Introduction and the Functions of the Environment

Introduction

The economic development India has achieved over the last seven decades has come at a very high price: the degradation of environmental quality. As we embrace globalisation and aim for higher economic growth, it is crucial to acknowledge the adverse consequences of our past development path on the environment. We must consciously choose a path of sustainable development. To understand this challenge, we first need to appreciate the significance and contribution of the environment to economic development.

Environment — Definition and Functions

Definition

The environment is defined as the total planetary inheritance and the totality of all resources. It includes all the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors that influence each other.

• Biotic elements: All living elements, such as birds, animals, plants, forests, and fisheries.
• Abiotic elements: Non-living elements, such as air, water, land, rocks, and sunlight.

Functions of the Environment

The environment performs four vital functions:

1. It supplies resources: This includes both renewable and non-renewable resources.
   • Renewable resources are those which can be used without the possibility of being depleted, as a continuous supply remains available (e.g., trees in forests, fish in the ocean).
   • Non-renewable resources are those that get exhausted with extraction and use (e.g., fossil fuels like coal and petroleum).
2. It assimilates waste: The environment has a natural capacity to absorb and neutralize waste products generated by economic activities.
3. It sustains life: It provides the essential genetic and biodiversity that supports all life forms.
4. It provides aesthetic services: It offers natural beauty, such as scenic landscapes, which enhance the quality of life.

The Environmental Crisis

The environment can perform its functions without interruption as long as the demand on it is within its carrying capacity. This means the rate of resource extraction should not exceed the rate of regeneration, and the waste generated should be within the environment's assimilating capacity.

When these limits are crossed, the environment fails to sustain life, leading to an environmental crisis. This is the situation today.

• Causes: The rising population of developing countries and the affluent consumption and production standards of the developed world have placed immense stress on the environment.
• Consequences: Many resources have become extinct, and the waste generated is now beyond the absorptive capacity (the ability of the environment to absorb degradation) of the environment. Past development has polluted rivers, making water a scarce economic good. The intensive extraction of resources has exhausted some vital reserves.
• Health Costs: The decline in air and water quality has led to an increased incidence of respiratory and water-borne diseases, increasing health expenditures.
• Global Issues: Global environmental issues like global warming and ozone depletion add to the financial commitments of governments.

This environmental crisis is a relatively recent phenomenon. In the early days of civilization, the demand for environmental resources was much less than their supply. However, with the population explosion and the advent of the industrial revolution, this supply-demand relationship has been reversed. We now face an increased demand for environmental resources, but their supply is limited due to overuse and misuse.

State of India's Environment

India's Abundant Natural Resources

India is endowed with a rich variety of natural resources:

• Rich quality of soil, including the black soil of the Deccan Plateau, suitable for cotton, and the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains.
• Hundreds of rivers and tributaries.
• Lush green forests providing cover for its population and wildlife.
• Large deposits of minerals like iron ore, coal, bauxite, copper, and natural gas.

However, developmental activities have put immense pressure on these finite resources, creating a dichotomy of environmental threats: the threat of poverty-induced environmental degradation and the threat of pollution from affluence and a rapidly growing industrial sector.

Pressing Environmental Concerns of India

The priority environmental issues identified in India are:

• Land degradation
• Biodiversity loss
• Air pollution (with special reference to vehicular pollution in cities)
• Management of fresh water
• Solid waste management

1. Land Degradation

Land in India suffers from varying degrees of degradation due to unstable use and inappropriate management practices. Some of the major factors responsible are:

• Loss of vegetation due to deforestation.
• Unsustainable fuelwood and fodder extraction.
• Shifting cultivation and encroachment into forest lands.
• Forest fires and overgrazing.
• Indiscriminate use of agro-chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides.
• Improper planning of irrigation systems and extraction of groundwater in excess of recharge capacity.

India supports 17% of the world's human population and 20% of its livestock on just 2.5% of the world's geographical area. This high density exerts enormous pressure on the country's land resources.

2. Air Pollution

Air pollution is widespread in urban areas, where vehicles are the major contributors. Other sources include a high concentration of industries and thermal power plants.

• The number of motor vehicles increased from about 3 lakh in 1951 to 23 crores in 2016.
• Personal transport vehicles (two-wheelers and cars) constitute about 85% of registered vehicles, contributing significantly to air pollution.
• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has identified 17 categories of industries as significantly polluting.

