Unit I Introduction to Environmental Studies.pptx

Unit – I
“Introduction to Environmental Studies”
By
Prof. Sachin L. Desale
Assistant Professor (Civil Engg. Dept.)
FE Civil (Environmental Studies)
Department of Civil Engineering
Jawahar Education Society’s,
Institute of Technology, Management and Research, Nashik – 422 222
(2020-2021)
A Presentation on

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• Unit I: Introduction to Environmental
Studies :-
 Multidisciplinary nature of environmental
studies,
 Components of environment – atmosphere,
hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere.
 Scope and importance; Concept of
sustainability and sustainable development.
FE (Environmental Studies) 2020-21 Prof. Sachin L. Desale
SYLLABUS

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SYLLABUS
• Unit II: Ecosystems :-
 What is an ecosystem? Structure and function of ecosystem; Energy flow in an ecosystem:
food chain, food web and ecological succession.
 Case studies of the following ecosystems:
a. Forest ecosystem
b. Grassland ecosystem
c. Desert ecosystem
d. Aquatic ecosystems
(ponds, streams, lakes, rivers, oceans, estuaries)

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• Unit III: Natural Resources : Renewable and Non – renewable Resources :-
 Land Resources and land use change; Land degradation, soil erosion and desertification.
 Deforestation: Causes and impacts due to mining, dam building on environment, forests,
biodiversity and tribal populations.
 Water: Use and over-exploitation of surface and ground water, floods droughts, conflicts over
water (international & inter-state).
 Heating of earth and circulation of air; air mass formation and precipitation.
 Energy resources: Renewable and non-renewable energy sources, use of alternate energy
sources, growing energy needs, case studies.
SYLLABUS

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SYLLABUS
• Unit IV : Biodiversity and Conservation :-
 Levels of biological diversity: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity; Biogeography zones of
India; Biodiversity patterns and global biodiversity hot spots. India as a mega-biodiversity nation;
Endangered and endemic species of India.
 Threats to biodiversity: habitat loss, poaching of
wildlife, man-wildlife conflicts, biological invasions;
Conservation of biodiversity; In-situ
and Ex-situ conservation of biodiversity.
 Ecosystem and biodiversity services:
Ecological, economic, social, ethical, aesthetic
and Informational value.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES
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1. To explain the concepts and strategies related to sustainable development and various
components of environment.
2. To examine biotic and abiotic factors within an ecosystem, to identify food chains, webs, as well
as energy flow and relationships.
3. To identify and analyze various conservation methods
and their effectiveness in relation to renewable and
nonrenewable natural resources.
4. To gain an understanding of the value of biodiversity
and current efforts to conserve biodiversity on national
and local scale.

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COURSE OUTCOMES
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 The students completing this course :-
1. Demonstrate an integrative approach to
environmental issues with a focus on sustainability.
2. Explain and identify the role of the organism in
energy transfers in different ecosystems.
3. Distinguish between and provide examples of
renewable and nonrenewable resources & analyze
personal consumption of resources.
4. Identify key threats to biodiversity and develop
appropriate policy options for conserving biodiversity
in different settings.

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Unit – I : Introduction to Environmental Studies
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• Definition :-
 Environmental studies deals with every
issue that affects an organism.
 It is essentially a multidisciplinary
approach that brings about an appreciation of
our natural world and human impacts on its
integrity.
 It is an applied science as its seeks
practical answers to making human
civilization sustainable on the earth’s finite
resources.

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• Its components include biology, geology, chemistry, physics, engineering, sociology, health,
anthropology, economics, statistics, computers and philosophy.
Contd…
• Scope :-
 As we look around at the area in which we live, we see that our surroundings were originally a
natural landscape such as a forest, a river, a mountain, a desert, or a combination of these elements.
 Most of us live in landscapes that have been heavily modified by human beings, in villages,
towns or cities. But even those of us who live in cities get our food supply from surrounding
villages and these in turn are dependent on natural landscapes such as forests, grasslands, rivers,
seashores, for resources such as water for agriculture, fuel wood, fodder, and fish.
 Thus our daily lives are linked with our surroundings and inevitably affects them. We use water
to drink and for other day-to-day activities. systems as intact as possible.

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Contd…
• Scope :-
 We breathe air, we use resources from which food is made and we depend on the community of
living plants and animals which form a web of life, of which we are also a part.
 Everything around us forms our environment and our lives depend on keeping its vital systems
as intact as possible.
 Our natural resources can be compared with money in a
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
utilisation or development.

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Activity - 1
 Take any article that you use in daily life – a bucket full of water, or an item of food, a table, or a
book. Trace its components journey backwards from your home to their origins as natural resources
in our environment. How many of these components are renewable resources and how many non-
renewable?
 For every resource we use we must ask ourselves the following questions:
Q. What is the rarity of the resource and where does it originate?
Q. Who uses it most intensively and how?
Q. How is it being overused or misused?
Q. Who is responsible for its improper use – the resource collector, the middleman, the end
user?
Q. How can we help to conserve it and prevent its unsustainable use?

