Environmental degradation is a result of the dynamic inter play of socio-economic, institutional and technological activities. Environmental changes may be driven by many factors including economic growth, population growth, urbanization, intensification of agriculture, rising energy use and transportation. Poverty still remains a problem at the root of several environmental problems.

Population

Population is an important source of development, yet it is a major source of environmental degradation when it exceeds the threshold limits of the support systems.  Unless the relationship between the multiplying population and the life support system can be stabilized, development programmes, howsoever, innovative are not likely to yield desired results. Population impacts on the environment primarily through the use of natural resources and production of wastes and is associated with environmental stresses like loss of biodiversity, air and water pollution and increased pressure on arable land. 39. India supports 17 per cent of the world population on just 2.4 per cent of world land area.  Its current rate of population growth at 1.85 per cent continues to pose a persistent population challenge.  In view of the linkages between population and environment, a vigorous drive for population control need hardly be over emphasized.

Poverty

Poverty is said to be both cause and effect of environmental degradation.  The circular link between poverty and environment is an extremely complex phenomenon.   Inequality may foster unsustainability because the poor, who rely on natural resources more than the rich, deplete natural resources faster as they have no real prospects of gaining access to other types of resources.  Moreover, degraded environment can accelerate the process of impoverishment, again because the poor depend directly on natural assets.    Although there has been a significant drop in the poverty ratio in the country from 55 percent in 1973 to 36 percent in 1993-94, the absolute number of poor have, however, remained constant at around 320 million over the years. An acceleration in poverty alleviation is imperative to break this link between poverty and the environment.

Urbanization

Lack of opportunities for gainful employment in villages and the ecological stresses is leading to an ever increasing movement of poor families to towns.  Mega cities are emerging and urban slums are expanding. There has been an eightfold increase in urban population over 1901-1991.  During the past two decades of 1971-91, India’s urban population has doubled from 109 million to 218 million and is estimated to reach 300 million by 2000 AD. 42. Such rapid and unplanned expansion of cities has resulted in degradation of urban environment.  It has widened the gap between demand and supply of infrastructural services such as energy, housing, transport, communication, education, water supply and sewerage and recreational amenities, thus depleting the precious environmental resource base of the cities.  The result is the growing trend in deterioration of air and water quality, generation of wastes, the proliferation of slums and undesirable land use changes, all of which contribute to urban poverty.

Economic Factors

To a large extent, environmental degradation is the result of market failure, that is, the nonexistent or poorly functioning markets for environmental goods and services.  In this context, environmental degradation is a particular case of consumption or production externalities reflected by divergence between private and social costs (or benefits).  Lack of well defined property rights may be one of the reasons for such market failure. On the other hand, Market distortions created by price controls and subsidies may aggravate the achievement of environmental objectives. The level and pattern of economic development also affect the nature of environmental problems. India’s development objectives have consistently emphasized the promotion of policies and programmes for economic growth and social welfare. Between 1994-95 and 1997-98, the Indian economy has grown a little over 7 per cent per annum: the growth of industrial production and manufacturing averaging higher at 8.4 per cent and 8.9 per.

Water and Air Pollution

 

Water and air pollution are the common causes of environmental degradation. Pollution introduces contaminants into the environment that can maim or even kill plant and animal species. The two often go hand in hand.

Acid Rain

 

Acid rain occurs when sulfur dioxide from coal plant emissions combines with moisture present in the air. A chemical reaction creates this acid precipitation. Acid rain can acidify and pollute lakes and streams. It causes similar effects to the soil. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), if enough acid rain falls in a given environment, it can acidify the water or soil to a point where no life can be sustained. Plants die off. The animals that depend upon them disappear. The condition of the environment deteriorates.

Agricultural Runoff

Agricultural runoff is a deadly source of pollutants which can degrade environments, so much so that the EPA identifies agriculture as the primary source of water pollution.

Surface water washes over the soil and into lakes and streams. When it does so, it carries the fertilizers and pesticides used on the farm lands into water resources. Introducing poisons into waterways will have dire consequences. Fertilizers, whether or not they are organic, carry equal risks.

Fertilizers containing large amounts of phosphorus can cause explosions of algae in lakes. As the algae die, bacteria start to breakdown the organic material. It soon develops into a situation where bacteria are using up the available dissolved oxygen in the water. Plants, fish, and other organisms begin to die off. The water becomes acidic. Like acid rain, lakes become dead zones with conditions so toxic that neither plants nor animals can live in these environments.