Module 6 Social Issues and the Environment PDF

Module 6 Social Issues and the Environment Urban problems related to energy and sustainable development Water conservation, rain water harvesting, watershed management, Problems related to rehabilitation –case studies Wasteland reclamation – Consumerism and waste products Environment Prote...

Module 6 Social Issues and the Environment Urban problems related to energy and sustainable development Water conservation, rain water harvesting, watershed management, Problems related to rehabilitation –case studies Wasteland reclamation – Consumerism and waste products Environment Protection Act, Air, Water, Wildlife, Forest Conservation Acts, Environmental legislation and public awareness. Sustainable Development  Why did we become a threat to the nature? We tried to improve our quality of life We want to ‘DEVELOP’ In the process of development we created problems Is development wrong? What actually went wrong? What is wrong in development? We considered “improvement in our economy” as development – That is wrong! If a country has sound economy we called it developed – if it does not then it is undeveloped or developing Economic Development is not the only factor which will decide the quality of life Economic development led to… Over exploitation of natural resources Loss of biodiversity Human oriented thinking – not bothered about environment and other living beings A mentality that don’t care about future generation Increased economic differences in nations within as well as between different nations  Over fishing In 2050 there may be scarcity of sea food! What kind of development we are looking for? Two decades back it is realized that the development should be a “Sustainable development” What is Sustainable Development? “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” - Brundtland G.H, former Norweign PM and Director of WHO  Sustainable Development A sustainable development is a development in which a balance is maintained between three types of development - Social – Environment – Economic  Sustainable Development That means, before going for any developmental activity we should verify, How will our action impact people? How will our action impact the environment? How will our action impact economy? Everybody really wants to… save money save the environment love others  Key aspects of sustainable development i. Inter-generational equity We should hand over a safe, healthy and resourceful environment to our future generations ii. Intra-generational equity Decreasing the wealth gap between rich and poor, within the country and between the countries should be decreased Technological developments should aim to solve the problems of poor countries & not always the sophistication of rich  Measures to sustainable development -How to achieve sustainable development 1. Using appropriate technology – Technology employed should be Locally adaptable, eco- friendly, and culturally suitable – It involves local resources and local labour – design with nature (ROSATOM) 2. The 3 R’s, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – Minimize resource use, reuse again and again, Recycle if not possible to reuse. 3. Prompting environmental education, public awareness and training 4. Resource utilization should be limited to Carrying Capacity  What is carrying capacity? The number of individuals who can be supported in a given area within natural resource limits, and without degrading the natural, social, cultural and economic environment for present and future generations If the carrying capacity is exceeded it will negatively impact sustainable development No population can live beyond the environment's carrying capacity for long time  Carrying capacity Two components: - Supporting capacity - the capacity to regenerate - Assimilative capacity - the capacity to tolerate different stresses  Sustainable development - Indian context In the last 50 years our economy grew – rich poor gap also grew We have become self sufficient in food production Our food self-sufficiency came with indiscreet use of fertilizers and pesticides We are the largest contributor to population growth – 17 million every year Our economy grew because of increased industries Pollution of air, water and land also grew because of these industries In the recent past migration from villages to cities has increased tremendously – results in increased need for shelter, food, water, energy-all are concentrated in a small area – threatening the carrying capacity  What can you do? Business Personal Production methods Consumption patterns Energy and water use Water & Energy use Waste disposal Clothing purchases Employee benefits Recreation/hobbies (IPL) Stockholder relations Yard care, landscaping Household Cleaning products Community Home purchase Building a sustainable Vacation planning development Family planning center/organization Transportation choices Running a summer school Conference planning Devotional program  Urbanization What is urbanization – Increased population in cities due to migration of people from rural areas Why does it occur? – In search of employment – For better education for children – For better commodity availability – For better health facilities  Urbanization What is the impact of urbanization on environment? Increase in population density Closely constructed houses Increased traffic – traffic jams More need for resources –energy, water, fuel – Stress on locally available resources Greater pollution – air, water, soil – waste dumping… Increased