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lOMoARcPSD|44562986 Environment Communication Unit 1

BAJMC 306: ENVIRONMENT COMMUNICATION

Unit I: [Environment Communication]

1. Environment: Definition, Scope and Importance 2. Environment
Communication: Definition, Concept and Need for Public Awareness 3.
Natural Resources: Associated Problems and Law – Forest, Water, Mineral,
Food, Energy and Land Resources 4. Role of Individual and Media in
Conservation of Natural Resources

Environment: Definition, Scope and Importance

INTRODUCTION

The word ‘Environment’ is derived from the French word ‘Environner’ which means to encircle,
around or surround. The biologist Jacob Van Uerkal (1864-1944) introduced the term
‘environment’ in Ecology.

Ecology is the study of the interactions between an organism of some kind and its environment.
As given by Environment Protection Act 1986, Environment is the sum total of land, water, air,
interrelationships among themselves and also with the human beings and other living organisms.
Environmental Science is the interdisciplinary field and requires the study of the interactions
among the physical, chemical and biological components of the Environment with a focus on
environmental pollution and degradation. An environment study is a multidisciplinary subject
where different aspects are dealt with in a holistic approach. The science of Environment studies
comprises various branches of studies like chemistry, physics, life science, medical science,
agriculture, public health, sanitary engineering, geography, geology, atmospheric science, etc. It
is the science of physical phenomena in the environment. It studies the sources, reactions,
transport, effect and fate of a biological species in the air, water and soil and the effect of and
from human activity upon these. Environmental Science deals with the study of processes in soil,
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water, air and organisms which lead to pollution or environmental damages and the scientific
basis for the establishment of a standard which can be considered acceptably clean, safe and
healthy for human beings and natural ecosystems.

The Environment is about the surrounding external conditions influencing development or

growth of people, animal or plants; living or working conditions etc. This involves three
questions i.e., what is surrounded, by what surrounded and where surrounded. The answer to the
first is living objects in general and man in particular. Human life is concerned to be the main in
the study of environment. However, human life cannot exist or be understood in isolation from
the other forms of life like animal life and from plant life. Environment belongs to all living
beings and is thus important for all. Hence, environment refers to the sum total of conditions
surround in space and time. The scope of the term ‘Environment’ has been changing and
widening by the passage of time. In the primitive age, the environment consisted of only physical
aspects of the planet earth i.e., land, water and air as biological communities. As of now, it
includes social, economic and political conditions also. The answer for the question where
surrounded is in nature that physical component of the planet earth, viz land, air, water etc.,
support and affect life in the biosphere.

DEFINITIONS OF ENVIRONMENT:

Some important definitions of environment are as under:

1. According to Boring, ‘A person’s environment consists of the sum total of the stimulation
which he receives from his conception until his death.’ Indicating that environment comprises
various types of forces such as physical, intellectual, mental, economical, political, cultural,
social, moral and emotional.

2. Douglas and Holland defined that ‘The term environment is used to describe, in
aggregate, all the external forces, influences and conditions, which affect the life, nature,
behaviour and the growth, development and maturity of living organisms’.

SCOPE OF ENVIRONMENT:

The environment consists of four segments of the earth namely atmosphere, hydrosphere,
lithosphere and biosphere:

1. Atmosphere: The Atmosphere forms a distinctive protective layer about 100 km thick
around the earth. A blanket of gases called the atmosphere surrounds the earth and protects the
surface of earth from the Sun’s harmful, ultraviolet rays. It sustains life on the earth. It also
regulates temperature, preventing the earth from becoming too hot or too cold. It saves it from
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the hostile environment of outer space. The atmosphere is composed of nitrogen and oxygen
besides, argon, carbon dioxide and trace gases.

The atmosphere has a marked effect on the energy balance at the surface of the Earth. It absorbs
most of the cosmic rays from outer space and a major portion of the electromagnetic radiation
from the sun. It transmits only ultraviolet, visible, near infrared radiation (300 to 2500 nm) and
radio waves. (0.14 to 40 m) while filtering out tissue-damaging ultra-violate waves below about
300 nm.

2. Hydrosphere: The Hydrosphere comprises all types of water resources oceans, seas,
lakes, rivers, streams, reservoirs, polar icecaps, glaciers, and ground water. Oceans represent
97% of the earth’s water and about 2% of the water resources is locked in the polar icecaps and
glaciers. Only about 1% is available as fresh water as surface water in rivers, lakes, streams, and
as ground water for human use.

3. Lithosphere: Lithosphere is the outer mantle of the solid earth. It consists of minerals
occurring in the earth’s crusts and the soil e.g. minerals, organic matter, air and water.

4. Biosphere: Biosphere indicates the realm of living organisms and their interactions with
environment, viz atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere.

The scope of environmental studies is very wide and it deals with many areas like i)
Conservation of natural resources, ii) ecological aspects, iii) pollution of the surrounding natural
resources, iv) controlling the pollution, v) social issues connected to it, and vi) impacts of human
population on the environment.

Elements of Environment

Environment is constituted by the interacting systems of physical, biological and cultural

elements inter-related in various ways, individually as well as collectively. These elements are:

(1) Physical elements

Physical elements are space, landforms, water bodies, climate, soils, rocks and minerals. They
determine the variable character of the human habitat, its opportunities as well as limitations.

(2) Biological elements

Biological elements such as plants, animals, microorganisms and men constitute the biosphere.
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(3) Cultural elements

Cultural elements such as economical, social and political elements are essentially man- made
features, which make the cultural background.

ENVIRONMENT STUDIES: IMPORTANCE

The environment studies make us aware about the importance of protection and conservation of
our mother earth and about the destruction due to the release of pollution into the environment.
The increase in human and animal population, industries and other issues make the survival
cumbersome. A great number of environment issues have grown in size and make the system
more complex day by day, threatening the survival of mankind on earth. Environment studies
have become significant for the following reasons:

1. Environment Issues are being of Global:

It has been well recognised that environment issues like global warming and ozone depletion,
acid rain, marine pollution and biodiversity are not merely national issues but are global issues
and hence require international efforts and cooperation to solve them.

2. Development and Environment:

Development leads to Urbanization, Industrial Growth, Telecommunication and Transportation

Systems, Hi-tech Agriculture and Housing etc. However, it has become phased out in the
developed world. The North intentionally moves their dirty factories to South to cleanse their
own environment. When the West developed, it did so perhaps in ignorance of the environmental
impact of its activities. Development of the rich countries of the world has undesirable effects on
the environment of the entire world.

3. Explosive Increase in Pollution:

World census reflects that one in every seven persons in this planet lives in India. Evidently with
16 per cent of the world's population and only 2.4 per cent of its land area, there is a heavy
pressure on the natural resources including land. Agricultural experts have recognized soil health
problems like deficiency of micronutrients and organic matter, soil salinity and damage of soil
structure.

4. Need for an Alternative Solution

It is essential, especially for developing countries to find alternative paths to an alternative goal.
We need a goal as under:
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• A true goal of development with an environmentally sound and sustainable development.

• A goal common to all citizens of our planet earth.
• A goal distant from the developing world in the manner it is from the over-consuming
wasteful societies of the “developed” world.

It is utmost important for us to save the humanity from extinction because of our activities
constricting the environment and depleting the biosphere, in the name of development.

5. Need for Wise Planning of Development

Our survival and sustenance depend on resources availability. Hence Resources withdraw,
processing and use of the products have all to be synchronised with the ecological cycle. In any
plan of development our actions should be planned ecologically for the sustenance of the
environment and development.

6. Misra (1991) recognized four basic principles of ecology, as under:

(i) Holism, (ii) Ecosystem, (iii) Succession and (iv) Conversation.

Holism has been considered as the real base of ecology. In hierarchical levels at which
interacting units of ecology are discussed, are as under:

Misra (1991) has recognised four basic requirements of environmental management as under:

• Impact of human activities on the environment,

• Value system,
• Plan and design for sustainable development,
• Environment education.
Keeping in view of the goal of planning for environmentally sustainable development, India
contributed to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also
referred to as “Earth Summit” held at Rio de Janeiro, the Capital of Brazil, 3rd-14th June, 1992.

ENVIRONMENT COMMUNICATION: DEFINITION, CONCEPT AND

NEED FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS

Environmental communication is "the dissemination of information and the implementation of

communication practices that are related to the environment. In the beginning, environmental
communication was a narrow area of communication; however, nowadays, it is a broad field that
includes research and practices regarding how different actors (e.g., institutions, states, and
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people) interact with regard to topics related to the environment and how cultural products
influence society toward environmental issues". Therefore, Environmental communication also
includes human interactions with the environment. This includes a wide range of possible
interactions, from interpersonal communication and virtual communities to participatory
decision-making and environmental media coverage.

From the perspective of practice, Alexander Flor defines environmental communication as the
application of communication approaches, principles, strategies, and techniques to
environmental management and protection.

