Environmental degradation and Natural Hazards

Environmental degradation and Natural Hazards:

In this article we will look into the causes of environmental degradation, what is natural hazard, the ways to contain them, ways in which can be prevented.

Environmental pollution is any contamination that occurs with the air, land or water. Water pollution includes both surface and groundwater. Air pollution is emission of contaminants in the form of gases, vapors and liquids from a variety of sources including industrial facilities, vehicles and power plants. There are different types of pollutants causing contamination like, heavy metals like mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium and arsenic. They cause damage to living organisms by reducing their ability to reproduce, destroying all biological processes in the body and affecting the reproductive cycle of species. The main type of air pollutant is sulfur oxides (Sox) which cause acid rain which is toxic for humans and animals and reduces visibility of objects such as buildings, cars and even trees.

Other forms of air pollutants include carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ozone (O3). Nitrogen oxide causes problems for agricultural and horticultural practices.

Water and its chemical elements are one of the fundamental building blocks for life on earth. Every day, drinking water contains millions of chemicals. These range from common household liquids like tap water, milk, fruits and vegetables water to waste products from industrial and municipal waste treatment. Contaminants found in water pollutants include heavy metals, pesticides and disease-causing pathogens. Other contaminants found in this water are radionuclides, radioactive elements, dissolved solids and organic substances. Some of these compounds, for example, fluoride and chlorine compete with oxygen for uptake by bacterial cells. Oxygen also influences the rates at which bacteria die. Because they are not metabolized, the toxins in these substances remain in the food chain and affect later generations of bacteria.

What are natural hazards?

Natural hazards refer to calamity occurring naturally that are beyond man’s control. Examples of natural hazards include hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, wildfires, earthquakes, ice storms, forest fires, tornadoes, volcanoes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and droughts. All these calamities are natural occurrences and are part of the geophysical process, as opposed to being “natural phenomena” since they are not ‘inherently natural. Humans can take control of such occurrences through mitigation and management of disaster impacts. 

Most disasters are caused by human actions or negligence on behalf of either party. As of date no major tragedy has resulted from negligence by mankind. On the contrary, such incidents are almost always attributable to a combination of factors like, lack of proper planning, poor preparation and response from national governments, inadequate infrastructure, ineffective disaster risk reduction measures, lack of awareness on the importance of disaster preparedness among communities and ignorance on issues of community preparedness. Mitigation encompasses actions taken by individuals, authorities and organizations to reduce the likelihood of occurrence of such negative experiences as natural hazards. 

To address issues pertaining to natural hazards mitigation, several options include developing more resilient infrastructure, improving disaster risk reduction practices, training of local communities on flood and earthquake risk reduction, educating the public on preparedness and emergency plans to prepare for natural hazards, conducting research into potential solutions and adoption of appropriate strategies. At the same time, mitigation must also consider both natural and manmade threats. If we fail to adapt to changing conditions, we endanger those close relationships formed between us as well as those outside of society. With that, we cannot afford to leave any important matters to chance. No matter where you sit politically, socially, economically or environmentally, it is necessary to acknowledge and respond appropriately for the benefit of your family, friends and neighbors in case of extreme weather conditions, flooding and fire outbreaks, health emergencies, terrorist attacks and other climate. As a general rule, people should never disregard warnings in order to avoid risks. 

The best strategy is to ensure they know about particular dangers and ask relevant questions in order to make informed decisions. People should always have access to safe water even in areas prone to drought and floods as these events can occur almost every year. Without good communication and coordination of agencies involved in disaster response, severe impacts of such events could be devastating or fatal. Individuals and groups in distress should seek immediate medical attention and shelter while rescue teams should immediately search for casualties. Finally, people who participate in disaster-affected communities and are unaware of the specific hazards that threaten them should consult with local experts to learn more about their surroundings, especially if they are unfamiliar with their area. Failure to learn from past catastrophes in terms of preparing for upcoming ones is just as bad as starting from scratch.

Natural hazard causes:

Natural hazards come in a myriad of shapes and sizes with varied levels of severity. A given natural hazard can bring death, injury, property destruction, disruption of essential services, displacement of population and even loss of livelihoods. Hurricanes are particularly dangerous because of their rapidness and destructiveness, which makes it hard to predict the frequency of natural disasters in advance. Tropical cyclones hit densely populated coastal regions, resulting in massive devastation. Flooding and landslides, although sometimes predictable, can wreak havoc on entire cities. 

Extreme heat waves often bring destruction and the spread of diseases like malaria and typhoid. Wildfires tend to be very destructive, leading to extensive human losses and property damages. Severe winter storms are capable of killing large numbers of people in urban and rural regions alike. 

According to meteorology, temperatures of less than thirty degrees Celsius above normal have been recorded numerous times in history. Even if they are not directly related to natural hazards, they contribute significantly to worsening of existing climatic trends.   

Possible Conclusions:

Damage to bridges and pipelines, destruction of homes and industries, loss of jobs and loss of life are just some of the horrors associated with natural disasters. Climate Change is increasing the chances of natural disasters to happen sooner and more frequently and making natural disasters more frequent and more intense. Human beings are now responsible for causing more of these natural disasters in addition to contributing to a large number of them. Rising sea levels, increased rainfall, warmer temperature and depletion of resources will continue to increase the possibility of accidents resulting from unnatural weather, climate change, famine and epidemics.