The natural environment provides all living organisms with a wealth of resources and services necessary to maintain life. Nature has a unique ability to clean the air, purify water, produce food and reduce pollution. If managed correctly, all the environmental elements can provide the foundation for sustainable development, food security, poverty reduction, and general wellbeing. On the other hand, improper management of the environment can diminish or damage the functionality and integrity of natural areas compromising their ability to recover. Rapid industrialization and the overuse of fossil fuels have affected 60 to 70% of the world’s ecosystems causing a loss of biodiversity, pollution, erosion, deforestation, and overall environmental degradation. It is estimated that around 1 million species could face extinction within the next few decades if no conclusive actions are taken with regard to environmental problems.
Read here how the deforestation caused by humans damages the environment and affects biodiversity.
Climate change and environmental problems
Earth’s climate is constantly changing. Throughout history, our planet has experienced several major cycles of climate warming and cooling but the current trends of global warming can be characterized by its rapid progression and unusual dynamics. Climate change has already dramatically impacted the natural environment leading to an acceleration in biodiversity loss, worsened soil erosion, and changing precipitation patterns. The Paris Agreement on climate change set the target of limiting global warming to below 1.5 – 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels but even a 1.5 degree will expose a large share of the population to severe heatwaves and unpredictable weather events.
The causes of environmental degradation are very diverse and complex and, in the majority of cases, are the result of human activity. Industrialization is the main driver of global warming. Carbon emissions, pollution, overpopulation, and deforestation are just some of the negative effects of industrialization and the main causes of climate change. Overpopulation is characterized by the unequal and unrestrained use of natural resources. As the planet has a limited capacity to generate raw materials, overconsumption leads to a deficit of natural resources and a successive degradation of the environment.
The most important environmental problems
Global warming – places great amounts of stress on the environment through temperature rises, water shortages, increased fire threats, risk of drought, and weed and pest invasions. Moreover, due to the greenhouse effect, the oceans are absorbing more heat which leads to significant changes in the intensity and direction of oceanic currents which, in turn, amplifies climatic swings
See also: Read what are the global warming facts and statistics discovered by DevelopmentAid
Pollution (water, air, soil) – the multitude of toxins released into the atmosphere, water, and soil have a devastating effect on the environment and all the living organisms that depend on it. Air pollution is the leading environmental problem that caused damage in terms of health and economic losses estimated at US$8.1 trillion in just 2019 alone, the equivalent of 6.1% of global GDP
Loss of biodiversity – the constant decay of ecosystems is contributing to a decline in biodiversity at unprecedented rates. Since 1900, more than 40% of amphibian species have become extinct while the average abundance of native species in most major land-based habitats has decreased by at least 20%
Sea-level rise – the global ocean is currently rising by an average of 3.2 mm per year and by 2100 it is predicted that it will climb to a total of 0.2 to 2m. The rise in sea levels at current rates could force between 340 million to 480 million people to migrate from coastal areas in this century
Soil degradation – overexposure to pollutants, pesticides and intensive farming seriously affects soil quality and crop yield. Moreover, about 12 million hectares of arable land, enough to grow 20 million tonnes of grain, are lost to drought and desertification every year
Ocean acidification – as the oceans absorb about 30 % of all carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere, the pH levels have become increasingly acid. If pH levels fall too low, marine organisms such as oysters, their shells and skeleton could start to dissolve
Deforestation – the permanent removal of forested land through deliberate, natural, or accidental means increases the rates of carbon dioxide emissions and leads to soil erosion and water pollution. Healthy forests capture and store carbon dioxide. Once cut, trees release CO2 back into the atmosphere intensifying the greenhouse effect.
See also: Human-caused deforestation becomes uncontrollable. Learn the consequences
DevelopmentAid is the leading provider of business intelligence and recruitment tools designed to assist those active in the development sector. Join today and gain access to exclusive information on upcoming funding opportunities (tenders and grants) from the largest bilateral and multilateral donors.