3. Water Contamination

The developmental path has polluted and dried up rivers and other aquifers, turning water into a scarce economic good. About seventy per cent of water in India is polluted, leading to a rise in water-borne diseases. The CPCB, along with State Pollution Control Boards, monitors the quality of water in rivers, wells, lakes, and other water bodies and implements measures to control water pollution.

Sustainable Development

The Concept of Sustainable Development

The environment and the economy are interdependent. Development that ignores its repercussions on the environment will ultimately destroy the very life-support systems it depends on. This necessitates a shift towards sustainable development.

Defining Sustainable Development

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) defined sustainable development as:

‘Development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs.’

This definition emphasizes two key concepts:

• 'Needs': Linked to the equitable distribution of resources, particularly meeting the basic needs of all, especially the poor.
• 'Future Generations': Highlighting the principle of intergenerational equity, which is a moral obligation to hand over the planet in good order to future generations.

In specific terms, sustainable development aims to decrease the absolute poverty of the poor by providing lasting and secure livelihoods that minimize resource depletion, environmental degradation, cultural disruption, and social instability.

Achieving Sustainable Development

According to Herman Daly, a leading environmental economist, achieving sustainable development requires several actions:

1. Limiting Population: The human population should be limited to a level within the carrying capacity of the environment.
2. Input-Efficient Technology: Technological progress should be input-efficient, not input-consuming.
3. Sustainable Extraction of Renewable Resources: The rate of extraction should not exceed the rate of regeneration.
4. Management of Non-Renewable Resources: The rate of depletion should not exceed the rate of creation of renewable substitutes.
5. Correcting Inefficiencies: Inefficiencies arising from pollution should be corrected.

Strategies for Sustainable Development

To achieve sustainable development, a multi-pronged strategy focusing on cleaner technologies, traditional knowledge, and ecological preservation is required.

1. Use of Non-conventional Sources of Energy

India is heavily dependent on thermal and hydropower, both of which have adverse environmental impacts (emission of greenhouse gases from thermal plants; deforestation and displacement from hydro projects). Cleaner and greener energy sources need to be explored on a larger scale.

• Wind Power: In areas with high wind speeds, windmills can provide electricity without adverse environmental impact.
• Solar Power: India is naturally endowed with abundant sunlight. Through photovoltaic cells, solar energy can be converted into electricity. This technology is pollution-free and extremely useful for remote areas. India is leading the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to promote solar energy.

2. Cleaner Fuels

• LPG and Gobar Gas in Rural Areas: To reduce dependence on wood and dung cakes (which cause deforestation and air pollution), subsidized LPG is being provided. Gobar gas plants are also being promoted, which convert cattle dung into fuel gas and leave behind a slurry that is an excellent organic fertilizer.
• CNG in Urban Areas: The use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as fuel in public transport in Delhi has significantly lowered air pollution. Many other cities are now adopting CNG.

3. Small-Scale Power Generation

Mini-hydel Plants: In mountainous regions, the energy of perennial streams can be used to move small turbines, generating electricity for local use. These plants are environment-friendly and avoid the need for large-scale transmission lines, thus reducing transmission losses.

4. Traditional Knowledge and Practices

Traditionally, Indian practices in agriculture, healthcare, and housing have been environment-friendly. It is time to revisit and adopt these systems. For example, traditional healthcare systems like Ayurveda, Unani, and folk medicine use thousands of medicinal plants. These systems are in great demand for treating chronic health problems and are relatively free from side effects.

5. Biocomposting and Biopest Control

• Biocomposting: The overuse of chemical fertilizers has degraded land and contaminated water bodies. Farmers are now reverting to using compost made from organic wastes. Vermicomposting (using earthworms) can convert organic matter into compost even faster.
• Biopest Control: The adverse impacts of chemical pesticides have led to efforts to find better pest control methods. This includes using pesticides based on plant products like neem. Mixed cropping, crop rotation, and encouraging natural predators of pests (like snakes, owls, lizards) are also effective measures.

Conclusion

Economic development, aimed at meeting the needs of a rising population, puts immense pressure on the environment. Initially, the demand for environmental resources was less than their supply, but today, we face a reversal of this relationship. The world is now confronted with an increased demand for environmental resources, but their supply is limited due to overuse and misuse.

Sustainable development offers a path forward. It aims to promote a kind of development that minimizes environmental problems and meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is a paradigm shift in development thinking that, if adhered to, ensures lasting development and non-declining welfare for all.

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Multiple Choice Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

Long Answer Type Questions