Unit 3

Environment Degradation

Introduction : Environmental degradation refers to the deterioration of physical

components of the environment brought in by human activities to such an extent
that it cannot be set right by self regulatory mechanism of environment.

Definition : Environmental degradation is basically anything and everything

that deviates from a natural process or structure. In other words, degradation of
the environment is either: a significant damage to, or a complete loss of
an environmental process or structure
Environmental degradation comes about due to erosion and decline of the
quality of the natural environment. It is caused directly or indirectly by
anthropogenic activities that extract various environmental resources at a faster
rate than they are replaced, and thus depleting them. On this regard,
degradation means damage or reduction in quality of environmental features,
primarily influenced by human activities. Some natural events such as landslides
and earthquakes may also degrade the nature of our environments.

Continued environmental degradation can completely destroy the various aspects

of the environment such as biodiversity, ecosystems, natural resources, and
habitats. For instance, air pollution can lead to the formation of acid rain which
can in turn reduce the quality of natural water systems by making them acidic.
This is a typical example of environmental degradation.

Causes :
(i) Rapid Growth of Population: One of the main causes of environmental
degradation is population explosion or rapid growth of population. The pressure
of population on land has increased at a high speed. As a result, land has been
badly exploited. Moreover it has caused substantial conversion of forest land into
land for industrial use or construction activity.

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 (ii) Poverty of the Masses:
A large section of Indian population is very poor. These people cut trees to sell
fuel wood to earn their livelihood and thereby exploit natural capital.
(iii) Increasing Urbanisation:
Increasing urbanisation has caused pressure on housing and other civic amenities.
It has raised demand for land and excessive exploitation of other natural
resources.
(iv) Increasing Use of Insecticides and Pesticides:
The excessive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides has also added
to environmental pollution.
(v) Rapid Industrialisation:
Rapid industrialisation has also contributed to air, water and noise pollution.
Industrial smoke is a serious pollutant.
(vi) Multiplicity of Transport Vehicles:
Multiplicity of transport vehicles has substantially increased noise and air
pollution not in cities but also in small towns of the country.
(vii) Disregard of Civil Norms:
The people in India do not try to maintain civil norms. Often, the roads are littered
and loudspeakers are indiscriminately used. Environmental pollution is the
common problem of every body. In short, environmental pollution is largely the
consequence of rapid urbanisation and industrialisation. Moreover mans
disregard of civil norms has created many problems.

Effects of Environmental Degradation :

1. Impact on Human Health : Human health is heavily impacted by
environmental degradation. Reduction in water quality is responsible for more
than two million deaths and billions of illness annually across the
globe.. Reduction in air quality is responsible for more than 300,000 deaths
annually and millions of chronic diseases.
2. Poverty : In the majority of developing countries, poverty is attributed to
poor crop harvests and lack of quality natural resources that are needed to satisfy

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 basic survival needs. The inadequacy basic survival resources and lack of quality of
food is the direct result of environmental degradation in the regions.
3. Atmospheric Changes : Environmental degradation can alters some of the
natural process such as the water cycle and the normal processes of animal and
plant activities. Also, environmental degradation aspects such as deforestation
and mining destroy the natural land cover. This, together with air, water, and land
pollution pose several atmospheric alteration threats.
4. Loss of Biodiversity : Degradation of the environment has recorded a
continued destruction of wild forests and the damage of natural ecosystems that
has greatly contributed to the mass extinction of species.. This is because of the
human activities such as acidifying water systems, over-exploitation of natural
resources ,overpopulation,
5. Scarcity of Natural Resources :Environmental degradation through aspects
such as over-exploitation of natural resources, pollution, and deforestation can
contributes to the scarcity of resources particularly arable land, water, genetic
resources, medicinal plants, and food crops.
Suggestions to overcome the Problem:
(i) Social Awareness: It is the need of the hour to spread social awareness about
the dangers of pollution. It is also required how each individual can contribute to
check this problem.
(ii) Population Control: If environment is to be protected it is essential to check
population growth.
(iii) Strict Application of Environment Conservation Act: The Environment
(Protection) Act was passed in 1986 in India. Its objective was to check
deterioration in the quality of environment. This legislative measure should be
strictly enforced.
(iv) Control over Industrial and Agricultural Pollution: It is necessary for
environmental protection that air and water pollution caused by industrial
development should be controlled properly. To avoid agricultural pollution, use of
pesticides and chemical fertilizers should be minimized.
(v) Afforestation Campaign: Extensive afforestation campaign should be launched
in the interest of environment protection.