In the simplest terms, environmental communication is communication about environmental

affairs. This includes all of the diverse forms of interpersonal, group, public, organizational, and
mediated communication that make up the social debate about environmental issues and
problems, and our relationship to the rest of nature.
"It is both a lay activity and a field of professional practice"
Anyone who is participating in these discussions is engaging in the activity of environmental
communication. That includes everyone from the most passionate environmental advocates, to
the fiercest opponents of ecological protections. In this sense, it is both a lay activity that anyone
can undertake, and a field of practice that professional communicators have created.
It should be noted here that former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore shared the 2007 Nobel Peace
Prize with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for his work
in communicating about climate change. That makes him the most distinguished environmental
communicator today.
"It is also an interdisciplinary field of study"
Environmental communication is also an interdisciplinary field of study that examines the role,
techniques, and influence of communication in environmental affairs. Basically, it studies the
activity and in doing so, it draws its theory and methods primarily from communication,
environmental studies, psychology, sociology, and political science. There are university courses
and programs in environmental communication, research centers dedicated to its study, scholarly
journals focused on the subject, and books on various aspects of the field.
Work in this area is concerned with several interconnected dimensions of the communication.
These are most easily explained with reference to the standard questions of who, what, where,
when and how. In each of these dimensions, we might also ask why and so what?
Who gets to participate in the discussions? Why are certain voices privileged and others
marginalized? Among those are the voices of citizens, politicians, civil servants, scientists,
corporations, religious institutions, labour unions, indigenous peoples, environmental
organizations, and other civil society groups, not to mention journalists and other media workers.
What are the facets of the environmental issues that are being discussed? Why are some
emphasized over others? What are the implications? Among the key facets that might be
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discussed are the science, costs, risks, problem definitions, possible responses, values, agency,
responsibilities, future visions, and ideas about nature, as well as the patterns of those discussions
known as discourses.
Where and when does the communication take place? What are the limitations and opportunities
associated with those different contexts? These include traditional news media, public
participation fora, policy-making venues, advocacy campaigns, advertising, street protests, social
media, popular culture and the public sphere generally.
How are people communicating? Why are they using certain words, metaphors, visuals, frames,
music, art, narratives, and other rhetorical devices? Why not different words, etc.? What are the
consequences for those who hear and see these messages? How should people be
communicating? "A central goal of the field is to discern and promote good practices"
These are some of the core questions that environmental communication researchers explore and
practitioners face. However, despite tremendous growth in the literature of environmental
communication in the past two decades, there is still much to learn and a lot of works to be done
in order to fully answer them.
Because many of the people who study this field see it as a “crisis discipline,” akin to
conservation biology, their work often goes beyond describing, explaining, or critiquing the
communication. They feel a responsibility to see that communication concerning environmental
affairs be as ethical and effective as possible. That’s because such communication is essential if
we are to avoid violent conflicts and address environmental health and justice issues in the most
effective ways possible. Accordingly, a central goal of the field is to discern and promote good
practices.
"Environmental communication is a practical, and indeed essential, tool for action"
As with communication in general, environmental communication serves two broad social
functions. The first is that we use communication to do things. For example, we communicate in
order to inform, persuade, educate, and alert others. Similarly, we use communication to
organize, argue, reconcile, and negotiate with each other, among other things. In this way,
environmental communication is a practical, and indeed essential, tool for action. As such, it
deserves careful scrutiny.
Whether you are using environmental communication to advocate for a policy, raise awareness,
change behavior, influence public opinion, collaborate to address conflicts, pass legislation or
challenge assumptions, how you communicate will affect your outcomes. Whether you seek
technological, political, economic, behavioral or cultural solutions, you need effective
communication to succeed.
"Communication shapes how we see and value the world"
The second broad social function of communication is that it plays an important role in creating
meaning. Communication shapes how we see and value the world of things, events, conditions,
ideas and so forth. In environmental affairs, communication guides our understanding of the
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issues, the problems that underlie them, the people and organizations involved, the possible
approaches that can be taken, potential futures, and most importantly, the natural world itself.
Many people working in this field understand how important meanings and values are to guiding
everything from the kinds of technologies people develop to the policies they support to the day
to day personal choices they make. Of course, meanings and values don’t fully determine how
people act, but they can greatly influence it.
"How well we communicate with each other about nature and environmental
affairs will affect how well we address the ecological crisis"
Better policies, cleaner energy sources, new technologies, carbon taxes and all of the other
innovative approaches to dealing with environmental issues will only take us so far. In order to
achieve lasting ecological sustainability, human culture (especially in wasteful Western societies)
is going to have to change as well. This will require some significant shifts in our views and
values towards the natural world, ourselves, and each other. So, how well we communicate about
nature and environmental affairs will affect how quickly and thoroughly we can transform our
cultures and ultimately how well we address the ecological crisis.

NEED FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS

The need of the hour is to make the public aware of the consequences of the environmental
degradation, if not corrected and reformative measures undertaken, would result in the extinction
of life. It is also necessary to face the various environmental challenges and to act accordingly to
make the acts eco-friendly. The major challenges ahead are the following:

1. Population Exploitation:

A population of over thousands of millions is growing at 2.11 per cent every year. Over 17
million people are added each year. India accounts for 16 % of the world population, but with
only 2.4 per cent of the land area. This makes considerable pressure on the natural resources and
reduces the gains of development. Hence, the greatest challenge before us is to limit the
population growth. Although the population control does automatically lead to development, yet
the development leads to a decrease in population growth rates. For this development to be
happened, knowledge of the women is essential. The future population growth has to be linked to
the resource base in order to have sustainable development.

2. Poverty alleviation:

India has often been described a rich land with poor people. The poverty and environmental
degradation are inter-dependent. The vast majority of our people are directly dependent on the
natural resources of the country for their basic needs of food, fuel, fodder and shelter. About 65
% of Indians are poor and about 40% of our people are still below the poverty line. Environment
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degradation has adversely affected the poor who depend upon the natural resources of their
immediate surroundings. Thus, the challenge of poverty and the challenge of environment
degradation are two facets of the same challenge. The population growth is essentially a function
of poverty.

3. Agricultural Growth:

The people must be acquainted with the methods to sustain and increase agricultural growth
without damaging the environment. Fertilizers and pesticides are causing major threats to the
environment in the form of soil and water pollution. It is evident that it is very difficult that these
chemicals will be kept out of soil, water and food chain if they are extensively and continuously
used in crop production. Highly intensive agriculture has caused soil salinity and damage to the
physical structure of soil.

4. Protecting Ground water from pollution:

Because of intensive agriculture, increase in number of industries, rapid urbanisation and

population growth, the need for water is growing at a faster rate. This leads to the fast depletion
of groundwater table. It is very essential of rationalizing the use of groundwater now. Factors
like community wastes, industrial effluents and chemical fertilizers and pesticides have polluted
our surface water and affected the quality of groundwater also. The need of the hour is to restore
the water quality of our rivers and other water bodies as lakes and to avoid the groundwater
pollution. Finding suitable strategies for consecration of water, provision of safe drinking water
and keeping water bodies clean which are difficult challenges ahead. Rain water harvesting and
water management can help to an extent in this regard.

5. Development and Forests:

Forests provide raw materials for construction of houses and for industries like paper and pulp
manufacturing, packaging, fire wood and fodder for people etc. Forests serve as catchments for
the rivers. With increasing demand of water, huge dams were constructed in independent India
leading to submergence of large forest areas; displace local people and damage flora and fauna.
As such, the dams on the river Narmada, Bhagirathi and elsewhere have become areas of
political conflicts and scientific debate. Forests in India have been shrinking for several centuries
owing to pressures of agriculture and other uses. Vast areas of forests in many states are now
converted as agricultural lands for growing hilly vegetables and plantation crops and mining.
These areas are to be brought back under forest cover. The tribal communities inhabiting forests
respects the trees and birds and animal that gives them sustenance. We must recognise the role of
these people in restoring and conserving forests. The modern knowledge and skills of the forest
department should be integrated with the traditional knowledge and experience of the local
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communities. The strategies for the joint management of forests by the government officials and
tribal people should be evolved in a well planned way to implement afforestation.

6. Degradation of Land:

At present out of the total 329 mha of land, only 266 mha possess any potential for production.
Of this, 143 mha is agricultural land and 85 mha suffers from varying degrees of soil
degradation. Of the remaining 123 mha, 40 mha are completely unproductive. The remaining 83
mha is classified as forest land, of which over half is denuded to various degrees. Nearly 406
million head of livestock have to be supported on 13 mha, or less than 4 per cent of the land
classified as pasture land, most of which is overgrazed. Thus, out of 226 mha, about 175 mha or
66 per cent is degraded to varying degrees. Water and wind erosion causes further degradation of
almost 150 mha This degradation is to be avoided.

7. Reduction of Genetic Diversity:

Immediate measures to conserve genetic diversity need to be taken at the earliest. At present
most wild genetic stocks have been disappearing from nature. The protected areas network like
sanctuaries, national parks, biosphere reserves are isolating populations. Remedial steps are to be
taken to check decreasing genetic diversity.

8. Evil Consequences of Urbanisation:

Nearly 27 per cent Indians live in urban areas. Urbanisation and industrialisation has given birth
to a great number of environmental problems that need urgent attention. Over 30 percent of
urban Indians live in slums. Out of India’s 3,245 towns and cities, only 21 have partial or full
sewerage and treatment facilities. Hence, coping with rapid urbanization is a major challenge.

