UNIT 3

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
 Human beings live in both natural and social world.
 Our technological development has strong impacts on the natural as well as the social components
 Development does not mean an increase in GNP(Gross National Product) of a few different nations
 Until now development has been human oriented that too mainly for few rich nations
 They have touched the greatest heights of scientific and technological development but at what cost? The
air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat have all badly polluted
 Our natural resources are just dwindling due to over exploitation. If this growth continues in the same way
we will be facing a doom’s day as suggested by the world’s famous report “The limits to growth”
 Development has to be visualized in a holistic manner, where it brings benefits to all, not only for the
present generation but also for future generation
 There is an urgent need to interlink the social aspects with development and environment
 According to G.H.Brundtland (Norwegion Prime minister & Director of WHO) Sustainable development
is defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to
meet their own needs”

Key aspects for sustainable development:

1) Inter – generational equity:
 We should minimize any adverse impacts on resources and environment for future generations
 We should handover a safe, healthy, and resourceful environment to our future generations
 This is possible only if we stop over exploitation of resources, reduce waste discharge and
emissions and maintain ecological balance
2) Intra – generational equity:
 The development process should seek to minimize the wealth gaps within and between nations
 The technology should address to the problems of developing countries, producing drought tolerant
varieties for uncertain climates, vaccines for infectious diseases, clean fuel for domestic and
industrial use
 This will support the economic growth of poor countries, narrowing the wealth gap and lead to
sustainability
Measures for Sustainable development:
1) Using appropriate technology:
 Appropriate technology is the one which is locally adoptable, eco friendly, resource efficient, and
culturally suitable (involves local resources and labor)
 Using indigenous technologies are more useful, cost effective, and sustainable
 The technology should use less resources and produce minimum waste

Urban problems related to

energy: Urbanization:
Movement of human population from rural areas top urban areas for betterment of education,
communication, health, employment etc
 Causes:
Cities are main centers of economic growth, trade, transportation, education, medical facilities and
employment

Urban sprawl:
Urban growth is fast, so difficult to accommodate with their limited area .So cities spread in to rural
areas

Urban energy requirement:

Residential and commercial lighting, Public and private transportation, Electrical and electronic appliances like
A/C, fridge, washing machine, water heater etc
Solution:
 Use public transport instead of motor cycles

 Energy consumption must be minimized

 Use solar and wind energy
 Impose strict laws, penalty, and energy audit

WATER CONSERVATION:
Water being one of the most precious and indispensable resources needs to be conserved The following
strategies can be adopted for conservation for water
1) Decreasing run off losses: This can be achieved by
 Contour cultivation on small furrows and ridges across the slopes trap rainwater and allow more time
for infiltration
 Conservation bench terracing involves construction of a series of benches for catching the runoff water
 Water spreading is done by channeling or lagoon travelling
 Channeling means a series of diversions with vertical intervals
 Lagoon travelling means small depressions are dug in the area so that there is temporary storage of water
 Chemical wetting agents or conditioners like Gypsum when applied to sodic soils improves soil
permeability and reduce runoff
 Surface crop residues Tillage, mulch, animal residues
 Water storage structures like farm ponds, dug wells
2) Reducing evaporation losses:
 Horizontal barrier of asphalt placed below the soil surface increases water availability
 A co-polymer of starch and acrylonitrile called super slurper absorbs water 4000 times its weight
3) Storing water in soil:
 Soil should be wetted to field capacity
 Leaving the soil fallow for one season water can be made available for the next season for crop
growth
4) Reducing irrigation losses:
 Use of lined canals to reduce seepage
 Irrigation in early morning or late evening
 Sprinkling irrigation or drip irrigation
5) Reuse of water:
 Treated waste water can be used for ferti-irrigation
 Using grey water from washings, bath tubs for watering gardens washing cars
6) Preventing wastage of water:
  Closing taps when not in use
 Repairing any leakage from pipes
7) Increasing block pricing:
 The consumer has to pay a proportionately higher bill with higher use of water

WASTE LAND RECLAMATION:

The land which is not in use – unproductive, unfit for cultivation another economic uses. The waste
land do not fulfill their life sustain potential wasteland contributes about 20.17% of the total geographical area
of India.

