Module VI: Social Issues

From Unsustainable to Sustainable

development
• The development without thinking about the ill-affects on
the biotic and abiotic factors leads to unsustainability

• E.g. Overuse of coal and oil may lead to total loss of fossil
fuels

• Unless we find alternatives for the same, the future

generation will have to survive without energy resources
 Sustainable Development
Introduction
The term sustainable development was introduced by the
World Commission on Environment and Development
(The Brundtland Commission), in its seminar report of
1987, Our Common Future.

Sustainable development is defined as development that

meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs.
In understanding this concept we very often encounter two
terms- sustainable and development.
 Sustainable Development

Sustainable :The literal meaning of sustainability is “that can be

maintained”.
In ecological sense it refers to “conservation of ecological balance
by avoiding depletion of natural resources”.
Development:The literal meaning of development is “the act or
instance of growth/advancement”.
 Need for Sustainable Development
• Almost all environmental problems are the results of
unsustainable development

• Overuse of natural resources leads to pollution, cutting of

trees has created global warming

• Laws for Air, Water, Land, Wild Life, Forest have failed to
control environmental losses

• Only way is to accept the concept of sustainable development

by making people aware about the needs and methods to
control their demands and control over the overuse of
resources
Sustainable development should
include-
Safeguarding biodiversity
Recycling and reuse of waste materials.
Scientific management of renewable resources, especially
bio-resources.
Plant more trees/Save Forests
use more environment friendly material or
biodegradable material.
use of technologies, which are environmental friendly and
based on efficient use of resources.
Lessening the pollution
Urban Problems Related to Energy

Energy needs are high these days.

Modern cooking consumes large amount of fossil fuels and
electricity.
Urban transport consumes large amount of fossil fuels and causes
pollution leading to increase in respiratory disorders.
 Water Conservation

We could save as much as half of the water we now use for

domestic purposes without great sacrifice or serious
changes in our lifestyles.
Simple steps, such as stopping leaks, and washing cars,
dishes, and clothes as efficiently as possible, can go a long
way toward forestalling the water shortages that many
authorities predict.
1.Saving water in agriculture: Drip irrigation supplies water to
plants near its roots through a system of tubes, thus saving water.
Small percolation tanks and rainwater harvesting can provide
water for agriculture and domestic use.
Rainwater collected from rooftops can be stored .
2.Saving water in urban settings: Urban people waste large
amounts of water.
Leaking taps and pipes are a major source of loss of water.
Canals and pipes carrying water from dams to the consumer lead
to nearly 50% loss during transfer.
Reducing the demand for water by saving it is more appropriate
than trying to meet growing demands.
 Rain Water Harvesting

Rainwater harvesting essentially means collecting

rainwater on the roofs of buildings and storing it
underground for later use.
This can be done only if a wide range of disciplines are
involved.
Wastage of water due to leakage in pipes and unattended
repairs results in about 30-40 per cent water resource lost
 Current technologies of rainwater
harvesting
All roof and terrace water can be passed down into a covered
tank where it can be stored for use after the monsoon.
This is most advantageous in arid areas where clean water is very
scarce.
Practical difficulty- Constructing large storage tanks which are
expensive.
 Watershed Management
The management of a single unit of land with its water
drainage system is called watershed management.
It is a technique that has several components.
This includes soil and water management and developing
vegetative cover.
 Areas of flood plains should be reserved for water storage,
wildlife habitat, and agriculture
Residential, commercial, or industrial development should not be
allowed
Retaining crop residue on fields reduces flooding, Ploughing and
forest cutting on steep slopes protects watersheds.
Wetlands conservation preserves natural storage capacity
Watershed management enhances the growth of agricultural
crops and even makes it possible to grow more than one crop in a
year in dry areas.
 Resettlement and Rehabilitation
of People
Rehabilitation means Involuntary displacement of human
population.
Major projects such as dams, mines, expressways, or the
notification of a National Park disrupts the lives of the
people who live there and may also require moving them
to an alternative site
.
The objectives of rehabilitation should
be:
The people displaced should get an appropriate share
Removal of poverty should also be an objective of the
rehabilitation policy and
Even the landless) should be given assurance of employment.
We should try to encourage their own traditional arts and culture
in every way.
Resettlement should be in the neighborhood of their own
environment
Training facilities should be set up to upgrade the skills of
affected people
The aid of voluntary agencies planning and implementation
programme.
 Acid rains
• Acid rain literally means ‘the presence of excessive acids in
rain waters’. Main effects are due to Nitric Acid and Sulfuric
acid.
• It usually has a ph of less than 5.6,
• When fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas are burned,
chemicals like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are
produced.
• These chemicals react with water and other chemicals in the
air to form sulfuric acid, nitric acid.
• These acid pollutants spread upwards into the atmosphere,
and are carried by air currents, to finally return to the ground
in the form of acid rain,
 Effects:
1. Damages the vegetation
2. Surface and ground water gets affected
3. Soil pH reduces to 3, affects fertility
4. Skin irritation
5. Land and water ecosystem get affected
6. The acid corrodes the materials causing extensive damage
and ruins historic buildings.
CASE STUDY-The Taj Mahal
• Over the past 2 decades, India’s most famous tourist
attraction, Taj Mahal located in Agra, has become a
matter of concern. Experts have warned that pollutants
in air are discolouring its white marble.
• So, it is not only living organisms that get affected by
polluted air but non-living things like buildings,
monuments and statues also get affected.
• The industries located in and around Agra like
rubber processing, automobile, chemicals and
especially the Mathura oil refinery, have been
responsible for producing pollutants like sulphur
dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.
• These gases react with the water vapour present in the
atmosphere to form sulphuric acid and nitric acid.
• The acids drop down with rain, making the rain acidic.
This is called acid rain.
• Acid rain corrodes the marble of the monument.
The phenomenon is also called “Marble cancer”.

