ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND MANAGEMENT
What is environment?
Environment: is the total natural and artificial things that surroundings organisms which influence direct or indirect their growth and development.
MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Environmental components can be grouped into two areas which are BIOTIC and ABIOTIC.
1. Biotic component: It comprises all living things like animals, plants (flora) and (fauna) and micro organism.
2. Abiotic component: It stand to all non living things like Air, water bodies, soil rocks, landforms.
Minor components of the environment
Normally environment has the following major five physical components which are:-
i). Atmosphere (air).
ii). Biosphere (Living parts).
iii). Hydrosphere (water bodies)
iv). Criyosphre (Ice parts)
v). Lithosphere (land).
IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENT TO MAN
1. Environment provide varieties of raw material which used in the industries such as mineral water, tree products.
2. Environment ensure availability of food for living organism.
3. Environment provides habitats for living organism.
4. Environment help in the transport and communication through water, land and air.
5. Environment provide energy resources such as H.E.P. Thermal power, solar power geothermal power.
6. They accelerate the development of tourism activities: Some of landscapes, water bodies and Flora and Fauna are pleasing to the eyes hence.
7 . They support economic development: the environment contain variety of natural resources includes forest, minerals, water, fish and air which can be exploited by people for various human need..
Relationship of between development and environment
1. Resources from the environment provide livelihood and play different roles in different economic sectors like agriculture, mining, tourism, etc
2. Environment provides construction materials fuel woods medic, water and food.
3. Environment provides resources for human development land, minerals, forest, water
4. Development converts the environment into further usable forms. These forms alter and limit further opportunities for future development.
NB: In the process of development social, economic changes facing the human capacity of the environment to call the challenges are taken into consideration.
Rationale for studying the environmental issues
The study of environmental issues is very important to impact to the individual the cross-cutting issue education with the intention of reducing the rate of destruction and increased rate of conservation. This is made through:
1. Getting a profound understanding of the sources nature and scale of the problems related to the environment so that it can be easy to devise some measures towards addressing these problems.
2. Increasing awareness to people on rapid alarming and dramatic rate of the environmental degradation, man should not stay ignorant of these issues lest the problems results to the total extermination of human existence
3. Encouraging man to use the resources so judiciously or in the rational way by relating the use of those resources and the effects that kind of use to the environment. This helps in insuring that resources are used with minimum possibility of jeopardizing the chance of existence of the future generation
4. Uniting people from different parts in the world to consider the protection of the environment is global and collective campaign in order to ensure free risky living of living organisms, particularly man.
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS/ PROBLEMS
Envinronmental problems: Are hazard, disasters or calamities that result into destruction of environment.
Environment hazards and catastrophes
Hazards: are events that occur and when they take place they put the life of living organism in danger or at risks.
Catastrophe refers to a disaster or something that entails destruction of properties as well as environment degradation. Catastrophes are caused by hazards and they assessed in terms of damage.
Hazardous events include acid rain, drought, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruption
Examples of environmental problems
i. Environmental pollution.
ii. Loss of biodiversity.
iii. Soil erosion and land degradation.
iv. Desertification.
v. Flooding.
vi. Acidic rain.
vi. Harmful radiation.
viii. Drought.
(A). NVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
Environmental pollution: Is the process of introducing of any substance that is harmful in to the environment. However environmental pollution involves the introducing of unwanted materials into environment such as liquid, solid, gases and particulates.
POLLUTANTS: These are materials that cause pollution. Pollutant are material that pollute environment.
FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
1. Rapid population growth: in the world especially in the thirds world countries this led to the increase rate of production of waste and problem in the managing of the waste.
2. poverty: This made people uses cheap energy resources that cause air pollution like charcoal and fuel wood. Rapid advance in technology that has led to the development of supplicated industries which emits a lot of gases and waste.
3. Development of transport networks: These network development increase the number of means of transport such as cars that emits a lot of gases to the environment.
4. Military testing: This forces people to keep on migrating from place to place hence pollute the environment as well as the use of bombs and nuclear weapons.
5. Advancement of Science and Technology: This increase the rate of materials that contributes to the environmental pollution. These include, solid, liquids and gases materials.