Types of waste land

1. Uncultivable waste land – Barren rocky areas, hilly slopes, sandy deserts.
2. Cultivable waste land- degraded forest lands, gullied lands. Marsh lands, saline land etc.
Causes for waste land formation
 Soil Erosion, Deforestation, Water logging, Salinity.
 Excessive use of pesticides.
 Developmental activities, [Construction of dams, power projects, causes water logging].
 Over-exploitation of natural resources.
 Sewage and industrial wastes.
 Mining destroy forests & cultivable land.
 Growing demands for fuel, fodder, wood and food causes degradation and loss of soil productivity.
Objectives of waste land reclamation

 To improve the physical structure and quality of the soil

 To prevent soil erosion
 To avoid over – exploitation of natural resources
 To conserve the biological resources.
 To improve the availability of good quality of water
 To supply fuel, fodder, timber for local use
 To provide source of income to the rural poor

Methods of waste land reclamation

 Drainage
 Leaching
 Irrigation practices
 Green manures and bio fertilizers
 Resettlement and Rehabilitation of people:
Resettlement – simple relocation or displacement of human population.

Causes
 Due to Developmental activities - dams, mining, roads, airports, etc
 Due to Disaster (Natural disaster - earthquake, floods, droughts, landslides, avalanches,
volcanic eruptions etc.) (Manmade disasters - Industrial accidents, nuclear accidents, dam bursts
etc)
 Due to conservation initiatives - national park, sanctuary, forest reserves, biosphere reserve etc.

Case Studies Eg. Hirakund dam displaced more than 20000 people residing in about 250 villages.
Tehri Dam (Uttaranchal) on the river Bhagirathi, would directly have an immediate impact on the
10,000 residents of Tehri town and the rehabilitation over here has become much more of a burning issue
Sardar Sarover Project - Plans to build 30 big, 135 medium and 3000 minor dams on Narmada River.
Tributaries estimated to submerge 573 villages consisting of about 3 lakh people.

Rehabilitation:
Involves making the system to work again by replacing the lost economic assets, employment, land for
building, repair damaged building etc.

Rehabilitation issues
 Displacement of tribal’s increases poverty by losing home, land, jobs, food security etc
 Breakup of families
 Communal ownership of property
 Vanishing social and cultural activities like folk songs & dances
 Loss of identity between the people.
 Extinction of wild life

CLIMATE CHANGE -Climate is the average weather of an area. It is general

weather conditions, seasonal variations and extremes of weather in a region.
Such conditions which average over a long period- at least 30 yrs is called
climate. -The Inter-governmental panel on climate change (IPCC) published the
best available evidence about past climate change, the green house effect and
recent changes in global temperature. - The fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of
United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on climate change (IPCC) 2007 has
been prepared by more than 2,500 scientific experts reveals that :- - Un-equality
in water (i.e.) excess in some areas and draught in some areas. -Glaciers in
Himalayas will melt and this leads to increase in size of the glacial lakes. -Semi-
arid regions of the world will face drier years. -Africa will experience water
stress. -Sea level and human activities will leads to loss of coastal wetlands. -
Fresh water availability will decrease by 2050. -Human health will be affected. -
 There will be Increase in deaths, spread of contagious diseases etc.

NUCLEAR ACCIDENTS & HOLOCAUST

The release of large amounts of nuclear energy and radioactive products into the atmosphere.

Types of Nuclear Accidents

 Nuclear test
 Nuclear power plant accidents
 Improper disposal of radioactive wastes
 Accident during transport of materials
 Core melt down

Effects of nuclear accident:

2. Direct contact leads to radioactive sickness which may lead to death.
3. Cancer is major problem in affected areas and this effect may stay longer.
4. Air and water will be contaminated due to radioactive steam and groundwater mixing with radioactive
substances.
5. Land degradation.
6. It affects eye sight.
7. The ecological system gets disturbed.
8. Birds and animals have affect on their reproductive systems.
9. Gene disturbances and deformity in newly born.

Examples
Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster:(Nuclear Pollution)

In April 26 1986, melt down of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in Ukraine, Russia, has leaked out the
radioactive rays & radioactive materials. This was happened due to poor reactor design & human error.
Effects: about 2000 persons died, more suffered due to degeneration of cells, severe bleeding, anaemia

Control Measures
 Suitable precautions to avoid accident
 Constant monitoring of the radiation level
 Checks and control measures done by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board

Consumerism and Waste Products

Consumerism refers to the consumption of resources by the people. Early human societies
used to consume much less resources. But the consumerism has increased to a very large extent. Consumerism
is related to both population size and increase in demands due to change in lifestyle.
Population has increased tremendously. World Bank estimates our population to reach 11billion by
2045. Two types of conditions of population and consumerism exists.

