environment

Environmental health refers to sanitation and maintenance of healthful environment for enjoyable and productive life. Sanitation and hygiene must be maintained at personal and community level. It helps to keep surrounding clean, fresh and green. In such environment people feel themselves mentally sound and active. Environmental health is to create and maintain ecological condition that will prevent diseases and promote health. It is the quality of living that is expressed at a clean home, clean school, clean workplace and clean community. Cleanliness is one of the important conservative activities. It contributes to the conservation of environment.

The effects of population increase on environment

A degraded environment is like a ticking bomb, ready to explode. Environment degradation increases natural disasters which causes greater harm to life and property. When there is environmental degradation occurred then production of crop and forests products get reduced. The living habitats of many of many animals are destroyed that affect the growth and population of birds and animals. Many water resources have become polluted and many other water resources are drying up causing water scarcity. There is shortage of firewood which is the main source of fuel which is caused by deforestation. Environment pollution brings irregular changes in season and the temperature increases. Environmental degradation has been affecting our climate. Global warming, acid rain, ozone-hole, are some of the effects of environmental degradation on the climate. Environmental degradation brings about harmful effects on the people. People suffer from various

Causes of environmental degradation

Changes in the environment occur as a natural process as well as a result of human activities. It is today accepted every where that the major cause of environmental degradation is harmful human activities. To meet the growing demands of the ever increasing population, human beings have started interfering with the environment so much that there has been a steady decline in the quality of the environment.

Forests are being cleared to create more land for cultivation. More forest are being sacrificed to create space for setting up industries. Herds are being taken to the same grazing fields frequently. Heavy rains or floods can also cause landslide. Cultivation very close to river banks can also cause flood. Improper construction of damps/dykes on river routes also cause flood. Air, water, and land get polluted due to various human activities. Smoke from factories is also adding such gases and particles to the air. Increase use of pesticides for increased crop-production is adding dangerous chemicals to the soil. Increase use of chemical fertilizers for increased crop production is affecting the quality of soil. Mixing domestic sewage into water bodies is also harm for water. Adding industries effluents into water is another harmful activity. Throwing dead bodies of animals into water. Increased use of motor vehicles with loud sounding horns. Setting more and more factories is also adding to noise pollution.

Types of environmental degradation

Deforestation:
Deforestation is the excessive cutting down of trees and clearing of forests for different purposes. In other words, it is the destruction of forests. These directly and indirectly affect us. Thus, deforestation is a serious type of environmental degradation.

Soil erosion:
Soil erosion can be defined as the destruction of the top layer of the soil as a result of natural or human activities. Soil erosion refers to the carrying away of soil. Soil erosion is also serious type of environmental
degradation. It affects crop production, pollutes water resources and causes many other direct and indirect problems to human beings.

Landslide
The downward slide of land on hilly slopes is called landslide. Our country is mountainous. Excluding the
Terai region, the entire country has hills and mountains spread all around. Many a time, due to various reasons the land on hilly slopes gets destroyed. Landslide often occurs naturally. However, as a result of
Various human activities, the occurrence of landslide in our country has increased. No single monsoon season goes without news of some major or minor landslide occurring. The Krishna Vhir, between Katmandu
And Narayanghat has become notorious landslides troubling travelers throughout the year. Landslides also harmfully affect human beings and their possessions.

Flood
The overflow of water from rivers and streams into nearby lands is called a flood. Flood is a serious type of environmental degradation in our country. Environmental problem is directly related to surface water. As result of the excess amounts, sometimes flowing water breaks its embankment and overflows into nearby lands as flood. A large numbers of rivers flowing directly from the Himalayas. Every year, during the monsoons, many of these rivers flood nearby land causing great destruction to human beings and property.

Pollution
Pollution can be defined as an undesirable change in our air, water and land resources, which directly or indirectly cause harm to us. Pollution is also a major type of environmental degradation. Its impact is seen on almost all component of the environment including air, land and water. Pollution may be in the form of addition of undesirable chemicals e.g.; poisonous gases into the air by factories or it may be in the form of reduction of something useful from the environment e.g.; death of all fishes in the rivers. Pollution may be of the following types:
Air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, land pollution, sound pollution

Environmental degradation

Environment degradation can be defined as a decline in the quality of the environment mainly as the result of human activities. Our country is a beautiful country. Our country is rich in culturally and naturally. No one would like to spoil the natural beauty of our country. But Increasing population has been causing problems to the environment. With each passing generation of human population the environment is becoming worse. This is because increasing human population is increasing human activities. Many of these activities are disturbing the natural cycles in the environment degrading it. As a result of human activities the quality and quantity of the different components in the environment is going down. Thus, the environment is slowly degrading.

Causes of change in the environment

Different factors are responsible for the change in the environment. Population growth is one of the major causes of change in the environment. Over exploitation of natural resources, unplanned urbanization, industrialization, deforestation, excessive utilization of chemical fertilizers etc. bring change in the environment. As a result of excessive use of forests; the problem of flood, soil erosion, landslide, and draught occur. This brings change in the environmental structure. Due to increase in population, people make the maximum use of resources for their selfish motive. It disturbs the balance of natural resources bringing a change in the environment. Increase in number of vehicles and industries and building up of factories send out dusts, dirt, smoke, and chemicals into the environment. This spoils the environment causing undesirable changes in it.

Importance of environment education

Environment education is very important for the people to develop the environmental situation of the country. It gives information about the different components of the environment. It is necessary to make the people aware of what they are doing to the natural resources or the environment. It helps in conserving and promoting environmental resources. It teaches to care for and respect all the things of nature, which contribute to nature conservation. It helps to raise the awareness on protecting environment resources and their proper management. It develops knowledge and skills in rational use of environment resources. It helps to prepare human power for protection and preservation of environment.