chance of epidemics Decreased aesthetic appeal of landscape Loss of farmland Reduced species diversity Increased stormwater runoff – due to construction of pavements.. Increased risk of flooding Excessive removal of native vegetation Ecosystem fragmentation Urban problems related to energy Population in urban areas increases whereas the opposite occurs in rural areas More than 50% of the world’s population is in urban areas Movement of people from rural to urban area – expansion of cities “Urban Sprawl” Urban set-up – consumes more energy – produce more wastes  Energy demanding activities in Urban areas Lightings Transportation Modern electrical gadgets Industries Waste disposal – consume energy Prevention of pollution – needs energy  How can we conserve energy? Search for renewable resources – Tidal, wind, Biomass, Solar, Geothermal, Alternative fuel cells like Hydrogen cell… Save energy: – Switch off lights and fans when you leave a room – Use more of public transport – Use energy efficient devices – And others which you knew Water conservation and watershed management Water should be conserved. Do you agree?  Water conservation practices 1. Decreasing run-off losses Infiltration into the soil can reduce loss  Contour cultivation  Conservation bench terracing  Water spreading – channeling, lagoon- leveling  Chemical wetting agents like surfactants  Chemical conditioners –Gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O)  In Sodic soils – HPAN (hydrolysed polyacrylonitrile) improve permeability  Water-storage structures – ponds, dug-outs Water conservation practices 2. Reducing evaporation losses Some methods available Use of asphalt sheets below the soil Super slurper – copolymer of acrylonitrile and starch absorbs water upto 1400 times its weight Planting trees on the edges of fields 3. Storing water in soil – Some water is stored in soil in the root zone. If the land is left fallow for some time that water will become available Water conservation practices 4. Reducing irrigation losses – Covered canals to reduce seepage – Irrigation in early morning or evening – Sprinklers – Use of less water requiring hybrid varieties – Drip irrigation 5. Reuse – Treated water can be reused – Water from washings bath tubs etc (grey water) for watering gardens Water conservation practices 6. Stop wastage Close taps Repair leaks Use small capacity flush 7. Increase block pricing Put a charge on water – Introduce proper laws – Educate people  Rainwater Harvesting What is it and why do we need it? Why are some of the cities like Chennai or Mumbai facing water problems? Because of less rainfall?  Comparison of rainfall in 5 Indian cities 30 35.0 Rainfall in inches 30.0 Mumbai 25.0 20.0 15.0 Chennai Calcutta 10.0 Delhi Bangaloru 5.0 0.0 November May March December September April October February January August June July Months Bangaloru gets 37”annually but the rainfall is more spread out. Delhi = 32.1” Mumbai=120” Calcutta=62.3” Chennai = 50” Flood and Drought  Rainwater harvesting It is a technique of increasing the recharge of groundwater by capturing and storing rainwater This is done by construction of special water harvesting structures like dug wells, percolation pits, lagoons, check dams etc.  Rainwater harvesting Obectives – Reduce run off loss – Avoid flooding of roads – Meet the increasing demands of water – Raise the water table – Reduce groundwater contamination – Supplement groundwater supplies during lean season  Rainwater harvesting Methods of rainwater harvesting are 1. Storing in tanks or reservoirs above or below ground 2. Constructing pits, dug wells, lagoons trenches or check dams on rivers and streams 3. By recharging groundwater Roof-top rainwater harvesting  Traditional rainwater harvesting What were the good deeds of Samrat Asoka? In ancient India there were lakes and ponds in every village constructed by kings In Rajasthan underground tanks and embankments were found In Himalayan regions bamboo pipes were used to draw water from streams Collecting rain water from roof-tops is one of the oldest techniques in India In villages lake cut ponds were made. In Tamilnadu, they had separate such ponds for bathing, washing and drinking.  What is Watershed? Watershed – a delineated area with well- defined topographical boundary The land area from which water drains to a drainage channel – stream, river etc. Also called as catchment area, drainage basin, river basin etc. Watersheds have a well-defined boundary and one water outlet.  Importance of watershed Food production – Irrigation Power generation – hydroelectric power Transportation (water line)  Watershed degradation Watershed is degraded due to improper land management – overgrazing – mining – deforestation – construction activities and industrialization – shifting cultivation – fires – soil erosion – and ignorance of local people  Watershed Management It is defined as “Rational utilization of land and water resources for optimum production causing minimum damage to the natural resources”  Watershed Management -Objectives To restore watershed through proper land use – soil conservation and moisture retention To make watershed available for domestic water supply, irrigation, hydropower generation in a sustainable manner To minimize the risks of floods, drought and landslides To develop rural areas in the region to improve their economy  Watershed Management Practices Water harvesting - Proper storage of water Afforestation and Agroforestry -Helps to prevent soil erosion and retention of moisture - In high