradation: This includes air degradation, particle pollution and the depletion of
the ozone layer.

Several other kinds of pollution: Apart from land, water and atmospheric degradation, many
other kinds of pollution such as noise pollution, light pollution that are part of environmental
degradation.

Causes of Environmental Degradation

Some environmental life species require substantial areas to help provide food, living space, and
other different assets. These creatures are called area specific.

At the point when the biome is divided, the vast patches of living space don’t exist anymore. It
becomes more troublesome for the wildlife to get the assets they need in order to survive. The
environment goes on, even though the animals and plant life are not there to help sustain it
properly.
1. Land Disturbance

A more basic cause of environmental degradation is land damage. Numerous weedy plant
species, for example, garlic & mustard, are both foreign and obtrusive.

A rupture in the environmental surroundings provides for them a chance to start growing and
spreading. These plants can assume control over nature, eliminating the local greenery.

The result is a territory with a solitary predominant plant which doesn’t give satisfactory food
assets to all the environmental life. Thus the whole environment can be destroyed because of
these invasive species.

2. Pollution

Pollution, in whatever form, whether it is air, water, land or noise is harmful to the
environment. Air pollution pollutes the air that we breathe, which causes health issues.

Water pollution degrades the quality of water that we use for drinking purposes. Land pollution
results in the degradation of the earth’s surface as a result of human activities.

Noise pollution can cause irreparable damage to our ears when exposed to continuous large
sounds like honking of vehicles on a busy road or machines producing large noise in a factory or
a mill.

3. Overpopulation

Rapid population growth puts strain on natural resources, which results in the degradation of our
environment. Mortality rate has gone down due to better medical facilities, which has resulted in
an increased lifespan.

More population simply means more demand for food, clothes and shelter. You need more space
to grow food and provide homes to millions of people. This results in deforestation, which is
another factor in environmental degradation.

4. Landfills

Landfills pollute the environment and destroy the beauty of the city. Landfills come within the
city due to the large amount of waste that gets generated by households, industries, factories and
hospitals.

Landfills pose a great risk to the health of the environment and the people who live there.
Landfills produce a foul smell when burned and cause substantial environmental degradation.
5. Deforestation

Deforestation is the cutting down of trees to make way for more homes and industries. Rapid
growth in population and urban sprawl are two of the major causes of deforestation.

Apart from that, the use of forest land for agriculture, animal grazing, harvest for fuelwood and
logging are some of the other causes of deforestation. Deforestation contributes to global
warming as decreased forest size puts carbon back into the environment.

6. Natural Causes

Things like avalanches, quakes, tidal waves, storms, and wildfires can totally crush nearby
animal and plant groups to the point where they can no longer survive in those areas.

This can either come to fruition through physical demolition as the result of a specific disaster or
by the long term degradation of assets by the presentation of an obtrusive foreign species to the
environment. The latter frequently happens after tidal waves, when reptiles and bugs are washed
ashore.

Of course, humans aren’t totally to blame for this whole thing. Earth itself causes ecological
issues, as well. While environmental degradation is most normally connected with the things that
people do, the truth of the matter is that the environment is always changing. With or without the
effect of human exercises, a few biological systems degrade to the point where they can’t help
the life that is supposed to live there.

Effects of Environmental Degradation

1. Impact on Human Health

Human health might be at the receiving end as a result of environmental degradation. Areas
exposed to toxic air pollutants can cause respiratory problems like pneumonia and asthma.
Millions of people are known to have died due to the indirect effects of air pollution.

2. Loss of Biodiversity

Biodiversity is important for maintaining the balance of the ecosystem in the form of combating
pollution, restoring nutrients, protecting water sources and stabilizing climate. Deforestation,
global warming, overpopulation and pollution are a few of the major causes of loss of
biodiversity.

3. Ozone Layer Depletion

The ozone layer is responsible for protecting the earth from harmful ultraviolet rays. The
presence of chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere, is causing the
ozone layer to deplete. As it will deplete, it will emit harmful radiation back to the earth.
4. Loss For the Tourism Industry

The deterioration of the environment can be a huge setback for the tourism industry that relies on
tourists for their daily livelihood. Environmental damage in the form of loss of green cover, loss
of biodiversity, huge landfills, increased air and water pollution can be a big turn off for most of
the tourists.

5. Economic Impact

The huge cost that a country may have to borne due to environmental degradation can have a
significant economic impact in terms of restoration of green cover, cleaning up of landfills and
protection of endangered species. The economic impact can also be in terms of the loss of the
tourism industry.

Solutions to Environmental Degradation

1. Stop Deforestation

In order to mitigate the adverse effects of environmental degradation, stopping deforestation is

crucial for our environmental system. We cannot afford to cut or burn trees down as trees store
greenhouse gases, produce oxygen and are the natural habitat for many animals and plants,
which may become endangered if these forests are destroyed.

An extensive afforestation campaign should be launched in the interest of environmental

protection. We can further make a positive impact through reforestation or afforestation.

2. Government Regulations

Governments require intervening and setting a framework whenever there are problems that lead
to significant eco-degradation. Governments set high taxes for activities that harm our planet and
support environmentally-friendly behavior with financial subsidies.

These will also force industries and private people to avoid activities that lead to environmental
degradation.

3. Fines and Punishment For Illegal dumping

There should also be high fines for illegal dumping to reduce the adverse ecological
consequences. People and industries will continue to dump their trash illegally as they know that
even if they get caught, penalties are quite low.

Therefore, raising fines for illegal dumping would increase the incentive to dispose of trash at
official waste disposal sites.
4. Reuse and Reduce Waste Generation

You can reduce waste production by using your items and food more efficiently. If you want to
get rid of old but still working things, be creative to give it a new look or use it in another way.

By doing so, your material things will be used more effectively. If they cannot be put to use
anymore, separate them and give them for recycling.

5. Avoid Plastic

Plastic waste is a big environmental problem that leads to significant plastic pollution and the
degradation of our planet. In order to cut down plastic waste, avoid buying items with plastic
wrapper or packaging, refrain from using disposable plastic bags, cups, plates, containers,
cutlery, etc. Instead, bring your own reusable stuff, which can be reused several times.

6. Education

It is highly essential that children should know about the adverse environmental consequences of
our daily life behavior and the ways we can improve our ecological footprint.

This education should start early in school. Children are usually more eager to learn new things
and change their behavior compared to adults.

These children are more likely to act in an environmentally-friendly manner when they grow up,
and they might also convince their parents to behave in a more ecologically friendly way.