ENVIRONMENT AND

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 9
 INTRODUCTION 1

• ENVIRONMENT:-
• It refers to the total planetary inheritance and the
totality of all resources.
• It includes all the biotic and abiotic factors that
influence each other.
• The living elements like birds, forests, fishes etc
are biotic factors.
• The non living elements like rocks, minerals ,
sunlight, soil etc
 ENVIRONMENT contd 2
• The study of the environment calls for a study of
the relationship between the biotic and abiotic
factors.
• FUNCTIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENT:-
1. Supplies resources (renewable resources and
non renewable resources.)
2. Assimilates waste
3. Sustains life
4. Provides aesthetic services like scenery, etc.
 ENVIRONMENT contd 3
• The environment will perform these functions
as long as the demand of these functions is
within carrying capacity of the environment.
• This means that the resource extraction is not
more than rate of regeneration of resources.
• The waste generated should be well within
the assimilating capacity of the environment.
 Environmental Crisis 4
• If the rate of extraction of resources is greater
than rate of regeneration of resources and if the
wastes generated are not within the assimilating
capacity of the environment there will be an
environmental crisis
• MAJOR REASONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS:-
• Rising population of the world.
• Affluent Consumption and production standards.
These have led to huge stress on the environment,
resources have become extinct, and wastes
generated are beyond the absorbing capacity.
ENVIRONMENTAL CRISES CONTD 5
Effects of man’s meddling with environment:-
• Pollution of rivers and lakes.
• Drying up of water bodies.
• Excessive extraction of both renewable and non
renewble resources.
• Exhaustion of certain non renewable resources.
• Increasing health costs.
• Increase in the incidence of airborne and water
borne diseases.
• Global warming, ozone depletion
 ENVIRONMENT IN THE PAST 6
• Low level of population.
• Slow industrilisation
• Low levels of contamination and pollution,
• Resource regeneration was greater than
extraction
• Waste assimilation was within the carrying
capacity.
STATE OF INDIA’S ENVIRONMENT 7
INDIA IS RICHLY ENDOWED WITH NATURAL
RESOURCES
• Rich quality soil
• Hundreds of rivers and their tributaries.
• Lush green forests.
• Plenty of mineral deposits.
• Vast stretch of seas and oceans.
• Mountain ranges in the north
• Black cotton soils.
• Fertile indogangetic plains
 Contd 8
• Large deposits, iron, coal, natural gas, copper,
bauxite uranium, zinc etc.
However the developmental activities in our
country has resulted in the pressure on the
finite resources and has created an impact on
the health of human beings and their
wellbeing.
 THREAT TO THE ENVIRONMENT 9
Indian environment is under 2 threats
• Threat of poverty induced environmental
degradation
• Threat of pollution.
 PRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL
CONCERNS IN INDIA 10
• Air pollution
• Water contamination,
• Soil erosion
• Deforestation
• Extinction of wild life
 PRIORITY ISSUES 11
• Land degradation
• Loss of biodiversity
• Air pollution with special reference to
vehicular pollution in the urban areas
• Management of fresh water
• Solid waste management
 FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR LAND
DEGRADATION IN INDIA 12
• Loss of vegetation due to deforestation
• Excess fuel and fodder extraction
• Shifting cultivation
• Encroachment into forests
• Forest fires and overgrazing
• Non adoption of adequate soil conservation measures
• Improper crop rotation
• Indiscriminate use of agro chemicals
• Unscientific irrigation
• Extraction of underground water
• Open access to resources
• Poverty of agriculture dependent population
 Contd 13
• Per capita forest land in our country is 0.08
hectare as against the basic requirement of
0.47 hectares
• Soil erosion to the extent of 5.3 billion tonnes
every year.
 Contd 14
• CPCB(Central Pollution control board) has
identified a group of 17 polluting industries.

• SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:-
• This is development without compromising
the needs of the future.
• UNCED (united nations conference on
environment and development) stressed on
sustainable development.
 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 15
Herman Daly- a leading environmentalist
suggested the following measures
• Reduce population
• Techonological progress resource efficient
• extraction,< regeneration
• Control pollution.
 Strategies of SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
• Use of nonconventional sources
• Traditional knowledge and practices
• Bio pest control
• Bio composting