rainfall areas woody trees reduce runoff -done in Dehradun Mechanical measures - Terracing - no-till farming - contour cropping - strip cropping etc  Watershed Management Practices Scientific mining - Planting some soil binding plants to minimize destruction to watershed Public participation – Farmers and tribes are key to the success of watershed management – So, people’s cooperation should be encouraged. – NGO are encouraged – they work either with or without local people’s cooperation  Resettlement and Rehabilitation Issues Resettlement and Rehabilitation Resettlement The transportation of people (as a family or colony) to a new settlement (as after an upheaval of some kind) Rehabilitation The restoration of someone to a useful place in society – They should grow back to a respectable position with respect to culture and economy Need for resettlement and rehabilitation  Displacements occur – For construction of dams – For mining – For creation of national park  People migrate voluntarily – In search of better employment – To escape epidemics – Wars  Displacement of people - For developmental projects – lot of land area needed - forced displacement of people - Land Acquisition Act, 1894 empowers the government to acquire land - native people and poor people affected - serious socio-economic and mental impacts - loss of ancestral home - loss of occupation - but it is unavoidable for development  Displacement due to dams Large scale displacement In India, in last 50 years 20 million people affected Mostly tribal people and villagers Loss of ancestral home Loss of traditional occupation  Displacement due to dams Hirakud dam – Orissa – river Mahanadhi - 250 villages submerged - 40,000 hectares fertile land was lost - 22,000 families displaced - 4,000 families yet to get compensation - 10,000 families yet to be rehabilitated Bhakra Nagal dam – Punjab- Himachal Pradesh – river Sutlej – 1950’s - Till now 50% of the displaced could not be rehabilitated Tehri dam – river Bhagirathi – Sunderlal Bahuguna - 10,000 residents of Tehri town would be affected  Sardar Sarovar Project 30 big, 135 medium and 300 minor dams on river Narmada 573 villages - 3 lakh people will be affected – Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh Most affected people are tribes paying price for the country’s prosperity Moving from the ancestral land – a pain Compensation – land, job, cash etc.  Displacement due to mining Thousands of hectares of land covered in mining Accidents also cause displacement Jharia coal fields, Jharkhand - underground fires - 3 lakh people to be displaced - no rehabilitation planned - Rs. 18,000 Cr for rehabilitation but only Rs. 8,000 Cr for fire extinguishing Displacement due to creation of national park National parks – happy news for conservationists - Bad news for people living there! People were not allowed to enter, collect fire wood, graze their cattle, collect wood etc People retaliate when asked to move Wayanadu wild life sanctuary – 53,472 tribal families were displaced only 873 were resettled Valmiki Tiger Reserve, Bihar  Rehabilitation issues Tribes are most affected due to displacement loss of job poverty increase – food insecurity – social isolation – morbidity & mortality increase Break up of families Tribes are new to modern market policies – alienated- lose money Kinship system, marriage customs, cultural identities disappear The proposed resettlement is individual based resettlement not communal resettlement Loss of identity, loss of knowledge about flora, fauna  Resettlement and rehabilitation package – Sardar Sarovar 2 hectares minimum irrigable Agriculture land. Residential plot of 500 Sq. mts. Assistance of Rs. 45,000/- for the construction of house. Subsistence allowance of Rs. 4,500/-. Assistance of Rs.7,000/- for procuring productive assets like bullocks and agricultural equipments. Resettlement grant of Rs. 750/-. Street light and internal electrification - free of cost in core house. Personal accident insurance etc. A school and children's park in each resettlement site. Dispensary in each site where MP and MH oustees are resettled. Wasteland reclamation  Waste land – economically unproductive lands suffering from environmental deterioration -salt-affected lands -sandy lands -gullied area -undulating uplands -snow covered areas -glacial areas Gullied area Undulated upland  Wastelands in India 175 million hectare – half of India’s geographical area – wasteland Rajasthan (36 million hectare), M.P. and A.P contain most part of the wasteland Haryana – 8.4% land is wasteland – sodic, saline or sandy - Sodic soil- pH>9 – alkaline – presence of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) mineral - Saline soil– presence of NaCl – pH is not high as sodic soil  Causes of wasteland formation Natural – Undulating uplands – Snow covered lands – Coastal saline areas – Sandy areas etc are naturally formed wastelands. Anthropogenic – Deforestation – Overgrazing – Water logging – Erroneous agricultural practices – Pollution by industrial effluents – Mining  Wasteland reclamation Wasteland reclamation is reclaiming the already degraded land It is the process in which a degraded land is brought back under vegetation cover with reasonable effort  Wasteland Development Board, India Improving the physical structure and quality of soils Ensuring availability of water for irrigation in wastelands Prevention of soil erosion, flooding & landslides Conservation of biological resources of the lands for sustainable use  Wasteland reclamation practices 1. Land development and leaching Leaching is used for saline lands It is done by applying excess amount of water to push down the salts in the soil – away from root zone The procedure involves the following stages: Firstly, the extent of salinity, water table, soil texture, depth of impermeable layer are assessed. Then the land is leveled, ploughed and the field is divided into small plots Then leaching is done by applying water. 