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R. Robert

Professor Patrick S. Pauley

ENVS/AG 110

3rd December 2021

How the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted the Environment

During the first months of 2019, a virus by the name of COVID-19 reached the United

States and within a few weeks, it had reached all countries, making it a global

pandemic. Although during the first weeks it was thought that the virus would eventually

disappear if everyone stayed home and quarantined for a few weeks, the pandemic

moved on until 2021 and has continued to affect people throughout the world. By

December 2021, several vaccines were manufactured to work against the deadly virus

and lower the spread of it while it was dissipated for good.

There are many ways in which the effects of the pandemic that began in March 2019

can be described, whether it refers to the political, economic, and health consequences

for people all around the world, however, many often ignore the massive effect that the

pandemic has had on the environment since it began. The following paper will try to

describe the many ways that the current global pandemic has impacted the environment

we live in, taking into account different aspects such as air quality, overall pollution

water quality, and even the impact it has had on wildlife.

Considering how people have worried about the macroeconomic effects of the

Coronavirus, one would think that they would also consider the long-term effects that it

will have on the environment. There have been both positive and negative effects of the

virus when it comes to the environment, which can be seen in the form of air pollution or
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overall environmental pressures being reduced because of the pandemic, and

according to the OECD (2021), the long-run environmental effects are larger than the

macroeconomic effects.
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For example, when considering pollutants in several regions, it has been proven that

during the year 2020, numbers dropped dramatically and as showed in the graph below

(Fig. 1.1), reported less environmental pressure when referring to gases such as PM2.5,

NOx, and NMVOC, which

were at a high before the

pandemic struck.

Also, according to

Zhang et al. (2020), due to

the pandemic's impact on

travel and industry, many

regions, as well as the

planet as a whole,

experienced a decrease in

air pollution. For example,

in the first month of

lockdowns, “China

produced approximately 200 million fewer metric tons of carbon dioxide than the same

period in 2019 due to a reduction in air traffic, oil refining, and coal consumption”

(McMahon, 2020). Another incredibly positive thing that was caused by the pandemic

noted by Picheta (2020) is that throughout areas in North India such as Jalandhar, the

Himalayas became visible again for the first time in decades, as the drop in pollution

triggered air quality improvement.

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The previous statements would make someone believe that the effects that the

pandemic has had on the environment are all positive, however, Sarah Ladislaw from

the Center for Strategic & International Studies (2020) argued that reductions in

emissions resulting from economic downturns should not be viewed as beneficial,

stating that China's attempts to return to previous rates of growth amidst trade wars and

supply chain disruptions in the energy market will worsen its environmental impact.

It is possible that after the pandemic is over, the gas pollutants will be more than

ever unless a slow recovery is planned and performed. Seen below (Fig 1.2) is an

estimate by the OECD (2021) that shows how slow recovery would double the long-

term global environmental impacts that have been seen.

Fig. 1.2

In order for people to maintain the positive environmental impacts that the pandemic

has had on air pollutants, it is important to consider a slow recovery, rather than an

immediate return to all activities as usual and the overexploitation of natural resources

to spur the economy right back up again. According to the OECD (2021), If these
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measures are not taken carefully, the negative impacts on environmental pressures will

by far surpass the benefits.

The effects that the pandemic has had have also been registered when it comes to

water pollution, according to Freedman (2022), there is an interconnected relationship

between the quality of the air and the cleanliness of the water, and there have been

several confirmed correlations between the simultaneous improvement in air and water

quality during the pandemic. An example can be seen in Italy, a country that was

gravely affected by the COVID -19 pandemic. Two satellite images (Fig. 2.1), one taken

on April 19, 2019, and the other on April 13, 2020, showed the water in the Venetian

canals transitions from a paler, teal coloration to a deeper blue, which showed the

increase in the health of the water as the coronavirus set in across the country.

Fig. 2.1
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Although the effects have been seen positively in water pollution, a study by Abu-Bakar

H, Williams L, and Hallett SH (2021) proved that the lockdown during COVID-19

affected the water supply. Increases in household water consumption were attributed to

increased use of appliances and preventative measures such as hand washing, given

that it was one of the recommended measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Also,

“the lack of activity outside of the home was associated with a 35% increase in water

use” (Abu-Bakar, et al., 2021).

