Environmental Studies

• Air, water, earth and biodiversity are the major parts of our environment.
• Our life heavily depends on these interrelated components of environment.
Any disturbance to any of these components will badly affect entire
 environmental complex and thus all humanity will have to suffer.
• Human interventions in the natural environment have already caused a
great deal of detrimental changes in the environmental complex.
• Global warming, ozone depletion, climatic change, etc are some of the
problems caused mainly due to man’s undue interferences in the
environment.
• It is now urgently important to design and adopt effective strategies and
measures at local, regional and global levels to save natural environment
for our own survival and sustainable development.
• Creating the awareness about
environmental problems in the people
mind.
• Giving basic knowledge about the
environment and its related problems.
• Providing information regarding modern
environmental concepts, conserving
biodiversity, how to lead more sustainable
lifestyles and how to use resources more
equitably.
• Developing an attitude of concern about
the environment amongst the people.
• Acquiring skills to help the concerned
individuals in identifying and solving
 environmental problems
• To change the way in which people view
their own environment by a practical
approach based on observation and self
learning.
• To create a concern for
environment that will
trigger/motivate pro-environmental action,
including activities they can do in their
daily life to protect it and improve it.
What is Environment?
• The word Environment is derived from the French word
"Environner" which means ‘surround’.
• Environment is a word which describes an aggregate of all
the external forces influences and conditions (living or non
living), which affects the human life

and its existence on

this planet. • It covers all the
outside factors that have acted on the individual since
he/she/they/it began life.
• Thus, environment is the aggregate of physical, chemical,

biological, economical and social components on Earth

which are capable of causing direct or indirect effects on

living and non-living things for a shorter or longer duration

and their interactions and activities.

• Multi-disciplinary in nature.
• It is not static and tends to change continuously.
• The study of reciprocal relationships between organisms
and their environment is called Ecology.
• The term ecology was coined by Ernst Haekel. • The word
comes from the Greek oikos, meaning “home,” or “place to
live”.
Nature
 Coexistence Environment

Living organisms

Water

Human
&living
organism
s

Soil/Rocks
Air /Lithosphere

 Air, Water, Land, living organisms and materials

surrounding us and their interactions together constitutes
 environment.
• It illustrates the multi-sectoral and multi-dimensional study in
• The word ‘disciplinary’ means to have a disciplined study in a
particular field.
• Environmental Study is a vast subject which includes all the
aspects of various subjects such as anthropology, science, social
science, statistics, economics, computers, geology, health,
sociology etc.

various fields.
• It brings our natural environment and human impacts altogether.
• It is a multidisciplinary approach that deals with every issue that
affects an organism.
• It covers the impacts of environmental science and social aspects of
the environment as well.
Life Sciences: Biology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry,
Microbiology etc.
Since it includes all Humanities, Commerce,
Physical Chemistry,
Sciences:

disciplinary such as Science,

Physics,
Meteorology, Climatology,
Earth Science,
 Basic &Applied

Geography and other

disciplines.
Mathemati Oceanography,
Atmospheric
Sciences

Science,
Environment
 It is essentially a
Geography,
Modelling
cs, Remote Sensing appreciation of our natural
Statistics, Computer Science etc. world and human impacts
al Studies etc. on
multidisciplinary approach
that brings about an
Technology Management
&awareness Economics, Sociology, Law, Education,
Civil Engineering,
its integrity.
making human civilization
 It is an applied science as it seeks Chemical Engineering,
practical answers to
Management, Mass sustainable on the earth’s
Hydraulics,
Communication etc.
Nanotechnology etc.
finite resources.
• Life Sciences help in understanding the biotic
components and their
 interactions
• The physical and chemical structure of the biotic
components and energy transfer and flow are
understood with the help of basic concepts of
physics, chemistry, atmospheric science,
geology, geography and oceanography.
• Mathematics, Statistics and computer science
serve as effective tools in environmental
modeling and
management.
• Economics, Sociology and Mass
Communication provides the inputs for dealing
with socio economic aspects associated with
various developmental activities.
• A synthesis with environmental engineering,
civil engineering and chemical engineering
form the basis for various technologies
dealing with the control of environmental
pollution, waste treatment and development of
cleaner technologies that are important for
protection of
environment.
• Environmental Law provides the tool for
effective management and protection of the
Environment.
• Overall, this subject educates the students to
appreciate the complexity of environmental
issues.
Artificial or
Manmade Environment
(Economic, Social and Cultural)
All the components of the Environment are basically
divided into two categories