0.5-1.0 cm of water is required to remove 90% of salts from 1 cm land. The amount of water can be reduced if we use sprinkling  Wasteland reclamation practices 2. Drainage This is done for water logging regions Excess water is drained by artificial drainages Two types of drainage systems are in use – Surface drainage: Used to remove water from fields after heavy rainfall. Ditches are used. – Sub-surface drainage: Horizontal drain pipes containing gravels are used (like perforated, corrugated PVC pipes) 2-3 m below the surface. Surface drainage Poorly drained agricultural land Sub-surface drainage Water evaporation and resulted salinity increase in soil Wasteland reclamation practices 3. Proper Irrigation practices Controlled Land smoothening and leveling Efficient hydraulic design Frequent irrigation with less amount of water is advisable when the water is saline  Wasteland reclamation practices 4. Selection of tolerant crops and crop rotations Different crops have different levels of tolerance to salt According to their tolerance of to salt – Plants are divided into sensitive, semi-tolerant, and tolerant to highly tolerant Eg: – For high salinity lands -crops like beet, barley and date-palm – Wheat, soyabean, mustard and coconut are tolerant – Rice, millet, maize etc are semi-tolerant  Wasteland reclamation practices 5. Gypsum - Gypsum can be used to reclaim sodic soils - Calcium in gypsum replaces sodium from the site 6. Green-manures, fertilizers and biofertilizers - For saline lands green manure or nitrogen fertilizers are helpful - Blue green algae are also helpful for salt affected areas  Wasteland reclamation practices 7. Afforestation - planting trees and creating forest 8. Social forestry programme - planting trees along road and railway track, canal sides, over degraded forest lands, farm-forestry etc. Consumerism  Consumerism Consumer - someone who buys and uses goods and services Consumerism - a theory that a progressively greater consumption of goods is economically beneficial - a preoccupation with and an inclination towards the buying of consumer goods - refers to consumption of resources by people Problem of improper consumerism  Uncontrolled manufacture of foods leading to inferior quality  Rampant adulteration leading to health and hygiene problems  Improper services resulting in dissatisfaction and stress  Production of lots of waste leads to depletion of natural resources and environmental imbalance  Consumerism – increasing exponentially due to increase in population - more demanding life-style Two types of conditions (i) People over-population (ii) Consumption over-population (i) People over-population - more people than available resources - over-exploitation of resources – environmental degradation – poverty, premature deaths, under- nourishment - Less developed countries (LDCs) – over all consumption is high – per capita consumption less (ii) Consumption over-population - MDCs – more developed countries - less population but consumption of more resources - per capita consumption is high – luxurious life style - more consumption of resources and hence more waste generation  Consumerism and impact on environment Paul Ehrlich and John Hodlren (1972) model Per capita Waste generated Number Over all impact of people x usage of x per unit of = resources on environment resource used  More developed country (MDC) Less developed country (LDC) Population Percapita resource Waste generated Overall environmental use per unit of resource degradation  Comparison of consumerism and waste generation Parameter Percent global values USA India Population 4.7% 16% Production 21% 1% of goods Energy use 25% 3% Pollutants/ 25% 3% wastes CFC 22% 0.7% production Japan with similar life-style of USA create less impact – 3Rs  Environmental Legislation Protection of environment – needs legislative powers – laws and acts are necessary - Wild life protection act 1972 - Forest conservation act 1980 - Water (prevention and control of pollution) act 1974 - Air (prevention and control of pollution) act 1981 - Environment protection act 1986  First initiative for the protection of environment UN conference on human Environment 5 June 1972 in Stockholm World Environment Day  Indian constitutional provisions In 1976 after Stockholm conference – 42nd amendment in the constitution - the essence of Article 48A – The state should protect the environment, wildlife and forests - the essence of Article 51A(g) – protection and improvement of natural environment, wildlife, forests, rivers, lakes is a duty of citizen of India  Wild Life Protection Act 1972 In 1976 wild life was transferred from state to central government Indian Board of Wild Life (IBWL) – 1952 - after the act in 1972, it started setting up wild life sanctuaries and parks  Provisions in wild life act 1972… Provisions in the act - Defining terminologies - Appointment of authorities – wildlife wardens, advisory boards etc. - Listing of endangered species – prohibition of hunting – captive breeding - Setting up National parks, sanctuaries etc - Constitution of central zoo authority - Controlling trading