1.0 Introduction:
Bharat has always been conscious of the supreme position given to nature. The Vedas and Upanishads are replete with chants and ideas strongly supportive of respect given to nature, and the need to preserve it.
Sustainability is the key word. While the imperatives of development cannot be overlooked in a country where over 75% of the population is poor, it is even more important that environmental considerations should be given the highest priority.
Sustainable ecosystems help the living world to function in a predictable organized way. Ecosystems communities contribute to the stability of our world.
Human disturbance, whether through diverting too much water, disrupting food chains, toxic air pollution or trees felling can upset the balance of nature. Sustainable ecosystems need to be respected so that they can continue to provide the valuable services on which our lives depend.
- Ecosystem :
- An ecosystem is defined as an interaction between living beings and the non- living environment in which they exist. Ecosystem exists on many scales: a large Ecosystem contains many smaller ones.
All ecosystems have food web, nutrient cycles, and energy flow and each part of the system is connected to another. Every ecosystem has a measurable carrying capacity: over – expansion or die – off of one species or disturbance of important natural resources can affect the sustainability of the whole system.
Pollution of water, air and land and habitat destruction of animals can significantly affect the carrying capacity of an ecosystem.
- Continent of ecosystem, living or non – living, has an important role to perform, for instance, forested slopes prevent erosion, trees, produce oxygen and increase moisture in both air and soil, birds carry seeds to new locations, insects live on tree branches and eat away fungus and microorganisms, on the forest floor recycle leaf litter and other organic matter into nutrients that help the trees to grow.
Ecosystems are of different types: Terrestrial – deserts, forests, grassland, tundra, mountains, island, savannas, Aquatic –oceans, lakes ponds, rivers and ecosystem where land and water meet shores and swamps.
- Ecosystem processes cycles:
Energy cycle:
The sun is the ultimate source of all energy that enters an ecosystem. It is a biotic element of the ecosystem. Sun‘s energy enters the system as light and is captured and transformed to chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis. Plants use solar energy to convert the nutrients in soil to sugars, carbohydrates, proteins fats and other organic molecules. Food is used by animals and humans to drive energy.
Water cycle:
Water moves through an ecosystem from clouds to rains to rivers in a process called the ‘water cycle’. It flows through the system via evaporation, condensation and transpiration.
Nutrient cycle:
The nutrient cycle describes how ecosystems moves important biotic elements such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, sulphur and potassium from the physical environment to living beings and back to minerals those other living beings can use.
- Type of Ecosystems :
Ecosystems can be classified into many types based on the climate, soil type, altitude and many other factors. Four major systems are, Forests Grasslands Desert and Aquatic ecosystem. Each of these systems is unique and provides resources for human survival.
Forest Ecosystems:
Trees are the dominant community in a forest ecosystem and they play a vital role in controlling the energy, water and nutrient cycles in the ecosystem
India is situated on tropical latitudes and evolved with several types of forest ecosystem. Forests in India have been much altered due to human activities in the last few thousand years.
Forests can be grouped into five major categories, moist tropical, dry tropical, montane subtropical, temperate and alpine. Indian’s moist tropical forests are populated by wet evergreen, semi – evergreen, and moist deciduous plants as well as swamp communities.
As per the Indian State of Forest report, 2009, the total forest cover of the country (2007 assessment) is 6,90,899 sq km, which is 21.02% of the geographic area of the country.
Of this, 81,510 sqkm (12%) is very dense forest, 2,97,087 sq km (43%) is moderately dense forest and 2,69,699 sq km (39%) is open forest cover. The scrub counts for 41,325 sq km (6%).
As per the above mentioned report, the tree cover in the country was 92,769 sq km in 2007 which is 2.82% of the total geographical area. Tree cover constitutes the largest area in Maharashtra, followed that Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Grassland ecosystems:
In some parts of the world, such as the savannas in African or the steppes in Mongolia, grasslands have always existed but the grasslands in India are not of primary origin.