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 (vi) Water Management: River waters should be made clean. Moreover, provision
should be made to supply clean drinking water to the rural population.
(vii) Management of Solid Waste: Planned management of solid waste is very
essential. It is suggested that rural garbage be converted into compost.
(viii) Improvement in Housing: Living places of the people should be made neat
and clean. Slums should be replaced by airy and well lighted dwelling houses. To
conclude the discussion, it is said that economic development and environment
protection should be made complementary to each other. Clean environment is
the basic requirement of healthy living.

Global Warming
Introduction : Global warming, a recent warming of the Earths surface and
lower atmosphere, is believed to be the result of a strengthening of the
greenhouse effect mostly due to human-produced increases in atmospheric
greenhouse gases.

The greenhouse effect is a process by which radioactive energy leaving a planetary

surface is absorbed by some atmospheric gases, called greenhouse gases. They
transfer this energy to other components of the atmosphere, and it is re-radiated
in all directions, including back down towards the surface. This transfers energy to
the surface and lower atmosphere, so the temperature there is higher than it
would be if direct heating by solar radiation were the only warming mechanism.

This mechanism is fundamentally different from that of an actual greenhouse,

which works by isolating warm air inside the structure so that heat is not lost by
convection.

A greenhouse gas (sometimes abbreviated GHG) is a gas in an atmosphere that

absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the
fundamental cause of the effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earths
atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.

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 Sources:
1. Burning of fossil fuels: The most important and significant source of
atmospheric carbon dioxide is the burning of fossil fuels. With the escalation of
population and increase in industrial growth, the demand for fossil fuel has greatly
increased.
2. Deforestation: Deforestation adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in two
ways: Firstly, most of the trees are either burned or decomposed by bacteria,
emitting carbon dioxide directly to the air. Secondly, the deforested land is unable
to sequester carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. As a result of these two
phenomena, deforestation contributes 10 to 30% as much carbon dioxide to the
atmosphere as fossil fuel emissions do.
3. Volcanoes: Volcanoes emits huge amount of carbon dioxide approximately 25
million tons, therefore the entire region around the volcano is enriched in carbon
dioxide.
4. Greenhouse role of trace gases: The important trace gases which contribute to
the greenhouse effect are methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and
chlorofluorocarbons.
5. Methane:
The principal sources of methane are: Methane contributes to the greenhouse
effect to an extent of 19%.
1. Action of anaerobic bacteria on rice paddies and wetlands.
2. Leakage from coal mines and natural gas pipeline.
3. Decomposition of organic matter in landfills.
4. Incomplete combustion of forest or range fires.
6. Nitrous oxide:
The major sources of nitrous oxide are: Its contribution to greenhouse effect is
about 4%.
1. Microbial action on nitrogenous fertilizers in soil.
2. Burning of biomass, fossil fuels and forests.

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 Effects of Global Warming:
(i) Global Temperature Increase: It is estimated that the earths mean
temperature will rise between 1.5 to 5.5C by 2050 if input of greenhouse gases
continues to rise at the present rate. Even at the lower value, earth would be
warmer than it has been for 10,000 years.
(ii) Rise in Sea Level: With the increase in global temperature sea water will
expand. Heating will melt the polar ice sheets and glaciers resulting in further rise
in sea level. Current models indicate that an increase in the average atmospheric
temperature of 3C would raise the average global sea level by 0.2-1.5 meters
over the next 50-100 years.
One meter rise in sea level will inundate low lying areas of cities like Shanghai,
Cairo, Bangkok, Sydney, Hamburg and Venice as well as agricultural lowlands and
deltas in Egypt, Bangladesh, India, China and will affect rice productivity.

(iii) Effects on Human Health: The global warming will lead to changes in the
rainfall pattern in many areas, thereby affecting the distribution of vector-borne
diseases like malaria, filariasis, elephantiasis etc. Areas which are presently free
from diseases like malaria; schistosomiasis etc. may become the breeding grounds
for the vectors of such diseases.
(iv) Effects on Agriculture: There are different views regarding the effect of global
warming on agriculture. It may show positive or negative effects on various types
of crops in different regions of the world. Tropical and subtropical regions will be
more affected since the average temperature in these regions is already on the
higher side. Even a rise of 2C may be quite harmful to crops.

