Dynamics of a Community

Table of Contents
1. Environment Resources Management
1.1 Definition 3.1 Definition of

1.2 Concept A. Denuded Area

2. Waste B. Degraded Area

2.1 Definition C. Restoration

2.2 Concept 3.2 Ways of restoring Denude and Degraded Areas

2.3 Type 4. Protection of:

2.4 Proper Disposal 4.1 Air

3. Restoration of Denude and degrade Areas 4.2 Water

1. Environment Resource
Management
an environmental resource is any material, service, or information from
t h e e n v i ro n m e n t t h a t i s v a l u a b l e t o s o c i e t y.
Environmental resources can be classified as renewable, non-renewable and
continuous.
Renewable Environmental Resources
 are those which are, or can be, renewed within a relatively short time.

• Ex. solar energy, wind, falling water, the heat of the earth (geothermal), plant materials (biomass),
waves, ocean currents, temperature differences in the oceans and the energy of the tides.
Non-renewable environmental resources
 Non-renewable environmental resources- are those that cannot be renewed.
• Ex. oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy.
Continuous Environmental Resources
• are those, such as solar or wind energy, whose availability is unaffected by their use by humans.

Ex. solar energy, rainfall, wind and wave action.

Ways to conserve Natural Resources at Home
1. Use less water.
2. Turn off the lights.
3. Use renewable energy.
4. Recycle.
5. Compost.
6. Choose reusable goods.
7. Manage your thermostat.
8. Thrift shop.
2. WASTE
- are Unwanted or Unusable Materials.
- Any Substance Which Is Discarded After Primary Use, or is worthless,
Defective and of no Use.
Waste Management
-refers collectively to the collection, transportation, handling and disposal process of dealing with
removal of human waste. Waste management, generally, covers all aspects of human waste including
waste reduction.
Concept:

• The rate and volume of garbage produced have both increased in recent years. As the number of
garbage grows, so does the diversity of waste.
• As a result of the industrial revolution, people began to migrate from rural areas to cities in the
sixteenth century, resulting in a significant increase in garbage output.
• Although, waste is an essential product of human activities, it is also the result of inefficient
production processes whose continuous generation is a loss of vital resources.
• Despite the subjective character of wastes, it is critical to define precisely what constitutes a
waste. This is because a material's designation as a trash will serve as the foundation for the rules
needed to protect the public and the environment where waste is processed or disposed of.
Types of Waste

1. BIODEGRADABLE WASTE
2. NON- BIODEGRADABLE WASTE
3. RECYCLING OF WASTE
Biodegradable Waste
These are the wastes that come from our kitchen and it includes food remains, garden
waste, etc. Biodegradable waste is also known as moist waste. This can be composted
to obtain manure. Biodegradable wastes decompose themselves over a period of time
depending on the material.
Non-Biodegradable Waste

These are the wastes which include old newspapers, broken glass pieces, plastics, etc. Non-
biodegradable waste is known as dry waste. Dry wastes can be recycled and can be reused. Non-
biodegradable wastes do not decompose by themselves and hence are major pollutants.
Recycling of Waste
Recycling of waste product is very important as this process helps in processing waste or used products
into useful or new products. Recycling helps in controlling air, water, and land pollution. It also uses less
energy.
Decomposition of Biodegradable Waste

Biodegradable waste can be decomposed

and converted into organic matter with the
help of different processes:

 Composting
This is the method in which waste can
be decomposed and converted into organic
matter by burying them in the compost
pits. The wastes are composed by the
action of bacteria and fungi.
• Vermicomposting

This method involves

decomposition of organic matter
into fertile manure with the help
of red worms. This manure is
known as vermicompost.
Chemical Waste
Chemical wastes are wastes that are made from harmful chemicals which are mostly
produced in large factories. Chemical wastes may or may not be hazardous. A chemical
waste which is hazardous can be solid, liquid or gaseous and will show hazardous
characteristics like toxicity, corrosivity, ignitability, and reactivity.
Proper Disposal
- involves committing to waste segregation.
- the collection, processing, and recycling or deposition
o f t h e w a s t e m a t e r i a l s o f h u m a n s o c i e t y.
PROPER DISPOSAL OF WASTE METHODS