1. People over – population: When there are more people than available food, water and other resources in an
 area – causes degradation of limited resources – poverty and under nourishments. Low Developed Countries
(LDC) are more prone to these conditions. There is less per capita consumption although the overall
consumption is high.
2. Consumption over– population:
These conditions occur in more developed countries (MDC). Population size is smaller but the
resource consumption is high due to luxurious lifestyle (i.e.) per capita consumption is high. More
consumption of resources lead to high waste generation –greater is the degradation of the environment.
Objectives of Consumerisation
 Improves rights and power of the buyers
 Making the manufacturer liable
 Reuse and recycle the product
 Reclaiming useful parts
 Reusable packing materials
 Health and happiness.

SOURCES OF WASTES = Glass, papers, garbage’s, food waste, automobile waste, dead animals etc.

E – Waste = Computers, printers, mobile phones, Xerox machines, calculators etc.

Effects of wastes -
 Dangerous to human life
 Degrade soil
 Non biodegradable plastics reduce toxic gases.
 Cadmium in chips, Cathode ray tube, PVC causes cancer and other respiratory problems. Overall
environmental impact = no. of people x per capita use of resources x waste generated per unit of
resources

Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

It is a general legislation law to rectify the gaps & laps in above acts.
This act empowers the Central Govt. to fix the standard of quality of air, water, soil & noise.
Objectives:
To protect & improvement of the environment
To prevent hazards to all living creatures & property
To maintain peaceful relationship between humans & their environment
Important Features of Environment Act:
 Empowers safeguard measures to Prevent accidents which cause pollution.
 Gives remedial measures if accident occurs.
 The Govt. has authority to close or prohibit or regulate any industry & its operation. One who violates
the act will be punishable with fine up to one lakh
 If the violation continues, an additional fine of Rs. 5000/- per day is imposed
 The act empowers the officers of Central Government to inspect the site / plant / machinery
for preventing pollution.
  Collects samples of air, water, soil or other material from any factory / its premises for testing.

Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 Salient features

 Enacted in the Conference held at Stockholm in 1972.
 Deals with problems related to air pollution, quality of air etc.
Objectives of air act:
To prevent, control & abatement of air pollution To maintain the quality of air

Important features of air pollution:

 The Central Board settle disputes between state boards, provide technical assistance & guidance to
State board.
 The State Board verify the emissions of air pollutants from industrial / automobile units
]

 The State Board Collect information about air pollution

 SB examine the standards of manufacturing process & control equipment
 SB can advise State Government to declare the heavily polluted areas & advice to avoid burning of waste
products.
 Operation of industrial unit is prohibited in a heavily polluted areas
 Violation of law is punishable with imprisonment & Fine

Water (prevention and control of pollution) Act 1974:

This act provides for maintaining & restoring the source of water Provides for preventing & controlling
water pollution.

Objectives:
• To protect water from all kinds of pollution
• To preserve the quality of water
• Establishment of Central & State Boards for preventing water pollution
• Restrain any person for discharging sewage/effluent into any water body
• Any contravention of the standards leads to prison for 3 to 6 months
 Requires permission to set up an industry which discharges effluent.

State pollution Control Board:

 Take step to establish any industry, disposal system, extension/addition in industry, discharge of
effluent into river
 Use any new / altered outlet for discharge of sewage
 Begin to make any new discharge of sewage.

Punishment:

Stoppage of supply of electricity, water / any other services Imprisonment for 1½ years to 6 years & Rs. 5000/-
fine.

Wildlife [protection] act, 1972:

Aimed protect & preserve wildlife. Wildlife refers to all animals & plants
It is declining due to human actions for wildlife’s skins, furs, feathers, ivory etc.
Objectives:
To maintain ecological process & life supporting system To preserve biodiversity To
ensure a continuous use of species.
Important Features:
Covers the right & non-rights of forest dwellers
Provides restricted grazing in sactuaries & prohibits in national parks Prohibits the collection of non- timber
forest.
1. Defines wild life related terminology.
2. Provide appointments of advisory Board, wildlife warden, their powers &
3. duties etc.
 4. Prohibition of hunting of endangered species [was first] mentioned.
5. List of endangered species is provided.
6. Provides grants for setting up of national parks, wild life sanctuaries etc
7. The Act imposes ban on trade & commence of scheduled animals.
8. Provides legal proves to officers to punish the offenders.
9. Provide captive breeding programme for endangered species.