Control Measure of Global Warming:

There are numerous ways to stop global warming:

i. Plant More Trees and Stop Contributing to Deforestation: This is by far the
easiest measure to save our planet from the hazards of global warming. Global
warming can be attributed to the large scale concentration of carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere. That being said planting trees can help in absorbing this harmful

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gas and help in regulating its amount in the atmosphere and help in preventing
global warming by lessening green house effect.

ii. Switch to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs: Every household which uses
incandescent bulbs contributes to global warming on a large scale. On the whole,
these bulbs add 300 lbs of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere every year. Replacing
incandescent bulbs with energy saving Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) can
help in reducing carbon dioxide generation and help you to save 60 per cent of
energy.
iii. Reuse and Recycle Products: Reusing and recycling various products which we
use in our day to day life can also help you in doing your bit to stop global
warming. For instance, recycling paper will make sure that the large scale felling of
trees to produce paper is stopped, and these trees will in turn absorb the carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere and reduce global warming.
iv. Unplug Appliances: Unplugging appliances to save energy is yet another
effective way to address the problems of global warming. Simply unplugging all
the electronic devices which are not in use can help in saving 20 per cent energy.
More importantly, it will also help in reducing your electricity bill by 10 per cent
every month.
v. Avoid Keeping Electrical Appliances on Standby: Similarly, keeping electronic
appliances on standby also contributes to loss of energy and global warming, and
therefore is best avoided. One may feel that keeping a single computer on standby
wont make a big difference, but when millions of people think in this manner it
does make a drastic difference.
vi. Use a Programmable Thermostat: A thermostat helps in regulating the
temperature by altering heat supply. Make sure that you keep your thermostat as
low as possible during the winter, and as high as possible during the summer.
Lowering the thermostat by 2 degrees in winter and increasing it by 2 degrees in
summer can help in keeping 2,000 lbs of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
vii. Promote the use of organic products: Promoting the use of organic foods is
also one of the effective ways to prevent global warming. The tendency of organic
soils to capture carbon dioxide far exceeds that of the soil used in conventional

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 farming. Estimates suggest that we can get rid of 580 billion lbs of carbon dioxide
if we resort to organic farming for food production.

viii. Use Vehicles Efficiently: One of the leading causes of pollution, vehicles dump
a great amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. If we stop using vehicle we
can cut down of great amount of pollution. If you cant resist vehicle, you can opt
to efficient driving tips, such as turning the engine off at red lights and driving at
moderate speeds, and contribute in curbing global warming. Ideally though, you
should opt for public transport or other environment friendly modes of
transportation such as cycling.
ix. Resort to Alternative Sources of Energy: One of the most talked about global
warming solution is to switch to alternative energy sources such as solar power
and wind power. You can easily harness these sources of nature to generate
power, and replace fossil fuels with it. Doing away with fossil fuels alone will help
in reducing the huge amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere every day.
x. Become a Responsible Citizen: This is the most important among the various
measures to curb global warming. We need to acknowledge the fact that we are
responsible for this menace to a great extent. Just implementing the simple steps
to stop global warming mentioned above can make a huge difference. You can
also come up with your own novel ways to contribute for this cause.

Problems of non degradable Waste : Waste generated from the surface

treatment of metals and plastics includes acids and alkalis (surface metal
treatment is the largest source of acid wastes) as well as other toxics. Waste
generated from biocide production comes from manufacturing and use of
insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides (not including those quantities applied
correctly, but including spills, residues, etc.)

Non-biodegradable waste is a type of waste that can not be broken down into its
base compounds by micro-organisms, air, moisture or soil in a reasonable amount

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of time. Non-biodegradable waste is an environmental concern, as it threatens to
overwhelm landfills and create disposal problems.

Biodegradable Waste:
Those waste materials which can be broken down to non-poisonous substances in
nature in due course of time by the action of micro-organisms like certain
bacteria, are called biodegradable waste. A biodegradable waste decomposes
naturally and becomes harmless after some time.

All the biodegradable industrial wastes should be treated to make them harmless
before dumping them into soil or water.

Non-biodegradable Waste:
The waste materials which cannot be broken down into non-poisonous or
harmless substances in nature are called non-biodegradable waste. Examples are
plastics, polythene bags, ball-point pen refills, synthetic fibres, and glass objects,
metal articles like aluminium cans, iron nails, silver foil and radioactive wastes.

