Unit 7

Human Communities and the Environment

Introduction
The rapid increase of the human population is putting an incredible strain on our environment.
One of the factors responsible for environmental degradation is population growth or population
density. In particular, population density plays the most important role in shaping the
socio-economic environment. Its effects are felt on the natural environment also.

Meaning: Demographics, Population, Population Explosion

Demographics: Statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it
Population: All the inhabitants of a particular place.
Population Explosion: A sudden, large increase in the size of a population.

World Population Statistics

1. The world population is the total number of humans currently living, and was estimated
to have reached 7.6 billion people as of May 2018.
2. The highest population growth rates - global population increases above 1.8% per year -
occurred between 1955 and 1975, peaking to 2.06% between 1965 and 1970.
3. The growth rate has declined to 1.18% between 2010 and 2015 and is projected to
decline further in the course of the 21st century.
4. The largest countries in the word in terms of population are China and India, with both
now having populations of well over a billion.
5. The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), generally regarded as the four
major emerging economies expected to dominate in the 21st century, are all in the top
ten most populous countries, indicating how important the sheer size of their populations
are to their economic expansion.

Population in India
1. The population of India represents 17.99 percent of the world's total population which
arguably means that one person in every 6 people on the planet is a resident of India.
2. The country as a whole has a population density of 412 people per square kilometre,
which ranks 31st in the world. In Mumbai, the population density is 21,000 people per
square kilometer.
3. There are 29 states in India. Their populations range massively in size - the largest, Uttar
Pradesh,holds almost 200 million people, the smallest, Sikkim, just over half a million.

India Demographics
1. Data on ethnicity is not collected by the Indian census, although the CIA World Factbook
estimates the population is 72% Indo-Aryan, 25% Dravidian, and 3% Mongoloid and
other.
2. Hinduism is the most common religion in India, accounting for about 80% of the
population. Islam is the second-largest religion at 13% of the population. Other major
religious groups in India are religion Christians (2.3%), Sikhs (1.9%), Buddhists (0.8%)
 and Jains (0.4%). People who claimed no are officially recorded under 'other' by the
census. In 2011, 0.9% of Indians selected the 'No Religion' category.
3. While the number of Indians living in urban areas has increased over the last two
decades, about 67% of people still live in rural areas. In 2011, India had a literacy rate of
74%: 82% for men and 65% for women. The literacy rate varies wildly by state. Bihar is
the least literate with a rate of 63.82%.

Causes of overpopulation
1. Poverty
Poverty is believed to be the leading cause of overpopulation. A lack of educational
resources, coupled with high death rates leading to higher birth rates, result in
impoverished areas seeing large booms in population.
2. Poor contraceptive use
Though the availability of contraceptives is widespread in developed countries, poor
planning on both partners' parts can lead to unexpected pregnancies. Statistics have
shown that in Great Britain 76% of women aged between 16 and 49 used at least one
form of contraceptive, leaving a quarter open to unexpected pregnancies.
3. Child labour
As distressing as it may be to hear, child labor is still used extensively in many parts of
the world. UNICEF estimates that approximately 150 million children are currently
working, primarily in countries that have few child labor laws.
4. Reduced mortality rates
Improvement in medical technology has led to lower mortality rates for many serious
diseases. Particularly dangerous viruses and ailments such as polio, smallpox and
measles have been practically eradicated by such advances.
5. Fertility treatment
Though it only plays a minor role in comparison to the other causes of overpopulation,
improved fertility treatments have made it possible for more people to have children.
6. Immigration
Unchecked immigration into countries may lead to overpopulation to the point where
those countries no longer have the required resources for their population. This is
particularly problematic in countries where immigration numbers far exceed emigration
numbers.

Human population growth and impact on environment,human health and welfare

We humans are remarkable creatures. From our humble beginnings in small pockets of Africa,
we have evolved over millennia colonise almost every corner of our planet. We are clever,
resilient and adaptable. It's no surprise that as the world population continues to grow, the limits
of essential global resources such as potable water, fertile land, forests and fisheries are
becoming more obvious.

