CHAPTER 1

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UNDERSTANDING ENVIRONMENT
KARTIKEYA V. SARABHAI

Academic disciplines are created to help us understand the universe better. While nature
can be understood using the disciplines, it is not ‘divided’ into disciplines. For instance,
a certain phenomenon may be referred to as a chemical change while another as a physical
one. But these categories are only perceptions.
‘Environmental Studies’ is about the environment. Not the environment from the point
of view of any one particular discipline, but a study and understanding of the interlink-
ages—the complex ways in which one phenomenon, one action, is connected to another;
how the same thing can be understood from different perspectives, perspectives often
rooted in different disciplines.

KALEIDOSCOPE IN REAL LIFE

Vavania is a village near Kachchh that was severely affected by an earthquake in 2001.
The Centre for Environment Education got involved in the rehabilitation activities in
this village. The first task was to rebuild the houses, the school and the health centre.
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The next task was that of providing the village with a water system. It was here that we
realized the multidisciplinary nature of the problem at hand.
To study water in the village, we had to first understand the pattern of rainfall and total
water availability. This required knowledge of meteorology. Indeed, to understand the
phenomenon of rain itself one needs some grounding in Physics. Then, to understand
groundwater one needs to study hydrology. To understand soil types and the permeability
of water, we need geology. The quality of water requires an understanding of chemistry.
To study lakes, life forms in them and their impact on the water and its quality requires
one to garner knowledge of biology and ecology. Water and its use are integral to society

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 14 KARTIKEYA V. SARABHAI

and cultures for which one must have at least background knowledge of cultural anthro-
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pology, sociology and political science. Finally, to evaluate various alternatives for a
new infrastructure, an understanding of economics is essential.

A SENSE OF PLACE

I first used the word ‘environment’ in the urban context. The organization had been
studying the responses of people living in the old walled city of Ahmedabad and com-
paring them with the responses of people who had moved to the newer housing societies
which were coming up in the western part of the city. While the new houses and the
amenities they provided were much better in terms of infrastructure, the people felt that
something was missing, but it was difficult to articulate what that something was. The
old Pols, as the narrow streets in the old city are called, had a friendliness, a feeling of
community, a sense of neighbourhood that seemed to have disappeared in the new
residential areas. We realized that the built environment had changed the social one, but
it was difficult to understand all the dynamics of this relationship.
Our survey led us to an even more challenging task. We had asked the people in the
mid-1970s what they would like to see in their city in the year 2000, at the time a far-off
date. One answer which was repeated many times was that it was possible for a woman
to travel alone late at night in the city, and that this security should be maintained in the
city of the future. We had before us the plans for the city. The plans of the Urban Develop-
ment Authority spoke of infrastructure, building bye-laws and zoning of urban use, but
nowhere did it make a link to human or societal security. And yet we realized that these
were interconnected. The fact that so many metropolitan areas were de-humanized had
a lot to do with the environment they had created. These issues required skill and under-
standing from a variety of disciplines to even start appreciating the linkages and defining
the problem.
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TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING THE ENVIRONMENT

The term ‘Environment Studies’ takes on an even deeper meaning in the Indian context.
Concern for the environment was put on the world political map largely as a result of
the UN Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm in 1972. The only
Head of Government, besides the host country, to attend the conference was Indira
Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India. And it was here that she made the statement
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 UNDERSTANDING ENVIRONMENT 15