19
 OZONE LAYER DEPLETION
1. Ozone is formed in the stratosphere by the action of sunlight
on oxygen molecules. In particular it is the high energy ultra-
violet light in sunlight that is effective, it causes an oxygen
molecule to split into two oxygen atoms:

O2  --------->  O  +  O
One of these then joins with another oxygen molecule to form a
molecule of ozone:
O   +  O2  --------->   O3 Ozone
2. This layer absorbs 97–99% of the sun's high
frequency ultraviolet rays, which potentially damages the life
forms on Earth .
 3. It is mainly located in the lower portion of
the stratosphere from approximately 20 to 30 kilometres
above Earth .

4. The ozone layer was discovered in 1913 by the French

physicists Charles Fabry and Henri Buisson.

21
 Effects of Ozone layer Depletion

• Eye damage such as cataracts

• Skin cancer
• Damages the plants
• Causes destruction of life
• Affects the natural environment
 HOW TO PROTECT OZONE LAYER

1. Avoid using products that includes aerosols and sprays

composed of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC).

2. Avoid using fire extinguishers with halogenated hydrocarbon,

because it will get more harm to our ozone layer.

3. Maintainance of Air Conditioner otherwise it will produce

CFC to the atmosphere.
 GLOBAL WARMING
• The term "global warming" refers to the increase in the average
temperature of global surface air and oceans due to green house
gases and it result in climate change.

• Green house gases are-

• carbon dioxide
• methane
• Chlorofluorocarbons

• excessive greenhouse gases cause Earth's temperature to warm

considerably which cause major changes to weather
•
 Global warming and Green
house effect
• GHG’ s are:
1. CFC
2. CH4
3. CO2
4. CO
 Causes

• Root cause of global warming is the emission of carbon

dioxide due to burning of fossil fuels.

• Burning of fossil fuels.

• deforestation increase
 Effects of global warming
• Rising sea level:-as the temperature of globe will rise rainfall
patterns will change giving rise to droughts and floods. The
polar ice caps and glaciers will melt elevating the sea
levels.This increase in sea levels will amplify the erosion of
coastal areas.
• Habitat damage and species affected
 Measures to control global
warming
• Check the overuse of carbon dioxide
• Use alternative sources of energy
• Use public transport
• Clean Development Mechanisms in
industries
• Greenbelt around industries
 Waste land Reclamation

Loss of trees and vegetation cover causes the soil to erode

Cultivable land can turn into waste land in this way.
Wasteland can be reclaimed by reducing the salt content
Agriculture can be mixed with forestry
Certain indigenous tree species that adopt to alkaline soil can be
used to reclaim waste land

29
 EPA 1986
• It extends to the whole of India.
• This Act may be called the Environment (Protection) Act,
1986.
• Objectives:
1. Protection and improvement of the environment i.e. air,
water, soil
2. Prevention of hazards to all i.e. plants, animals and human
beings
3. The Act clearly states and explain each and every term very
precisely like environment, environmental pollutants,
environmental pollution
Power of Central Government to take measures to
protect and improve environment.
Planning and execution of a nationwide programme for the prevention,
control of environmental pollution
Laying down standards for the quality of environment in its
various aspects
Laying down standards for emission or discharge of environmental
pollutants from various sources.
Restriction of areas in which any industries, operations or
processes are likely to cause environmental pollution;
Laying down procedures and safeguards for the handling of
hazardous substances
Examination of such manufacturing processes, materials and
substances as are likely to cause environmental pollution
Carrying out and sponsoring investigations and research
relating to problems of environmental pollution
 Penalties for Violation of Act
1986
• Imprisonment for a term which may extend up to five
years
Or
• Fine which may extend up to Rs. 1 lakh
Or
• Both of the above
 Air: Prevention and Control of
Pollution Act 1981
Aims and objectives:
1. Prevention, control of air pollution
2. Maintaining the quality of air
3. Establishing of the Boards to prevent and to control the air
pollution
4. The presence of pollution beyond certain limits due to
various pollutants discharged through industrial emission
are monitored by the Pollution Control Boards set up in every
State.
 Water: Prevention and control of
pollution act: 1974
1. The Government has formulated this Act in 1974to be
able to prevent pollution of water by industrial,
agricultural and household wastewater that can
contaminate our water sources.
Aims and objectives
2. Prevention and control of water pollution
3. Maintaining and restoring the quality of water
4. Establishment of Boards of prevention and control of
water pollution
Penalties for violation of the act:

• Penalty is imprisonment for a period of three months or

a fine up to Rs. 10,000 or both
 Wildlife Protection Act 1972

This Act passed in 1972, deals with the declaration of

National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries
Aims and objectives:
1. Preservation of the biodiversity
2. Protection and conservation of wild-life
 Penalties for violation
• Imprisonment for three years or fine upto Rs. 23,000 or
both
• License may get cancelled
Forest Conservation Act,1980
• Amended in1988
• Aims and objectives:
To protect and conserve the forest
• The Act made it possible to retain a greater
control over the frightening level of
deforestation in the country and specified
penalties for offenders.
 Penalties for violation
• Imprisonment for six months or more or a fine of Rs. 500
or both
• For killing elephants imprisonment upto six months or
fine upto Rs. 50000 or both
 Causes of lack of environmental
awareness
• Illiteracy and attitude
• Lack of participation
• Lack of information
• Partial information