Desert ecosystems:
Deserts constitute one – fifth of the earth‘s land surface. These are defined by their extreme temperature and very low rainfall levels. Animals that adapt to desert ecosystems learn to manage water carefully or store over long periods.
Aquatic ecosystems:
Aquatic ecosystems include different kinds of water environments, lakes, rivers, floodplain, marshes and oceans are all, types of aquatic or water- based ecosystems. Aquatic ecosystems contain a wide variety of life forms including bacteria, fungi and tiny organisms called plankton as well as fish and marine mammals. Fresh water ecosystems cover only 0.8% of the earth‘s area.
Miscellaneous Ecosystems:
Farms and cities are examples of human influenced ecosystem. Further, garbage dumps parks and sewers in cities from ecosystems with their own communities.
Ecosystem function, that specifically benefit humans are sometimes called ecosystem services. For instance, natural systems filter pollution out of water, Bees pollinate crops, marshes protect shorelines from flooding and green spaces produce oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from atmosphere. Apart from providing timber for our houses, cooking fires and furniture trees also provide habitat for birds and other animals as well as make the air cleaner and healthier by absorbing carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen which prevents global warming.
Ecosystem services are crucial to human survival and are one of the reasons why it is important to preserve the natural environment. If humans had to artificially recreate all the services that the natural world provides, it would be enormously expensive, if not impossible.
- Influence on ecosystems :
Humans influence ecosystems, in many ways, for instance, humans change habitats. Animals that thrive in a meadow may die if the meadow is turned into a wheat field. Plants and animals that evolved for millions of years in large forests may become endangered when humans build houses, farm and cities, where the forests used to stand.
When there are disruptions in ecosystem, such as depletion of resource, natural disasters, over or under population of a species or other stressors, such as climate change, organisms in the ecosystem must adapt and change to survive. While humans are only one of millions of living species that populate the planet, they have a large impact on ecosystems around the globe.
Humans have been influencing even the biggest ecosystem of all, the global climate system. We are burning so much fossils that carbon levels haves have steadily risen in the atmosphere which is raising global temperatures and causing alarming changes in weather patterns including monsoon and drought. The human impact on cycle of nutrients and natural food webs has become so drastic that it threatens human survival as well.
Wasteful consumption and over consumption have many negative effects on ecosystems such as the following:
- Loss of forest lands, lack of reforestation, loss of biodiversity
- Degradation of water bodies by municipal and industrial population
- Filling of wetlands for building houses and industrial facilities, disrupts the nature’s ability to manage the water cycle & causes flooding.
- Overfishing of ocean and lakes disrupts the delicate balance of marine.
- Overgrazing and intensive farming lead to desertification of productive land.
6.0 Sustainable development for Restoration of Ecology:
i. Ecosystems have direct connect (survival chance) with Environmental status in a system.
The need for development to address social issues is unquestionable. As India industrializes, social issues such as poverty, hunger, lack of water, poor sanitation and disease may decrease but environmental issues will increase in India. In India roughly 70% of the population lives in poverty on less than Rs 130 per day.
ii. Population growth and its impact on the environment
Every person rich or poor has an impact on the environment. Everyone needs the basic, food, water and air to breathe and a place to live. Beyond the basics, more people need commodities and service of all kinds and society must be organized to supply them: more energy, transportation, goods, money, waste disposal, shops, factories and healthcare. All have their impacts and link population concerns to the economy, social issues and politics.
For, a country or a continent how many people are enough and how many are too many? A difficult question! Some experts say a sustainable world population is less than half the current number. Other experts claim technology will meet any need. Thinking of the overall needs is difficult, whether a state, a country or the world.
Easier to grasp is what a shepherd knows.
If the owner of a flock of goats has a pasture, he knows that the plot can support only so many animals. That number is called the Carrying Capacity. If that limit is exceeded, the land suffers from overgrazing.