that one could not think of the environment without also looking at issues of poverty;
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that environmental issues and developmental ones were two sides of the same coin. It
was indeed human ‘developmental’ activity that had had a very substantial impact on
the natural environment. And in turn, the rapid decline in the natural resource base was
affecting the quality of human life in several parts of the globe, especially the lives of the
poor and the marginalized.
It took two decades for the world to recognize this relationship. This came in the form
of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, in 1992. The conference was one of the largest gatherings ever of Heads of State
and Government, a far cry from Stockholm 20 years before. The study of the environ-
ment now required an understanding of development issues, further expanding the inter-
disciplinary nature of the subject. But most importantly, Rio drew attention to two major
and global crises. One was the realization that human activity was leading to the rapid
extinction of species. The other was that industrial activity was directly responsible for
global warming and the thinning of the ozone layer that provided a shield from ultraviolet
radiation.
The complex link between human activities and the loss of biodiversity was rapidly
coming to light. Loss of habitats and poaching of wildlife were the more obvious reasons.
But more complex and unsuspected links are being thrown up as scientists go deeper
into the subject. The recent rapid decline of species of vultures in South Asia could be
the result of the impact of a veterinary drug given to cattle which is eventually passed
on to vultures when they feed on the carcasses of these animals. The study required a
number of disciplines to establish this relationship.
Similarly, while atmospheric science and chemistry may seem distantly related subjects,
it was the study of CFCs and their impact on ozone that finally led to an understanding
of the ozone ‘hole’, and the Montreal Protocol (a commitment by governments to phase
out the use of CFCs), which has been one of the success stories of a global response to a
global problem. The more complex issues relating to climate change are still to achieve
such success.
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ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

But moving from a sectoral approach to one which is interdisciplinary is not easy. Govern-
ments and the division of work within them and the ways in which ministries are formed
and work divided, essentially reflect the thinking of the period before environmental
understanding had reached current levels. So one may find an ironical situation wherein
the Ministry of Power subsidizes electricity, making it cheaper to withdraw groundwater.
The water then seems to be plentiful and cheap, leading to the plantation of more water
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India).; Understanding Environment
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 16 KARTIKEYA V. SARABHAI

consumptive commercial crops. Very soon groundwater levels fall so low that even with
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cheap electricity this type of agriculture cannot be sustained. Usually there is not enough
water left even to go back to growing traditional crops.
There are numerous examples of how the policies of different departments of the gov-
ernment led to contradictory or counter productive results (unintended or unanticipated)
in the real environment. For instance, an initiative to plant a tree called Prosopis juliflora
on the border of the Rann of Kachchh to prevent the spread of the desert proved counter
productive as the tree spread so rapidly that it wiped out the native species of grass on
which the livestock economy of the region depended.
As we recognize the relationship between environment and development, we realize
that the path we are following is neither desirable nor sustainable. We need to move
towards what is being called ‘sustainable development’; development that leads to a
better life for all, now and in the future. For that to happen, much more public awareness
and, in particular, awareness among decision-makers, is required. Environmental studies
forms the backbone of this understanding. It is the younger generation, which is on the
threshold of assuming critical roles and responsibilities, to whom we can look at to spread
this understanding to a wider audience and apply it in all spheres of life.

I QUESTIONS

1. List all the subjects that you are studying. How is each of these connected
with the environment? Is there any subject which is not in any way connected
with the environment?
2. One of the development goals of the Government of India is education for
all, especially education for women. Many suggest that women’s education
depends on several factors such as the status of women in society; poverty;
availability of water, firewood and fodder; and toilets for girl students in
schools. Do you agree? If so, what are the links? Describe each relationship
in about a paragraph.
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3. Given below is a partial list of India’s national development goals. Which

do you think should be the main ministry of the Government of India
responsible for each? Which two other ministries should be involved?

Development goals Lead ministry Other ministries (any two)

Poverty removal
Food sufficiency
Drinking water
Sanitation
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India).; Understanding Environment
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 UNDERSTANDING ENVIRONMENT 17
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Development goals Lead ministry Other ministries (any two)

Education for all
Primary health care for all
Containing population growth
Public transport

Now do a search in the library or on the Internet to find out which ministries
are actually involved.

II EXERCISES

1. You may have come across a few unfamiliar terms in this chapter. List them.
These terms are used and explained in different parts of this book. Find
these terms and what they mean.
2. ‘Increase in fuel prices leads to better health.’ The diagram below explains
how.

Increase in
bus fares

Increase in Explore options, Better health

petrol/diesel prices e.g., walking, cycling

Reduce use of
personal vehicles

Read the statements given below and draw diagrams to illustrate the con-
nections. There should be at least two links between the two ends.
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1. Move to a ‘modern’ residential complex leads to unhappy family elders.

2. Road building leads to spread of malaria.
3. Large-scale afforestation (planting of trees) leads to a decrease in the number
of children who drop out of school.
4. Rainwater harvesting leads to an improvement in the health of women.

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India).; Understanding Environment
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