Issues – Air Pollution, Water Scarcity and Deforestation

Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or
biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Household combustion
devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires are common sources of air pollution.

Sources of Air Pollution

Pollution enters the Earth's atmosphere in many different ways. Most air pollution is created by people,
taking the form of emissions from factories, cars, planes, or aerosol cans. Second-hand cigarette smoke
is also considered air pollution. These man-made sources of pollution are called anthropogenic sources.

Some types of air pollution, such as smoke from wildfires or ash from volcanoes, occur naturally. These
are called natural sources.

Air pollution is most common in large cities where emissions from many different sources are
concentrated. Sometimes, mountains or tall buildings prevent air pollution from spreading out. This air
pollution often appears as a cloud making the air murky. It is called smog. The word "smog" comes from
combining the words "smoke" and "fog."

Air pollution affects all things. It is harmful to our health, and it impacts the environment by reducing
visibility and blocking sunlight, causing acid rain, and harming forests, wildlife, and agriculture.
Greenhouse gas pollution, the cause of climate change, affects the entire planet.

https://www.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution#tab=tab_1

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/air-pollution

https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/air-quality/effects-air-pollution

Water Scarcity- Water scarcity can be defined as a lack of sufficient water, or not having access to safe
water supplies.

Water is a pressing need in many areas of the world. That scarcity is spreading as water is needed to
grow and process food, create energy, and serve industry for a continually growing population. Climate
change is a key contributing factor. There are two types of water scarcity, these are Physical Water
Scarcity and Economic Water Scarcity

Physical scarcity occurs when the demand of the population exceeds the available water resources of a
region. Economic water scarcity occurs when water is adequate, but is unavailable due to a lack of
significant investment in water infrastructure (IWMI, 2000; Rijsberman, 2006).

https://www.fluencecorp.com/what-is-water-scarcity/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/physical-water-
scarcity#:~:text=Physical%20scarcity%20occurs%20when%20the,2000%3B%20Rijsberman%2C
%202006).

Deforestation - Deforestation is the purposeful clearing of forested land. Throughout history and into
modern times, forests have been razed to make space for agriculture and animal grazing, and to obtain
wood for fuel, manufacturing, and construction. Deforestation has greatly altered landscapes around
the world.

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/deforestation