9. Air and water Pollution:

Majority of our industrial plants are using outdated treatment technologies and makeshift
facilities devoid of any provision of treating their wastes. A great number of cities and industrial
areas that have been identified as the worst in terms of air and water pollution. Acts are enforced
in the country, but their implementation is not so easy. The reason is their implementation needs
great resources, technical expertise, political and social will. Again the people are to be made
aware of these rules. Their support is indispensable to implement these rules.
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NATURAL RESOURCES: ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS AND LAW –

FOREST, WATER, MINERAL, FOOD, ENERGY AND LAND
RESOURCES

INTRODUCTION

The main problem associated with natural resources is unequal consumption. A major part of
natural resources are consumed in the ‘developed’ world. The ‘developing nations’ also over use
many resources because of their greater human population. However, the consumption of
resources per capita (per individual) of the developed countries is upto 50 times greater than in
most developing countries. Advanced countries produce over 75% of global industrial waste and
greenhouse gases. Energy from fossil fuels consumed in relatively much greater quantities in
developed countries. Their per capita consumption of food too is much greater as well as their
waste. The USA for example with just 4% of the world’s population consumes about 25% of the
world’s resources.

Producing animal food for human consumption requires more land than growing crops. Thus
countries that are highly dependent on non-vegetarian diets need much larger areas for
pastureland than those where the people are mainly vegetarian. Our natural resources can be
compared with money in bank. If we use it rapidly the capital will be reduced to zero. On the
other hand if we use only the interest, it can sustain us over the longer term. This is called
sustainable utilization or development.

The quality of human life and the quality of ecosystems on earth are indicators of the sustainable
use of resources. There are clear indicators of sustainable lifestyles in human life. These are:
Increased longevity, an increase in knowledge and an enhancement of income. These three
together are known as the ‘human development index’. It means a source of supply/support i.e,
generally held in reserve natural means, an ecosystem not influenced by man. It means that
reserve stock of supply which living things can take from nature for sustenance of life.

Natural resources can be defined as ‘variety of goods and services provided by nature which are
necessary for our day-to-day lives’. Eg: Plants, animals and microbes (living or biotic part), Air,
water, soil, minerals, climate and solar energy (non- living or abiotic part). They are essential for
the fulfillment of physiological, social, economical and cultural needs at the individual and
community levels. Resources are of two types namely Renewable and Non-Renewable
Resources.
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Renewable resources: Natural resources which can be used but can be regenerated by natural
processes provided if there is no intervention in natural regeneration cycle. Ex: water, wood

Non Renewable Resources: Those which will be exhausted in the future if we continue to
extract these without a thought for subsequent generations. Example: minerals, fossil fuels.

Different types of resources viz., forest, water, food, energy and land resources are detailed
below.

FOREST

A forest can be defined as a biotic community predominant of trees, shrubs or any other woody
vegetation usually in a closed canopy. It is derived from latin word ‘foris’ means ‘outside’.

India’s Forest Cover is 6,76,000 sq.km (20.55% of geographic area). Scientists estimate that
India should ideally have 33% of its land under forests. Today we only have about 12% thus we
need not only to protect our existing forests but also to increase our forest cover.

Forest Functions:

I. Protective and ameliorative functions.

II. Productive functions

III. Recreational and educational functions

IV. Development functions

I. Protective and ameliorative functions A. Watershed protection

• Reducing the rate of surface run-off of water by increasing infighter from rate.
• Preventing flash floods and soil erosion
• Producing prolonged gradual run-off and thus safeguarding against drought.
B. Erosion control

• Holding soil (by preventing rain from directly washing soil away)
C. Land bank

• Maintaining soil nutrients and structure.

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D. Atmospheric regulation

• Absorption of solar heat during evapotranspiration

• Maintaining carbon dioxide levels for plant growth
• Maintaining the local climatic conditions
II. Productive Functions

• Local use – Consumption of forest produce by local people who collect it for sustenance

• Food: (consumptive use) gathering plants, fishing, hunting from the forest.
• Fodder for cattle
• Fuel wood and charcoal for cooking and heating
• Poles for building homes in rural and wilderness areas
• Timber for house hold articles and construction
• Fiber for weaving baskets, ropes, nets, strings, etc.,
• Sericulture for silk
• Apiculture for rearing bees for honey (bees as pollinators)
Medicinal plants for traditional medicines, investigating them as potential source for new modern
drugs Market use (productive use) Most of the products used for consumptive purposes and good
source of income for supporting their livelihood of forest dwelling people.

Minor forest products (NTFPs): Fuel wood, fruits, gum, fiber, etc which are collected and solid
in local markets as a source of income for forest dwellers

Major timber extraction for construction, industrial uses, paper pulp etc. Timber extraction is
done in India by the forest department, but illegal logging continues in many of the forests of
India and the world.

III. Recreational And Educational Functions: Eco tourism IV. Developmental Functions

• Employment functions
• Revenue
Ecological significance of forests:

1. Balances CO2 and O2 levels in atmosphere.

2. Regulates earth temperature and hydrological cycle

3. Encourage seepage and reduces runoff losses, prevents drought

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4. Reduces soil erosion (roots binding), prevents siltation of reservoirs and landslides
thereby floods

5. Litter helps in maintaining soil fertility

6. Safe habitat for birds, wild animals and organisms against wind, solar radiation and rain
Deforestation: Deforestation refers to the loss of forest cover; land that is permanently
converted from forest to agricultural land, golf courses, cattle pasture, home, lakes or desert.
The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN) defines tropical deforestation as
“change of forest with depletion of tree grown cover more than 90%” depletion of forest tree
crown cover less than 90% is considered forest degradation.

Causes for Deforestation:

1. Agriculture: Conversion of forests to agricultural land to feed growing numbers of people

2. Commercial logging: (which supplies the world market with woods such as meranti, teak,
mahogany and ebony) destroys trees as well as opening up forest for agriculture. Cutting of
trees for fire wood and building material, the heavy lopping of foliage for fodder and heavy
grazing of saplings by domestic animals like goats.

3. The cash crop economy: Raising cash crops for increased economy.

4. Mining

5. Increase in population: The needs also increase and utilize forest resources.

6. Urbanization & industrialization

7. Mineral exploration

8. Construction of dam and reservoirs

9. Infrastructure development

10. Forest fires

11. Human encroachment & exploitation

12. Pollution due to acid rain

Environmental effects /Consequences of deforestation

1. Food problems
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2. Ecological imbalance

3. Increasing CO2

4. Floods leading to soil erosion

5. Destruction of resources

6. Heavy siltation of dams

7. Changes in the microclimate

8. Loss of biodiversity

9. Desiccation of previously moist forest soil

10. Heavy rainfall and high sunlight quickly damage the topsoil in clearings of the tropical
rainforests. In such circumstance, the forest will take much longer to regenerate and the land
will not be suitable for agricultural use for quite some time.

11. Where forests are replanted, their replacement can mean a loss of quality

12. Loss of future markets for ecotourism. The value of a forest is often higher when it is left
standing than it could be worth when it is harvested.

13. Some indigenous peoples’ way of life and survival are threatened by the loss of forests.
Fewer trees results an insecure future for forest workers

14. Deforestation can cause the climate to become extreme in nature. The occurrence and
strength of floods and droughts affect the economy.

15. The stress of environmental change may make some species more susceptible to the
effect of insects, pollution, disease and fire

16. Most humid regions changes to desert

17. Environmental pollution

18. Global warming

Conservation: Conservation derived from two Latin words, con – together,- servare – to keep or
guard measures, i.e. an act of preservation or to keep together .
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Concepts in conservation

1. Restraining cutting of trees and submerging the forests

2. Reforestation

3. Afforestation

4. Control forest diseases and forest fire

5. Recycling forest products

6. Replacing forest products

7. Avoids diversion of forest lands for other activities through acts like Forest Conservation
Act and Wild life (protection) Act

8. Bringing awareness among people ex: Chipko movement, Appiko, Narmada Bachao
Andolan

9. Implementing people’s participatory programmes. Ex: Joint Forestry Manangement

(JFM)

Joint Forest Management (JFM): The need to include local communities in forest managenet
has become a growing concern. Local people will only support greening an area if they can see
some economic benefits from conservation. An informal arranagement between local
communities and the forest department began in 1972, in the Midnapore district of West Bengal.
JFM has now evolved into a formal agreement which identifies and respects the local
community’s right and benefits that they need from forest resources. Under JFM schemes, forest
protection communities (FPCs) from local community members are formed. They participate in
restoring the green cover and protect the area from being over – exploited.