Impacts of Population Growth on Environment

Physical environment means - non-living environment or the land, air, water, soil and
minerals.
1. Air and water pollution
As the population grows, more and more forests are cleared. The two most common
reasons for deforestation are to make houses for an increased number of people to live
in, and to use wood as a fuel in the industries. As a result, the trees that help us in
reducing the air pollution through the process of photosynthesis are not able to do so
any more.
2. Deforestation
Forests are an important natural resource of India. They have moderate influence
against floods and thus they protect the soil erosion. Forests also play an important role
in enhancing the quality of the environment by influencing the ecological balance and life
support system (checking soil erosion, maintaining soil fertility, conserving water,
regulating water cycles and floods, balancing carbon dioxide and oxygen content in
atmosphere etc.
3. Depletion of ozone layer
The ozone layer protects the Earth from the ultraviolet rays sent down by the sun. The
Ozone layer has been gradually ruined by the effect of the CFCs. These CFCs were
used as solvents, refrigerants, aerosol propellants, and to blow foam plastics. For this
reason, the use of CFCs in aerosols has been banned everywhere.
4. Extinction of species
Today, human activities are causing a massive extinction of species, the full implications
of which are barely understood. More than 1.1 billion people live in areas that
conservationists consider the richest in non-human species and the most threatened by
human activities. While these areas comprise about 12 percent of the planet's land
surface, they hold nearly 20 of its human population. The population in these biodiversity
hotspots is growing at a collective rate of 1.8 percent annually, compared to the world's
population's annual growth rate of 1.3 percent.
5. Global warming and climate change
Global climate change is identified as one of the greatest threats to the planet.
Governments and scientists alike have agreed that the problem is real and serious.
There is a worldwide consensus among climate scientists that global average
temperature has raised about 1F (0.4C -0.8C) in the past 140 years. The 1990s were the
hottest decade of the entire millennium and the last 5 years were among the seven
hottest on record.
6. Urbanization
Rapid growth of population has led to urbanization which has adversely affected the
environment. Due to population pressure, natural resources in the cities are depleted at
a fast rate due to population pressure.
7. Productivity
Environmental degradation not only harms health but also reduces economic
productivity. Dirty water, inadequate sanitation, air pollution and land degradation are
serious diseases on an enormous scale in developing countries like India.
 8. Industrialisation
Underdeveloped countries are following the policy of heavy industrialisation which is
causing environmental degradation. The establishment of such industries as fertilizers,
iron and steel, chemicals and refineries have led to land, air and water pollution.
9. Generation of Waste
Due to his destructive activities, man has dumped more and more waste into the
environment. As the man-made waste is not transformed, it causes degradation and the
capacity of the environment to absorb more waste is reduced. Further, waste leads to air
and water pollution.

Impact on human health and welfare

As the world population continues to grow, natural resources are under increasing
pressure,threatening public health and social and economic development. In 1992 the Union of
Concerned Scientists issued a World Scientists' Warning to Humanity, signed by 1600
prominent scientists that called attention to threats to life-sustaining natural resources. In 1993 a
Population Summit of 58 of the world's scientific academies voiced concern about the
intertwined problems of rapid population growth, wasteful resource consumption, environmental
degradation and poverty.
1. Environmental Health and Child Survival
Climate change, partly from combustion of greenhouse gases in transportation, industry
and poor energy conservation in housing, fuel, commerce, industry and infectious
diseases such as malaria.
2. Poor Water and Sanitation Access
With 1.1 billion people lacking access to safe drinking water and 2.6 billion without
adequate sanitation, the magnitude of the water and sanitation problem remains
significant. Each contaminated water and poor sanitation contribute to 5.4 billion cases
of diarrhea worldwide and 1.6 million deaths, mostly among children under the age of
five.
3. Indoor Air Pollution
Indoor air pollution-a much less publicized source of poor health-is responsible for more
than 1.6 million deaths per year and for 2.7% of global burden of disease. It is estimated
that half of the world's population, mainly in developing countries, uses solid fuels
(biomass and coal) for household cooking and space heating. Cooking and heating with
such solid fuels on open fires or stoves without chimneys lead to indoor air pollution and
subsequently, respiratory infections.
4. Malaria
Approximately 40% of the world's people-mostly those living in the world's poorest
countries are at risk from malaria. Malaria is an infectious disease spread by mosquitoes
but caused by a single-celled parasite called Plasmodium.
5. Emerging Diseases
Emerging and re-emerging diseases have been defined as infectious diseases of
humans whose occurrence during the past two decades has substantially increased or
threatens to increase in the near future relative to populations affected, geographic
distribution, or magnitude of impacts. Examples include Ebola virus, West Nile virus.
Steps to Control Population in India
1. The Government of India, politicians, policy makers should initiate a bold population
policy so that the economic growth of the country can keep pace with the demands of a
growing population.
2. Major steps which have been already implemented but still need to be emphasised more
to control population.
3. Increasing the welfare and status of women and girls, spread of education, increasing
awareness for the use of contraceptives and family planning methods, sex education,
encouraging male sterilisation and spacing births, free distribution of contraceptives and
condoms among the poor, encouraging female empowerment, more health care centres
for the poor, to name a few, can play a major role in controlling population.
4. India's strengths in the global world in various fields cannot be ignored, whether in
science & technology, medicine and health care, business and industry, military,
communication, entertainment, literature and many more.
5. Experts are hopeful that by increasing public awareness and enlisting strict population
control norms by the Government will definitely lead the way for the country's economic
prosperity and control of population.