All these non-biodegradable wastes cannot be made less poisonous easily and
hence they are major pollutants of the environment. These wastes cannot be
decomposed by micro organisms like bacteria.

These non-degradable substances accumulate in the environment and finally get

absorbed by the plants and animals. The chemicals absorbed are retained by the
living body and get deposited either inside the cells or in the intercellular spaces
or in tissues or in circulatory systems.

The non-degradable pollutants can enter into the living organisms through
inhalation, food or drink or even by direct absorption through body surfaces. Such
type of continuous absorption leads to deposition of the chemicals inside the
body of the living organisms.

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Items that break down over time naturally, like food scraps or paper, are
biodegradable. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, most biodegradable
items are made from animals or plants, but some artificial materials designed to
mimic these organic substances can also degrade over time. When the
environment--air, sunlight, water or ground soil substances--cannot break down
the waste, it is considered non-biodegradable. These products have a longer-
lasting effect on the environment

Lifespan of Materials : Just because an item is biodegradable does not mean that
it will break down quickly. According to a chart from the Coral Reef Alliance, a
banana peel degrades in two months, while notebook paper will break down in
three months. Harder substances take longer. Soda cans can take up to 350 years,
while the plastic rings that hold together a six-pack of those cans can take up to
450 years. Glass bottles and styrofoam products might never biodegrade. The
danger is that products that do not biodegrade will continue to pile up over time,
requiring more and more land devoted to holding waste.

Contaminated Ground Water : Long-term exposure to air, light and water can
cause synthetic materials like plastic to emit toxic pollutants. Plastics, which are
petroleum-based, contain toxins that can leach into water supplies. A 2007 study
released by the Environmental Working Group showed that low doses of
Bisphenol A--a chemical used in water bottles, food containers and hard plastics--
leach into foods and water over time and are carcinogenic, cause insulin
resistance and interfere with conception.

Outgassing : Plastic pollutes the air in much the same way it taints water supplies.
Constant exposure to heat melts plastic, emitting gases into the atmosphere in a
process known as outgassing. According to the conservation website Mindfully,
incinerating plastic causes toxic fumes to be released into the atmosphere. The
same problem happens with plastics exposed to constant sunlight.

The following are harmful effects of non-biodegradable waste:

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 1. Groundwater Contamination : Long-term exposure to the environment can
cause petroleum-based plastics to emit toxic pollutants. Bisphenol A is a chemical
used in the production of water bottles and other hard plastics. Low doses of this
pollutant have been detected in groundwater sources.
2. Out-gassing : When slow degrading plastics endure high temperatures, they
begin to melt and emit dangerous gases into the atmosphere through a process
known as out-gassing. High Costs of Polystyrene Management : Polystyrene is a
non-biodegradable foam that is used to package several different kinds of foods.
3. Polystyrene can easily float through storm drains and gutters and wind up in the
ocean.
4. Plastic from waste runoff is the largest source of marine debris in the world,
according to the U.S. Occupational and Health Administration. Trash and pollution
in the world's oceans can negatively affect tourism and sea-dependent
economies.
5. Polystyrene can also harm marine wildlife. When foam enters the ocean, it has
a tendency to break down into smaller, non-biodegradable pieces. Small fish and
birds accidentally ingest these pieces, endangering their overall well being.
6. They also choke drains leading to flooding;

ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT (EM)

Introduction : The natural environment, harbouring myriad life forms and
ecosystems, is an outcome of millions of years of evolution and mutation. We
depend on the environment to meet our basic requirements such as food, fuel,
fibre, fodder, minerals and vital support systems (e.g., water and air). Environment
management thus involves managing the environment while ensuring the prudent
use of natural resources without reducing their productivity and quality.

Definition :
(i) The process of allocating natural and artificial resources so as to make optimum
use of the environment in satisfying basic human needs at the minimum, and
more if possible, on a sustainable basis (Jolly, 1978).

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(ii) A generic description of a process undertaken by systems- oriented professionals
with a natural science, social science, or less commonly, an engineering, law, or
design background, tackling problems of the human altered environment on an
interdisciplinary basis from a quantitative and/or futuristic viewpoint (Dorney,
1989).

characteristics of EM:
It is often used as a generic term.
It supports sustainable development.
It deals with a world affected by human beings.
It demands a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary approach.
It has to integrate different development viewpoints.
It seeks to integrate science, social science, policy-making and planning.
It recognizes the desirability of meeting, and if possible exceeding basic human
needs.
The time-scale involved extends beyond the short-term and concerns range
from local to global.
It should show opportunities as well as address threats and problems.