6. Natural phenomenas like volcanicity, wind, earthquakes, political conflict.
CLASSIFICATIONOF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
Environment pollution can be classified as follows,
a) Air pollution.
b) Soil/land pollution.
c) Water pollution.
d) Noise pollution.
1. AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution: Is the process of adding of waste material into air. Air is an important resource in sustaining life, without it there is no life on earth.
CAUSES OF AIR POLLUTION
A. Natural causes
1. Volcanic eruption: That gives out dust ashes and gaseous like sulphur and carbon dioxide.
2. Wind: That, raise the dust and pollen to a certain levels. Dust has chemical that are toxic and hence harmful to the living organism both flora and fauna.
B. Human causes
3. Industrial activities and automobile: This process led to the emission of fumes and gases that pollute the air.
4. Burning of fuels: The uses of different fuels such as charcoal, coal, firewood and oil fuel for difference purpose pollute environment.
5. Construction activities: The construction activities such as road construction, salting up buildings and etc. lead to introduction of dust into the air.
6. Agricultural activities: It pollute the air through, digging in the soil that raises dust into air, spraying some chemicals like insecticides.
7. Mining activities: this in also led to the introduction of dust and some gases into the atmosphere.
EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION
1. It reduce the amount of solar energy: because of being blocked by the layer of dusts or fumes hanging in the atmosphere leading to problems in photosynthesis.
2. Occurrence of global warming: as the result of green house gases from the atmosphere.
4. Disappearence of plants and animals: due to poisonous gases.
5. Destruction of Ozone layer.Due to the concetration of green house gases.
6. Occurrence of acidic rain: when gases like carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide mix with rainfall.
7. Source of bad smell: keeping people in residence area uncomfortable.
8. Source of dangerous disease: like skin cancer, respiratory problem etc.
MEASURES TOWARDS REDUCING AIR POLLUTION
1). Afforestation: Planting trees which absorb gases like carbon dioxide and prevent fast movement of air towards the atmosphere.
2). Improving the combustion system: This will enable engines to burn fuel easily. 3). Improvement of industrial machines.
4). Finding other alternative sources of energy: This will reduce over depending on the charcoal, fire wood, and fuel wood.
5 ). Government policies: Strict laws should be passed to ensure proper management of resources.
6). To ensure proper management of wasted materials: these include use of land fillling, recycleling, etc.
2). SOIL/ LAND POLLUTION
Soil pollution: is the process of introducing or adding any unwanted material in the soil. Or Is the process of adding harmful material into the soil.
SOURCES OF SOIL POLLUTION
The main causes of soil pollution can be categorized as follows
1. Materials from the atmosphere: the pollutants are introduced into the soil through the acidic rain. Acid rain leads to the increase of acidity into the soil which later on destroy the soil structure. Acidic rain is predominant in the industrialized countries like Germany Eastern Canada and USA.
2. Industrial materials: Some chemical such as radioactive material and metals can be introduced into the soil and render the soil units for Agriculture.
3. Domestic materials: Some waste from homes like bottles, metallic material plastics baby’s cans etc. which are dumped into the soil they lead to soil pollution.
4. Agricultural activities: There are chemicals which include pesticides like DDT crop remains and fertilizers when all these chemicals get into the soil they lead to the soil pollution. Likewise irrigation activities can lead to soil pollution especially when applied in steep slope areas for a long period of time.
5. Mining activities: On the other hands mining activities can lead to the introduction of some rocks Fragments into the upper layer of the soil which then leads to the soil pollution.
6. Exploitation of forest resources: normally forest resources harvesting like lumbering can led to land pollution.
EFFECTS OF SOIL POLLUTION
1. Loss of biodiversity: It leads to the disappearance of both plants and animal living in the land.
2. Decline in Agricultural production: as a results of decline of soil fertility.
3. It can leads to the water pollution: due to the chemicals from the land brought in to the water by water furing rainfall.
4. Change in soil structure as some of the mineral and nutrients are dissolved by acidic materials.
5. Change in soil color: hence cause the problem in soil classification.
6. Decline of soil fertility: this cause poor harvesting in agriculture.
MEASURES TO BE TAKEN TO REDUCE THE RATE OF SOIL POLLUTION
1. Reducing the uses of chemicals in agriculture like DD etc.
2. Increase of manure instead of industrial fertilizers.
3. To improve recycling of wastes: Rather than dumping them in the soil.
4. To improve afforestation and reforestation: this can reduce soil erosion.
5. Population control: through family planning so as to reduce the rate of production of wastes through human activities.
