Human Communities - Unit V

Human Communities - Unit V

• Population Growth: Defined as the increase in the number of people in a given area.
• The world's population reached 8 billion in November 2022 and is predicted to peak at 10.4 billion by 2080.
• Census: The official count of the population in a country.
• Factors affecting population growth include fertility rate, life expectancy, and net immigration levels.
• Life Expectancy: The average lifespan a person will reach.

Population Growth Types

• Two types of population growth: exponential and logistic.
• Exponential Growth: Population growth rate increases rapidly over time. A "J" shaped curve in a graph, implying a rapidly increasing population growth rate.
• Logistic Growth: Population Growth rate slows down over time. Results in an "S" shaped curve, indicating population growth levels out after a certain point in time and has a slower growth rate.

Population Pyramid

• A graph that shows the distribution of ages across a population.
• Divided down the center to show male and female members.
• The graphic starts from youngest (at the bottom) to oldest (at the top).
• Called a population pyramid because when populations grow (more babies born than people dying), the graphic forms a triangle shape.

Population Pyramid Shapes

• Pyramid Shape: Indicates an expanding population. Seen in developing countries with high fertility rates and low life expectancy. The base of the pyramid is wide and tapers towards the top.
• Bell Shape: Indicates a stable population. The birth and death rates are equal so the population isn't changing. The shape of the pyramid is bell-shaped. Seen in developed countries.
• Urn Shape: Indicates a diminishing population. Seen in developed countries with low fertility rates and high life expectancy, resulting in a more narrow base.

Effects of Population Growth on Our Environment

• Waste generation.
• Threat to biodiversity.
• Strain on forests.
• Urbanization.
• Industrialisation.
• Land degradation.
• Transport Development.
• Climatic Change.
• Productivity.

Impacts of Overpopulation on Human Health

• Increased risk of infections - urban overcrowding and airborne infections (tuberculosis, malaria, cholera, dengue fever)
• Rise of water-contaminated diseases - polluted water.
• Respiratory problems - increased traffic (asthma, lung cancer, chest pain, congestion, throat inflammation, cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases)
• Increased risk of skin cancer - ozone hole (cataracts, blindness).
• Various other health hazards - large amounts of uncollected garbage (cancer, neurological disorders)

Minimize the Effects of Overpopulation

• Establish laws and regulations governing birth control.
• Educate the public about family planning.
• Make birth control options available to everyone.
• Spread awareness about population growth.

Disaster Management

• Disaster management is a process of effectively preparing for and responding to disasters.
• It involves strategically organizing resources to lessen the harm that disasters cause.
• It involves a systematic approach to managing the responsibilities of disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Flood

• Overflow of water onto normally dry land.
• Often used when water flows in rivers, streams, or other water bodies cannot be contained.
• India is prone to floods, affecting about 10% of the area regularly.

Causes of Flood

• Massive rainfall.
• Overflowing rivers.
• Collapsed dams.
• Snowmelt.
• Deforestation.
• Climate change.

Flood Control Management

• Construction of dams and reservoirs.
• Redirecting excess water to canals and floodways.
• Replenishing groundwater with excess water.
• Implementing flood defense systems (like self-closing flood barriers).
• Creating planned disaster preparedness plans.
• Planting vegetation to retain water and reduce slope flow.
• Building man-made channels to divert water.
• Constructing dams, reservoirs or holding tanks to store extra water during flood periods.

Earthquake

• The sudden release of strain energy in the Earth's crust, causing waves of shaking.
• Occurs along faults - fractures between rock blocks that allow relative movement.
• Common near edges of plates.
• The Circum-Pacific seismic belt ("Ring of Fire") is associated with many large earthquakes, about 81% occur in this belt around the rim of the Pacific Ocean.

Protection During Earthquake

• Drop, Cover, Hold On is a basic guideline to help protect yourself.
• Using a seismograph/seismometer to detect and measure ground motions.
• Richter scale provides a number that depends on the energy produced by the earthquake.

Prevention and Control of Earthquake

• Locate safe places outdoors (open spaces away from structures, lines, overpasses).
• Ensure everyone knows how to respond after an earthquake.
• Teach everyone how and when to turn off gas, electricity, and water.

Cyclone

• Large, revolving tropical storms caused by winds blowing around a central area of low atmospheric pressure.
• Caused by atmospheric disturbances around low-pressure areas.
• Distinguished by swift and often destructive air circulation.
• Spinning storms with immense winds and rainfall.
• Continuous rise of hot and cold air around a cyclone is a main cause.
• Includes heavy rain, strong winds, large storm surges near landfall, and tornadoes.

Cyclone Management

• Engineering and crafting infrastructures to tolerate cyclones or catastrophic events.
• Hazard mapping to estimate cyclone-prone areas and potential impacts.
• Establishing cyclone shelters for local populations.
• Considering local topography when building shelters.
• Implementing mangrove conservation to mitigate cyclone occurrence.
• Building saline embankments to safeguard habitats and crops.
• Constructing levees to mitigate flood chances.
• Promoting mass awareness on safety precautions.
• Disaster preparedness plan development and integrated solutions.

Landslide

• Mass movement of material (rock, earth, or debris) down a slope.
• Can occur suddenly or gradually.
• Caused by disturbances that alter natural slope stability.
• Associated with heavy rain, droughts, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.
• Mudslides can occur with a surge of water-saturated rock/earth.
• Pose threat to human life, infrastructure and the environment.

Landslide Management

• Identifying landslide-susceptible areas for suitable development activities.
• Planning areas for development that don't have high landslide hazard.
• Reinforcing existing buildings (floor slabs, external walls).
• Installing drainage pipes for rainfall and slope drainage.
• Planting trees and shrubs to stabilize slopes susceptible to landslides.

Environmental Movements

• Chipko Movement: A non-violent protest in 1970s India where community members embraced trees to prevent them from being cut for logging. This movement originated in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand. Women played an important role in this conservation efforts.
• Silent Valley Movement: A protest against a hydroelectric dam project in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India. The movement aimed to protect the valley's ecological significance and biodiversity.

Religion & Culture and Environmental Conservation

• All religions and cultures have principles and practices that recognize the importance and need to conserve environments.
• Injucntions from varying religions help provide codes for sustainable environmental development.
• Many sacred trees and animals are recognized within different religions which help to show the importance of biodiversity and the environment.

Sacred Plants and Animals

• Certain trees and animals are regarded as sacred and warrant respect.
• An example of a sacred tree is the Peepal tree.
• Many religions, like Hinduism, often consider cattle as holy animals.

Environmental Communication and Public Awareness

• Environmental communication involves disseminating information and implementing practices related to the environment.
• It raises awareness, and aims for policy changes, addresses conflicts, influences public opinion, and passes supportive legislation. It is important to promote involvement of citizens to preserve the environment.
• Raising awareness among the public is important for increasing enthusiasm and support. Mobilizing local knowledge and resources is part of effective environmental management.