Resettlement and rehabilitation of project affected persons; case studies

1. Displacement of people in India is largely triggered by factors such as, development
projects, political conflict setting up Protected Area Networks and Conservation areas
and natural disasters, among others.
2. The International Displacement Monitoring Centre in 2007 revealed that about 50 million
people in India had been displaced due to development projects in over 50 years.
3. A study conducted in six states estimated the figure at around 60 million between 1947-
2000 (Fernandes, 2007; Negi &Ganguly, 2011).
4. The latest data in the website of Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (TDMC) show
that at least 616,140 have been internally displaced in India due to various conflicts as of
April, 2015.
5. The figure for people displaced due to disasters is at least 3,428,000 and there are
about 11,042 political refugees originating from the country as of January, 20141
Although, these approximate figures for displacement in India may be staggering, there
remains no reliable data on the total number of people actually displaced nor the number
of people that have been resettled and rehabilitated.

Meaning: Rehabilitation and resettlement

Rehabilitation: The action of restoring someone to former privileges or reputation after a period
of dis-favour
Resettlement: the settlement of people in a different place.
Projects
Category A
1. Dams and reservoirs; Forestry production projects.
2. Industrial plants (large-scale) and industrial estates.
3. Irrigation, drainage, and flood control (large-scale).
4. Land clearance and levelling.
5. Mineral development (including oil and gas).
6. Port and harbour development.
7. Reclamation and new land development.
8. Resettlement and all projects with potentially major impacts on people.
9. River basin development.
10. Thermal and hydropower development; and
11. Manufacture, transportation, and use of pesticides or other hazardous and/or toxic
materials.
Category B
1. Agro-industries (small-scale).
2. Electrical transmission
3. Aquaculture and marine culture. .
4. Irrigation and drainage (small-scale)
5. Renewable energy. "
6. Rural electrification.
7. Tourism.
8. Rural water supply and sanitation.
9. Watershed projects (management or rehabilitation).
10. Rehabilitation, maintenance, and upgrading projects (small-scale).
Category C
1. Education
2. Family planning
3. Health
4. Nutrition
5. Institutional development Technical assistance
6. Most human resource projects.
The five settlement types:
1. Involuntary resettlement
2. New land settlement
3. Induced development
4. Indigenous peoples
5. Cultural property
 Case studies:

1. The Case study of a village to be affected by the indira sagar pariyojana

Indira Sagar Pariyojana (ISP) has been under planning and construction for decades. Work on
the project has gained momentum in the last decade. Since then, the construction has been on
and off depending on the availability of funds. On 24 April, 2002, an announcement was
published both in Nai Duniya and Dainik Bhaskar1 stating that the village Jabgaon would be
inundated with water in the coming monsoons owing to the increase in the height of the dam.
The village was asked to evacuate the area by 20 May, 2002. In March 2002, with the release of
funds from the Center to the Narmada Hydro Development Corporation, a decision was taken to
increase the height of the dam to 212 m by June 2002. In fact since October 2001, there was a
sudden spurt in announcements of the Section 4 notices of land acquisition in the regional Hindi
newspapers making it evident that the project would soon be underway again. Meanwhile there
had also been reports in the press that the rehabilitation had been lagging behind.

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, which had been following the events in the history of the
construction of this dam, decided to attempt to bring to fore the ground realities regarding the
status of resettlement and rehabilitation of villages affected by this project. It was thought that
the situation would be analysed at 3 points in time: pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon.
Accordingly, 2 visits to this village had been undertaken: the first in the first week of May and the
second in the third week of August. There have been less than normal monsoons this year and
therefore while the village has not been submerged, some farms had been flooded. The Kendra
is a centre set up to monitor, analyse and research water and energy related issues, with a
special focus on the latest developments resulting from the liberalisation, globalisation and
privatisation of the economy. The Centre is located at Badwani, a district town in Madhya
Pradesh five kilometers from the banks of Narmada. While the focus of the work is on water and
energy issues, this will be in the larger context of equitable, just and sustainable development.

2. Uttaranchal's disaster management

Uttaranchal's location and geographical features render it vulnerable to minor changes. Hence
any activity disapproved of by the mountain ecosystem triggers a disaster. One cannot stop
disaster happening but can certainly take some steps to reduce its effects. If disasters cannot be
averted, then reduction of losses of any type caused by disaster becomes a focal point of the
policy for disaster management. To devise Uttaranchal's disaster management mechanism for
reduction of effects of disaster, i.e. damage to property and loss of life and the rapid and
effective rescue, relief and rehabilitation of the victims.