Realising this, the MoEF formulated the National Forest Policy of 1988 to give added importance
to joint forest management (JFM), which co-opts the local village communities and the forest
department to work together to sustainable management of our forests. Another resolution in
1990 provided a formal structure for community participation through the formation of village
forest communities (VFS). Based on this experience, new JFM guidelines were issued in 2000
which stipulated that at least 25%of the income from the area must go to the community. From
the initiation of the program until 2002, there were 63,618 JFM communities managing over
140,953 sq km of forest under JFM in 27 states in India. The various states have tried a variety of
approaches to JSM. The share of profits for the VFCs ranges from 25% in Kerala to at 100% in
Andhra Pradesh, 50% in Gujrat, Maharastra, Odisha and Tripura. In many states, 25% of the
revenue is used for village development. In many states, non-timber forest products (NTFPS) are
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available to the people free of cost. Some states have stopped grazing completely. While others
have rotational grazing schemes that have helped in forest regeneration. (from Barucha)

WATER

The United Nations has recognized access to water as a basic human right, stating that water is a
social and cultural good, not merely an economic commodity. Since ancient times, water has
been recognized universally as an invaluable resource. Water has been harvested in India since
the dawn of civilization. The Ramayana, Mahabharata and various other Vedic, Buddhist and
Jain texts contain several references to water harvesting structures in existence and water being
revered as a life giving and sustaining force. Water covers 70% -75% of earth’s surface of which
97.2% is locked in sea or oceans (1332 million cu.km, considering total availability as 1400
million cu km), 3% is fresh water 2.15% in polar ice caps (29.20 cu.km), < 1% available as
surface and sub surface water (rivers, streams, lakes) with which we have to manage ourselves.
Water is renewable resource. It may change its form but quantity of water on earth has remained
same for millions of years. Out of 1400 million cu.km. of water available on earth, only 14
million cu.km. is fresh water. As per the National Commission on Agriculture, considering an
average rainfall of 1200mm, the water wealth of India is about 400 million hectare meters.

Main sources of water for our use are:

Rainfall: India can be broadly divided into 15 ecological regions. The vast ecological diversity
of this country is reflected in the diversity in available water resources. With an average annual
rainfall of 1170 mm, India is one of the wettest countries in the world. However, there are large
variations in the seasonal and geographical distribution of rainfall over the country. At one
extreme are areas like Cherrapunji, in the northeast, which is drenched each year with 11,000
mm of rainfall, and at the other extreme are places like Jaisalmer, in the west, which receives
barely 200 mm of annual rainfall. Though the average rainfall is adequate, nearly three quarters
of the rain pours down in less than 120 days, from June to September.

Groundwater: India's groundwater resources are almost ten times its annual rainfall. According
to the Central Groundwater Board of the Government of India, the country has an annual
exploitable groundwater potential of 26.5 million hectare-meters. Nearly 85% of currently
exploited groundwater is used only for irrigation. Groundwater accounts for as much as 70-80%
of the value of farm produce attributable to irrigation. Besides, groundwater is now the source of
four- fifths of the domestic water supply in rural areas, and around half that of urban and
industrial areas. However, according to the International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI),
the water table almost everywhere in India is falling at between one to three meters every year.
Furthermore, the IIMI estimates that India is using its underground water resources atleast twice
as fast they are being replenished. Already, excessive ground water mining has caused land
subsidence in several regions of Central Uttar Pradesh.
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Surface water: There are 14 major, 44 medium and 55 minor river basins in the country. The
major river basins constitute about 83-84% of the total drainage area. This, along with the
medium river basins, accounts for 91% of the country's total drainage. India has the largest
irrigation infrastructure in the world, but the irrigation efficiencies are low, at around 35%.

Consumption Patterns

Today, due to increasing consumption patterns, water is becoming scarce and this scarcity is an
emerging threat to the global population, rendering the adages of the Bible and Koran irrelevant.
Global consumption of water is doubling every 20 years, more than twice the rate of human
population growth. At present more than one billion people on earth lack access to fresh drinking
water. By the year 2025 the demand for freshwater is expected to rise to 56% above what
currently available water can deliver, if current trends persist (Maude Barlow, 2003). If per
capita water availability is any indication, ‘water stress’ is just beginning to show in India. This
index is based on the minimum per capita level of water required to maintain an adequate quality
of life in a moderately developed arid zone country. A region where renewable fresh water
availability is below 1700 cubic meters/capita/annum is a 'water stress' region, and one where
availability falls below 1000 cubic meters/capita/annum experiences chronic 'water scarcity'. The
annual per capita availability of renewable freshwater in the country has fallen from around
5,277 cubic meters in 1955 to 2,464 cubic meters in 1990. Given the projected increase in
population by the year 2025, the per capita availability is likely to drop to below 1,000 cubic
meters i.e., to levels of water scarcity (Sudhirendar Sharma, 2003). If it falls below 500 cu.m. it
is the state of “Absolute Scarcity”. India is expected to face critical levels of water stress by
2025. At the global level, 31 countries are already short of water and by 2025 there will be 48
countries facing serious water shortages. The United Nations has estimated that by the year 2050,
4 billion people will be seriously affected by water shortages. This will lead to multiple conflicts
between countries over the sharing of water. Around 20 major cities in India face chronic or
interrupted water shortages. There are 100 countries that share the waters of 13 large rivers and
lakes. The upstream countries could starve the downstream nations leading to political unstable
areas across the world. Examples are Ethiopia, which is upstream on the Nile and Egypt, which
is downstream and highly dependent on the Nile. International accords that will look at a fair
distribution of water in such areas will become critical to world peace.

Water is essential for all forms of life. Many uses of water include agricultural, industrial,
household, recreational and environmental activities. Virtually, all of these human uses, require
fresh water. No plant or animal species can survive without water. If water in our body drops by
1% we feel thirst, if it drops by 10% we face death.
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REASONS FOR DECLINE OF GROUND WATER

Population continues to rise at an unprecedented and unsustainable rate; many more areas are
expected to experience this imbalance in the near future.

i) Population explosion: World population is > 6 billion and will continue to increase
significantly during the next few decades - Enormous demands on the world’s limited
freshwater supply. The total annual freshwater withdrawals today are estimated at 3800 cubic
kilometers, twice as much as just 50 years ago (World Commission on Dams, 2000).

ii) Over utilization of Surface and Groundwater: It occurs at various levels that the usage
of water is more than really needed by human beings. Many agriculturists use more water than
necessary to grow crops. Industries in order to maximize short-term economic gains do not
bother about their liquid waste and release it into streams, rivers and the sea.

iii) Deforestation: Once hill slopes are denuded of forest cover, the rainwater rushes down
the rivers and is lost. Forest cover permits water to be held in the area permitting it to seep into
the ground. This charges the underground stores of water in natural aquifers. This can be used
in drought years if the stores have been filled during a good monsoon. This soil and water
management and afforestation are long-term measures that reduce the impact of droughts. The
destruction of forests influences the regulation of natural water cycle. The removal of dense
and uniform cover over the hilly zones leads to occurrence of floods in drainage basins.
Nations situated in tropical climates including India experience disastrous floods caused by
the indiscriminate deforestation of the slopes above the valleys.

iv) Hydropower generation: Large amount of water is used for generating power which
otherwise used for human needs.

v) Dams: for Agriculture and Power Generation

vi) Rainfall: The erratic and inadequate rainfall results in reduction in storage in subsurface
reservoirs. The building construction activities are sealing the permeable zone, reducing the
area for pereolation of rainwater into subsurface and increase in surface runoff. India’s
increasing demand for water for intensive irrigated agriculture, for generating electricity, and
for consumption in urban and industrial centers, has been met by creating large dams. Dams
support 30 to 40% of this area.

SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT

1. Building several small reservoirs instead of few mega projects

2. Developing small catchment dams and protecting wetlands

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3. Soil management, micro-catchment development and afforestation permits recharging of

underground aquifer, thus reducing the need for large dams

4. Treating and recycling municipal waste water for agricultural use.

5. Preventing leakages from dams and canals and loss in municipal pipes

6. Effective rainwater harvesting in urban environments

7. Water conservation measures in agriculture, such as using drip irrigation, control of

growing water intensive cash crops; control of waterlogging.

8. Pricing water at its real value makes people to use it more responsibility and efficiently
and reducing wastage

9. In deforested areas where land has been degraded, appropriate soil management practices,
making bunds along the hill-slopes and making nalla plugs can help retain moisture and
make it possible to revegetate degraded areas

10. Domestically use water by VED principle- use for Vital activities, control for Essential
activities, cut down for Desirable activities.

11. Use waste water for activities that does not need fresh water – Recycling

12. Adopt mini water harvesting models for domestic usage.

13. Protect existing tanks

14. Develop systematic water management and adopt strict water auditing

15. “Save water Campaigns” for public awareness on water scarcity

16. Through rainwater harvesting, community based participatory initiatives and holistic
watershed management.

17. Responsible water usage can only be achieved by empowering local communities and
creating local accountability.

18. The government should develop policies that protect water resources, promote
sustainable watershed management and invest in technologies that will increase efficiency in
irrigation, industrial usage and improve water harvesting techniques.
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MINERAL Introduction

Minerals are essential for the formation and functioning of organisms, plant animals and human
beings. In the modern era, human life needs variety of minerals to sustain industry based
civilization. Mineral resources are broadly defined as elements, chemical compounds, and
mixtures which are extracted to manufacture sustainable commodity. India has rich mineral
resource base to provide suitable base for industrial development in the country. Sufficient
reserve of nuclear energy minerals is available in India.