It stresses stewardship, rather than exploitation.

Goals of EM The goals of EM, which is an approach for environmental

stewardship integrating ecology, policy-making, planning and social development,
include:
preventing and resolving environmental problems;
establishing limits;
establishing and nurturing institutions that effectively support
environmental research, monitoring and management;
identifying threats and opportunities;
sustaining and, if possible, improving existing resources;
improving the quality of life;
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 Identifying environmentally sound technologies or policies.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS IN INDIA

The major problems, which encompass the area of EM, are: Burgeoning
population and its impact on life support systems, which negate the positive
impacts of the developmental programmes.
The forest wealth is dwindling due to overgrazing and over-exploitation both for
commercial and household needs, encroachments, unsustainable practices
including certain practices of shifting cultivation, and developmental activities
such as roads, buildings, irrigation and power projects.

The recorded forest cover in the country is about 75 million hectare, which is
19.5% of the total geographical area against the national goal of 33% in the plains
and 66% for hilly regions. Even within this area, a meagre 11% constitutes forests
with 40% or more of crown cover. The annual rate of loss of the forest cover is
47,500 hectares.

The loss of habitat is leading to the extinction of plant, animal and microbial
species. Over 1500 plant and animal species are in the endangered category.

The wetlands of India, which are rich in aquatic and bird life providing food and
shelter as also the breeding and spawning ground for the marine and fresh water
fishes, are facing problems of pollution and over-exploitation.

The major rivers of the country are facing problems of pollution and siltation. The
coastline is under stress and coastal areas have been severely damaged due to
indiscriminate construction, waste disposal near the water-line and aquaculture.
Coastal vegetation including mangroves and sea grasses is facing extinction. The
mountain ecosystems are under threat of serious degradation.

India is witnessing a rising requirement for forest based goods due which there is
extensive deforestation leading to severe loss of natural resources and in turn the
erosion of valuable topsoil, is threatening the livelihood and security of millions of
hill people and also encroachment into forest protected areas.

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Increasing demand for water for different sectors such as agriculture, domestic,
energy generation, industry that resulted in depletion of water source. The quality
of groundwater is being affected due to chemical pollution and due to the ingress
of seawater in coastal areas.

Absence of an integrated land and water use policy for the country has resulted in
a heavy toll of basic natural assets. Coral reef ecosystems are adversely affected
by indiscriminate exploitation of corals for production of lime, recreational use
and for ornamental trade. Island ecosystems are subjected to pressures of various
forms including migration of people from the main land.

Pollution arising from toxic wastes and non biodegradable consumer articles is on
the rise. A large number of industries and other development projects are sited
close to heavily populated urban centers, leading to over congestion and over
pollution, as also the diversion of population and natural resources from the rural
areas. especially in

Mechanism to indigenously arrive at a reliable estimate of total greenhouse gas

emissions in the country, among various sources such as agriculture, animals,
energy production and consumption, forestry and land use change, waste
management, etc., is inadequate.

Sustainable Development :
Introduction:
Sustainable development represents an opportunity to construct a new approach,
and the success of these efforts has powerful implications for issues of peace and
security.

The term Sustainable development, in place of development is now being

increasingly used by scholars. It has become a major topic of discussion among all
the social scientists, social organisations, statesmen and leaders. The industrial-
technological and economic development registered by the humankind during the

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past 100 years has not proved to be a real development in so far as it has created
imbalances in the environment as well as among nations.

Degradation of environment, resulting from unprincipled and excessive

exploitation of the resources of our planet earth, has threatened to negate, and in
fact has already adversely affected the development registered by various
societies. Undoubtedly, industrial and infrastructural projects are means for
development. In the past, the utility and feasibility of such projects used to be
determined only in terms of economic gains.

What is Sustainable Development?

The term Sustainable stands for sustainability and it represents an approach to
development which is concerned with such fundamental human concerns like
poverty, environment, equality, democracy, development and peace. The link
between development and peace is now realized.

Meeting the basic needs of poor communities holds the promise of eliminating
many types of situations which favour the outbreak of violence and wars. Not
development, but sustainable development alone can contribute to or benefit the
process of conflict-resolution and to the need to check and prevent armed
conflicts.

