Environment –

what it is, how is it affected, causes

and effects

M IBRAHIM BATHUSHA
Department of Civil Engineering,
PSG College of Technology,
Coimbatore – 641 004,
bathusha_2000@yahoo.com
 Environment - Introduction
• All that which is external to the human host. Can
be divided into physical, biological, social, cultural,
etc., any or all of which can influence health status
of populations …
• Physical environment
• Natural and physical environment
• Social, natural and physical environment
• Behavioural, social, natural and physical
environment
• Total environment
 WHAT IS ENVIRONMENT ?
 ‘Environment’ covers every object
and every living being which around
us.
 ‘Environment’ includes physical,
cultural economic and aesthetic
dimensions.
 ‘Environment’ interlinks with
everything existed around us. It is
also affected by every activity.
 ‘Environment’ refers to all the living
and non-living aspects of the places
where organisms live.
 WHAT IS ENVIRONMENT …

‘Environment’ includes water, air, land and

inter connection (or) inter relationship
which exists among and between water, air,
land and human beings other living
creatures plants, micro-organisms and
property. So environment has also been
considered the total sum of all the factors
that affect on organism.
 Air

Flora, Fauna &

Human
Resources

Water Land
Natural Resources
 Land Water
Pollution Pollution

Effects on
Mankind &
Environment

Air
Pollution
 GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
WATER POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION

LAND POLLUTION
NOISE POLLUTION
MARINE POLLUTION
DEFORESTATION
SOIL EROSION
GLOBAL WARMING

FLOOD AND DROUGHT

DESTRUCTION OF BIO-DIVERSITY
CULTURAL CHANGES

OZONE LAYER DESTRUCTION

HEALTH PROBLEMS
ACID RAIN
 ENVIRONMENT DEGRADATION
INTER RELATIONSHIP
ACID RAIN OZONE
GLOBAL
& AIR LAYER
WARMING
POLLUTION DEPLATION

DESTRUCTION OCEAN
OF POLLUTION
BIO -DIVERSITY
WATER
RESOURCES
LAND SEA WATER
DEGRADATION
DEGRADATION INTRUSION
AND UNFIT
FOR USAGE

OVER
FOREST
EXTRACTION
DESTRUCTION
OF GW

INDUSTRIES &
SOIL CATCHMENT
DOMESTIC
EROSION DEGRADATION
POLLUTION
 Environmental management
Environmental management is not, as the
phrase could suggest, the management of the
environment as such, but rather the
management of interaction by the modern
human societies with, and impact upon the
environment.. The three main issues that an
environmental manager need to involve are
policies (networking), programs (projects), and
resources (money, facilities, etc.).
 Environmental management
Environmental management involves the
management of all components of the bio-
physical environment, both living (biotic) and
non-living (abiotic).
 Environmental management
A more common philosophy and impetous
behind environmental management is the
concept of carrying capacity of environment.
Carrying capacity refers to the maximum number
of organisms a particular resource can sustain.
For example self-purification capacity of river /
natural cleansing capability of atmosphere /
assimilative capacity of soil.
 Air Pollution - Definition
Air pollution may be defined as the
presence in the air (outdoor
atmosphere) of one or more
contaminants or combinations thereof
in such quantities and of such
durations as may be or tend to be
injurious to human, animal or plant
life, or property, or which
unreasonably interferes with the
comfortable enjoyment of life or
property or conduct of business.
 Atmospheric Gas Composition
Mole
Gas Symbol Percentage
Fraction
Nitrogen N2 78.08 0.78084

Oxygen O2 20.95 0.209476

Argon Ar 0.93 0.00934

Carbon Dioxide CO2 0.03 0.000314

Neon Ne 0.00182 0.00001818

Methane CH4 0.0002 0.000002

Helium He 0.000524 0.00000524

Krypton Kr 0.000114 0.00000114

Hydrogen H2 0.00005 0.0000005

Xenon Xe 0.0000087 0.000000087

 Air Pollutant
It is a substance or effect dwelling temporarily or permanently in
the air , which adversely alters the environment by interfering
with the health, the comfort, or the food chain, or by
interfering with the property values of people.
A pollutant can be solid (large or sub-molecular), liquid or gas .
It may originate from a natural or anthropogenic source (or both).
It is estimated that anthropogenic sources have changed the
composition of global air by less than 0.01%.
However, it is widely accepted that even a small change can have
a significant adverse effect on the climate, ecosystem and
species on the planet.
Examples of these are acid rain, ozone in the lower atmosphere,
and photochemical smog.
Increase in CO2 concentration
Global Warming
• Global warming refers to the increase in the
average temperature of the Earth's near-
surface air and oceans.
• The term "global warming" is a specific
example of the broader term climate change,
which can also refer to global cooling.
• It is the result of heat absorption by
certain gases in the atmosphere and re-
radiation downward of some of that heat.
• Water vapor is the most abundant
greenhouse gas, followed by
carbon dioxide and other trace gases.

• Absorption and emission of infrared

radiation
 Causes
• As human-caused biodiversity loss and
climate disruption.

• Recent increases in atmospheric CO2.

-(from cars, buildings, power plants, airplanes)

• Volcanic eruptions.

• Atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations.

 • Effects
• climate change
• Rising sea levels
• glacier retreat
• tropical diseases
• economic impact
• Ozone layer depletion
 Prevention
• Mankind has the power to destroy the planet,
also has the power to save it.
• Cut down on your carbon emissions
• Waste and recycling

• Home maintenance
• Appliances
• At the international level, the Kyoto treaty was
written to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas
emissions worldwide. Thirty-five industrialized nations
have committed to reducing their output of those
gases to varying degrees. Unfortunately, the United
States, the world's primary producer of greenhouse
gases, did not sign the treaty.
 Remedial Measures
• We need to develop non-fossil fuel energy sources.
• Plant trees and other plants where you can.
• Turn lights and other appliances off when you're not
using them.
• Switch from incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent
bulbs, which use less energy and last longer
 Convention on
climate change `92
• Aim to stabilize the quantity of green house gas
• it recognized countries to exploit their resources
under sustainable manner
• It recognized UDC to increase green house gases
to achieve development.
• DC to stabilize their CO2 emission by 2000 same
as 1990 levels, then reduce significantly.
 Convention on
Climate Change `95
• Climatic change have positive, negative impact
• Sea level rise result in flooding in coastal
regions and small islands
• Great uncertainty surrounds most coastal
– Sea level rise, Cyclones, storm surges and floods.
• Land water closely related with climate
• Health could be affected by heat, Disease
are potentially at large
 Global environment facility
• Established in 1991
• To help DCs to deal with environmental
concerns
• Provides financial for
• Reduction in green house gases
• Protection of ozone layer, biological diversity
• Invest in green fuels
• Technical and research assistance in study of pollution
 Kyoto protocol
• United Nations treaty that was introduced on
December 11th, 1997 and came in effect on
Feb 16th, 2005 with the objective of reducing
Greenhouse gases.
• It stipulates quotes on reduction in gas emission
• 8% European union
• 7% U.S.A
• 6% Canada , japan
• 0% Russia and New Zealand
• Allows 1% Norway, 8% Australia, 10% Ireland.
 KYOTO PROTOCOL IMPLEMENTATION
• Developed countries to reduce their combined
emission from 2008 – 2012 as 1990 level
• Clean development mechanism
• Protocol adaptation fund
Carbon Emission