India’s reserves, as well as production are adequate in petroleum, ores of copper, lead, zinc, tin,
graphite, mercury, tungsten, and in the minerals required for fertilizer industry such as sulphur,
potassium and phosphorus.

Exploitation of Minerals

Depending on their use, mineral resources can be divided into several broad categories such as
elements for metal production and technology, building materials, minerals for the chemical
industry and minerals for agriculture. When usually we think about mineral resources we often
think of metals but the predominant mineral resources are not metallic. The picture of annual
world consumption of some elements is as under:

• Sodium and iron are used at a rate of about 0.1 to 1.0 billion metric tons per year.
• Nitrogen, sulphur, potassium and calcium are primarily used as fertilizers at a rate of
about 10 to 100 million metric tons per year.
• Zinc, copper, aluminium and lead are used at a rate of about 3 to 10 million metric tons
per year;
• Gold and silver are used at a rate of about 10 thousand metric tons per year.
• Out of all the metallic minerals, iron consumption is 95% of the metals consumed
Thus, with the exception of iron, the non-metallic minerals are consumed at much greater rates
than the elements used for their metallic properties.

Uses of Minerals

Due to increased population, there is increased demand of minerals by the industry, transport,
agriculture and defence preparation. Depletion of almost all known and easily accessible deposits
is anticipated in near future. Moreover, there may be shortage of some crucial elements such as
mercury, tin, copper, gold, silver and platinum. The limited resource of phosphorus, which is an
essential component of chemical fertilizers, is another area of concern.
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Mineral and metal source of India

Uses of minerals

Environmental Impacts of Mineral Extraction

Extracting and use of mineral resources can affect the environment adversely. Environmental
affect may depend on factors such as mining procedures, ore quality, climate, size of operation,
topography, etc. Some of major environmental impacts of mining and processing operations are
as under

1. Degradation of land.

2. Pollution of surfaces and ground water resources.

3. Effect on growth of vegetation due to leaching out effect of minerals.

4. Surface water pollution and groundwater contamination lead to occupational health

hazards etc.

5. Air pollution due to emission of gases.

6. Deforestation affects flora and fauna.

7. Rehabilitation of affected population.

Conservation of Minerals

Conservation of minerals can be done in number of ways and these are as follows,

• Industries can reduce waste by using more efficient mining and processing methods.
• In some cases, industries can substitute plentiful materials for scarce ones.
• Some mineral products can be recycled. Aluminum cans are commonly recycled.
Although bauxite is plentiful, it can be expensive to refine. Recycling aluminum products
does not require the large amounts of electric power needed to refine bauxite.
• Products made from many other minerals, such as nickel, chromium, lead, copper, and
zinc, can also be recycled.
• Strict laws should be made and enforced to ensure efficient management of mining
resources.
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Case Study

Ara villi mountains which covers about 10% of geographical area is rich source of minerals
wealth .This mountain range play important role in control of climate and act as mini water shed.
On the request of environmentalist, Honourable Supreme Court has passed the order to stop these
mines in Rajasthan

Marble mining near Rajsamant Lake has lead to drying up of lake. Marble mining was stopped
on December 2002.

Recently, mining in Goa has attained the attention of the press and media and ultimately
government has to take the decision to stop this mining.

FOOD

Our food comes almost entirely from agriculture, animal husbandry and fishing i.e., - 76% from
crop lands, 17% from range lands i.e., meat from grazing livestock and 7% - marine and fresh
water i.e., fisheries. The FAO (Food & Agricultural Organization of UN) defines sustainable
agriculture as the one which conserves land, water and plant and animal genetic resources, does
not degrade the environment and is economically viable and socially acceptable. The report,
“The Food Gap –the Impacts of Climate Change on Food Production: A 2020 Perspective”,
produced after a year-long assessment by America’s Universal Ecological Fund (FEU-US),
revealed that:

• Global food production would not meet the food requirements of the world’s estimated
7.8 billion people by 2020.
• Food prices are expected to jump by 20% in the next ten years as prolonged droughts and
floods take their toll on food production.

The report, which looked at the impact of climate change on four cereals - wheat, rice, maize and
soybean - pointed out that global wheat production will experience a 14 percent deficit between
production and demand

Current wheat production is estimated to decline to 663 million tons by 2020 yet772.3 million
tons is the estimated need at that time, creating a gap of 109 million tons.

Rice is estimated to grow to 692.1 million tons by 2020 yet demand at that time is estimated at
775.1 million –creating a shortage of 82.9 million tons.

Maize production stands at 826.2 million tons and is estimated to grow to 849.1 million tons by
2020 yet demand at that time is estimated at 933.7 million ton, creating a shortage of 85 million
tons.
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WORLD FOOD PROBLEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS:

1) Population growth: Food production in 64 of the 105 developing countries is lagging

behind their population growth levels.

2) Poor agricultural practices: Poor environmental agricultural practices such as slash and
burn, shifting cultivation, or ‘rab’ (wood ash) cultivation degrade forests.

3) Degradation of agricultural lands: Globally 5 to 7 million hectares of farmland is

degraded each year. Loss of nutrients and overuse of agricultural chemicals are major factors
in land degradation. Water scarcity is an important aspect of poor agricultural outputs.
Salinization and water logging has affected a large amount of agricultural land worldwide.

4) Our fertile soils are being exploited faster than they can recuperate.

5) Forests, grasslands and wetlands have been converted to agricultural use, which has led to
serious ecological questions.

6) Use of genetically modified seed variety, without minding the conducive environment for
such experimentation, will seriously affect the land ecosystem.

7) Our fish resources, both marine and inland, show evidence of exhaustion.

8) There are great disparities in the availability of nutritious food. Some communities such
as tribal people still face serious food problems leading to malnutrition especially among
women and children.

9) Loss of Genetic Diversity: Modern agricultural practices have resulted in a serious loss of
genetic variability of crops. India’s distinctive traditional varieties of rice alone are said to
have numbered between 30 and 50 thousand. Most of these have been lost to the farmer
during the last few decades as multinational seed companies push a few commercial types.
This creates a risk to our food security, as farmers can loose all their produce due to a rapidly
spreading disease. A cereal that has multiple varieties growing in different locations does not
permit the rapid spread of a disease.

Food security: It is the ability of all people at all times to access enough food for an active and
healthy life. It is estimated that 18 million people worldwide, most of whom are children, die
each year due to starvation or malnutrition, and many others suffer a variety of dietary
deficiencies. The earth can only supply a limited amount of food. If the world’s carrying capacity
to produce food cannot meet the needs of a growing population, anarchy and conflict will follow.

The following 3 conditions must be fulfilled to ensure food security

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- Food must be available

- Each person must have access to it.

- The food utilized must fulfill nutritional requirements

Options To Achieve Food Security

Food security is closely linked with population control through the family welfare program. It is
also linked to the availability of water for farming. Food security is only possible if food is
equitably distributed to all. Many of us waste a large amount of food carelessly. This eventually
places great stress on our environmental resources.

1) Institutional support for small farmers: A major concern is the support needed for
small farmers so that they remain farmers rather than shifting to urban centers as unskilled
industrial workers.

2) Trade related issues: International trade policies in regard to an improved flow of food
across national borders from those who have surplus to those who have a deficit in the
developing world is another issue that is a concern for planners who deal with International trade
concerns. ‘Dumping’ of under priced foodstuffs produced in the developed world, onto markets
in undeveloped countries undermines prices and forces farmers there to adopt unsustainable
practices to compete.

3) Protecting genetic diversity: The most economical way to prevent loss of genetic
diversity is by expanding the network and coverage of our Protected Areas. Collections in
germplasm, seed banks and tissue culture facilities, are other possible ways to prevent extinction
but are extremely expensive. The most effective method to introduce desirable traits into crops is
by using characteristics found in the wild relatives of crop plants. As the wilderness shrinks,
these varieties are rapidly disappearing. Once they are lost, their desirable characteristics cannot
be introduced when found necessary in future.

4) Ensuring long-term food security may depend on conserving wild relatives of crop plants
in National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. If plant genetic losses worldwide are not slowed
down, some estimates show that as many as 60,000 plant species, which accounts for 25% of the
world’s total, will be lost by the year 2025. Scientists now believe that the world will soon need
a second green revolution to meet our future demands of food based on a new ethic of land and
water management that must be based on values which include environmental sensitivity, equity,
biodiversity conservation of cultivars and in-situ preservation of wild relatives of crop plants.
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5) Environmental friendly farming methods: Shift from chemical agriculture to organic

farming, practicing integrated nutrient management (INM), integrated pest management (IPM).

6) Several crops can be grown in urban settings, including vegetables and fruit which can be
grown on waste household water and fertilizers from vermi-composting pits.

7) Prevention of water and land degradation: Pollution of water sources, land degradation
and desertification must be rapidly reversed. Adopting soil conservation measures, using
appropriate farming techniques, especially on hill slopes, enhancing the soil with organic matter,
crop rotation and managing watersheds at the micro level are a key to agricultural production to
meet future needs.