Forest (conservation) Act, 1980

It deals with conservation of forest and includes reserve forest, protected forest and any forestland
irrespective of ownership.

Objectives:
To protect & conserve the forest
To ensure judicious use of forest products
Important Features of Forest Act:
Forests are not diverted without the prior permission of the Central Government.
Land registered for forest may not be used for non-forest purposes
Any illegal activity in a forest area can be stopped immediately
Clearance of forest land for re-afforestation is forbidden
One who violates the forest law is punishable.
1. Provision for conservation of all types of forests. Advisory committee appointed for funding conservation
2. Illegal non-forest activity within a forest area can be immediately stopped under this act. Non forest activity
means clearing land for cash-crop agriculture, mining etc.
However construction in forest for wild life or forest management is exempted from non forestry activity.

1992 Amendment:
1. This amendment allows transmission lines, seismic surveys, exploration drilling and hydro electric
project in forest area without cutting trees or with limited cutting of trees-prior approval CG to be sought.
2. Wild life sanctuaries, National parks etc. are prohibited from exploration except with CG prior approval.
3. Cultivation of coffee, rubber, tea (cash crop), fruit bearing trees, oil yielding trees, trees of medicinal
values are also prohibited in reserved forest area with out prior approval from CG. Has this may create
imbalance to ecology of the forest.
4. Tusser (a type of silk yielding insect) cultivation in forest area is allowed since it discourages
monoculture practices in forests and improves biodiversity.
5. Plantation of mulberry for rearing silk worm is prohibited.
6. Proposal sent to CG for non-forestry activity must have a cost benefit analysis and environmental impact
statement (EIS)
 UNIT-4
HUMAN RIGHTS

Several environmental issues are closely linked to human rights. These include the equitable distribution of environmental
resources, the utilisation of resources and Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), conflicts between people and wild- life especially around
PAs, resettlement issues around development projects such as dams and mines, and access to health to prevent environ- ment
related diseases

. Equity

One of the primary concerns in environmental issues is how wealth, resources and energy must be distributed in a community. We
can think of the global community, regional community is- sues, national concerns and those related to a family or at the individual
level.

. Nutrition, health and human rights

There are links between environment, nutrition and health which must be seen from a human- rights perspective.
Proper nutrition and health are fundamental human rights. The right to life is a Fundamental Right in our constitution.
As a deteriorating environment shortens life spans, this in effect has an impact on our fundamental constitutional right.

POPULATION EXPLOSION – FAMILY WELFARE PROGRAM

In response to our phenomenal population growth, India seriously took up an effective Fam- ily Planning Program
which was renamed the Family Welfare Program. Slogans such as ‘Hum do hamare do’ indicated that each family
should not have more than two children. It how- ever has taken several decades to become ef- fective.

ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH

1. Physical Hazards – Radioactive and UV radiations, Global warming, Chlorofluro carbons, Noise etc.
2. Chemical Hazards – Combustion of Fossil fuels, industrial effluence, pesticides, heavy metals,
3. Biological Hazards- Bacteria, Viruses, Parasites

HIV /AIDS

AIDS is the abbreviated form for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome caused by a virus called HIV.
Effects
1. Death
2. Loss of labor
3. Inability to work
4. Lack of energy .
 WOMAN AND CHILD WELFARE

There are several environmental factors that are closely linked to the welfare of women and chil- dren. Each year, close
to eleven million children worldwide are estimated to have died from the effects of disease and inadequate nutrition.
Most of these deaths are in the developing world. In some countries, more than one in five children die before they are 5
years old. Seven out of 10 of childhood deaths in developing countries can be attributed to five main causes, or a
combi- nation of them. These are pneumonia, diar- rhoea, measles, malaria and malnutrition. Around the world,
three out of every four chil- dren suffer from at least one of these condi- tions.

ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN

HEALTH

The understanding of environmental concerns and issues related to human health has exploded during the last few years
due to the sudden growth of Information Technology. The com- puter age has turned the world around due to the
incredible rapidity with which IT spreads knowledge. IT can do several tasks extremely rapidly, accurately and
spread the information through the world’s networks of millions of com- puter systems. A few examples of the use
of computer technology that aid environmental studies include software such as using Geo- graphical Information
Systems (GIS). GIS is a tool to map landuse patterns and document change by studying digitized toposheets and/or
satel- lite imagery. Once this is done, an expert can ask a variety of questions which the software can answer by
producing maps which helps in landuse planning.