If the owner of the flock needs more animals to support a growing family could he find and afford more pasture?
Likewise from a local to a global outlook the availability of land, water and air will set limits to growth. Any region small or large has a Carrying Capacity.
As India industrializes, social issues such as poverty, hunger, lack of water, poor sanitation, and disease may decrease but environmental issues willincrease, signaling damage to Ecosystem.
Industrial development can be achieved in a very different manner than the industrialization process of the 19th and 20th Centuries. We need to engage in a more conscious type of development where traditional practices and lifestyles that honor the environment and Eco System are maintained and also adopting emerging technology that provides jobs, food, sanitation, health care, transportation and energy in the most sustainable ways in a developing nation such as India. The contrast between traditional environmentally sustainable habits of living and unsustainable modern lifestyles is visible everywhere.
People are learning about the ways of maintaining old with the new by increasing environmental education in schools and colleges. Government entities non – governmental organizations (NGOs) and corporations are also seeking to preserve, incorporate and promote both traditional and newer concepts of sustainable economic development Building rooftop solar panels serve as the starting point for successful and promising examples of economic development that address social issues and protect the environment.
According to the Population Reference Bureau, 76% of Indians live below the poverty line defined as an income of $2-a-day which is about Rs. 120. The only 26%in the official government estimates which is still 300 Million more than the number of people living in any country after the top three.
iii. Environmental issues and development: Energy and water conservation, consumerism and waste disposal
India finds itself in the midst of a great struggle with environmentalism. Developing primarily subsistence agriculture –based societies, amazing examples of connectedness to nature which the fully, the industrialized western world has lost are found in India.
An average American residing in New York city will consume far more than an Indian in his/her lifetime. The average Indian uses 40-60 L of water a day, eats a more organic diet. Recyclable wastes are sold to junk or scrap dealers. The incentive of getting paid for discarded items motivates middle – class Indians to utilize such services.
Packages and containers for serving homemade and street food In India are made from clay, newspaper, banana leaves and metal which can be easily composted, recycled or reused. In many places, soda is still sold in glass bottles that are returned on the spot. Non-polluting motorcycles, bicycle and rickshaws are used for transport. Rainwater harvesting is promoted and superfluous consumer goods are avoided. Many arduous tasks are performed manually.
People eat mainly unprocessed food in India. The people live by the motto of improvising with the limited resources available. Such a lifestyle seems like a utopia to an environmentally friendly advocate of sustainable living from the west.
Environmental concerns arise when one realizes that the sustainable way of life is changing with industrialization. The green revolution in the 1960s, which brought pesticides and fertilizers to agriculture, could be viewed as the first step in this process.
Multinational corporations entered the Indian marked in 1991 when the government opened the marked for foreign investments. The country proved an ideal location for multinational businesses to set up shop due to cheap labour, few enforced environmental regulations and a largely English – speaking population. Growing economy promoted a consumer oriented lifestyle.
However stronger efforts need to be made to protect India’s natural Environmental and Ecology concerns. For business adherence to international environmental standards is voluntary and India’s citizens are not fully organized in putting pressure for respecting environmentally sustainable traditions all over India. Groundwater is getting contaminated by agricultural pesticide –laden run – off and is being depleted by industries, hotels and growing population, Bottled water and carbonated beverages. It found that these beverages not only contain high level of pesticides but also utilize huge quantities of water in their manufacturing.
The Indian government is yet to enact stricter regulations to monitor this problem. There are other environmental concerns in the face of development and social pressures. Population growth, demands on resources due to large industries in small villages and the difficulty in subsisting on small –scale agriculture, have pushed millions of poor people to urban centers, creating shanty slums. These slums accompany unsanitary conditions, contaminated water and breeding grounds for disease in the uncollected trash piles. Slum dwellers prepare food on the street in the midst of these conditions. In addition, stray cattle create other health hazards as well.
The Ecosystem is in peril.