The study reveals that 83 villages in Uttaranchal need rehabilitation but, to date, Uttaranchal
has no resettlement and rehabilitation policy. In India only three States, Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh and Punjab, have state-wide resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) policies. Other
States have issued Government Orders or Resolutions, sometimes sector-wide but more often
for specific projects. The study is based on secondary data; however, sufficient care has been
taken to consider all important factors while suggesting Rehabilitation Policy for Uttaranchal
State. A disaster of rare severity requires a high level of resettlement and rehabilitation
assistance from the State. Sound Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy helps the Government
to tackle the problem immediately and efficiently.

Disaster management: floods, earthquake, cyclones and landslides

A disaster is a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a community
or society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental losses that exceed the
community's or society's ability to cope using its own resources.

Meaning: Disaster
The Disaster Management Act, 2005 defines disaster as "a catastrophe, mishap, calamity or
grave occurrence in any area, arising from natural or man made causes, or by accident or
negligence which results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, and
destruction of, property, or damage to, or degradation of, environment, and is of such a nature
or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of the community of the affected area".

Types of Disaster
1. Natural disaster
According to the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies, Natural
Disasters are naturally occurring physical phenomena caused either by rapid or slow onset
events that have immediate impacts on human health and secondary impacts causing further
death and suffering.
These disasters can be:
1. Geophysical (e.g. Earthquakes, Landslides, Tsunamis and Volcanic Activity)
2. Hydrological (e.g. Avalanches and Floods)
3. Climatological (e.g. Extreme Temperatures, Drought and Wildfires)
4. Meteorological (e.g. Cyclones and Storms/Wave Surges)
5. Biological (e.g. Disease Epidemics and Insect/Animal Plagues)
2. ManMade disasters
Man-Made Disasters as viewed by the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent
Societies are events that are caused by humans which occur in or close to human settlements
often caused as a result of Environmental or Technological Emergencies.
This can include:
1. Environmental Degradation
2. Pollution
3. Accidents (e.g. Industrial, Technological and Transport usually involving the production,
use or transport of hazardous materials)
3. Complex Emergencies
1. Food Insecurity
2. Epidemics
3. Armed Conflicts
4. Displaced Populations
5. Extensive Violence
6. Displacements of Populations
7. Widespread Damage to both Societies and Economies
 8. Need for Large scale, Humanitarian Assistance across Multiple Agencies
9. Political and Military Constraints which impact or prevent Humanitarian Assistance
10. Increased Security Risks for Humanitarian Relief Workers

4. Pandemic emergencies
These emergencies involve a sudden onset of a contagious disease that affects health but also
disrupts services and businesses, bringing economic and social costs.
Disaster Management
Definition: Disaster Management
Disaster Management can be defined as the organization and management of resources and
responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, particular
preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters.
NDMA is operationally organized into the following divisions:
1. Policy & Planning
2. Mitigation
3. Operations & Communications
4. Administration
5. Capacity Building

Floods
Flooding occurs when an extreme volume of water is carried by rivers, creeks and many other
geographical features into areas where the water cannot be drained adequately. Often during
times of heavy rainfall, drainage systems in residential areas are not adequate, or unchecked
civil development severely impedes the functionality of an otherwise acceptable drainage
system. Floods cause extremely large numbers of fatalities in every country, but due to India's
extremely high population density and often under-enforced development standards, a large
amount of damages and many deaths which could be otherwise avoided, are allowed to
happen.

Earthquake
Earthquakes are developed in the outer crust of the earth.
Simply, earthquakes are the rumblings, shaking or rolling of the earth's surface. It is usually
what happens when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another, or break apart from
each other energy resulting from tension caused by prolonged energy build up.

Landslides
Whenever there is a natural disturbance or instability in a piece of land on a hill, slope,
mountain, or generally upland area, there is a potential for a landslide. This is because the earth
material of the hill or mountain is held in place by the natural bonding of the material and the
gravity acting on it This means that, when the earth material loses its bonding, either through
weathering, erosion, or too much water in the bedrock, the weight of the overlying rock will give
way and gravity will pull the earth downhill.
Cyclones
Cyclones can be the most intense storms on Earth. A cyclone is a system of winds rotating
counter clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere around a low pressure centre. The swirling air
rises and cools, creating clouds and precipitation.

Combat the disasters

Disaster Management is a strategic planning and procedure that is administered and employed
to protect critical infrastructures (also known as "critical assets") from severe damages when
natural or human made calamities and catastrophic even occur.

Emergency Management
Emergency Management is the generic name of an interdisciplinary field dealing with the
strategic organization management processes used to protect assets of an organization from
hazard risks that can cause disasters or catastrophes, and to ensure the continuance of the
organization within their planned lifetime
Emergency Management is organized into four phases:
1. Mitigation: actions taken to eliminate a hazard or reduce its potential impact.
2. Preparedness: planning for major emergencies, including training and exercises
3. Response: actions taken in response to emergencies.
4. Recovery: actions taken after a disaster to restore services and reconstruct
communities.