8) Population control: Most importantly food supply is closely linked to the effectiveness
of population control programs worldwide.

9) Education: Educating women about nutrition, who are more closely involved with
feeding the family, is an important aspect of supporting the food needs/security of many
developing countries.

10) Changing food habits: Today the world is seeing a changing trend in dietary habits. As
living standards are improving, people are eating more non-vegetarian food. As people change
from eating grain to meat, the world’s demand for feed for livestock based on agriculture
increases as well. This uses more land and water per unit of food produced and the result is that
the world’s poor do not get enough to eat.

11) Women play an extremely vital role in food production as well as cooking the meal and
feeding children. In most rural communities they have the least exposure to technical training
and to health workers trained in teaching/learning on issues related to nutritional aspects.
Women and girls frequently receive less food than the men. These disparities need to be
corrected.

12) Alternate Food Source: Food can be innovatively produced if we break out of the
current agricultural patterns.

This includes

- Working on new avenues to produce food, such as using forests for their multiple non-
wood forest products such as fruit, mushrooms, sap, etc. which can be used for food if harvested
sustainably. Of course, this takes time, as people must develop a taste for these new foods.
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- Using unfamiliar crops such as Nagli, which are grown on poor soil on hill slopes is
another option. This crop grown in the Western Ghats now has no market and is thus rarely
grown. Only local people use this nutritious crop themselves. It is thus not as extensively
cultivated as in the past. Popularising this crop could add to food availability from marginal
lands. (snake gourd in Italy)

- Several foods can be popularized from yet unused seafood products such as seaweed as
long as this is done at sustainable levels. We must not only provide food for all, but also work
out more equitable distribution of both food and water, reduce agricultural dependence on the
use of fertilizers and pesticides (which have long term ill effects on human wellbeing) and
provide an increasing support for preserving wild relatives of crop plants in Protected Areas.

ENERGY

Growing Energy Needs

Energy consumption of a nation is usually considered as an index of its development, because

almost all the development activities are directly or indirectly dependent upon energy. Power
generation and energy consumption are crucial to economic development as economy of any
nation depends upon availability of energy resources. There are wide disparities in per capita
energy use of developed and the developing nations. With increased speed of development in the
developing nations energy needs are also increasing.

• The very original form of energy technology probably was the fire, which produced heat
and the early man used it for cooking and heating purposes.
• Wind and hydropower has also been used. Invention of steam engineers replaced the
burning of wood by coal and coal was further replaced by oil.
• The oil producing has started twisting arms of the developed as well as developing
countries by dictating the prices of oil and other petroleum products.
• Energy resources are primarily divided into two categories viz. renewable and
nonrenewable sources.
• Renewable energy resources must be preferred over the non-renewable resources.
• It is inevitable truth that now there is an urgent need of thinking in terms of alternative
sources of energy, which are also termed as non-conventional energy sources which
include:
1) Solar energy needs equipments such as solar heat collectors, solar cells, solar cooker,
solar water heater, solar furnace and solar power plants.
2) Wind energy
3) Hydropower, Tidal energy, ocean thermal energy, geothermal energy, biomass, biogas,
biofuels etc.
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• The non renewable energy sources include coal, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear energy.

Energy Scenario

Energy is a key input in the economic growth and there is a close link between the availability of
energy and the future growth of a nation. Power generation and energy consumption are crucial
to economic development.

In India, energy is consumed in a variety of forms such as fuel wood; animal waste and
agricultural residues are the traditional sources of energy. These non-commercial fuels are
gradually getting replaced by commercial fuels i.e. coal, petroleum products, natural gas and
electricity.

Out of total energy, commercial fuels account for 60% where as the balance 40% is coming from
non-commercial fuels. Of the total commercial energy produced in the form of power or
electricity,

• 69% is from coal (thermal power),

• 25% is from hydel power,
• 4% is from diesel and gas,
• 2% is from nuclear power, and
• Less than 1% from non- conventional sources like solar, wind, ocean, biomass, etc.
Petroleum and its products are the other large sources of energy. In a developing country like
India, in spite of enhanced energy production, there is still shortage due to increased demand of
energy. In spite of the fact that there is a phenomenal increase in power generating capacity, still
there is 30% deficit of about 2,000 million units.

Policy makers are in the process of formulating an energy policy with the objectives of ensuring
adequate energy supply at a minimum cost, achieving self-sufficiency in energy supplies and
protecting environment from adverse impact of utilizing energy resources in an injudicious
manner. The main features of this policy are:

1) Accelerated exploitation of domestic conventional energy resources, viz., oil, coal, hydro
and nuclear power;
2) Intensification of exploration to achieve indigenous production of oil and gas;
3) Efficient management of demand of oil and other forms of energy;
4) To formulate efficient methods of energy conservation and management;
5) Optimisation of utilisation of existing capacity in the country
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6) Development and exploitation of renewable sources of energy to meet energy

requirements of rural communities;
7) Organisation of training for personnel engaged at various levels in the energy sector.
8) Government private partnership to exploit natural energy resources

Renewable Resources

• The resources that can be replenished through rapid natural cycles are known as
renewable resource.
• These resources are able to increase their abundance through reproduction and utilization
of simple substances.

• Examples of renewable resources are plants (crops and forests),and animals who are
being replaced from time to time because they have the power of reproducing and
maintain life cycles.
• Some examples of renewable resources though they do not have life cycle but can be
recycled are wood and wood-products, pulp products, natural rubber, fibres (e.g. cotton,
jute, animal wool, silk and synthetic fibres) and leather.
• In addition to these resources, water and soil are also classified as renewable resources.
Solar energy although having a finite life, as a special case, is considered as a renewable
resource in as much as solar stocks is inexhaustible on the human scale.

Renewable & non-renewable resources

Non-Renewable Resources

• The resources that cannot be replenished through natural processes are known as
nonrenewable resources.
• These are available in limited amounts, which cannot be increased. These resources
include fossil fuels (petrol, coal etc.), nuclear energy sources (e.g. uranium, thorium, etc).
metals (iron, copper, gold, silver, lead, zinc etc.), minerals and salts (carbonates,
phosphates, nitrates etc.).
• Once a non-renewable resource is consumed, it is gone forever. Then we have to find a
substitute for it or do without it.
• Non-renewable resources can further be divided into two categories, viz. Recyclable and
non-recyclable Recyclable resources

These are non-renewable resources, which can be collected after they are used and can be
recycled. These are mainly the non-energy mineral resources, which occur in the earth’s crust
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(e.g. ores of aluminium, copper, mercury etc.) and deposits of fertilizer nutrients (e.g. phosphate
sock and potassium and minerals used in their natural state (asbestos, clay, mica etc.)

Non-recyclable resources

These are non-renewable resources, which cannot be recycled in any way. Examples of these are
fossil fuels and nuclear energy sources (e.g. uranium, etc) which provide 90 per cent of our
energy requirements.

Use of Alternate Energy Sources

There is a need to develop renewable energy sources which are available and could be utilized
(solar or wind) or the sources which could be created and utilized (bio-mass). The main
renewable energy sources for India are solar, wind, hydro, waste and bio-mass. Bio-mass are
resources which are agriculture related like wood, bagasse, cow dung, seeds, etc.

Hydro energy

India has a total hydro energy potential of about 1.5 lakh MW, of which only about 20 % is
installed. Small hydro plant potential is about 15000 MW and most of it is in the northern and
eastern hilly regions.

Wind energy

The wind power potential of India is about 45,000 MW out of which capacity of 8748 MW has
been installed in India till 2008. India is one of the leading countries in generating the power
through wind energy.

Gujarat, AP, Karnataka, MP and Rajasthan are states having more than 5000 MW potential each.
These potentials could be improved if the technology of putting turbines in sea is embraced.
There are wind farms on sea generating as high as 160 MW of power.

Geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is the
energy that determines the temperature of matter. Earth's geothermal energy originates from the
original formation of the planet (20%) and from radioactive decay of minerals (80%).
Geothermal power is cost effective, reliable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly, but has
historically been limited to areas near tectonic plate boundaries. Recent technological advances
have dramatically expanded the range and size of viable resources, especially for applications
such as home heating, opening a potential for widespread exploitation. Geothermal wells release
greenhouse gases trapped deep within the earth, but these emissions are much lower per energy
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unit than those of fossil fuels. As a result, geothermal power has the potential to help mitigate
global warming if widely deployed in place of fossil fuels.

Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) uses the difference between cooler deep and warmer
shallow or surface ocean waters to run a heat engine and produce useful work, usually in the
form of electricity. A heat engine gives greater efficiency and power when run with a large
temperature difference. In the oceans the temperature difference between surface and deep water
is greatest in the tropics, although still a modest 20 to 25 °C. It is therefore in the tropics that
OTEC offers the greatest possibilities. OTEC has the potential to offer global amounts of energy
that are 10 to 100 times greater than other ocean energy options such as wave power

Biomass energy

Biomass is the oldest means of energy used by humans along with solar energy. As soon as the
fire was discovered, it was used widely among humans mainly for heat and light. Fire was
generated using wood or leaves, which is basically a biomass. The biomass could be used to
generate steam or power or used as a fuel. Power is generated using rice husk in Andhra Pradesh,
while several bagasse based plants are there. India has a potential of 3500 MW from bagasse.
Other fast growing plants could be planned over a huge area, so that it provides biomass for
generating power.