The 1992 Rio Declaration, presented at the United Nations Conference on

Environment and Development, asserted in its Principle 25, that Peace,
development and environmental protection are interdependent and indivisible.
In other words, the idea of peace forms an integral part of the idea of sustainable
development. Presently, these two concepts have come to be regarded as
inseparable.

The term Sustainable Development was popularized in 1987 by the United

Nations Commission on Environment and Development through the Brundtland
Report. This report, which was entitled Our Common Future, produced the most
widely accepted definition of Sustainable Developmentdevelopment that

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meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.

In other words Sustainable development is a pattern of resources use that aims to

meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be
met not only in the present but also for generation to come.

Characteristics of Sustainable Development:

1. It attempt to minimize green house gases, reduce global warming and preserve
environmental resources.
2. It emphasises on green architecture and eco-friendly building practises.
3. Use of natural, biodegradable building material
4. Use of renewable resources of water
5. Emphasis on renewable energy sources such as Solar and wind.
6. Protection of natural habitat.
7. Planned replacement for any resources used.
8. Non polluting construction practises and industries.
Some of the important measures for sustainable development are as follows:
(i) Technology: Using appropriate technology is one which is locally adaptable,
eco-friendly, resource efficient and culturally suitable.It mostly involves local
resources and local labour. Indigenous technologies are more useful, cost-effective
and sustainable. Nature is often taken as a model, using the natural conditions of
that region as its components. This concept is known as design with nature. The
technology should use less of resources and should produce minimum waste.
(ii) Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Approach: The 3-R approach advocating
minimization of resource use, using them again and again instead of passing it on
to the waste stream and recycling the materials goes a long way in achieving the
goals of sustainability. It reduces pressure on our resources as well as reduces
waste generation and pollution.
(iii) Promoting Environmental Education and Awareness: Making environmental
education the centre of all learning process will greatly help in changing the
thinking pattern and attitude of people towards our earth and the environment.
Introducing subject right from the school stage will inculcate a feeling of

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 belongingness to earth in small children. Earth thinking will gradually get
incorporated in our thinking and action which will greatly help in transforming our
lifestyles to sustainable ones.
(iv) Resource Utilization as Per Carrying Capacity: Any system can sustain a
limited number of organisms on a long-term basis which is known as its carrying
capacity. In case of human beings, the carrying capacity concept becomes all the
more complex. It is because unlike other animals, human beings, not only need
food to live, but need so many other things to maintain the quality of life.
(v) Improving Quality of Life Including Social, Cultural and Economic Dimensions:
Development should not focus just on one-section of already affluent people.
Rather it should include sharing of benefits between the rich and the poor. The
tribal, ethnic people and their cultural heritage should also be conserved. Strong
community participation should be there in policy and practice. Population growth
should be stabilized.

Sustainable Development in India!

Sustainable development in this environment therefore, calls for cooperation of all
countries both industrialized and developing. That cooperation must be based on
the foundation of the right to development and the need for an equitable
distribution of burden.

Indias Progress towards Sustainable Development:

There is a strong sense of progress made at community level, where it matters.

India has made remarkable gains so far in sustainable development, as measured,
for example, in three summary outcome indicators.

a. Life Expectancy India has achieved a decades gain, which is a broad indicator of
economic well-being with social justice.

b. Forest Cover there has also been a rise in forest cover despite the pressures on
land use, which is a measure of environmental sustainability. Satellite data
confirms that not only has India been able to control deforestation, but its forest
cover has also been increasing between the 1990s and 201C. India is one of the

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few developing countries where forest cover has increased over the last 20 years
and continues to increase, although a slight dip is reported in the latest data for
2011.

c. Literacy a third summary indicator is gains in literacy among younger women,

an indicator of future generations well-being.

d. On all three counts, India has outpaced the deltas on global averages,
although it could have done even better.

e. The Constitution of India and relevant amendments that have been

incorporated over the years, reinforce the policy and legal basis of sustainable
development in India. The pillars of sustainable development are embedded in
the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, which lay down the
framework for social justice in India.

f. Article 21 conferring the Right to Life has been assigned the broadest
interpretations by the judiciary to encompass the right to a clean environment,
right to livelihood, right to live with dignity, and a number of other associated
rights.

g. The National Environment Policy 2006-has attempted to mainstream

environmental concerns in all developmental activities. The Government of India,
through its various policies, has been factoring ecological concerns into the
development process so that economic development can be achieved without
permanently damaging the environment. The challenges ahead are, nevertheless,
large.

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