CH-4 ENVIRONMENT

Contents
• Definition
• Importance: Ecology and Eco-system
• Conservation of Environment
• Optimum Utilization of renewable resources
• Renewable and non-renewable sources
• Conflict of Resources
• Global Environmental Issues
• Environmental Issues of Nepal
Defination
Environment can be defined as a sum total of all the
living and non-living elements and their effects
that influence human life.
While all living or biotic elements are animals, plants,
forests, fisheries, and birds, non-living or abiotic
elements include water, land, sunlight, rocks, and air
Ecology
The word ecology is derived from Greek words “Oikos”
meaning house, habitat or place of living or
surrounding and ‘logos’ means study.
Science of interrelationship between living organisms
and their relationship with the environment
Ecology is also defined as the study of
interrelationship of different organisms with each
other and with their environment. It is concerned with
the general principal that applies to both animal and
plants.
 Eco-System
 It is a community of living organism in conjunction with
nonliving components of their environment interacting as a
system.
 An ecosystem is formed by the interactions between all living
and non-living things .
 Ecosystem = an ecological system;
= a community and its physical environment treated together as
a functional system
 Ecosystems: basic features
Structure:
 Living (biotic) Components: Producer (green plants),
Consumers (animals), decomposers (Microorganisms)
 Nonliving (abiotic) Components: air, water, soil

 Process:
 Energy flow: Sun main source of energy
 Cycling of matter (chemicals)
Components …
 Importance of Ecosystems
Clean and store fresh water
Maintain air quality
Regulate climate
Prevent erosion
Maintain soil Productivity
Store & recycle nutrients
Maintain biological and genetic diversity
Provide medicine & pharmaceuticals
 Conservation of Environment
 Environmental conservation is the act of conserving or saving our natural
resources through careful management. This means we can use the
resources but wisely and responsibly. For eg, reducing waste, saving trees,
recycling, using renewable resources that don’t deplete our natural
resources.
 Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the natural environment
on individual, organizational or governmental levels, for the benefit of the
natural environment and humans.
Approaches to Environment Conservation
Intra Country Efforts

National Parks and Conservation Areas.

Environmental Friendly Laws , Acts and Regulations.
Emphasis on Renewable Energy Technologies
Forestation Programs
 International Efforts

Montreal Protocol (Efforts to reduce Ozone Depleting

Substances production , use and emission)
Kyoto Protocol ( Efforts to reduce Global GHG emission)
CDM (Clean Development Mechanism)(Carbon Trading,
helps in minimizing emissions from least developed
economies who are not dependent on industrial sector to
sustain their status)
Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) : Efforts
to minimize Organic Pollutants Emission. to Control
Global Warming
Optimum Utilization of Natural Resources
Optimum Natural Resource Utilization is concerned the
supply, demand, and allocation of the Earth's natural resources.
One main objective is to better understand the role of natural
resources in the economy in order to develop more sustainable
methods of managing those resources to ensure their
availability to future generations.
Resource economists study interactions between economic and
natural systems, with the goal of developing a sustainable and
efficient economy.
 Renewable Resources & Non-Renewable
Resources
Renewable Resources :
 A Renewable Resource is a natural resource which can replenish with the
passage of time, either through biological reproduction or other naturally
recurring processes.
 A renewable resources is a naturally sustainable product, it can be used
without fear of running out. For eg, wind power, solar power. The wind will
always blow, the sun will always shine.
 Renewable resources are a part of Earth's natural environment and the
largest components of its ecosphere.
 Renewable resources are not affected by human activities
 Almost all biotic resources are renewable-Energy etc.
 Renewable Resources & Non-Renewable
Resources
Non-Renewable Resources
 A non-renewable resource (also known as a finite resource) is a
resource that does not renew itself at a sufficient rate .Things like
fossil fuels, gas, oil and coal.
 Some abiotic resources are non-renewable

There is a little confusion over renewable resources and renewable

source of energy. All renewable source of energy are also renewable
resources. Water can become an energy called hydroelectricity. Water is
renewable resource as it keeps coming back as long as rain keeps
falling.
 Conflict Resources
Conflict resources are natural resources extracted in a
conflict zone
Man Kind has always been in the hunt for Natural
Resources. There have been wars fought for Controlling
large pools of Natural Resources.
Conflict for Resources started from the very earliest of
civilizations and is still underway in most parts of the
World.
While “Wars to control Resources” have not taken place for
a long time. These resources have been used to fund the
internal rebellions in most countries.
 Global Environmental Issues
Water Pollution (dealt in next chapter)
Air Pollution (dealt in next chapter)
Noise Pollution
Global Warming
Acid Rain (dealt in next chapter)
Ozone layer depletion
Natural Resource Exploitation
Noise Pollution
Unwanted sound which produce undesirable
physiological effect. for eg. sound from Traffic,
industries and other noise sources.
Effect
 General discomfort
 Reduction in efficiency of persons
 Irritation, anxiety and stress
 Lack of concentration
 temporary/permanent hearing loss, increase in blood
pressure if long time exposure occurs
Counters measures
• Noise barriers: absorptive materials
• Reduction of noise at source
Global Warming
Rise in global mean temperatures of earth
Greenhouse effect: effect cause by greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere in which radiation from the sun is
transmitted to the earth’s surface but the radiation
from the earth is absorbed thereby increasing the
temperature of earth surface
Source of GHG
CO2 : Burning of fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal)
CH4: large scale decomposition of organic matter
N2O: soil and fertilizer
CFC: using refrigerant, air conditioning, fire
extinguisher
O3: Upper natural Environment
Global warming
Effect
Rise in Temperature
Rise in sea level
Chances of diseases due to high temperature
Effect in agriculture due to flood and drought

Countermeasures
Environmental taxes on GHG emission
Development of renewable resource
Public awareness
Ozone depletion
Ozone layer blocks/observes most of the harmful
ultraviolet (UV) rays coming from the sun, thus
protecting human, plants and animals
Cause of O3 depletion: presence of
chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) in atmosphere
Source of CFC: using refrigerant, air conditioning, fire
extinguisher, cleaning solvent.
Countermeasures: Reduction in CFC use and
adaptation of environmentally safe alternatives to
CFCs for refrigeration
 Environmental Issues : Nepal
 Global Warming : Although comparatively Nepal is not a great contributor

of green house gases. The effects have been evident with the rapidly
melting glaciers and snow-less mountain peaks .
 Environmental Issues : Nepal
 Waste Management :
 The volume of municipal and industrial solid waste is minimal in Nepal
compared to other municipalities around the world.
 Mismanagement has made solid waste management a very serious
environmental problem.
 Drinking Water Supply :
 Although we boast about Nepal being a very rich country in Water
Resources, We have a very poor statistics of having access to safe
drinkable water.
 Others rely on natural sources and risk acquiring deadly water borne
diseases.
 Another problem is the community water supply systems being
unsustainable because of lack of regular maintenance .
 Environmental Issues : Nepal
 Food Scarcity :
 Time and again we hear about people in western Nepal suffering from
food scarcity.
 The land there and in most parts of Nepal is very infertile and
production is minimal with respect to input to cultivation
 Natural Resources Exploitation:
 Forests are being cut down to give way to highways, and other infra
projects.
 Lot’s of other resources are being consumed at an alarming rate .
Thank You