Journal of Geography  & Natural Disasters
Open Access

Causes and Factors of Environmental Degradation

Rebecca Bentley^{* *}Correspondence: Rebecca Bentley, Department of Biology and Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa, Email:

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Description

Environmental Degradation occurs when natural resources like air, water, and soil are used up, ecosystems are destroyed, and wildlife is wiped out. Any alteration or disturbance to the environment that is deemed harmful or undesirable is what is meant by this definition. There are many different ways in which the environment can be degraded, from pollution and ecological devastation to diminished fresh water resources and arable land. Erosion and a decrease in the standard of the natural environment are the causes of environmental degradation. It is brought on either directly or indirectly by human activities that deplete the environment's resources by extracting them more quickly than they can be replaced. There are several ways in which the environment might degrade. The environment is seen as corrupted and damaged when common resources are depleted or environments are destroyed.

Types

Degradation of land and soil: Poor farming methods, excessive fertilizer and pesticide use, landfill leakage, etc. all contribute to the degradation of soil quality.

Water degradation: Degradation of water includes dumping rubbish into seas, illegal dumping, dumping a lot of industrial waste in surrounding rivers or lakes, etc.

Atmospheric degradation: Air deterioration, particle pollution, and ozone layer thinning are all examples of atmospheric degradation.

Several other kinds of pollution: There are numerous other types of pollution, such as noise pollution and light pollution that contribute to environmental degradation in addition to the destruction of the land, water, and atmosphere.

Causes

Numerous variables, including as social, economic, environmental factors, political, and administrative ones, contribute to environmental degradation.

Social factors

Population: The consumption of natural resources and the production of waste are the main ways that population affects the environment. It is also exposed to various environmental pressures like biodiversity loss, air and water pollution, and increased demand on arable land.

Poverty: It is considered that poverty is both a cause and an effect of environmental deterioration when individuals lack the essentials for survival. For instance, they can be fighting for their lives and lacking access to clean water, suitable shelter, enough clothing, or medicines.

Urbanization: Due to the ecological challenges and the lack of prospects for productive employment in rural areas, poor families are moving to cities in ever-increasing numbers.

Economic factors

Market failure: The absence of or a dysfunctional market for environmental goods and services is a major contributor to environmental degradation.

Economic development: The pace and distribution of economic growth have an impact on the nature of environmental issues. Environmental deterioration is a result of economic development, particularly industrialization-based economic development.

Impact on agricultural development: Agricultural developments cause nutrient loss, salinization of the land, and soil erosion. Water bodies can get contaminated by leaching from the heavy use of fertilisers and pesticides. Land degradation is also a result of intensive agriculture and irrigation.

Transport activities: Transportation operations affect the environment in a variety of ways, including air pollution, noise from traffic, and oil spills from marine transportation.

Political and administrative factors

Environmental degradation is caused by a combination of administrative and political factors, including a lack of visionary leadership, politicians' traditional role in formulating policy, and incorrect application of environmental law.

Environmental factors

• Some of the long-term environmental effects of habitat fragmentation have the potential to wipe out entire ecosystems. When development destroys stable expanses of land, habitats become fragmented. Roads that may cut through forests are one example, as are pathways that meander through prairies. On the surface, it might not seem like a bad idea, but there are major repercussions.

• Air and water pollution, sadly, are the main contributors to environmental deterioration. Contaminants brought into the ecosystem by pollution have the potential to harm or even eradicate some plant and animal species.

• Acid rain results from the reaction of moisture in the air with sulphur dioxide (SO₂ ) from coal plant emissions. Lakes and streams can get acidified and contaminated by acid rain. The effects on the soil are comparable.

• Destruction of ozone layer

Effects of environmental degradation

Impact on human health: Environmental deterioration has a significant negative effect on human health. Around the world, poor water quality causes millions of deaths and billions of illnesses each year. Water shortage and a reduction in the quality of foods are two effects of environmental degradation.

Atmospheric changes: Environmental deterioration can change various naturally occurring processes, including the water cycle and routine animal and plant functions. Deforestation and mining are further environmental degradation factors that obliterate the natural land cover.

Scarcity of natural resources: Environmental degradation can cause a shortage of resources, including arable land, water, genetic resources, medicinal plants, and food crops. These factors include over-exploitation of natural resources, pollution, and deforestation.