Abiotic Environment: Abiotic

Biotic Environment: Biotic
environment includes all non
environment includes all living
organisms and biological life. living components.
Producers Consumers Decomposers
 Physical:
Atmosphere
Abiotic
Hydrosphere
Lithosphere
Biological:
Biosphere: All living things present in
Atmosphere, Hydrosphere and
Lithosphere

Biotic

Social: Customs, culture, habits, income,

occupation, religion etc.

Physical Components of Environment

The main physical
components of the
environment are:
a. The Atmosphere or the air
 b. The Hydrosphere or the
water
C. The Lithosphere or the rocks
and the soil
d. The Biosphere or the living
communities taken together.
This component is sometimes
studied as a separate type of
environment and is known as
Biotic environment.

Major Environmental Issues

Sustainable development is defined as, ‘development that
meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.
• Generally development means economic progress. But this
economic progress is often achieved at the cost of long term
losses. These losses include environmental implications and
depletion of resources which will not be available for future
generations.

• A clear discussion on sustainable development emerged on an

international level in 1992, in the UN Conference on Environment
 and Development (UNCED), popularly known as The Earth
Summit, held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
global programme of action on sustainable development in
• The Rio Declaration aims at “a new and equitable global partnership
through the creation of new levels of cooperation among states.”
• Out of its five significant agreements Agenda21 proposes a

social, economic and political context for the 21st Century.

• Sustainable development is described in terms of three dimensions,
which include “economic, environmental and social” aspects. Some
experts adds another fourth dimension to it that is ‘culture or
governance’.
• Definition:
own
✓ “Sustainability means meeting our

needs without compromising the ability

of future generations to
meet their own needs”
✓ The definition was given by G.H.
Brundtland in 1987, who was
Norway prime minister and president of WHO.
 • The concept of sustainability is composed of
three pillars: economic, environmental, and
social, also known informally as profits, planet,
and people.
1. Improving the quality of
2. Economic growth for all

3. Environmental development
Definition:
✓Development
which enables
individuals and
communities in
underdeveloped
regions of the
world to raise
living standards
through
profitable
products,
To achieve SD
there are 3
principles: consistent with minimizing
 adverse
human life
environmental
effects.
1) To protect our 2) To increase forest 3) To prevent pollution 4) To reduce, reuse 5)
Design eco-friendly 6) To control
• Objectives: Biodiversity

cover

and recycle waste technology

Sustainable Development Policy

population growth
The goal of this approach is to minimize our impact on the
environment while improving harmony and quality of life
within the organization and promoting equality between
individuals, populations and generations.
• From environmental point of view development is said to be
sustainable if it does not harm environment and natural
ecosystems.
• There are some indicators of sustainable development such as:
❖ Consideration of possible environmental impacts due to
developmental projects
 ❖ No or minimum damage to environment and natural
ecosystems
❖ Use of appropriate and eco-friendly technology ❖
Adoption of Reuse, Recycle and Reduce (3Rs) approach ❖
Minimum or no waste generation
❖ Raising environmental awareness and education
• We must develop solutions that protect both our quality of life and
the environment
• Organic agriculture
• Technology
• Reduces pollution
• Biodiversity
• Protect species
• Waste disposal
• Recycling
• Alternative fuels
• The Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals are a collection of 17
 interlinked global goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more
sustainable future for all"
• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals,
were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end
poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and
prosperity