1. WASTE SEGREGATION
-Keeping wet and dry wastes separately, so that dry can be recycled and wet
waste can be composted.
 Biodegradable – waste or garbage that can be broken down or decomposed.
 Non-biodegradable – waster or garbage that cannot be broken down or
decomposed.
2. 3R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
 Reduce - lessening the amount of trash/garbage produced.
 Reuse- using materials repeatedly.
 Recycle– using materials to make new products.
3.Restoration of Denude and
Degraded Areas
Land restoration is the process of ecological restoration of a site to
a natural landscape and habitat, safe for humans, wildlife, and plant
communities

Land restoration can enhance the supply of valuable ecosystem

services that benefit people.
A. Denuded Area means a portion of land surface on which the vegetation or other soil stabilization features
have been removed, destroyed or covered and which may result in or contribute to erosion and sedimentation.
B. Degraded Area refers to areas with low carbon stocks. These areas typically have minimal tree cover and an
absence of peat, so they do not contain or sequester as much carbon as natural forests do.

C. Restoration made to resemble or represent something in its original condition, It includes activities to assist
the recovery of ecosystem structure and function, and the associated provision of goods and services.
Ways of restoring Denuded and Degraded
Area
Agro-silvicultural methods
These are practiced to restore the soil fertility. The traditional system under rainfed conditions, is to
restore the lost
Fertility through bush fallow system. Vegetation. mainly bushes, colonize the area naturally.
Shelterbelts
These are used to protect both irrigated and rainfed farms. Their main function at present is to
protect valuable agricultural land and irrigation canals from creeping sands.

Plantation on seriously degraded irrigated or rainfed crop land

Salinization is of common occurrence in irrigated lands, plantations of eucalyptus were
established in some of these degraded lands to bring them back to production.
The product is to be used to establish wood-based industries.
Use Of Organic Farming Techniques
A. Green manure and cover crops
It serves as mulch to the soil preventing the soil from wind/water erosion and moisture
loss.
They also increase the soil organic matter content as they decompose in the soil.

B. Organic compost:
It is a mixture of decomposed plant parts and animal waste.
Benefits:
 Increases soil organic
 Improves soil fertility, the soil structure and its water holding capacity
Its also sequesters carbon in the soil
C. Crop rotation:
This is a farming practice which involves growing different types of crops in one location
sequentially.
This practice reduce soil erosion, increases the soil fertility and subsequently crop yield.
4. Protection of:
• Protection of air - environmental protection activity involving the construction, maintenance and
operation of facilities for the reduction of emissions into ambient air
• Protection of water - includes a wide variety of actions and activities aimed at safeguarding, maintaining,
or improving the quality and/or quantity of sources of drinking water and their contributing areas.
Air Pollution
• Air pollution can contain a mixture of solid particles, liquid droplets
and gases from a variety of sources such as industry, motor vehicles,
heating appliances, and tobacco smoke.
• Air pollution can be classified in to two sections;

1. Visible air Pollution - Pollutants which are visible to our naked

eyes are

2. Non-visible air pollution – releases into the air when fossil, coal, oil
and gas are burnt.
Water Pollution
• Chemicals contaminate streams, river, lake, ocean, or other body of water, degrading water quality and
rendering it toxic to humans or the environment.

Categories of water pollution:

• Ground water - Groundwater can also spread contamination far from the original polluting source as it
seeps into streams, lakes, and oceans.

• Surface water - surface water is what fills our oceans, lakes, rivers, and all those other blue bits on the
world map.
How it affects the environment:
1. Respiratory and heart problems -

2. Child health problems - children are at a greater risk of short term respiratory infections and pulmonary
diseases in areas exposed to air pollutants.

3. Global Warming - gradual increase in the earth's temperature

4. Depletion of the ozone layer – the thinning of the ozone layer present in the upper atmosphere

5. Acid rain – increasing measure of pH

Effects of water pollution on the environment:
 Disease. The WHO estimates that about 2 billion people have no option but to drink water contaminated
by excrement

 Infant mortality. According to the UN, diarrheal diseases linked to lack of hygiene cause the death of
about 1,000 children a day worldwide.

 Kills aquatic organism – mass killing

Ways to reduce the air pollution:
a. Using public transports – use more public mode of transportation.
b. Reduce, recycle and reuse – know the concept of 3Rs
c. No to plastic bags - use of paper bags instead is a better alternative as they decompose easily
and are recyclable.
d. Plant trees - plant and grow as many trees as possible
e. Conserve Energy – a large number of fossil fuels are burnt to produce electricity.
Ways to reduce water pollution:

a. Dispose of toxic chemical properly

b. Eating organic products
c. Avoid using plastic containers
d. Practice water conservation