6. Provision of education to the society: on how to undertake their activities properly.
7. Formulating strong laws to protect the environment.
3. WATER POLLUTION
Water pollution: Refers to the introduction of unwanted materials in the water which has negative effect of animal and plant.
CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION
1. Disposal from the sewage: The sewage can be from homes, Institutions like schools, hotels and hospitals.
2. Dumping of wastes from industries: these can be either liquid or solid form.
3. Chemicals from the farms: through the surface turn off or by rain water.
4. Oil spills from the oil containers or pipes: This happened in the Indian Ocean where there are some oil spills from TIPPER in Dar es Salaam in 1990s oil forms a uniform over on the surface of water.
5. Fishing activities: some fishermen tend to use harmful chemicals in fishing which lead to water pollution.
6. Breaking of rocks near the water sources: this can be done by using explosives like dynamite.
EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION
1. Loss of biodiversity: Water pollution can lead to the death of plants and animals if the pollutants and poisonous or causes the rise of temperature to extreme levels.
2. Spread of disease: like cholera, diarrhea, dysentery and typhoid.
3. Leads to the emission of bad soil smells: hence causes discomfort air. The soil smell is caused by decomposition of the organic matter introduced into the water body.
4. Decline of tourist activities: due to the fact that tourist who depends on water bodies for swimming will find difficult due to the fact that water bodies has been polluted (i.e. presence of toxic chemicals).
5. Change of water colour: The water becomes coloured due to the presence of impurity matetials.
6. Disappearence of water sources: due to pollutants in the water.
MEASURES TO REDUCE WATER POLLUTION
1. To improve proper use of fishing methods: This will reduce the rate of water pollution.
2. To ensure proper transportation of oil: The oil container and pipes should be kept properly and frequently inspected so as to avoid the problem of soil spiller.
3. Population control: this will reduce the rate of pollutants and this is done throgh family planning program.
4. Government supports: Through provision of education about water conservation.
5. To avoid human activities along the water sources: Breaking of rocks using dynamite should be discouraged and hence alternative ways should be applied.
6. Proper treatment of seawages:
7 Proper management of wastes: Dumping of wastes on the land should be hand in hand with land filling method since random throwing of it leads to water pollution.
8. To improve recycling
4. NOISE POLLUTION
This refers to the disorganized sound produced from different activities.
CAUSES OF NOISE POLLUTION
1. Motor vehicles
2. Construction activities
3. Bombing activities
4. Machines in factories
EFFECTS OF NOISE POLLUTION
1. Mental and physical illness
2. High blood Pressure problem.
3. Death on organism.
BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM
Biodiversity: refers to the collection varieties of living species of both plants and animals (flora and Fauna). However biodiversity include varieties of animal and plant species (flora and Fauna)
IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY
1. Ecological value / environmental value it involve the production of land by plant, Animals and other micro – organism.
2. Economic value. Some living organism provides raw material for survival and global economic. Example plant provide woods, timber, also animals provide skin, horns etc.
3. Cultural value. Most of the people feel connected to nature for several reasons. Example between forest and community to the spiritual worshiping etc.
4. Health value. It is source of medicine because the leaves, roots and oil provided from plants.
5. Sources of food from plants and animals.
IMPORTANCE/MERITS OF FLORA BIODIVERSITY
1. Is the protective cover of ground against erosion, desertification and weathering.
2. Habitat for wild animals.
3. Flora bring (forest) influence the formation of rain.
4. Maintain and preserving water bodies sources. 5.Plant and trees are building materials.
6. Plant gives out air e.g. Carbon dioxide, oxygen.
7. Forest provide food and medicine.
8. Forest modifies a climate.
9. Forest are importance in soil formation.
WILD LIFE (FAUNA)
Wild life (fauna): These are animals found in the forests. These animals have a great roles or are of great importance
IMPORTANCE/ MERITS OF WILD LIFE
1. They are source of goods: Wildlife animals are the sources of food such as meat which in turn provides protein in our bodies.