Resilience and Prevention

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) have resilience and prevention efforts, initiatives, and programs
as part of Emergency Management. Resilience defines the goal of mitigation, preparedness,
response, and recovery, which is the capability to recover from catastrophe or misfortune.
Prevention is totally avoiding danger or risky events.
1. Mitigation
Mitigation is the effort to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of
disasters (FEMA, 2010). FEMA's Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration
(FIMA) manages the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and imprements a
variety of programs authorized by Congress to reduce losses that may result from
natural disasters (FEMA, 2010).
2. Preparedness
Preparedness is way of mitigating unwanted outcome and it is one of the crucial actions
in achieving safety and security in the event of calamities, disasters, and terrorism.
3. Response
An emergency response plan must provide the resources and information needed to
evaluate the human and environmental health impacts of the event, assess and reduce
human exposures to contaminants, and develop science-based strategies for
remediation and rebuilding.
 4. Recovery
Once immediate lifesaving operations are accomplished, the focus changes to assisting
the critical infrastructures involved in the incidents and recovery (Doro-on, 2011).
Recovery efforts are primarily concerned with actions that involve rebuilding destroyed
property, re-employment, and the repair of other essential infrastructure.
5. Tools
Various types of tools are available to assist emergency response teams and
professionals. In 2009, the US Agency for International Development created a
web-based tool for estimating populations impacted by disasters. Called Population
Explorer the tool uses Land scan population data, developed by Oak Ridge National
Laboratory, to distribute population at a resolution 1 km2 for all countries in the world
(Wikipedia, 2011).

Other Non-Profit Organizations

1. United Nations
The United Nations (UN) has programs to assist any nation in mitigating the effect of
disasters and enhancing the capacity of training institutions and government to develop
strategic plans for disaster management. The UN provides guidelines and policies for
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).
2. Red Cross
Red Cross/Red Crescent (RC) provides a web-based tool for their personnel including
disaster trends, tools, and databases. RC has standard operating procedures to aid
affected areas during disasters. Also, they provide immediate funding and food supplies
for victims of poverty and disasters as depicted.
3. World Bank
The World Bank has provided support for disaster management to countries affected by
major disasters. These include post-disaster reconstruction projects, as well as projects
with components aimed at preventing and mitigating disaster impacts, in countries such
as Argentina, Bangladesh, Colombia, Haiti, India, Mexico, Turkey and Vietnam to name
only a few (World Bank, 2011).
4. European Union
Since 2001, the EU adopted Community Mechanism ple may Civil Protection which
started to play a significant role on the global scene. Mechanisms main aim is to facilitate
cooperation in civil protection assistance interventions in the event of major emergencies
which may require urgent response actions.

International Recovery Platform

The International Recovery Platform (IRP) was conceived at the World Conference on Disaster
Reduction (WCDR) in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan in January 2005. As a thematic platform of the
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) system, IRP is a key pillar for the
implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of
Nations and Communities to Disasters, a global plan for disaster risk reduction for the decade
adopted by 168 governments at the WCDR.
Environmental movements: Chipko, Silent valley, Bishnois of Rajasthan
An environmental movement can be defined as a social or political movement, for the
conservation of the environment or for the improvement of the state of the environment. The
environmental movements favor the sustainable management of natural resources.

