Major current and future

environmental crises

Lecturer: Gerald Atampugre, PhD

• An environment is generally defined as the surrounding
or condition in which a person, animal or plant survives or
operates. From this, it must be relatively easy for one to
comprehend its importance in the famed cycle of life.

• Our environment is constantly changing, and as our

environment changes so does the need to become
increasingly aware of the environmental issues that are
causing these changes.

• With a massive increase in natural disasters, warming and

cooling periods, and different types of weather patterns,
people need to be a lot more cautious with the way they
lead their lives in conjunction with the types of
environmental issues/crises our planet is facing.
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES/CRISES

 Pollution of Air, Water and

Land

 Hazardous Chemicals

and Wastes

 Land Degradation

 Loss of Biodiversity

 Climate Change
POLLUTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL

POLLUTION
THE OF
earth
AIR POLLUTION
Definition:
the emission of any
impurity into the air,
such as smoke
(including tobacco
smoke), dust, cinders,
solid particles,
gases, mists, fumes,
odours and
radioactive
substances.

Air pollution and smoke in

Inner Mongolia
WATER POLLUTION

Ground Surface
water water
Water
Pollution

Marine
Surface Water Pollution
Ground Water Pollution
Marine Water Pollution
Land Pollution: Plastic bag and general waste
dump beside communal toilets on riverbank
MAJOR CONCERNS
CAUSE ILLNESS
AND DEATH

PEACE AND SECURITY DAMAGE TO

HABITAT AND
ECOSYSTEMS

TRANSBOUNDARY IMPACTS
- Acid rain
- Haze pollution
- Water pollution
LOSS OF PLANT
- Nuclear fallout
AND ANIMAL LIFE

ECONOMIC
CONSEQUENCES LOSS OF NATURAL
RESOURCES
MAJOR CAUSES OF POLLUTION

AGRICULTURAL
RUN OFFS
EMISSIONS /
DISCHARGES FROM UNCLEAN
INDUSTRY, TECHNOLOGY
TRANSPORT AND
ENERGY PRODUCTION

INADEQUATE NON-
POLICIES AND IMPLEMENTATIO
LEGAL REGIMES N OF AMBIENT
QUALITY
STANDARDS
REMEDIAL MEASURES
AMBIENT
STANDARD
S

TECHNOLOGY DISCHARGE
TRANSFER
STANDARD
S

CLEANER
PRODUCTION
HAZARDOUS WASTES AND CHEMICALS

CHEMICALS
HAZARDOUS IN
WASTES INTERNATION
TRADE
AL
HAZARDOUS
WASTES
AND
CHEMICALS

PERSISTENT
ORGANIC POLLUTANTS
MAJOR CONCERNS
TRANSPORT
INTERNATIONA
AND DISPOSAL
ILLEGAL DUMPING L TRADE IN
OF HAZARDOUS
HAZARDOUS
WASTES
CHEMICALS

PERSISTENCE AND
BIO- CAUSE OF
ACCUMULATION CAUSE OF SERIOUS DAMAGE
OF CERTAIN SERIOUS HEALTH TO WATER
ORGANIC PROBLEMS AND SOURCES AND
POLLUTANTS DEATH ENVIRONMENT
MAJOR CAUSES
PRODUCTION, USE AND DISPOSAL
OF CHEMICALS INCLUDING
PESTICIDES

GENERATION AND DISPOSAL

OF HAZARDOUS WASTES

IRRESPONSIBLE INTERNATIONAL
TRADE IN HAZARDOUS
CHEMICALS AND WASTES

PRODUCTION AND USE OF

PERSISTENT ORGANIC
POLLUTANTS
LAND DEGRADATION
MAJOR CONCERNS

LOWER SOIL DISRUPTION OF

PRODUCTIVITY WATER CYCLE

FORCED POOR WATER

MIGRATIO RETENTION
N
LACK OF FOOD
POVERTY
SECURITY

DROUGHT
MAJOR CAUSES
OVER-CROPPING

OVER-GRAZING

LAND CONVERSION

DEFORESTATION

SOIL POLLUTION THROUGH INDUSTRY

AND AGRICULTURE

EROSION
LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY

Major concerns

Remedial
Major causes Biodiversity measures?
loss

National measures
for Remediation?
WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY?
VARIABILITY AMONG LIVING ORGANISMS

WITHIN

SPECIES

OF
ECOSYSTEMS
MAJOR CONCERNS
Loss of species

Loss of genetic resources

Agricultural vulnerability

Habitat destruction

Loss of ecosystems

Introduction of disease and invasive species

via smuggling
MAJOR CAUSES

LAND
OVER HARVESTING CONVERSION
DEFORESTATIO
N

CHEMICALS
AND
PESTICIDES ILLEGAL TRADE CLIMATE CHANGE
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

• Climate change as a natural phenomenon

• Human contributions
• “Climate change refers to any significant change in the measures
of climate lasting for an extended period of time. In other
words, climate change includes major changes in temperature,
precipitation, or wind patterns, among other effects, that occur
over several decades or longer”

• “Climate variability refers to the decadal or yearly or seasonal

fluctuation of climate elements (e.g. rainfall, temperature,
humidity, etc.) above or below a long-term average.” (IPCC, 2012:
p5)

• “Climate Extreme (extreme weather or climate event) is the

occurrence of a value of a weather or climate variable above (or
below) a threshold value near the upper (or lower) ends of the
range of observed values of the variable.” (IPCC 2012: p5)
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MAJOR SOURCES OF GREENHOUSE
GASES

NATURA ENERGY
L PRODUCTI ON
CAUSES

GREENHOUSE
DOMESTIC GAS INDUSTRY
EMISSIONS
SOURCES

LAND USE
AND TRANSPORT
ANIMAL
HUSBANDR
Y
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS