UNIT 7
Human Communities and the Environment
There is strong evidence that the growth of the world population poses serious threats to human health, socioeconomic development and the environment. It has taken only 12 years for the world population to grow from 5 billion to today's 6 billion. This is the shortest time ever to add 1 billion people — a number equivalent to the population of India or the combined population of the United States and Europe.
Some 10 000 years ago, when only about 5 million people inhabited the Earth, few biological systems were seriously damaged by human activity. Today, however, the world faces an environmental dilemma. Current demands are depleting many of the Earth's natural resources and ecological services. Within the next 50 years, it is likely that those life-supporting systems will somehow have to accommodate 3 billion more people as well as support desperately needed advances in living standards for those in poverty, particularly the 3 billion people now living on about $2 a day.
The impact of humans on their environment is related to population size, per capita consumption and the environmental damage caused by the technology used to produce what is consumed. The exploitation of technology and the high consumption pattern of people in Japan, Europe, the United States and Canada have a greater adverse impact per capita on the world's environment than that of a subsistence farmer in Bangladesh, for example. Although they represent 20% of the world's population, the 1.2 billion people living in developed countries consume an estimated 67% of all resources and generate 75% of all waste and pollution.
There are many important interactions between population growth, consumption, environmental degradation and health. Human activity has already transformed an estimated 10% of the Earth's surface from forest or rangeland into desert. The productive capacity of 25% of all agricultural lands, an area equal to the size of India and China combined, has already been degraded. Unproductive land and food scarcity currently contribute to malnutrition among 1 billion people, with infants and children suffering the most serious health consequences.
Environmental degradation, declining food security and uncontrolled epidemics of communicable diseases have slowed, and even reversed, the demographic transition to low death rates in some poor countries. In contrast to developed countries, where cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the leading causes of death, in poor countries infectious diseases cause 45% of all deaths.
Variation among nations
The distribution of world population densities show that while the great majority of the land surface is sparsely or moderately populated, but some limited areas are densely populated. The densely populated areas include Western Europe, the Indian subcontinent, the plains and river valleys of China, and north-eastern USA. High concentrations of people are also found in some relatively smaller areas, for example—the Nile valley of Egypt, the Islands of Java in Indonesia and the Southern part of Japan.
In terms of continents and countries, the world’s population is very ill-balanced. More than half of the world’s people live in Asia (approximately 3.7 billion), which accounts for only one-fifth of the world’s land area; while North, Central and South America together occupying more than a quarter of the land surface, have only one-fifth of the population (1.3 billion). The African continent also accounts for a quarter of the land surface but has just over one-eighth (840 million) of the world population. On the other hand, Europe whose area is only one twenty-fifth of the total has about one-ninth (729 million) of the world’s people.
The distribution within the continents is also uneven. In Asia, China alone, with about 1.29 billion people, accounts for one-third Asian and one-fifth of the world population. The Indian subcontinent has a further 1.3 billion people—India, 1.05 billion; Pakistan, 143.5 million; Bangladesh, 133.6 million; Nepal , 23.9 million; Sri Lanka , 18.9 million; Bhutan, 0.9 million; and Maldives, 0.3 million. In Europe too, the population is an evenly distributed. Far less people live in Northern European countries than in other European countries .The most populous European countries are Russia (143.5 million), Germany (82.4 million), United Kingdom (60.2 million), France (59.5 million); Italy (58.1 million), Ukraine (48.2 million), Spain (41.3 million) and Poland (38.6 million). In Africa and Americas people are for the most part spread very thinly across the land, leaving large sections such as Northern Canada, Southwest USA, the Sahara desert and the Amazon forest practically uninhabited.
- Factors discouraging settlement
They are usually climatic or relief factors. The main factors are—cold, altitude, heat, drought, poor soils, inaccessibility, etc.
2. Factors encouraging settlements
They are –good land, flat or undulating terrain, the existence of mineral resources, a good climate suitable for a wide range of crops or a less equable climate suitable to the cultivation of specialized crops which have a good market, etc. Other factors include extension of roads, railways and other modes of transportation.
Resettlement and rehabilitation People are forced to move out of their land due to both natural and man-made disasters. Natural disasters like earthquakes, cyclones, tsunami etc. render thousands of people homeless and sometime even force them to move and resettle in other areas. Similarly, developmental projects like construction of roads, dams, canals and flyovers displace people form their home. You must all be aware of the recent nuclear leakage in Japan due to which millions of people were forced to leave the area for their safety. Thus, resettlement refers to the process of settling again in a new area. Rehabilitation means restoration to the former state
Objectives of rehabilitation
The following objectives of rehabilitation should be kept in mind before the people are given an alternative site for living:
- Tribal people should be allowed to live along the lives of their own patterns and others should avoid imposing anything on them.
- They should be provided means to develop their own traditional art and culture in every way. • Villagers should be given the option of shifting out with others to enable them to live a community based life.
- Removal of poverty should be one of the objectives of rehabilitation.
- The people displaced should get an appropriate share in the fruits of the development.
- The displaced people should be given employment opportunities.
- Resettlement should be in the neighborhood of their own environment.
- If resettlement is not possible in the neighbor area, priority should be given to the development of the irrigation facilities and supply of basic inputs for agriculture, drinking water, wells, grazing ground for the cattle, schools for the children, primary healthcare units and other amenities.
- Villagers should be taken into confidence at every stage of implementation of the displacement and they should be educated, through public meetings, discussion about the legalities of the Land Acquisition act and other rehabilitation provisions.
- The elderly people of the village should be involved in the decision making.
Case Studies Of Resettlement And Rehabilitation
Displacement due to dams
India has been constructing dams and other hydel projects. In the last 50 years, 20 million people have been affected by the construction of such projects. The Hirakud dam displaced about 20000 people living in about 250 villages. The Bhakra Nangal dam was constructed around 1950's and displaced a number of people. Some of them could not be rehabilitated even today.
Displacement due to mining
Due to possibility of the accidents or sinking of the land, people have to displaced in and around the mining area. Mining take up several hectares of land thousands of people have to be evacuated. Jharia coal fields posed a problem years ago to the local residents due to the underground fire. Some 3 lakh people were to be shifted and it became a problem to find n alternative site. A huge amount of money to the tune of Rs 115 crores has been spent to put out the fire. Still the problem persists.
Displacement in Japan due to nuclear crisis
The current nuclear crisis in Japan where there was an explosion in three of the major reactors of Fukushima city due to tsunami. Currently, more than 2,00,000 people have been displaced form their native place and yet many are unable to find an alternative home. People were evacuated to protect them for the possible nuclear hazard and exposure. They are suffering from acute hunger as all the food supply was interrupted due to contamination of food particles by radiation.
Disaster is a sudden calamity which brings misfortune and miseries to humanity.
Types:
1. Natural disaster
2. Man-made disaster
Natural disaster: Floods, Cyclones, earth quakes, landslides. Etc
Man-made disaster: Accidents, pollutions, fire accidents, bomb blasts.
FLOODS :
Defined as a situation when the river over flows is banks and the water spreads in the surrounding areas and submerging them. It usually occurs in rainy season.
Causes
- Heavy intense rain fall
- Melting of accumulated snow
- Melting of snow combine with rains
- Over saturated soil when the ground cannot hold any more water
- Urbanization
Control
- Forecast, warning and advice should be provided through media to educate aware people about steps to be taken on the event of mishap.
- Valuable house hold items, animals and materials like food, clothes, medicines etc. should be shifted to safe places.
- Elderly people and children should be evacuated to safer place on emergency.
- By the construction of protective works.
EARTHQUAKE:
Sudden vibration caused on the earth surface due to sudden release of tremendous amount of energy stored in the rocks under the earth crust is called earthquake.
A focus of an earthquake is the point of initial movement. Epicenter is the point on the surface directly above the focus.
Measure of Earth quake-Richter scale
Magnitude of earthquake is a measure of amount of energy released in the earthquake. Earthquake is recorded by seismograph.
- Less than 4-insignificant
- 4-4.9-minor
- 5-5.9-damaging
- 6-6.9-destructive,
- 7-7.9-major
- Above 8- great
- Primary effect of earth quake: Shaking
Some times a permanent vertical or horizontal displacement of the ground .This affects people bridges, dams, pipe lines.