Major Environmental Movements in India

1. Bishnoi Movement
Amrita Devi, a female villager, could not bear to witness the destruction of both her faith and the
village's sacred trees. She hugged the trees and encouraged others to do the same. 363
Bishnoi villagers were killed in this movement. The Bishnoi tree martyrs were influenced by the
teachings of Guru Maharaj Jambaji, who founded the Bishnoi faith in 1485 and set forth
principles forbidding harm to trees and animals. The king who came to know about these events
rushed to the village and apologized, ordering the soldiers to cease logging operations. Soon
afterwards, the maharajah designated the Bishnoi state as a protected area, forbidding harm to
trees and animals. This legislation still exists today in the region.
a. Year: 1700
b. Place: Khejarli, Marwar region, Rajasthan state.
c. Leaders: Amrita Devi along with Bishnoi villagers in Khejarli and surrounding villages.
d. Aim: Save sacred trees from being cut down by the king's soldiers for a new palace.
2. Chipko Movement
Mr. Bahuguna enlightened the villagers by conveying the importance of trees in the environment
which checks the erosion of soil, causes rains and provides pure air. The women of Advani
village of Tehri-Garhwal tied the sacred thread around trunks of trees and they hugged the
hence it was called 'Chipko Movement' or 'hug the tree movement'. The main demand of the
people in these protests was that the benefits of the forests (especially the right to fodder)
should go to local people. The Chipko movement gathered momentum in 1978 when the
women faced police firings and other tortures. The then state Chief Minister, Hemwati Nandan
Bahuguna set up a committee to look into the matter, which eventually ruled in favor of the
villagers. This became a turning point in the history of eco-development struggles in the region
and around the world.
a. Year: 1973
b. Place: In Chamoli district and later at Tehri-Garhwal district of Uttarakhand.
c. Leaders: Sundarlal Bahuguna, Gaura Devi, Sudesha Devi, Bachni Devi, Chandi Prasad
Bhatt, Govind Singh Rawat, Dhoom Singh Negi, Shamsher Singh Bisht and Ghanasyam
Raturi.
d. Aim: The main objective was to protect the trees on the Himalayar slopes from the axes
of contractors of the forest.
3. Save Silent Valley Movement
The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) proposed a hydroelectric dam across the
Kunthipuzha River that runs through Silent Valley. In February 1973, the Planning Commission
approved the project at a cost of about Rs 25 crores. Many feared that the project would
submerge 8.3 sq km of untouched moist evergreen forest. Several NGOs strongly opposed the
project and urged the government to abandon it. In January 1981, bowing to unrelenting public
pressure, Indira Gandhi declared that Silent Valley will be protected. In June 1983 the Center
re-examined the issue through a commission chaired by Prof. M.G.K. Menon. In November
1983 the Silent Valley Hydroelectric Project was called off. In 1985, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
formally inaugurated the Silent Valley National Park.
a. Year: 1978
b. Place: Silent Valley, an evergreen tropical forest in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India.
c. Leaders: The Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) an NGO, and the poet-activist
Sughathakumari played an important role in the Silent Valley protests.
d. Aim: In order to protect the Silent Valley, the moist evergreen forest from being
destroyed by a hydroelectric project.
4. Appiko Movement
It can be said that the Appiko movement is the southern version of the Chipko movement. The
Appiko Movement was locally known as "Appiko Chaluvali". The locals embraced the trees
which were to be cut by contractors of the forest department. The Appiko movement used
various techniques to raise awareness such as foot marches in the interior forest, slide shows,
folk dances, street plays etc. The second area of the movement's work was to promote
afforestation on denuded lands. The movement later focused on the rational use of the
ecosphere through introducing alternative energy resources to reduce pressure on the forest.
The movement became a success. The current status of the project is stopped.
a. Year: 1983
b. Place: Uttara Kannada and Shimoga districts of Karnataka State
c. Leaders: Appiko's greatest strengths lie in it being neither driven by a personality nor
having been formally institutionalized. However, it does have a facilitator in Pandurang
Hegde. He helped launch the movement in 1983.
d. Aim: Against the felling and commercialization of natural forest and the ruin of ancient
livelihood.
5. Narmada Bachao Andholan (NBA)
The movement first started as a protest for not providing proper rehabilitation and resettlement
for the people who have been displaced by the construction of Sardar Sarovar Dam. Later on,
the movement turned its focus on the preservation of the environment and the eco-systems of
the valley. Activists also demanded the height of the dam to be reduced to 88 m from the
proposed height of 130m. The World Bank withdrew from the project.
The environmental issue was taken into court. In October 2000, the Supreme Court gave a
judgment approving the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam with a condition that height of
the dam could be raised to 90 m. This height is much higher than the 88 m which antidam
activists demanded, but it is definitely lower than the proposed height of 130 m. The project is
now largely financed by the state governments and market borrowings. The project is expected
to be fully completed by 2025.
Although not successful, as the dam could not be prevented, the NBA has created an anti-big
dam opinion in India and outside. It questioned the paradigm of development. As a democratic
movement, it followed the Gandhian way 100 percent.
a. Year: 1985
b. Place: Narmada River, which flows through the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and
Maharashtra.
 c. Leaders: Medha Patker, Baba Amte, adivasis, farmers, environmentalists and human
rights activists.
d. Aim: A social movement against a number of large dams being built across the Narmada
River.
6. Tehri Dam
Tehri dam attracted national attention in the 1980 and 1990. The major objections include,
seismic sensitivity of the region, submergence of forest areas along with Tehri town etc. Despite
the support from other prominent leaders like Sunderlal Bahuguna, the movement has failed to
gather enough popular support at national as well as international levels.
a. Year: 1990
b. Place: Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand.
c. Leaders: Sundrlal Bahuguna
d. Aim: The protest was against the displacement of town inhabitants and environmental
consequences of the weak ecosystem.

Environmental ethics: Role of Indian and other religions and cultures in environmental
conservation
Nature has always been very vibrant, giving and resilient to a very large extent. We, as Indians,
take pride in our strong cultural heritage. Religion protects and nurtures nature. If we take a look
at Hinduism, we worship the sun, wind, land, trees, plants, and water which is the very base of
human survival. Likewise, respect and conservation of wildlife-garuda, lion, peacock, and
snake-are part of our cultural ethos from time immemorial. Almost the entire living of God Ram
and Goddess Sita was very close to nature. Further, ancient texts written in Sanskrit, Pali or
other languages can provide significant details.

