Environmental pollution and climate change

Anil Thapa
Department of Horticulture
Agriculture and Forestry University

1. Presented By ANIL THAPA Department of Horticulture AFU, Rampur Campus Engineering and Bio-engineering Soil Conservation measures AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY UNIVERSITY Rampur Chitwan

2. Contents Definition of environmental pollution Major types Causes, Effects and Control measures of Air Pollution Water pollution Soil Pollution Solid waste management Urban and industrial wastes Causes Effects Control measures Water Conservation Rain Water Harvesting Watershed management Climate change, Global warming, Acid rain, Ozone depletion Role of an individual in prevention of pollution

3. Environmental Pollution Environmental pollution is defined as the contamination of physical and biological components of the earth’s atmosphere to such an extent that normal environmental processess are adversely affected. It is a global problem and is common to both developed as well as developing countries. The substances that causes pollution are known as pollutants. The pollutants can be any physical (heat, sound, radiation), chemical (toxic metal, gases), geochemical (dust, sediments) and biological agents.

4. Major types of Environmental Pollution Air Pollution Water Pollution Soil Pollution Noise Pollution Radioactive Pollution Thermal Pollution

5. Air Pollution The degradation in the physical and chemical quality of air due to the excessive accumulation of gases, liquids or solids in the atmosphere that may harm humans and other organisms. Causes of Air Pollution Automobiles Industrial and construction activities. Domestic sources or household activities. Smoking burning of fossil fuels. Application of chemical pesticides in agricultural activities. Harmful gases like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide etc.

6. Effects of air pollution Increased incidence of acute respiratory diseases Irritation of mucus membrane Global warming due to the emission of greenhouse gases. Acid rain due to burning of fossil fuels. Ozone layer depletion Effect on animals, causing its extinction.

7. Control measures of air pollution Eliminate or control the sources of pollution Use of air filters or gas adsorbing materials . Establishment of green belt along the roadside or around your locality Education and public awareness Environment realted Policy making . Solid waste management Use of clean energy resources

8. Water pollution The contamination of water sources due to harfmul substances like chemicals and micro-organisms that deteriorates its quality and render it unsuitable for consumption is called water pollution. Causes of Water Pollution Domestic and solid wates . Industrial activities Insecticides and pesticides Use of chemical fertilizers Population growth and increases urbanization Use of plastic and polythene bags Dumping of industrial wastes directly into the water bodies. Mining activities.

9. Effects of water pollution Occurrence of several water-borne diseases like cholera, diarrhoea , dysentry etc. Effect on water eco-systems Eutrophication in water creatures due to accumulation of harmful chemicals. extinction of aquatic creatures Effect on agriculture, thus reducing the productivity of crops and soil.

10. Control measures of water pollution Maintenance of drainage line Judicious application of agro- chemicals Treatment of sewage and industrial wastes before leaving into the water bodies. Public awareness about causes and effects of water pollution. Government plans and policies regarding management of water sources. Use of environmentally friendly products . Afforeststion near water bodies prevent water pollution due to erosion control.

11. Soil or Land pollution Any change in the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil due to natural causes or human activities is called soil pollution. Causes of Land Pollution Domestic and solid wates . Industrial activities Insecticides and pesticides Use of chemical fertilizers Population growth and increased urbanization Use of plastic and polythene bags Dumping of industrial wastes directly into the soil. Mining activities. Deforestation and soil erosion

12. Effects of Land pollution Occurrence of several diseases Effect on land eco-systems Low productivity of crops due to loss of soil fertility. loss of habitat for soil dwelling animals Effect on animal health. Major cause of air and water pollution.

13. Control measures of land pollution Judicious application of agro- chemicals Treatment of sewage and industrial wastes before leaving into the soil . Public awareness about causes and effects of land pollution. Government plans and policies regarding management of solid waste disposal Use of environmentally friendly products . Afforeststion and reforestation prevents soil pollution due to erosion control.

14. Rain Water Harvesting RWH is a process of collecting, supplying and storing the water from rainfall in an area for some beneficial use. It is the water use efficiency technique most suitably used in urban areas, where there is scarcity of water during winter or dry seasons Advantages 1. Reliable and cheap method of water collection. 2. Reduces soil erosion and flooding to some extent. 3. Provides high quality water which are low in minerals 4. Only means of irrigation in desert areas. 5. High water use efficiency i.e. more production with low supply of water

15. Methods of RWH 1. Surface runoff rain water harvesting 2. Rooftop rainwater harvesting 3. Watershed rainwater harvesting Components of RWH 1. Catchment area 2. Gutter and downtake pipe 3. Flush and filter 4. Delivery System 5. Storage

16. Why rooftop rather than surface runoff?? 1. Roof catchment are cleaner than the ground level catchment 2. Minimum loses 3. No chemical contamination 4. Easily available at low cost.

17. Global Warming Global warming can be defined as the increase in average temperature of earth’s surface due to the accumulation of green house gases in the atmosphere. Causes: Excessive emission of greenhouse gases like carbondioxide , methane, nitrous oxide etc. into the atmosphere. Increased population and their activities beyond the carrying capacity. Deforestation Pollution

18. Effects of global warming Increasing average temperature of the earth Effect on ecology, causing imbalance in climate and ecosystem Occurrence of drastic climatic events like floods, earthquakes, volcanoes etc. Melting of glacier. Emergence of new diseases Extinction of several organisms.

19. Acid Rain Acid rain can be defined as any form of precipitation in wet or dry forms with acidic components such as sulfuric or nitric acid that fall into the ground from the atmosphere. It can be rain, snow, fog, hail or even dust that is acidic. Acid rain results when harmful gases like SO2 and NO2 are emitted into the atmosphere, where they react with water to form harmful acids. i.e. SO2+H2O=H2SO4 NO2 + H20 = HNO3

20. Ozone Layer Depletion The gradual thinning of earth's ozone layer in the upper atmosphere i.e. stratosphere caused due to the release of chemical compunds from industry and human activities is called ozone layer depletion. It is highly pronounced in the polar regions, especially over Antarctica

21. It is also a major environmental problem because it increases the amount of ultraviolet radiation that reaches the earth's surface and increases the rate of skin cancer and genetic diseases

22. Climate Change Climate change is the drastic shift or change in weather patterns that ultimately affects food production to rising sea levels that increases the risk of catastrophic disasters. It includes both global warming caused due to the emission of harmful greenhouse gases and resulting large scale shift in weather patterns.

23. Watershed Management Watershed management is the process of implementing land use practices and water management practices to protect and improve the water quality and natural resources within the watershed in a comprehensive manner.