Also, according to Siqueiros et al. (2021) the hygiene habits that had been influenced by

the pandemic were washing hands with soap and water, cleaning floors, and food

hygiene, which consequently led to an increase in water consumption. “The changes in

these habits were more significant in dwellings with elderly people, considered to be

more vulnerable to the SARS-COV-2 virus.” (Siqueiros et al., 2021). Considering these

factors, it is clear that there was a very significant change in the habit of people

consuming water when repeating behaviors like constantly washing their hands or

sanitizing everything as soon as they got home. The graph below (Fig 2.2) shows how

people consider to

have changed their

habits because of the

pandemic and have

consequently engaged

in behaviors that

consume more water.

Fig. 2.2
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Some of the positive effects that the pandemic has had over wildlife are that according

to Euronews Living (2020) since people stayed at home due to lockdown and travel

restrictions, some animals have been spotted in cities. Sea turtles were spotted laying

eggs on beaches they once avoided (such as the coast of the Bay of Bengal), due to

the lowered levels of human interference and light pollution. Another positive effect is

that according to Katz (2020), due to the restrictions, in the United States, fatal vehicle

collisions with animals such as deer, elk, moose, bears, mountain lions fell by 58%

during March and April. “If the current slowdown lingers and nationwide traffic remains

on average 50 percent lower for a year, Shilling says, ‘then that’s 500 million

vertebrates that aren’t killed on roads and highways. It's certainly not a small thing for

wildlife.’” (Katz, 2020)

In conclusion, several positive effects happened after the COVID-19 pandemic began,

from a low in air and water pollution, to a benefit for wildlife in general. However, many

of these positive effects could add up to nothing or end up become negative if we are

not careful as to how we return to our normal lives after the pandemic. Other things, like

water consumption have simply worsened due to the global pandemic, so one would

have to compare information to see if there is more light than darkness in regards of

water consumption and pollution. Also, if we simply return to normal and try to recover

all economic loss suffered due to the pandemic, we may end up harming the

environment to a level that we had not even seen before, therefore, whatever actions

we take starting now have to be taken in consideration of our environment so that we

can promote positive change and take advantage of these small victories. It is up to us
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to make a change that will either last a few more months or years, or one that may have

a positive impact on our environment for the rest of our existence.

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Works Cited

Campos, Marcus André Siqueira, et al. “Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Water

Consumption Behaviour.” Water Supply, IWA Publishing, 1 Dec. 2021,

https://iwaponline.com/ws/article/21/8/4058/82385/Impact-of-the-COVID-19-

pandemic-on-water.

Diamond, Caleb. “The Global Impacts of the Coronavirus Outbreak.” The Global

Impacts of the Coronavirus Outbreak | Center for Strategic and International

Studies, 2020, https://www.csis.org/analysis/global-impacts-coronavirus-

outbreak.

Euronews, Living. “While You Stay Home, Animals Roam Free in Our Towns and

Cities.” Euronews, 25 Apr. 2020,

https://www.euronews.com/green/2020/04/25/while-you-stay-home-animals-

roam-free-in-our-towns-and-cities.

European Space Agency. “Deserted Venetian Lagoon.” ESA, 14 Apr. 2020,

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2020/04/Deserted_Venetian_lagoon

Freedman, Andrew, and Lauren Tierney. “The Silver Lining to Coronavirus Lockdowns:

Air Quality Is Improving.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 9 Apr. 2020,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/04/09/air-quality-improving-

coronavirus/.
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Katz, Cheryl. “Roadkill Rates Fall Dramatically as Lockdown Keeps Drivers at Home.”

Animals, National Geographic, 4 May 2021,

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/decline-road-kill-pandemic-

lockdown-traffic.

McMahon, Jeff. “Study: Coronavirus Lockdown Likely Saved 77,000 Lives in China Just

by Reducing Pollution.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 22 Mar. 2020,

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2020/03/16/coronavirus-lockdown-

may-have-saved-77000-lives-in-china-just-from-pollution-reduction/?

sh=2b21775d34fe.

OECD. “The Long-Term Environmental Implications of COVID-19.” OECD, 31 May

2021, https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/the-long-term-

environmental-implications-of-covid-19-4b7a9937/#figure-d1e203.

Picheta, Rob. “People in India Can See the Himalayas for the First Time in 'Decades,'

as the Lockdown Eases Air Pollution.” CNN, Cable News Network, 9 Apr. 2020,

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/himalayas-visible-lockdown-india-scli-intl/

index.html

Zhang, Ruixiong, et al. “NOx Emission Reduction and Recovery during COVID-19 in

East China.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 24 Apr. 2020,

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/11/4/433.