There is no all – encompassing solution. Requiring environmental education at every level, from primary school through university, would allow the average citizen to gain an understanding of the need for sustainable, economic development and gradually bring this knowledge into everyday living, career choice and voting and advocacy efforts. However finding solutions and perhaps holding on to the good past habits must be immediate in a country that is rapidly industrializing. Government, many NGOs, and Corporates are leading the way for building an environmental awareness.
India is facing acute water crisis. Domestic usage of water is about 5%, agricultural usage is 82% and industry range is 8-10%, which is expected to double in next 10 years.
iv. Government involvement in protecting the Environment Ecosystem
- National policy for protection of biodiversity
In India individual states oversee the task of protecting species and biodiversity with minimal intervention of the Central Government. India adopted the national policy for wildlife conservation in 1970. This was soon followed by the wildlife (protection) Act 1972 this act set up state wildlife advisory boards and created a dedicated cadre of individuals with primary concern of wildlife protection. The management of protected areas varies from region to region. For example in the Nilgiri area of Tamil Nadu no human intervention as allowed in protected areas whereas in Kerala efforts have been made to balance commercial endeavors with protection goals.
- Wetlands
Wetland is a land area saturated with water, permanently or seasonally and takes on the characteristic of distinct ecosystem. Wetlands are important for biodiversity because they separate a wide range of plants and animals. They are effective for flood control, water purification and shore land stability and act as carbon sinks. Wetlands cover above 20% of the total geographical areas of India. Most of the wetlands of India are under paddy cultivation and therefore, provide economic benefits to the local people. Two especially important sites are significant waterfall habitats; Chilika lake and the eastern delta/wetlands, freshwater marshes of the Ganges plain, the flood plain of Brahmaputra river, the marshes and swamps of the North-east, the mountain lakes and rivers of Kashmir and the Himalayan region and Mangrove forest in Andaman & Nicobar island.
- Threatened Species in India
India contains globally important populations of some of the Asia’s rarest and most important animals. These include the Bengal fox, Asiatic Cheetah, Marveled Cat, Asiatic Lion, Indian Elephant, Asiatic Wild Ass and Indian Rhinoceros.
- International Accords to support Biodiversity protection
In 1976, India became a signatory to Convention of the International Trade in endangered species. In addition, India signed the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992 and adopted it in 1994.
- Environmental legislations
India was the first nation to make environmental protection an amendment to its constitution after the UN conference of the human environment in 1972.
Environmental protection Act, 1986
Wildlife protection Act, 1972
Forest conservation Act, 1980
- Government initiatives and partnerships:-
The governmental initiatives cited provide the starting point for understanding how elected officials and state workers are facilitating broader holistic efforts to ensure that development projects throughout India are environmentally sustainable and adhere to legislated directives.
The US-India climate change partnership is a joint project between the US department of state and government of India’s MoEFCC.
It is also working to help sugar mills to utilize biomass for energy needs using highly efficient cogeneration units. In addition the project is funding and promoting the following:
- Solar wind hydro and biomass technologies around the country
- Development of Reva India’s first electric car
- Sponsorship of an eco – hotel chain called the Orchid group hotels
- Suitable reuse option for ash (ash produced during combustion of coal)
- General improvements in energy supply and distribution
- Technical assistance to India to develop hydrogen as a fuel including the development of a hydrogen – powered three – wheeled scooter
India has taken many initiatives. Only if, “implementation” was effective, our environment and pollution level would be different today.
v. Non – Government corporate involvement in protecting the environment :
(a) Environmental ethics of corporate responsibility and environmental responsibility
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a term widely used by businesses and NGOs. With these organizations in the lead, citizens are changing from Consumer Citizens to Citizens Consumers.
Not only was CSR responding to consumer, acting and providing proof of such commitment, could favorably affect a company’s image and perhaps increase profitability. Environmentally concerned heads of companies saw CSR as a way to redefine capitalism and make it work as a tool to promote a better quality of life and sustain business for the future generations.