2. Source of tourism attraction: Wild animals attract tourism and are sources of
foreign
3. Source of materials: They are sources of material valuable to man such as skin and medicine takes
4. Source of employment opportunities: Wildlife conservation areas have contributed to increase of employment opportunities.
5. Source of raw materials: Development of manufacturing industries due to availability of raw materials such as skin etc.
(B). LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
Loss of biodiversity: refers to all processes that leads to the disappearence of both plants and animal species on the earth surface.
CAUSES OF LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
Normally the factors that contribute to loss of biodiversity can be categorized in to natural and artificial factors.
Natural causes of loss of biodiversity
1. Floods: They kill most of the organisms at the place where they occur.
2. Pests and diseases: tend to kill large number of organisms.
3. Mass wasting and volcanic eruption.
4. Earthquakes: can kill organisms in large number.
5. Wars: When wars breakout the weapons kill not only people but also other organisms.
6. Pollution: poison of air, water and soil lead to the death of living organisms.
7. Exotic species: The new species introduce may cause the disappearance of some species.
Human causes of loss of biodiversity
1. Poaching: Illegal taking of wild species to other places against the national management law.
2. Rampant bush fire: The burning of bush and forest resulting to killing of organism while some vacate the origin place.
3. Mining activities: The cast and quarrying method kills the organism.
4. Lumbering: cutting of trees for timber and wood also affect the organism occupation.
5. Bad fishing method: The using of blast and bombing and some other chemical.
6. Poor farming method: e.g. over grazing lead the animal to disappear after being large is number.
EFFECTS OF LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
1. Climate change: Change of climate of the world due to death of plants and organisms. which can regulate the temperature and rainfall of the area.
2. Loss of wild life: hence affect tourism activities.
3. Desertification: due to death of plants.
4. Shortage of food supply: Lack of food, the death of plants and organisms lead to the shortage of food.
WAYS OF TO OVERCOME THE PROBLEM OF LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
1. To ensures proper environmental education to the community to the importance of conserving bio – diversity.
2. Proper methods of conserving bio – diversity must applied to our environment. Example Afforestation and reforestation methods.
3. To use alternative sources of energy instead of depend of fire woods, charcoal.
4. To use proper policy toward reduce the population pressure like family planning.
5. To use available resources in the sustainable ways.
6. Government should establish environmental policies and strict law to make sure the bio – diversity does not destroy.
ECOLOGY
Ecology: Is the science that study the inter dependence and inter relationship between organism and their physical environment. It means one land living organism and another share physical environment (soil, water bodies, geology, land).
Types of ecology
Ecology can be categorized by various ways. That is:- 1. Based on the living organism.
This divide into three (3) types
i. Plant ecology
ii. Animals ecology.
iii. Physical ecology in organic materials
2. Based on the habitant.
This divided into two (2) types.
i. Aquatic ecology
ii.Terrestrial ecology
ECOSYSTEM
Eco means ecology. System: means arrangement of interaction of living organism
Ecosystem: The study ecological units which have a function and interaction system composed one / more living organism and physical environment ranging from biological and non – biological.
COMPONENTS OF ECOSYSTEM
1. Biotic component: Plant and Animals (macro and micro)
2. Abiotic component: Physical environment, land, soil water, air and so on.
C). DEFORESTATION
Deforestation: Is an issue of cutting down trees in forest without replacing them, It is one of the way of exploiting forest product like charcoal, fire wood, fruits, medicine. Deforestation might be done for different purpose like converting the forested land in to settlement land also making way for pass e.g. road, railway also pasture, Productive activities like Agriculture.
However all such activities result poor protection of forested area thus influencing deforestation completely the report show that 33 million hectares of Tanzania has 90,000 hectares which is unprotected or deforested area.
CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION
Deforestation is caused by both natural and artificial factors.
