ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

Hey Environpreneurs,

Today I will be discussing about environmental degradation better known as “pollution”. Environmental degradation does not respect the political boundaries of man’s physical environment because, pollution has become a great challenge in recent years as a result of continuous humans interaction with their environment and exploitation of resources.

Environmental degradation can be viewed as a process in which the Environment changes its former situation to a worst condition. It has made man’s physical environment to loose its natural settings as a result of human activities on earth which leads to natural catastrophe ; environmental degradation can be exhibited naturally or man-made (anthropogenic means).

FEATURES OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

Here are the features or sources of environmental degradation, which we are mostly familiar with.

* LAND DEGRADATION : this is caused by soil erosion, wind, water and other agents such as deforestation, bush burning and over gazing. The causes of land pollution are to a large extent a combination of both natural and human factors,when we put these together the human factor is the most deteriorating land degradation causes. Examples of these factors are; inappropriate waste management, uncontrollable dumping of refuse from households and industrial plants.

*AIR DEGRADATION: This occurs when the atmosphere is affected and polluted by different kinds of pollutants when discharged into the air. A huge number of industries and means of transportation burn fossils and fuels, when these fuels are burned chemicals and substance particulates are released into the atmosphere, it pollutes the air. Most of the pollutants degrading the air are suspended particulates and emitted gases consisting; carbon dioxide, nitrogen, carbon monoxide and sulphur oxide.

By and large these gases are product of man’s activity on earth such as bush burning and domestic outflow which are; refrigerators, generators and vehicles that emit exhaust fumes, which leads to the eventual depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer (global warming).

DEGRADATION OF WATER RESOURCES: This is caused by water pollution which may come from two main sources; direct and indirect sources, the former discharges pollutants from specific location to the water bodies, examples of these pollutants are sewage, treatment plants and oil tankers while pollutants from the latter include pesticides, fertilizers, refuse dumped and others effluent into the rivers, wells, coasts and eventually underground. This shows that 80% of waste and waste water enter water bodies and it takes longer years for them to decompose in the water bodies below is the explanation in form of image.

EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

* Both terrestrial and aquatic habitats are destroyed

* Global warming is caused by rising levels of heat trapping gases

* Air pollution leads to the increase of diseases and germs

* Agricultural activities are in danger and leads to decline in production.

Below is a diagram enlightening us more about the effects.

🌲 Keep Environment Safe and Pollution Free🌲

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