Secondary effects
Rocks slides, flood caused by the subsidence of land, coastal areas are severely damaged .Earth quake generated water wave called Tsunami and also called tidal waves that travel as fast as 950km/hr.
Precautionary measures
- People should come out of their homes and stay in the open till the tremors subside.
- People already out of home should stay away from the building electric poles, trees and any tall objects that have chances of falling down.
- After the earth quake relief camp by the Government or other social groups should be conducted for the affected people.
CYCLONE:
An atmospheric closed circulation, rotating anti- clock wise in the northern hemi sphere and clock wise in southern hemisphere .
Cyclone is an area of low pressure in the centre and high pressure outside. Powerful swirling storm that measures from 300- 500 km in diameter. The wind in the centre of cyclone blows in the speed of 120km/hr.
In India cyclone originates from Bay of Bengal are more in number and intensity. Relatively less south-west Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. In India cyclones occur during October-December or April-May.
EFFECTS
- Damage to human life, crops, roads, transport, and communication could be heavy.
- Cyclone slows down developmental activities of the area.
Management
- Meteorological Departments forecast by satellite images the weather conditions which reveal the strength and intensity of the storm.
- Radar systems are used to detect cyclone and cyclone warning.
- The effect of cyclone is minimized by planting more trees on the coastal belts, constructional dams, wind breaks etc.
LAND SLIDES:
A landslide is a sudden collapse of large mass of hill side.
Types
- Shallow disrupted land slide
- Decoherent landslide
Factors causing landslides
- Caused by rain forces increasing top material weight, lubricating the material layer or making slope top steep.
- Gravity-gravity works more effectively on steeper slopes
- Weather: Most slides occur during or after heavy rains
Effects
- Flow deposit blocks the road and diverts the passage
Prevention
- Revegetate the area to prevent the surface erosion .Inspect and repair all drainage system. Collect runoff from roofs and improved areas and convey water from the steep slopes in a well designed pipe system.
Environmental movements; Chipko , silent valley Bishnois of Rajasthan
The Bishnois, A Small Community In Rajasthan, Value Their Trees And Wildlife As Much As Their Lives. Following One Of The 29 Rules Given By Their Guru, The Bishnois Would Do Anything To Prevent The Destruction Of Trees By Human Beings, Including Hugging The Trees If They Are Threatened In Any Way; The Destroyer Cannot Cut The Trees Without Cutting These Human Bodies. Amrita Devi, A Female Villager Hugged The Trees And Encouraged Others To Do The Same. 363 Bishnoi Villagers Were Killed In This Movement. Bishnoi Movement – 1700s.
Chipco Movement- 1973 Mr. Bahuguna Enlightened the Villagers By Conveying The Of The Forests (Especially The Right To Fodder) Should Go To Local People. The Chipko Movement Gathered Momentum In 1978 When The Women Faced Police Firings And Other Tortures. Then The State Chief Minister, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Set Up A Committee To Look Into The Matter, Which Eventually Ruled In Favor Of The Villagers. Importance Of Trees In The Environment Which Checks The Erosion Of Soil, Cause Rains And Provides Pure Air. The Women Of Advani Village Of Tehri-Garhwal Tied The Sacred Thread Around Trunks Of Trees And They Hugged The Trees, Hence It Was Called ‘Chipko Movement’ Or ‘Hug The Tree Movement’. The Main Demand Of The People In These Protests Was That The Benefits
All religions and cultures have something to offer to conservation and environmental protection . From each religion several injunctions can be brought forth to code for environmental sustainable development . The moral relationship of human beings to and the value and moral status of the environment and its nonhuman content. Anthropologists suggest that religion persists because it has value to us, and such value can be either intrinsic, instrumental, or a combination thereof, “Traditionally, religion used to play an integral role in linking people to the natural world, imbuing people with the knowledge and values that make caring for it a priority,”
Environmental communication is the pragmatic and constitutive vehicle for our understanding of the environment as well as our relationships to the natural world; it is the symbolic medium that we use in constructing environmental problems and negotiating society's different responses to them
Environmental communication is pragmatic: it educates alerts, persuades, mobilizes and helps to solve environmental problems.
Although the public's concern for the environment is significant, considerable differences exist among individuals over how society should solve environmental problems Global Warming,