1. Lumbering: cutting down the trees for wood.
2. Bush fire which is uncontrolled.
3. Expansion of settlement.
4. Expansion of farming activities.
5. Over grazing.
6. Charcoal production.
7. Volcanic eruption.
Effect of deforestation
1. Climatic change.
2. Soil erosion.
3. Desertification.
4. Loss of natural land.
5. Loss of biodiversity.
Halting/ eradicating deforestation
1. Encourage forestation and reforestation programs.
2. Provision of mass education on important of forest to the environment.
3. Control bush fire: Under setting the policy and law.
4. Controling of population growth and dispersal.
5. Discourage shifting cultivation.
6. Introduction of alternative sources of energy e.g. bio-gas
(D). DESERTIFICATION
Deserfication: refers to the process of expasion of dersert and semi deserts.
CAUSES OF DESERTIFICATION
1. Over grazing.
2. Deforestation.
3. Global warming.
4. Over cultivation.
5. Nucleus testing and bombing.
6. Bush fire.
7. Poor forming method.
EFFECT OF DESERTIFICATION
1. Accelerate soil erosion.
2. It brings to floods.
3. Loss of land nutrients e.g. nitrogen.
4. Loss of biodiversity.
5. Decline of farming activities.
6. It initiates other environment problem like Air pollution.
7. Destruction of wild life habitats: This happens through decline of animal habitats.
STRATEGIC MEASURE OVER DESERTIFICATION ISSUE
1. To propose other alternative source of energy: should be used in the developing countries especially in natural areas where the major alternative energy includes solar energy, wind power, bio gas and hydroelectric power.
2. Provision of education: The local people should be educated on how to conserve vegetation. Some programs like afforestation and reforestation should be established in order to mitigate them.
3. To improve forest conservation by avoiding deforestation.
4. Enacting strong laws: Against those who cuts trees without special reasons.
5. Introduction of better farming method. Include mixed farming contour farming, leguminous plants.
5. Encouraging forestation and reforestation.
6. Control population growth and disparities.
7. Establishment and enactment of policies and law on land conservation.
8. Control over grazing.
9. Control of bush fires.
E). LAND/SOIL DEGRADATION
Land degradation: Is the decline or deterioration of the lands ability to support plant growth. Degradation might not necessary associate the addition of pollutant to degrade the land. Therefore that degradation is different from pollution perhaps it is closely related in some parameters with soil erosion.
Causes of Land degradation
1. Up down slope cultivation (it bring to easy soil erosion).
2. Use of agro - chemical on farms e.g pesticides ,industrial fertilizers.
3. Mono culture farming.
4. Nuclear testing and bombing.
5. Poor industrial sector setting(waste product).
6. Mining Activities.
7. Bush fires.
8. Shifting cultivation.
9. Over grazing.
EFFECT OF LAND DEGRADATION
1. Loss of soil fertility.
2. It brings to formation of bad landscape.
3. Loss of biodiversity.
4. Might let to Desertification.
5. Deteriorate natural landscape and vegetation cover.
6. Eutrophication of water bodies e.g. Mining activities.
Prevention of Land degradation
1. Use of organic fertilizer e.g. Manure.
2. Encourage biological diversity program i.e. management of natural vegetation and
other organism.
3. Conservation of wet land.
4. Avoiding over cultivation and over grazing.
5. The use of better farming method. Like contour farming crap rotation.
LOSS OF SOIL FERTILITY
Loss of soil fertility: This refers to the decline ability of the soil to support the plant growth due to the lack of necessary nutrients.
CAUSES OF SOIL INFERTILITY
1. Leaching: This process contributes to the soil infertility due to the fact that nutrients which are necessary for plants growth are washed away.
2. Over cultivation: The crops grown on the some pieces of land for a long time lead lead to the decline of nutrients.
3. Monoculture: This involves the cultivation of single type of crop in a certain piece of land hence cause the tiredness of soil.
4. Soil erosion: This is accelerated by poor land management like deforestation feat cultivation on the slopes, hence cause the decline of soil fertility.
5. Mass wasting: This leads to the loss of the upper layer of soil and its nutrients
6. Severe loss of soil water: through excessive evaporation especially in arid and semi arid.
SOIL MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION
Soil management: Refer to the skilful utilization and control of quality of soil resources.
Soil conservation: Refers to the process of preserving soil for proper and sustainable use.