Organic waste such as dead plant and animal material, animal dung, and kitchen waste can be
converted by the anaerobic digestion or fermentation into a gaseous fuel called biogas. Biogas is
a mixture of 65% methane (CH4) and of 35% CO2 and may have small amounts of hydrogen
sulphide (H2S), moisture and siloxanes. It is a renewable energy resulting from biomass. Biogas
can be used as a fuel in any country for any heating purpose, such as cooking. It can also be used
in anaerobic digesters where it is typically used in a gas engine to convert the energy in the gas
into electricity and heat. Biogas can be compressed, much like natural gas, and used to power
motor vehicles.

Bio-fuels

India has more than 50 million hectare of wasteland, which could be utilized for cultivating fuel
plants. Jatropha is one of the options which can be planted on arid lands and be used for
production of bio fuels.

Solar energy

India being a tropical country has potential to use solar energy on commercial bases. According
to estimates, 35 MW of power could be generated from one sq km. With such potential, solar
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energy has bright future as energy source for the development of the country. Initial cost is the
biggest limitation which has led to the low realization of its potential. For solar energy to become
one of the front runners, it will require lot of research, cheap technology and low capital.

Problems Relate To the Use of Energy Resources 1) Fossil fuel

• Global warming

• Acid rains

• Dangers posed by leaded fuels ,Oil spills

• Water pollution caused by poorly managed coal mines

• Air pollution.

2) Alternate energy resources

• The initial cost of establishment of alternate energy generation is costlier than

conventional resources.

• Maintenance of these structures is difficult.

• It requires more space.

• Energy supply is unpredictable during natural calamities.

Case Study

Importance of the energy resources in present economy and as a base for our future can be
underlined by the fact that recent confrontations between some powerful nations of the world
have primarily been attributed driven by objective to secure their energy supplies. Examples of
this have been the two gulf wars. It was the hunger for energy resources that drove Iraq to lead
an offensive over Kuwait and also reason for second Gulf war has been attributed to energy
security by defence experts. In recent times, world has witnessed a confrontation at South China
Sea between India, Vietnam and China over the issue of exploring natural gas and petroleum
under the sea bed.
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LAND RESOURCES

Land as a Resource

Land area constitutes about 1/5 of the earth surface. To meet out the challenging demand of food,
fibre and fuel for human population, fodder for animals and industrial raw material for agro
based industries, efficient management of land resources will play critical role. Soil, water,
vegetation and climate are basic natural resources for agricultural growth and development.

Land Degradation

Due to increasing population, the demands for arable land for producing food, fibre and fuel
wood is also increasing. Hence there is more and more pressure on the limited land resources
which are getting degraded due to over-exploitation. Nearly 56% of total geographical area of the
country is suffering due to land resource degradation. Out of 17 million hectare canal irrigated
area, 3.4 million hectare is suffering from water logging and salinity. Soil erosion, water logging,
salinization and contamination of the soil with industrial wastes like fly-ash, press mud or heavy
metals all cause degradation of land.

Soil Erosion

Soil erosion refers to loss or removal of superficial layer of soil due to the action of wind, water
and human factors. In other words, it can be defined as the movement of soil components,
especially surface-litter and top soil from one place to another. It has been estimated that more
than 5000 million tonnes topsoil is being eroded annually and 30% of total eroded mass is
getting loosed to the sea .It results in the loss of fertility. It basically is of two types, viz. geologic
erosion and accelerated erosion. Various factors which affect soil erosions include soil type,
vegetation cover, slope of ground, soil mismanagement and intensity and amount of rainfall.
Wind is also responsible for the land erosion through saltation, suspension and surface creep.
In order to prevent soil erosion and conserve the soil the following conservation practices are
employed,

• Conservational till farming, Contour farming and Terracing

• Strip cropping and alley cropping
• Wind breaks or shelterbelts
Salinization

It refers to accumulation of soluble salts in the soil. Concentration of soluble salts increases due
to poor drainage facilities. In dry land areas, salt concentration increases where poor drainage is
accompanied by high temperature. High concentration of salts affects the process of water
absorption hence affects the productivity.
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Water Logging

Excessive utilization of irrigation may disturb the water balance which can lead to water logging
due to rise of water table .Anaerobic condition due to poor availability of oxygen in water logged
soils may affect respiration process in plants which will ultimately affect the productivity of
water logged soil.

Desertification

Desertification is a process whereby the productive potential of arid or semiarid lands falls by ten
percent or more. Desertification is characterized by devegetation and depletion of groundwater,
salinization and severe soil erosion.

Causes of desertification

• Deforestation
• Overgrazing
• Mining and quarrying

Shifting Cultivation

Shifting cultivation is a practice of slash and burn agriculture adopted by tribal communities and
is a main cause for soil degradation particularly tropical and sub tropical regions. Shifting
cultivation which is also popularly known as ‘Jhum Cultivation’ has lead to destruction of forest
in hilly areas .It is responsible for soil erosion and other problems related to land degradation in
mountainous areas.

Man Induced Landslides

Human race has exploited land resources for his own comfort by constructing roads, railway
tracks, canals for irrigation, hydroelectric projects, large dams and reservoirs and mining in hilly
areas. Moreover productive lands under crop production are decreasing because of development
activities. These factors are affecting the stability of hill slopes and damage the protective
vegetation cover. These activities are also responsible to upset the balance of nature and making
such areas prone to landslides.

Role of Individual and Media in Conservation of Natural Resources

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The Role of an Individual

Everyone has the right to live in this world and also every individual has responsibility to use
natural resources judiciously. This will give equal opportunity to all to use the resources for the
benefit of whole mankind. All living creatures belong to mother earth and they all have their
shine of resources available. All these resources like land, energy, mineral, food, water, forest
etc. Have to be distributed in an equitable way for sustainable lifestyles of all creatures.
Conservation of natural resources is now usually embraced in the broader conception of
conserving the earth itself by protecting its capacity for self-renewal.

Finally, the aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of the role of society members in the
conservation of our natural or environmental resources.

INTRODUCTION
The proper use of natural resources for long-lasing human welfare is known as conservation. The
term natural resources includes all land, waters, vegetation ,minerals and wildlife useful to the
society in the maintenance of civilization. The wise and judicious use of natural resources
without wasting them and the efforts of replacement like planting tree whenever possible are
called conservation. The term conservation came into use in the late 19th century and referred to
the management, mainly for economic reasons, of such valuable natural resources as fish,
topsoil, pasture land and minerals and also to the preservation of forests, wilderness and
watershed areas.

The important natural recourses are as follows:

• Water is precious for life. It is stored for irrigation, domestic use, industrial use, mining
and for other purposes. It is store in porous soil, artesian wells and mountain streams.
Lakes, oceans and rivers fulfill diverse human needs like food, recreation etc.
• Land is the basic resource. It serves as the storehouse of minerals, livestock, a home for
wild animals, a producer of crops, a reservoir for water and a conserver of soil fertility.
• Minerals includes useful components like gravel, coal, metals, oil, clay, sand, stone,
phosphates, nitrates, etc.
• Top Soil is the fertile layer of soil. Productivity of agricultural crops, forest and fodder
crops are dependent on this. The whole animal world is also dependent on it indirectly.

NEED FOR CONSERVATION

• Deforestation caused the loss of energy resources.

• Use of natural resources is increasing but the amount of these resources by decreasing.
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• Relational and international capacities conserving the resources are not properly
organized, must have some common conservation strategy.

OBJECTIVES OF CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

• To maintain the essential ecological processes i.e. food chain recycling of mineral
resources etc.
• To ensure the availability and sustainability of resources which assumes the survival of
all species is a healthy and easy manner.
• To preserve the diversity at the specific habitat levels.
• To maintain the essential life support system – soil, water, air, pond, plants and animals
etc.

METHODS OF CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES

• Keeping the water taps closed, when not in use.

• Using less water-consuming toilets.
• Watering the plants to be done in the evening tours.
• Treating water to be provided for irrigation purpose.
• Avoiding wastage of energy.
• We should use the most efficient fuels available.
• Prevention of soil erosion by crop rotation, by growing erosion checking crops like
grasses, ground nuts etc.

WAYS OF PROTECTING & PRESERVING OUR NATURAL RESOURCES

Natural resources are actually nature's gift to mankind to help us live a comfortable and peaceful
life. But, at the same time, we as human beings have the responsibility of conserving natural
resources by taking the right steps. This will help us maintain the environmental balance and
satisfy our needs to the maximum. These days, the biggest concern before us is the fast reduction
of natural resources such as water, natural gas, and forests. So, there are many important steps by
which we can protect and preserve our natural resources on this earth-

• Plant vegetable on your own backyard. This will help you to prevent using cars to go to
the market. This will also help in lessening air pollution.\

• Don't throw trashes everywhere. This will help in lessening pollutions in air, water, and
land.
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• Turn off unused electric appliances. These will lessen the energy conserve and avoid
global warming.
• Avoid using Liquefied Petroleum Gas. Instead use LPG has more chlorofluorocarbon
than using charcoal. Charcoal is also much cheaper than LPG.

