EVS Notes

What is Environment?

  • Surroundings: air, water, land, biosphere.
  • Biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components.
  • Provides essential needs (air, water, food, shelter).

Importance of Environment

  • Supports healthy living for humans.
  • Provides essential resources: air, water, food, energy.
  • Humanity depends on its well-being.

Environmental Change

  • Disturbance due to natural disasters.
  • Human interference/animal interaction.

Present Status and Needs

  • Population/pollution increase.
  • Pressure on natural resources.
  • Need to conserve biodiversity.
  • Sustainable lifestyle needed.

Why EVS?

  • Sustainable development is key.
  • EVS creates environmental awareness.
  • Supreme Court (SC) directed UGC to introduce EVS in UG courses.

What is so special about EVS?

  • Unites all disciplines of study.

Objectives of Studying EVS

  • Acquire knowledge/skills to solve environmental problems.
  • Develop concern/awareness.
  • Promote active participation in environmental protection.
  • Adjust life to harmonize with the environment.

EVS Definition

  • Systematic study of our environment.
  • Understanding natural, human, social, and cultural dimensions.

EVS: Benefits

  • Understand environmental problems.
  • Importance of protection and conservation.
  • Evaluate environmental programs.

EVS Scope

  • Wide scope: natural resources, pollution, climate change, social issues, sustainable development.

Major Environmental Issues

  • Pollution (air, water, solid waste, noise).
  • Deforestation/desertification.
  • Climate change/global warming.
  • Ozone depletion/acid rain.
  • Loss of biodiversity.
  • Population growth/resource stress.

Need for Public Awareness

  • Environments are interdependent.
  • Consequences of environmental changes.
  • Environmental protection is everyone's duty.

Air Pollution

  • Knowledge needed: chemistry, zoology, botany, physics, economics, sociology.

Water Pollution

  • Knowledge needed: understanding pollutants, their effects, and control measures.

Population Explosion

  • Rapid rise in population, prominent in developing countries.
  • India's population is over 1.34 billion.

Reasons for Population Explosion

  • Accelerating birth rate.
  • Decreased infant mortality rate.
  • Increased life expectancy.
  • Increased immigration.

Effects of Population Explosion

  • Waste generation, pollution, deforestation, ozone depletion, species extinction, climate change.

Sustainable Development

  • Meets present needs without compromising future generations.

Development Definition

  • Increase in per capita income, improved living standards, reduced poverty/crime.

Sustainable Development Definition

  • Meets present needs without compromising future generations.
  • Introduced by Gro Harlem Brundtland in 1987.

Need for Sustainable Development

  • Environmental problems from rapid development.
  • Degraded ecosystems and threatened species.
  • Global warming.

Aim of Sustainable Development

  • Maximum improvement in well-being.
  • Minimum environmental degradation.

Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs)

  • Address global challenges (poverty, inequality, climate change).

Examples of Sustainable Development

  • Solar energy: reduces emissions, cost-competitive.
  • Wind energy: cost-effective, small land footprint.
  • Crop rotation: improves soil fertility, chemical-free.
  • Efficient water fixtures: reduces water usage.
  • Green spaces: improve air quality and climate.

Pillars of Sustainable Development

  • Social development, environmental protection, economic development.

Desired Outcomes of Sustainable Development

  • Clean water & air, fertile soil & good food, healthy economy, halting global warming.

Principles of a Sustainable Society

  • Respect and care for life.

WATER-ENERGY-FOOD SECURITY NEXUS

  • Interrelatedness and interdependencies of these environmental resources.

Sustainability principles

  • Reduce dependence upon fossil fuels

Sustainability issues

  • analyzed at Global, Regional and Local level

Sustainable Initiatives adopted by Sweden

  • Sustainable Public Transport; Investing in Green Tech

What is Needed to Achieve the sustainable development ?

  • Eco Friendly; Ensure the productive assets available to future generation are not depleted.