MEASURES OF SOIL MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION
1. Provion of education to the society: Educating people so as to promote and encouraged land management skills.
2. Application of good farming methods: Training farmers to uses proper farming methods like crop rotation counters roughing and inter cropping
3. Afforestation and reafforestion: Planting trees and glasses of in order to avoid soil erosion.
4. Reducing the use industrial chemicals: This will reduce the rate soil pollution.
5. To improve recycling: Waste products should be recycled rather than dumping them in the soil.
6. To practce destocking: The number of nimals should be reduced to avoid overgrazing.
7. Mulching: This is done in order to reduce loss of water through evaporation
8. Population control: so as to discourage excessive exploitation of resources which in nature leads to land degradation
10. Alternative source of energy: so as to avoid over exploitation of forest which causes hazard to the environment.
F). ACIDIC RAIN
Acidic rain: is the rain that contain more acid than normal formed type of rain. It is formed when sulphur dioxide or carbon dioxide combine with hydrogen gas in the atmosphere. The major source of acidic rain is formed due to over concetration of hingh extent of green house gases in the atmosphere such as mechane, carbondioxide and Choroloflocabon that are emitted from the various sources on the earth surface.
EFFECTS OF ACIDIC RAIN
1. Loss of biodiversity: especially the aquatic animals due the increase of acidity in water bodies.
2. Decline of soil fertility: due to the increase amount of acidity into the soil.
3. Increase the rate of soil erosion.
4. Destruction of properties: This include buildings, bridges, railways as result of the corrosive action.
5. Increse of water bone diseases: Due to the use of acidi water.
6. It leads to the formation of various features in limestone region: These are features like sink holes, dollines, uvala, poljes,
MEASUREMENTS TO COMBAT THE PROBLEM OF ACIDIC RAINFALL
1). Spraying trees: to wash off the acids and adding of time to the soil lakes and rivers to reduce acidity . The good example is Germany, UK and Scandinavia, countries
where this process has been used advice.
2). Reduction industrial activities: so as to reduce the rate of acid gases in the atmosphere.
3). Using alternative sources of energy: which do not pollute the air the country can turn the coal – fired power station into gas fired power.
4). To practice recycling: this help to avoid the cost of producing surpher gas.
5). Formulation strong policies: Strict policies should be formulated to restrict all source of energy that leads to emission of sulphur dioxide.
G). FLOODS
floods: Refers the period over flowing of water along the coast or river.
CAUSES OF FLOODS
1. The collapse of dam: Flood occur due to the collapse of dam, emergence of spring, melting of ice and breaking of the water pipes.
2). Heavy rain: Also flood can occur due to the heavy rainfall that take place in a particular place and they affect so much the law land areas.
FACTORS THAT CAN ACCELERATE FLOODING IN LOW LAND AREAS
1. Shallowness of the soil: due to the presence of the impermeable rock layer just near the surface.
2. Earth quakes: that place below the sea tends to lead to the formation of large waves
– flooding
3. Damming of the river: by human being by lava spread out during volcanic eruption.
4. Blocked up drainage system: in town and cites can lead to the flooding
5. Shallowness of river system: can also lead to flooding
6. Cleaning of vegetation: accelerate flooding because on a base surface water runs freely to the stream.
7. Bending of the river system: It can also take place where the rives has many bends.
IMPACTS OF FLOODS
1. Death of people and animals: for example the frequent flood in Bangladesh has claimed the death of many people leading to depopulation.
2. Destruction of properties: such as farm, houses, bridges, etc.
3. Outbreak and spread of disease: especially water born disease such as chorela, typhoids, etc.
4. Disappearence of water sources: Silting of dams and other water resources resulting in the problem of water conservation and inadequate water supply.
5. Source of environmental pollution: Flood can lead to soil and air pollution.
6. Source of soil erosion: Occurrence of the soil erosion.
7. Loss of biodiversity: Flood can force some organism to migrate.
RESPONSE TO THE OCCURRENCE OF FLOOD
1. Proper management of watersheds: There should be proper management of the watershed catchment areas through planting trees people should be allowed to settle in the catchment areas.
2. Construction of dams across the river channels: helps in combating the problem of flood which affects the low land areas.
3. Deepining of the river: The stream of the rivers should be deeper widened and straightened so as to increase the speed of the river down the slope to the sea.
4. Cleaning the drainage system: People should be frequent inspection and cleaning of the drainage by flooding.
5. Lengtherning of the river: Availability of rescue team which is skilled and actives in rescuing people affected by floods.