(b.) Commercial Activities:
Some industrial /commercial activities destroy /alter the existing Ecosystem, Mining, of a making of a city etc. come in the list.
Mining by its very nature, destroys forest, trees, plants, greenery and alter/damage the landscape: Social and cultural impact is immense as employees in their colony are far better economically and have many facilities. Have different life style than local population.
However, over a period with reclamation and intensive plantation and deforestation, some corporate have done wonderful job, during the process and restored Ecosystem to the extent.
Tata Steel Mines, is a living example of Mines Restoration.
vi. Sustainable energy initiatives
As oil prices increases and supplies dwindle India is critically aware that it must find new sources of energy to fuel its demand to avoid damage to the Ecosystem.
Solar power is underutilized in a nation that gets 10 months of Sun. Other renewable sources such as biomass, water, wind, geothermal energy and hydrogen are other possibilities. Energy efficiency within industry and automobiles as well as better mass transportation can help improve the situation.
Green rating concept for the automobile industry has a long way to go in terms of improving corporate environmental policy and management systems, corporate leadership and proactive environmental initiatives, procurement policy and supply chain management process and consumption efficiency, pollution and pollution control and prevention, product use and product disposal .
The mura gappa group (parry sugar industries Ltd) is an innovative company that uses multiple resource recovery, cogeneration and ethanol production to operate a Sugar – manufacturing company.
Parry industries Nellikuppam sugar factory in Tamil Nadu is supplied by a corporative of 20,000 farmers. Farmers receive support services and training in integrated pest management, composting, mulching, drip irrigation and other less chemically and resource – intensive methods of farming.
Another non – profit organization is the energy and resources institute (TERI), headquartered in New Delhi. TERI seeks to educate and improve energy efficiency in Indian industries, through, research, consultancy, and training and information dissemination.
- Water conservation, rainwater harvesting and watershed management.
Are extremely essential elements for sustainable development from 1998 on words the ancient reties of rainwater harvest was revival and witless in the country as a means of addressing the water shortly.
8.0 Waste Management and Recycling.
For industrialize Waste, there are guidelines and legislations for treatment and disposal of waste. What happens in India? There is an informal system of recycling done by kabadiwala, who frequent localities, discarded from houses and shops. They take paper, plastic, glass, metals, electrical appliances, clothes and anything and everything. There are efforts for reuse of plastic and electronics waste.
9.0 Organic farming: food /cotton
Organic farming is an age – old practice in India. Farmers are still utilizing ancient techniques passed on by their forefathers. In 2003, India set up the National Board for Organic production, to address the need to formally enter the profitable $37 billion global market. There is the Ecomark, a stamp for organic and environmentally friendly product, process and India’s organic and Environmental Friendly products meeting required standards.
- Public participation in protecting the Environment/Ecosystem:
Public participation is very important in promoting environmental sustainability in the face of economic development. The democratic principles that enable such participation must be understood and put into action if solutions to environmental issues are to be found.
While success is not always a given, constant voicing of this perspective and a desire to consider environmental impact can lead to reflection and hopefully the Sustainable Ecosystem, one desires.
It is very important that the people understand environmental impact of a development project. How well a particular area impacts the environment in the community? Consider impacts on air, water, noise quality, health, safety, waste management, natural habitat, resources and animals. Will water and electrical use of the proposed project deplete or interfere with what is available for other locally? What waste will be created and how will it be disposed off? What other natural resources will be utilized in the community to help the entity operate? How will this depletion of natural resources affect the community?
With this awareness, a citizen will play a reasonable and logical role by considering development versus environment/ecology.
Reference:
- Book : Ecology And Environment (R.N. Bhargava, V. Rajaram, Keith Olsan and Lynn Tide)
- Earlier papers presented
[The Author is Ex Founder & CMD of
Ecomen Laboratories Pvt. Ltd.
And
Secretary General of Club of Lucknow]