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Contd…
• Importance :-
 Environment is not a single subject. It is an integration of several subjects that include both
Science and Social Studies.
 To understand all the different aspects of our environment we need to understand biology,
chemistry, physics, geography, resource management, economics and population issues.
 Thus the scope of environmental studies is extremely wide and covers some aspects of nearly
every major discipline.
 We live in a world in which natural resources are limited.
 Water, air, soil, minerals, oil, the products we get from forests, grasslands, oceans and from
agriculture and livestock, are all a part of our life support systems. Without them, life itself would
be impossible. As we keep increasing in numbers and the quantity of resources

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Contd…
• Importance :-
 As we keep increasing in numbers and the quantity of resources each of us uses also increases,
the earth’s resource base must inevitably shrink.
 The earth cannot be expected to sustain this expanding level of utilization of resources. Added to
this is misuse of resources.
 We waste or pollute large amounts of nature’s clean water; we create more and more material
like plastic that we discard after a single use; and we waste colossal amounts of food, which is
discarded as garbage.
 Manufacturing processes create solid waste byproducts that are discarded, as well as chemicals
that flow out as liquid waste and pollute water, and gases that pollute the air.

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Contd…
• Productive Value of Nature :-
 As scientists make new advances in fields such as biotechnology we begin to understand that the
world’s species contain an incredible and uncountable number of complex chemicals.
 These are the raw materials that are used for developing new medicines and industrial products
and are a storehouse from which to develop thousands of new products in the future.
 The flowering plants and insects that form the most species rich groups of living organisms are
thus vital for the future development of man.
 If we degrade their habitat these species will become extinct.
If one sees being sold or used, a product that comes from
an illegally killed wild species, if we do not inform the
authorities, we become party to its extinction.

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Contd…
• Aesthetic or Recreational Value of Nature :-
 The aesthetic and recreational values that nature possesses enlivens our existence on earth.
 This is created by developing National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in relatively undisturbed
areas.
 A true wilderness experience has not only recreational value but is an incredible learning
experience.
 It brings about an understanding of the oneness of nature and the fact that we are entirely
dependent upon the intricate functioning of ecosystems.
 The beauty of nature encompasses every aspect of the living and non-living part of our earth.
One can appreciate the magnificence of a mountain, the power of the sea, the beauty of a forest, and
the vast expanse of the desert.

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Contd…
• The option Value of Nature :-
 While we utilize several goods and services of nature and enjoy its benefits, we must recognize
that every activity that we do in our daily lives has an adverse impact on nature’s integrity.
 Thus if we use up all our resources, kill off and let species of plants and animals become extinct
on earth, pollute our air and water, degrade land, and create enormous quantities of waste, we as a
generation will leave nothing for future generations.
 Our present generation has developed its economies
and lifestyles on unsustainable patterns of life. However,
nature provides us with various options on how we utilize
its goods and services. This is its option value.

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NEED FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS
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 Public awareness very essential to help understand pros and cons of environmental problems.
 The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janerio in
1992 and popularly known as Earth summit
followed by the world summit on sustainable
development in 2002, have highlighted key
issues of global environmental concern.
 Environmental pollution cannot be
removed by laws alone.
 The proper implementation and especially
public participation are important aspects.

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Contd…
 As the earth’s natural resources are dwindling and our environment is being increasingly
degraded by human activities, it is evident that something needs to be done.
 We often feel that managing all this is something that the Government should do. But if we go
on endangering our environment, there is no way in which the Government can perform all these
clean-up functions.
 It is the prevention of environment degradation in which we must all take part that must become
a part of all our lives. Just as for any disease, prevention is better than cure.
 To prevent ill-effects on our environment by our actions, is economically more viable than
cleaning up the environment once it is damaged. Individually we can play a major role in
environment management.
 We can reduce wasting natural resources and we can act as watchdogs that inform the
Government about sources that lead to pollution and degradation of our environment.

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INSTITUTIONS IN ENVIRONMENT
1. Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Mumbai (1883)
2. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-I), New Delhi (1969)
3. Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of Environment Education and Research (BVIEER), Pune
4. Center for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi
5. CPR Environmental Education Centre, Madras (1988)
6. Centre for Environnent Education (CEE), Ahmedabad (1989)
7. Uttarkhand Seva Nidhi (UKSN), Almora
8. Kalpavriksh, Pune (2003)
9. Salim Ali Center for Ornithology and Natural History
(SACON), Coimbatore
10. Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun (1982)
11. Botanical Survey of India (BSI) (1890)
12. Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) (1916)

