Ecosystems and Sustainable
Development
3.1. Definitions of Environment
3.2. Types (Categories) of Environment
3.2.1 Geographical Environment
3.2.2 Built Environment
Is the surroundings from all living and non-
living components.
Is a total sum of all the living and non-living
elements and their effects that influence
human life.
Environment is also the circumstances, objects
or conditions by which one is surrounded. It is
the complex of physical, chemical, biotic and
abiotic factors.
Both biotic and abiotic components form the
environment. These two components interact with
each other and they are interdependent.
In sum, the Environment means the aggregate of
a complex set of physical, geographical,
biological, social, cultural and political conditions
that surrounds an individual or organism and
eventually, determines its appearance (form) as
well as nature of its survival.
Environment can be categorized to:
3.2.1 Geographical (Natural) Environment
3.2.2 Built (Manmade) Environment
It consists of all components provided by nature and hence can be called the
natural environment. It is also referred to as the physical environment as it
pertains to the physical requirements of life. These physical or geographic
conditions are not dependent on the existence of humans. Sometimes, humans
have no control over the physical conditions of the environment.
It contains all components of nature. It includes natural resources, the earth’s
surface, mountains, rivers, plains, land, water, deserts, storms, cyclones,
volcanoes, oceans, climatic factors, and so on. It is also used to refer to
biological situations such as complexities associated with plants and animals.
Natural environment is often also used as synonym for habitat.
Planet Earth is made up of four overlapping
subsystems that contain all of world’s land masses,
water sources, living organisms, and gases. These four
subsystems are known as spheres.
Geographers break down the Earth’s systems into four
spheres that make up the world’s air (atmosphere),
water (hydrosphere), land, rocks & soil (lithosphere),
and living organisms (biosphere).
Three of these spheres are abiotic and one sphere is
biotic.
The atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere taken
together as a whole are called the geosphere of the
earth.
1. The Atmosphere: is a layer of gases surrounding the planet
earth that is retained by earth gravity. The atmosphere is
composed of gases including oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide,
and others.
2. The Hydrosphere: is the vast volume of water that makes
up the majority of the earth’s surface. It refers to the combined
mass of water found on, under, and over the surface of the
planet. This water is present as liquid, ice, and water vapour. It
includes oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, and ponds.
3. The Lithosphere: is the term for the solid portion of the
earth. It is the rocky outer part of Earth; the rigid outermost
shell. This includes rocks, mountains, land and soil.
4. The Biosphere: describes all areas of the planet where life
is present. Ecosystems that support life may exist in the soil,
the air, the water, or the land. The Biosphere is the zone of life
or the area of the planet where life can be found. It covers all
living organisms on earth.
The term built environment refers to the human –
manmade surroundings that provides the setting for human
activity.
Built environment is composed of places and spaces
created or modified by people including buildings, parks or
green spaces, and supporting infrastructures, such as water
supply, or energy networks, transportation systems etc.
Manmade environment is used to refer to the one created
by man in order to regulate and monitor certain
environmental conditions. Some address it as a social-
cultural environment. It can further be divided into two types
of environments.
Inner Environment
Outer Environment
is the social environment that exists as long as a particular society
exists. It refers to the society and the cultural heritage created by man.
It also includes customs, language, traditions, regulations,
organisations, institutions, social conditions and health which is
existent in every human group. That is, it includes the culture that the
individual was educated or lives in, and the people and institutions
with whom they interact.
Social environment refers to the immediate physical and social setting
in which people live or in which something happens or develops.
The inner environment has a profound impact on human lives and is
often called the 'social heritage' as it is an important factor for
humankind to exist, live and grow.
It refers to the changes in the environment due to human
intervention in the natural environment.
Through advancement in the field of science and
technology, humans have attempted to alter conditions of
their physical environment. This outer environment is as a
result of these modifications which includes modern
infrastructure in cities, our homes and their associated
amenities, our modes of communication and transport, our
resorts to conveniences and luxury, different kinds of
industry manufacturing luxurious commodities, electrical
appliances and so on which ultimately aims at civilization
and urbanization.
The inner and the outer environments are correlated
and hence inseparable.