of wild animals - licensing for sale and possession and transfer of wild animals - Conservation projects – lion (1972),tiger (1983), crocodile (1974)  Forest Conservation Act 1980 The act adopted all over India except J& K Covers all forests – irrespective of ownership Provisions in the act - State govt. empowered to use forests only for forestry purpose – non-forestry activity needs approval by central govt. (mining, reforestation with economically important trees) - Advisory board and funding for conservation - Any non forest illegal activities can be stopped immediately - Construction by wild-life authorities allowed (Fencing, water holes, trench, pipelines, check posts, watch tower)  Forest Conservation Act 1980 1992 amendment - permission for – transmission lines, seismic surveys, exploration, drilling, hydroelectric projects - limited cutting of trees with permission - in wild life parks and national parks – no exploration or survey without permission - cultivation of tea, coffee, spices, rubber – non - forest activity – not allowed in reserve forests - cultivation of medicinal trees, fruit-bearing trees – approval from Central Govt. is needed - plantation of mulberry – silkworm – non-forest activity - mining – prior approval from central Govt.  Forest Conservation Act 1980 1992 amendment… - removal of stones, boulders etc. from river- beds in forests – non-forest activity - Tusser cultivation by tribes allowed as for as it does not involve some specific trees - mining needs permission from Central Govt. - proposal for non-forest activity – cost benefit analysis and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) – ecological and socio-economic impacts  Water (prevention and control of pollution) act (1974) Water pollution – Contamination or alteration of physical or chemical or biological properties of water by any discharge or any other agent which can cause nuisance to the public or harm or injure the public health or aquatic plants or animal life - Maintenance and restoration of quality of all types of water  Water prevention and control of pollution act (1974) contd. - Establishment of Central and State Pollution Control Boards - conferring the boards with powers – defining their functions - provisions for funds, budget, accounts and audit of the boards - penalties for the offenders and defaulters - guidelines for the control boards Roles of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) - advises to central govt. - coordination of state PCBs – providing technical guidance - training programs – defining functions - creating awareness through mass media - technical and statistical data collection - manuals for treatment of sewage and industrial effluents - standards for water quality parameters - Establish and recognize labs for analysis State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) - advises to state govt. - other activities similar to CPCB - empowered to take samples for testing from any water body or effluent – how testing conducted? - any new industry should get consent from SPCB – all technical details in prescribed format and fees should be submitted Effluent treatment plants ETPs Air (prevention and control of pollution) act 1981 Air pollution – presence of any solid, liquid or gaseous substance (including noise) in the atmosphere in such concentration which is harmful to the environment, animals or plants - Noise pollution inserted in 1987 - Central and state pollution control boards – take care of air pollution prevention - section 20 – emission standards for automobiles - registration of motor vehicles - state govt. can declare and area as “air pollution control area”  Environment protection act 1986… Some definitions were framed Environment – water, air and land and interrelationship exists among them and between the living beings Environmental pollution – presence of any gas, solid and liquid substance which is injurious to environment Hazardous substance – any substance which cause harm to living beings and environment  Environment protection act 1986… Standards for quality of air, water and soil Maximum permissible limits of pollutants Procedures for handling and safeguarding hazardous substances Restricting the areas in which hazardous materials are handled Safeguards and procedures for the prevention of accidents that can cause pollution  Environment protection act 1986… Guidelines to PCBs Advise the industries about treatment of effluents using advanced technology Encourage recycling and reusing wastes Encourage recovery of bio-gas, energy and reusable materials Emphasize on implementation of cleaner technologies in industries  Enforcement of environmental legislation - drawbacks Drawbacks in wild life protection act Drawbacks in forest conservation act Powers are with central govt. action is delayed Penalty is lesser then cost of pollution treatment Not included in right to information act Legal delays – 60 days notice to central govt. Lack of funds Out of court settlements ETPs are costly for small industries Weak govt. policy – political influences on the board heads  Public awareness Education does not provide knowledge about environmental and pollution related aspects Policy makers – politicians – unaware of environmental and pollution aspects and impacts General public are thinking about development but not about the impacts of such development on environment  How to propagate public awareness? Among students – through education Among the masses through mass media Among policy makers – orientation and training