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PEOPLES IN ENVIRONMENT
There are several
internationally known
environmental
thinkers.
1. Ralph Emerson,
2. Henry Thoreau,
3. John Muir,
4. Aldo Leopald, Rachel,
5. Carson, and
6. EO Wilson
There have been a number of individuals who have been
instrumental in shaping the environmental history in our country.
Some of the well known names in the last century include
environmentalists, scientists, administrators, legal experts,
educationists and journalists.
1. Salim Ali
2. Indira Gandhi
3. S P Godrej
4. M S Swaminathan
5. Madhav Gadgil
6. M C Mehta
7. Anil Agrawal
8. Sunderlal Bahugna’s
9. Medha Patkar

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SUSTAINABILITY AND SUSTAINABLE
DEVELPOMENT
• Sustainable Development :-
“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
• Sustainability :-
 The goal of environmental sustainability is to conserve natural resources and to develop
alternate sources of power while reducing pollution and harm to the environment.
 For environmental sustainability, the state of the future – as measured in 50, 100 and 1,000 years
is the guiding principle.
 Many of the projects that are rooted in environmental sustainability will involve replanting
forests, preserving wetlands and protecting natural areas from resource harvesting.

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Contd…
 Sustainability is a broad term that describes managing resources without depleting them for future
generations.
 This concept goes beyond environmental sustainability, which concerns earth’s natural resources,
to include economic and social sustainability, which relate to meeting people’s current economic and
social needs without compromising future generations.
 Sustainable development describes the processes for improving long-term economic well-being
and quality of life without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their needs.
 Sustainability and sustainable development also play a central role in business, across industries
and in almost every field.
 Trends suggest consumers prefer to buy products from companies that subscribe to the pillars of
sustainability and sustainable development.

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Contd…
• Pillars of Sustainability and Sustainable Development :-
1. Economic/profits 一 This pillar
centers on the idea of an efficient and
responsible use of resources that leads
to long-term profitability.
In business, profitability can
equal longevity. In other words,
transitioning to a sustainable business
can improve a company’s chances of
operating over the long term.

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Contd…
• Pillars of Sustainability and Sustainable Development :-
2. Environmental/planet 一 In business, reducing carbon footprints, waste, and water usage
while maximizing energy efficiency can provide both environmental and financial benefits, and
shows responsiveness to community opinion.
According to Pew Research, 63% of Americans believe that climate change affects their
local community.
3. Social/people 一 The social pillar of sustainability focuses on the interrelationship of systems
and processes that support the creation of healthy and livable communities that can sustain
themselves.
In business, social sustainability initiatives often include promoting fair labor practices and
wages; employee health, safety, wellness, and work-life balance; and diversity and equity.

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Contd…

 Taking these three pillars of sustainability further if we only achieve two out of three pillars
then we end up with:
1. Social + Economic Sustainability = Equitable
2. Social + Environmental Sustainability = Bearable
3. Economic + Environmental Sustainability = Viable
Only through balancing,
 Economic + Social + Environmental can we
achieve True Sustainability and a truly circular economy.
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Contd…
Economic + Social + Environmental = True
Sustainability

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Contd…
• Challenges to Sustainable Development :-
 Sustainable development relies on the different pieces of the puzzle working together. The
misconception that sustainability is only about protecting the planet endangers our collective effort
to achieve the SDGs.
 Sustainable development goals include eliminating poverty, ending hunger, providing good
health and education, achieving gender equality, reducing inequality, and promoting economic
development.
 The U.N.’s SDGs provide a path forward, but buying into the global vision requires
participation from all sectors of society.
 Without collaboration on working toward the shared vision of sustainable development, progress
is slow and piecemeal.

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Contd…
• Challenges to Sustainable Development :-
 Governments that fail to enact coherent policies around
sustainable development put their own populations at risk.
 Those governments that do participate need partners
from other governments and businesses to overcome
roadblocks and streamline the implementation of
sustainability and sustainable development strategies.
 Those in sustainability roles can use their leadership,
critical thinking, and negotiation skills to help
organizations and communities mitigate the effects of these
challenges.

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Contd…
• Become a Sustainable Leader :-
 Globalization and digitization have played a central role in improving lives around the world
since 1990. An estimated 1.1 billion people have moved out of extreme poverty, according to the
World Economic Forum.
 The New Climate Economy reports that the economic benefit of sustainability could measure in
the trillions of dollars by 2030. How can we continue to improve life for all?
 Sustainability professionals can use their interdisciplinary knowledge to help organizations,
governments, and businesses adopt sustainable practices.
 They can help set the stage for a cleaner environment, healthier communities, the smarter use of
resources, higher profits, and more equitable societies. Explore how Maryville University’s online
Bachelor of Science in Sustainability program can help you play a pivotal role in creating a more
sustainable future.

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Contd…

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Contd…
There is still no final count
of the number of people who
died in the tragedy.
According a report released
in 2013 by the National
Institute of Disaster
Management (NIDM), 169
people died and 4,021 had
gone missing, who were
later presumed to be dead.

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Contd…
Uttarakhand
Glacier Burst

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Contd…

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