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Environmental degradation: a massive threat to Ecosystem

Nowadays, environmental issues are apparently discussed and debated on all platforms. Environment degradation is one such subject which is gradually becoming an exorbitant issue. World political leaders, thinkers, civil society and philosophers, all of them are mulling over how to reduce the degree of degradation of earth and its environment.

Environmental degradation is nothing but deterioration of environment at a large scale because of the consumption of assets such as air, water and soil; killing the sanctity of forests and its environment, and wildlife.

The change which has occurred in the past 50 years because of pertinent use of its resources is irrevocable. It cannot be taken back.

The use of technology and modern appliances has led to exhaustion of most of the resources. The population is increasing at an alarming rate and the demand of resources is increasing proportionately. Earth and its environment have to compromise in every ways.

The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction takes environment degradation as the shrinking of the limit of the earth so as to fulfill all the social and economic needs.

The human nowadays has become self-centered and is not ready to compromise. For instance, construction of roads in the forests engulfs large number of trees that come to its way; killing of wild animals for skin and bones; polluting rivers by throwing all industrial effluents into it; use of harmful chemicals in fields.

Because of rigorous cutting of trees, there is a gradual loss of habitat that is leading to the loss of animal and plant life.

Almost 70 % of earth’s land animals and plants live in forests, and most of them cannot survive the loss of habitat.

Trees are a good source of Greenhouse Gases. They are one of our biggest natural allies in the fight against global warming as they suck up billions of tons of the greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide every year. Apart from that trees also help in controlling the level of water in the atmosphere by helping to regulate the water cycle. Because of maximum felling of trees in the forest, there is a fewer trees left in the biome and because of that there is a little water in the air that needs to be returned to the soil.

It is also a well known fact that 80 percent of deforestation comes from small-scale agriculture and cattle ranching.

Human health is another chapter that is bearing the loss because of environmental damage. They take in toxic and polluted air which causes respiratory problems such as asthma.

The deterioration of environment can be a huge setback for tourism industry too because greenery and biodiversity play a huge role in grabbing tourists. But because of loss of biodiversity, huge landfills, air and water pollution, there’s a dramatic turn off for most of the tourists.

Moreover, there’s a huge economic impact in terms of restitution of green cover, cleaning up of landfills and safeguarding endangered species for those countries which are deeply affected because of environmental degradation.

Environment is an asset. We could have given respect to get respect in return but because of the greed, we have lost this treasure!

Franklin D. Roosevelt has rightly said that “a nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”

We need to wake up to make our earth a better place because it is our need!