Meaning: Environmental Ethics

Environmental ethics is the discipline in philosophy that studies the moral relationship of human
beings to, and also the value and moral status of, the environment and its non-human contents.

Hinduism
1. It is said that Hindusthan is an environmentally sensitive philosophy.
2. The main reason for this sensitivity Mut everything is part of the Supreme Being
According to Indian philosophical tradition, the of man, animal, the flora and the fauna,
everything is existing only because the elements k of everything is similar.
3. They comprise the sky (akasa), air (vayu), fire or energy (Agni), water e) and soil
(Prithvi).
4. So our perception of nature was a thing to be experienced, not a thing to be ted. In all
the Indian philosophical systems there is not a single instance of antagonism towards
Whether it is Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata or Puranas, all preach about
the relation between man and nature.
5. For an Indian, starting from a stone to the animal, everything is to be worshiped.
6. Hindu and Philosophy is expressed as 'Forest culture.
7. This forest culture or Aranya Sanskriti started from this period.
 8. The importance given to trees and to forests is clearly mentioned in Vedas, since forests
played a vital role in shaping the culture of ancient man.
9. It taught him the most important lessons that made him survive on his own terms,
educated him in the importance of human collectivism, domesticated animals and fruit
bearing trees made him to believe that he is one among nature's sons.
10. Vasudha' means “this earth”, while 'kutumba’ means “extended family” including human
beings, animals and all living beings.

Jainism
Jainism is strictly an ethical philosophy whose sole aim is liberation. To attain certain values,
which includes conquering and control of passions and desires. Jainism discusses the ways and
means to conquer our passions and desires.
The moral principles and laws for monkdom are known as 'Great vows' or maha-vrata and of the
common people as 'small vows' or anuvrata.
The five vows are as follows
1. Ahimsa (non-violence)
2. Satya (Truth)
3. Asteya (non-stealing)
4. Brahmacharya (celibacy)
5. Aparigraha (No attachment to possessions)

Buddhism
The term 'Buddha' itself asks everyone to wake up and open their eyes towards the realities. It
also means that Buddha is an awakened person who clearly understands the real nature of all
things in the world.
"The Buddhist community all over the world has extended popular ritual at Bodhi- Pooja, which
is performed by pouring water to the root of Bodhi tree and paying respect to it, and other
species at the tree. This virtually has helped to preserve the trees even during droughts as well
as from human destruction.

The whole of Buddha's philosophy may be summarized in his concept of four noble
truths
1. There is suffering (duhkha)
2. There is a cause of suffering (dukkha-samudaya)
3. There is a cessation of suffering (dukkha-nirodha)
4. There is a way leading to this cessation of suffering (duhkhanirodha - gamini pratipati)
pratipat)

Importance of environmental ethics

1. Environmental ethics makes us aware of the indiscriminate and nefarious human
activities.
2. We inculcate moral values towards nature and learn to respect various life forms through
environmental ethics.
 3. Environmental ethics is concerned with the issue of responsible personal conduct with
respect to natural landscapes, resources, species, and non human organisms.
4. Conduct with respect to persons is, of course, the direct concern of moral philosophy as
such.

Environmental communication and public awareness

Environmental Communication
Environmental communication refers to the study and practice of how individuals, institutions,
societies, and cultures craft, distribute, receive, understand, and use messages about the
environment and human interactions with the environment. This includes a wide range of
possible interactions, from interpersonal communication to virtual communities, participatory
decision making, and environmental media coverage.

Some of these categories are:

● use of the media, awareness raising campaigns, incorporation of environmental issues in
mainstream education, increasing awareness and education in target groups and
encouragement of public participation in environmental matters.
● Celebrities' environmental campaigns; and other individuals and institutions could also
be a means of reaching people. Moreover, educational and awareness efforts can target
practically any sector of society. They can seek to raise public awareness broadly on
environmental issues or they may be a targeted campaign or educational effort focused
on a specific sector (or target audience) on a specific issue.