6. To improve international cooperation: International cooperation should be intensified so as to improve the techniques of combating this environmental problem.
H. DROUGHT
Drought: Is a state on an area facing prolonged condition of dry without precipitation or a long period of dry weather.
Drought and desertification have something in common in terms of occurrence and affects.
CAUSES OF DROUGHT
Natural causes of drought
1. Wind system dynamics: Wind system that are dry since have blow across very narrow water mass stretch cause drought as they have not picked enough moisture for rain formation. Example Harmaton wind of West Africa has contributed to the occurrence of drought condition particularly in the Sahara region.
2. Shifting position of the overhead sun: As a shifting of over head sun takes place then rainfall regime shift. It shift in the northern hemisphere there occur dryness in the southern hemisphere
3. Location of some place: Some place is located in the wind side of the mountains and therefore experience dryness. Good example is Namib desert
4. Natural fires: There is the fire caused by natural hazard like lighting of and volcanic eruption.
5. Rain shadow effect: produced by high mountain ranges
Human causes
These are activities carried all by man.
1. Lumbering that leads to deforestation due to excessive cutting of trees
2. Bad agriculture practices like overgrazing, over cultivation and shifting cultivation.
3. Establishment of new settlement areas due to the increase in population lead to cutting of trees.
4. Mining activities and construction of dams can also cause deforestation.
5. Industrial activities and crops have an impact on the occurrence of drought
6. Low level of technology and poverty there has led to occurrence of drought.
7. Casual burning/bush fire
IMPACT OF DROUGHT
1. Shortage of water supply: Drought has led to poor supply of water for domestic uses, agricultural uses and industrial activities.
2. Disappearance of vegetation and animal species
3. Poor supply of energy and power to some people who depends on fire wood as the man source of energy.
4. Drying of water bodies due to excessive evaporation
5. It has facilitated desertification process Migration of people from one area to another.
6. Decline of industries especially food processing industries that depend on agricultural production.
7. Women harassment due to the fact that women are forced to move long distance in search for fire wood.
MEASURES TO COMBAT THE PROBLEMS OF DROUGHT
1. Afforestation programs: the trees moisture to the atmosphere and hence led to rain formation
2. The uses of proper farming method which do not deplete vegetation
3. Control of population should be encouraged so as to avoid the excessive exploitation of vegetation
4. The water conservation centers should be established like dams so as to promote irrigation streams
5. Farmers should be given proper education on how to conserve water resources sustainability to avoid environmental degradation
6. Strict policies should be instituted so as to restrict excessive use of trees
7
. These should be the woof alternative energy sources like solar energy, wind energy, and Geothermal.
I). CLIMATIC CHANGE
Climate change: Refers to the long term change in elements of weather in a given geographical areas. Normally the climate changes including extreme cooling or extreme warming of the atmosphere likewise may be extreme rainfall or decline in amount of rainfall. However one of the major evidence of climate change is global warming.
CAUSES OF CLIMATIC CHANGE
1. Variation of solar energy: It is estimated that the solar output increase at the rate of 1รข—¦c per century. This led to the decrease or drop in temperature.
2. Variation in atmospheric Carbon dioxide: The higher the level of atmospheric Carbon dioxide the warmer the global temperature.
3. Volcanic eruption: It has been accepted for some time that volcanic activities have influenced climate in the past and continues to do so. World temperatures are lowered after any large single eruption, this is due to the increase in dust particles in the lower atmosphere which will absorb and scatter more of the incoming radiation.
4. Changes in oceanic circulation: this affect the exchange of heat between the oceans and the atmosphere. This can have both long term effects on the world climate and short term effects.
5. Composition of the atmosphere: Gases in the atmosphere can be increased. At
present there is increasing concern at the buildup of Carbon dioxide and other green house gases like CFC’s in the atmosphere, which are blamed for the depletion of Ozone in the upper atmosphere hence global warming.
EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
1. It contribute to increase in temperature (global warming).
2. It contribute to destruction of rain cycle.
3. It contribute to loss of biodiversity.
4. It contribute to desertification.
5. It cause the outbreak of diseases to people. Example skin cancer.
6. It contribute to changing in human activities.
7. It can led to decline in agriculture production.
GLOBAL WARMING
Global warming: Is the increase in average temperature on the earth surface/atmosphere. In global warming temperature tends to increase faster than normal, the main cause of global warming is the gases collected in the atmosphere and surrounding of the earth, gases causing global warming are such as concentrated CO2, methane, Chlorofloro carbons, bromine nitrogen oxide, and other Chlorofloro carbons elements (green house gases). These gases do trap the heat and light from the sun so causing concentration of heat in atmosphere, the green house gases and its element, have different ability of trap heat and light from the sun. However global warming is seen to vary in extents of its increase.
CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING
1. Burning of fossils fuel.
2. Volcanic eruption.
3. Indudtrial activities.
4. Destruction of ozone layer.
5. Deforestation.
6. Green house effect.
7. Variation in solar radiation.
EFFECT OF GLOBAL WARMING
1. Melting of ice in various parts of the world: The rise in temperature has led to the melting of ice in different parts of the world. e.g. The cap at the peak of Mt Kilimanjaro has decreased in size due to the effect of global warming.
2. Rising of the sea level: The melting of ices has led to the increase of water in the sea and hence the sea level rises. As results of those phenomena some of coastal areas are flooded.
3. Loss of biodiversity: Disappearance of some animals and plant species due to the failures to adopt the abrupt in temperature.
4. Disappearence of water sources.
5. Decline of production: due to drought and desertification process which then leads to poverty and death of people
6. Spread of diseases: like skin cancer, malaria and other.
MEASURES AGAINST GLOBAL WARMING AND THE GREEN HOUSES EFFECT
1. Reducing the burning of fuel: uses of burning of material that release harmful green house gases such as CO2, CFC's
2. Alternative sources of energy: which are environmentally friendly, should be encouraged e.g. geothermal, power, solar energy, and wind energy.
3. Promoting forestation and reforestation.
4. Control of pollution: in order to control and discourages excessive uses of fossils and biomass energy.
5. Recycling of wastes should be encouraged rather than burning or dumping on the surface.
6. Modification of the combustion system: in the machines in order to attain efficient fuel burning in and out of massive release of green house gases especially carbon dioxide.
NB: The concept of Global warming and green house effect are closely related and they work together in affect one another such that green house result to Global warming and effect of warming are much more similar to the green house gases effect.
THE GREEN HOUSE GASES AND EFFECT
These gases do trap and collect the heat and light from the sun, so causing changes of temperature in the atmosphere and different from the changes on the scale.
Causes of Green house gases
1. Deforestation result to production of methane gases, Carbon dioxide gas.
2. Bush fires i.e. produce Carbon monoxide which mix with Carbon dioxide gas.
3. Fire extinguishing gases.
4. Gases from refrigerator e.g. Floride.
5. Emission of burnt oil from machines.
6. Aerosol sprays.
7. Burning of charcoal i.e. produce carbon monoxide.
OZONE LAYER
Ozone: is the blue and very reactive gases made of three atoms of oxygen.
The combination of atomic oxygen with molecule oxygen combinations takes place. Ozone layer, Is the region of concentration of oxygen molecules at stratosphere layer. the importance of Oxygen layer is it protect the harmful ultraviolet sun-rays to reach the surface ground of the earth and cause effect to the living organism
Ozone layer Depletion
The depletion of ozone layer happens when the green house gases and other harmful one reach the stratosphere so react and distorting the oxygen molecule (ozone layer) causing ozone layer holes, such destruction is general termed to be cause by the ozone deplete substance (ODS)
The report shows that the ozone layer covering 90% of its protection at stratosphere has been affected to 50% to 40% of protection.
Effect of Ozone layer Depletion
1. Result to decline of organism productivity.
2. It increases eye catalact and blindness.
3. It bring to Direct incoming of U.V Sun-rays to the grounding gases.
4. Might lead to over melting of which decrease is snow cave.
5. It bring the eruption of skin disease such cancer, black sports etc
6. It influence pollution of environment e.g. air pollution 7.It bring to climate changes.
GIDING QUESTIONS
1. Elaborate seven (7) rationales of studying environmental issues.
2. Briefly explain six causez of environmental pollution.