• Avoid throwing chemicals in different places. This can cause pollutions like air
pollutions, water pollutions and land pollution.

• Recycle as many things as you can. Recycling things is the best way to lessen and avoid
global warming and climate change.

• Try to educate local people for the protection and judicious use of natural resources.

CONCLUSION

Considering preservation and conservation of environment, the United States Environmental

preservation is viewed or seen as the setting aside of earthly resources for preventing damage
normally caused by contact with humans or by certain human activities, such as logging, mining,
hunting, and fishing, only to replace them with new human activities such as tourism and
recreation. Furthermore regulations and laws may be enacted for the preservation of natural
resources. Being earth friendly is very essential as this will save our planet at the time making a
better place to live in for us, for future generations.

The responsibility lies more on the human population because they have got the thinking power
and the wisdom to judge good and had man should realize that he is not alone in this world.
There are others to use the available resources. Hence responsibility should be for all human
being for an equitable use of natural resources for sustainable use of natural resources for
sustainable life styles of all in this mother earth.

The Role of Media

Media is defined as communication channels through which news, entertainment, education data,
or promotional messages are disseminated. Media includes every broadcasting and narrow
casting medium such as newspapers, magazines, Television, radio, billboards, direct mail,
telephone, fax and internet. Media is the most reliable tool to passing information to as many
people as possible in the shortest time. Since media is of different types i.e. newspapers, radio,
TV and other forms, it is able to reach as many people from different background and of
different language groups. Since community is a group of people with a common goals or
objectives, media brings people from different backgrounds together by making them understand
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that they have the same common problem, therefore creating a community whose main aim is to
curb environmental degradation through mitigation and enhancing environmental conservation.
Thus people from the grass-root levels who listen to local vernacular stations, to those in the
regional, national, and international level through other forms of media are brought together by
media and aim at achieving a common goal that is achieving environmental sustainability.

Participation involves bringing each member of the community to play a role in community
development and environmental conservation. Convincing all members of the community to
come together to achieve a common goal is not always an easy task. It needs someone who has a
great power of influence, to pull as many people as possible into the light of understanding the
need of environmental conservation and mobilizing them towards actions that will resolve the
problem of environmental degradation. Media is the best means of creating this kind of
influence. Since the community members must first understand the problem they are facing in
order to come up with the best means of solving it, media comes in to bring a clear presentation
of the problem and the extent at which it is affecting them and the possible consequences they
are likely to face as a result of environmental degradation. Pictures, videos, audio means, plays
and documentaries are used to pass the information in a simplified form so that every person
including those at the grass-root levels can clearly understand.

Media also presents the best methods that the community can use to conserve and mitigate the
effects of environmental degradation.

This further simplifies the task that the task that the community are to undertake since media
provides information about the tools that are to be used, the right procedures, the challenges that
may arise and the appropriate ways to solve them. Media further plays the following roles in
bringing the community together to participate in environmental conservation;

Media provides environmental awareness and participation by making information widely

available through creating people’s awareness about environmental protection and conservation
of natural resources. It can serve this purpose through the means of multi-channel regional and
network service comprising programming such as tasks, interviews, plays and documentaries.
The electronic media can identify and bring to a halt forces affecting natural and manmade
resources. This is to reduce pollution and promote environmental quality e.g. Prevention of
wastage of oil, production of poisonous gases emitted through the burning of coal and other
sources of energy is not a solitary goal. The public also get to know ways to prevent
environmental pollution, and learn how to curb environmental degradation. Media can pass
various educative information to the public through various means such as newspapers,
magazine, journals, and various aspects of electronic mass communication.
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Media enhances communication-Communication is derived from a Latin word “commune”

which means common ‘thus if a person affects communication, he has established a common
ground for understanding. Literally communication means to inform, to tell, to show or to spread
information. Environmental communication serves two functions i.e. pragmatic and constitutes.
It is pragmatic because it helps individuals and organizations to accomplish goals and literally do
things through communication. Media involves communication of new ideas generated either
from the environment within our neighborhoods or what we study. Communication is helpful in
creating people’s awareness about environment pollution and coservationof natural resources. It
controls dialogue and social action that helps to mitigate environmental impacts and to have
healthy and sustainable environment.

Media creates environmental initiatives such as KOMEZA micro forestry program in Kenya
which recommends protection of indigenous forests in Kenya and the reforestation. KOMEZA is
a social forestry enterprise based in coastal Kenya. It partners’ with individual farmers to
enhance the efforts of conserving forests for sustainable environmental development. Also Lewa
marathon organized by safaricom limited is an environmental initiative for protection of wildlife
in Masai Mara game reserve. This initiative takes place annually to enhance wildlife protection
and reduce human-wildlife conflict. Most environmental initiatives in Kenya are organized by
nongovernmental organizations, thus generate sufficient financial resources for better
environmental protection. Lewa marathon initiative by Safaricom has in a great extent helped in
protection of wildlife most notably the endangered species for example Rhinos, and elephants.

Media conducts research of environmental issues. This research is conducted with an aim of
enhancing environmental management and protection. This is achieved by modelling
environmental events and studies where modes state the likelihoods of environmental disasters
eg. flooding, earthquakes, climate change, pollution and wildfires takes a role in informing the
public on such events. The media through research enhance participation in environmental
management and protection i.e. Research on climate change through metrological department.
Mass media research and media planning in the field of environment management and
conservation of natural resources can be accelerated by keeping in view the effectiveness of
campaigns, provides most relevant information to the effluent use of media to protect and
conserve environmental resources and maintenance of environmental quality to achieve
sustainability.

Media plays a role of linking the community and the government on environmental issues. This
is achieved through direct consultation with members of the government on environmental
issues. Mass media communicate in terms of vernacular radio stations has proved to be one of
the most effective way to get community involved in environmental management and
conservation.Most community understand environmental conservation and communication in
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their language better .Vernacular mass media is important as it reaches all individual and
communication even at the grassroots’ levels.

This makes them feel involved and as key players in environmental conservation. The media in
the case of environmental hazards that is, drought, it links the government to the community the
most affected areas of the country. In these ways, media enhance environmental participation and
links government and community.

Marketing of commercial exercise product and services in media can advertise certain product .In
this way it can be through article, national and local newspapers and magazines. To achieve the
aim of reaching as many people as possible. These magazines are sold on lower price and thus
affordable price. Moreover pictures are included to attract attention and urge to read them. This
information about conservation gets to as many people as possible.

Mass media also promotes environmental health. Media can help inform the public on dangers
in destroying the environment, since all of us require living in good environment. The air we
breathe, and solar radiation causes harm to us. Through media awareness, public are educated
through various way get knowledge on how to protect the environment. Also public can get
information on how to curb hazardous environmental problems. Also media influences health
through heath promotion campaigns and social marketing and this helps to create a conducive
environment for ones living, example, public health experts explore the purposive use of
different forms of mass media as a means to changing health attitudes and behaviour, eg.
Television, radio listening and also internet use habits.

Media makes community activities much more visible, whereby matters involving environmental
concerns are simply being able to observe, means a wider group of people are informed. Social
media helps the activists to network and communicate better with one another and are no longer
dependent on meeting or chance encounters.

Media influences an environmental campaign which seeks to involve and promote individual
behavior rather than focus solely upon education and awareness. Example; Going Green
Campaign aims to turn the Nations good intention concerning the environment into actions by
encouraging, supporting and enhancing green campaigns and initiatives involving the public
countrywide and providing evidence of the environmental benefits.

In conclusion mass media plays a crucial role in community participation on environmental

management. Many people take aggressive action and efforts to increase the adoption and
implementation of proven activity promotion. The marketing effort should target all of the
sectors of the society that touch people’s lives e.g. school, workplace, neighborhood business,
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health care provision and community-based organizations. Through awareness of the public,
provision of information which has been done through research by various media houses, and
communication
e.g. through radio, television, journal, newspapers has encourage community participation thus
enhances resource management and conservation. Therefore media is an important and crucial
tool in mobilizing the community to come out and participate in environmental conservation. In
order to achieve environmental sustainability it is of great importance to integrate media as the
means of bringing the community together and passing the information about the importance of
environmental conservation

Many environmental initiatives have come up also to support community participation in

environmental management. This environmental initiative has encouraged locals to participate
adequately since some organizations rewards for good deeds by the public. Examples of this
initiative include KOMEZA in coastal region in Kenya, LEWA marathon organized by Safariom
limited; has at great extended help of environmental management. Nowadays people has been
enlightened more than before since mass media have gone to an extend of using vernacular
language, thus people who live in upcountry can get all that pertains environmental management.
Articles are sold at a lower prices and affordable prices. Moreover pictures are included to attract
attention. Through all this ways; has help community participation through mass media to
manage our beautiful environment.