Public awareness
1. Government should organize Environmental Education campaign programmes for
children, youth, men and women. The state government should establish appropriate
funding mechanisms for raising public awareness of environmental education.
2. Government officials can make significant contributions to improve public awareness of
environmental education.
3. NGOs (at national and community levels) should initiate and help by awareness
campaigns to save the environment.
4. Ban the littering of polythene cannot be successful until the public understands the
environmental implications of the same.
5. Proper methods of disposal and its treatment should be applied otherwise they can be
the causes of chronic diseases. When sewage is applied continuously on a part of land,
the pores or voids of the soil are clogged and free circulation of air is prevented.
6. Humans are responsible for depletion of the natural resources; degradation of the vital
life supporting systems (like air, water, soil, etc.); ecological imbalance; deteriorated
environment, etc. By exercising following actions, humans can protect global
environment for sustainable development:
a. Preserve forest cover: Humans should minimize cutting of trees and using timber for
aesthetic pleasure such as decoration of drawing rooms.
b. Preserve natural resources: Human should not extract unnecessarily and exhaustively
the natural resources such as mineral resources, water resources, etc.
 c. Conserve energy: Human should not harness too much energy from burning of fossil
d. Maintain ecological balance: Humans should exploit synergy between green revolution
and industrial evolution by compulsory growing green belts around industrial areas,
maintaining wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.
e. Practice green technology: Everyone from a farmer in the village to a policy planner in
the government should use green technology that incorporates: treatment of air
emissions, treatment of waste waters, waste reduction, waste or emission management,
use of non-conventional, renewable energy resources like solar energy on priority, etc

Case studies

1. CNG vehicles in Delhi

Not very long ago in 1993, during the English cricket tour of India, when the visitors lost a
match, they attributed part of their loss to the air pollution in Delhi - the capital city of
India.Perhaps they were bad losers, but we must admit that the pollution levels were
dangerously high enough for it to be listed amongst the world's most polluted cities. Vehicular
emissions, which accounted for 70% of the air pollution, would morph into deadly smog during
the foggy winters resulting in an increase in respiratory illnesses, with children and senior
citizens being the worst affected. With the economy shifting gears around the same time amidst
increasing middle class aspirations, with about 500 new vehicles being added every day, a
turnaround seemed highly improbable.

Ever since then, Delhi has won the US Department of Energy's first 'Clean Cities International
Partner of the Year' award in 2003 for "bold efforts to curb air pollution and support alternative
fuel initiatives". In a unique display of judicial activism, the Supreme Court of India ordered the
responsible government to switch its public-transit system to a cleaner-burning fuel in response
to citizens' concerns about air pollution. Buoyed by the public pressure, the government of New
Delhi reluctantly, as is typical of a developing nation, compiled and enforced regulations to
convert its entire fleet of diesel and gasoline dependent public transport systems to
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by 2002. It's funny to note that the court actually slapped a fine
of about $450 on the Union government, for repeatedly seeking a modification in the order. To
its credit, once the government set about preparing a comprehensive action plan by passing the
desired legislation and setting up the infrastructure necessary for such a transition, it earned the
recognition of drafting one amongst the top 12 best policies in the world, as per a study
conducted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and E3G .

Between 2000 and 2008, the Carbon emissions plummeted by 72%, while the SO₂ emissions
decreased by 57% on account of 3500 CNG buses, 12000 taxis, 65000 auto rickshaws (tuk
tuks) and 5000 mini buses plying on CNG [1]. CNG is mainly composed of methane, which
upon combustion mainly emits CO₂ and H₂O and being lighter disperses very quickly, whereas
gasoline and diesel being more complex, emit more harmful emissions such as NOX and SOX.
Owing to the recent volatility in the oil prices and continued patronage of CNG by the
government by way of subsidies, the general public has begun to increasingly incorporate CNG
kits in their private vehicles, which facilitates them to run on dual fuel mode. Encouraged by the
public response, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has set about an ambitious plan of
bringing 200 cities under the supply network of CNG and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) by 2015 [5].
For a country which depends on 70% of oil imports, the recent indigenous gas discoveries
AECC Environmental Studies

in the K.G Basin and elsewhere have only brightened our outlook for lesser dependence foreign
oil, enabling us to save valuable foreign exchange. In view of growing awareness for cleaner air
and climate change, there's many lessons to be learnt from Delhi's resurgence.

(The Delhi government plans to introduce a 50% rebate on road tax for people buying factory
fitted CNG cars to increase sales as it attempts to curb vehicular pollution, according to
transport minister Kailash Gahlot, Reported on Aug 2018)
Issues:
● Supply of Natural gas
● Vehicle efficiency
● Gas storage facility in vehicle

2. Odd-even scheme: Women, CNG cars, bikes likely to be exempted

The Govt. said that according to the plan, owners of CNG-fitted cars will need to show
prescribed stickers. Violation of the odd-even rule will attract a penalty of Rs 2,000.

"Vehicles from other states entering Delhi will also come under the ambit of odd-even scheme.
Earlier this month, Kejriwal had announced that he, his ministers and all government officials will
follow an odd-even scheme. To curb rising pollution levels in the national capital, the Delhi
government has decided to introduce an odd-even scheme to be implemented starting from
January 1. A trial of the scheme will run till January 15. (24 Dec 2015,)