UNIT 5: HUMAN POULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Population growth:
Droughts, outbreak of diseases lead to human deaths. 14 th century A.D experienced large scale
mortality due to plague – about 50% of people in Asia and Europe died due to the disease.
Science and technological advancement has increased the expectancy of human. People started living
with good sanitation food and medical facilities increase in population exponentially. In agriculture based
families children are said to be assets who help the parents in fields. Therefore, in developing countries the
population increase is at a rate of 3.4% per year.
Causes of rapid population growth
• The rapid population growth is due to decrease in death rate and increase in birth rate.
• Availability of antibiotics, immunization, increased food production, clean water and air decreases the
famine-related deaths.
• In agricultural based countries, children are required to help parents in the field that is why population
increases in the developing countries.
Population
It is defined as a group of individuals of the same species living in the same area in a given time.
Population density
It is expressed as a no. of individuals of the population per unit area or per unit volume
Parameters affecting population size
1. Birth rate or Natality : It is the no. of birth per 1000 people in a population in a given year
2. Death rate: It is the no. Of deaths per 1000 people in a population in a given year
3. Immigration: It denotes the arrival of individual from neighboring population
4. Emigration: It denotes the dispersal of individuals from the original population to new areas.

Characteristics of population growth

• Exponential growth
• Doubling time
• Infant mortality rate
• Total fertility rate
• Replacement level
• Male/female ratio
• Demographic transition.

Variation of population based on age structure

Pre-productive population (0-14 years)
Reproductive population (15 – 44 years)
Post reproductive population (above 45 years)

1. Pyramid shaped – India, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia. [Large no of young people enter into reproductive age
group, hence Population growth increases].

2. Bell shaped – France, USA, and UK. [ pre-productive age group population & reproductive age group
population are almost equal, hence population growth is stable].
 3. Urn shaped - Germany, Italy, and Japan [ pre-productive population is less that reproductive age group,
hence population growth decreases].

Population Explosion → The enormous increase in population due to low death rate and high birth rate

Doubling Time → The number of years needed for a population to double in size.

Causes of population explosion:

 Modern medical facilities reduces death rate & increases birth rate,
 Increase of life expectancy,
 Illiteracy.

Effects of population explosion (PE)

 Poverty - infant mortality is the tragic indicator of poverty

 PE leads to Environmental degradation, 
 PE causes over - exploitation of natural resources,
 Renewable resources like forests are under threat,
 Increase in population increases disease, communal war
 Leads to development of slums
 Lack of basic amenities like water, education , health etc

Population characteristics and variation among nations:

1. Exponential growth: 1,3,5…… If a quantity varies by a fixed % 10^1, 10^2 etc.

2. Doubling Time Td = 70/r 2%
3. Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is 1.9 developing countries. 4.7 developing countries and
6.1in 1950

4. Infant mortality: % of infants died out of those born in a year last 50 years.
5. Replacement level: Under low life expectancy and high infant mortality 2.7 in developing countries and 2 in
developed countries.
6. Life expectancy: The average no. of years a new born baby is expected to live. The life expectancy of
global males and females has risen from 40 to 55.5 years. In India 22.6 and 23.3 in 1900 & 60.3 and 60.5 in
2000. In Japan and Sweden 77-77.4 & 82-84 years

Family welfare programme:

  Allows couples to describe their family size and also time spacing of their off spring
 Provide importance, knowledge and benefits of their small family to people
 Education in held and family welfare system Sex education awareness

WHO estimated 50% of worlds married couples adopted family planning measures, 300 million couples not
assessed to family planning

FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMME

Objectives
1. Reduce infant mortality rate.
2. Achieve 100% of birth, death, marriage, pregnancy registration
3. Encourage late marriages, late child-bearing.
4. Improve women’s health, education, employment.
5. Prevent & Control of communal diseases.
6. Promote small family norms
7. Making free & compulsory education upto 14 yrs & Constraint spread of AIDS

Fertility control methods:

Traditional method → taboos and folk medicine

Modern method Permanent method (Sterilization done by minor surgery)

a) Tubectomy = female sterilization done by tying the tubes carrying ovum to uterus.
b) Vasectomy = male sterilization, done by tying the tubes carrying the

Temporary method
a) Condoms = used by males to prevent sperms
b) Copper Ts = small objects placed by doctor in the uterus
c) Oral contraceptive pills, drugs
Environment and human health:
Environment is defined as man along with his surroundings, which consists of biotic, abiotic and
sociological components. Therefore, when we cause danger to these components, which surrounds us, they in
turn affect our health.
The environmental dangers created by man are many: Population explosion, unregulated urbanization,
creating water, air and landscape pollution, deforestation, desertification, use of pesticides in agriculture etc.
Every one of these has implications for the health of the individual as well as society as a whole. None can be
ignored because the scale of potential calamity is increasing day by day.
Health hazards may be arising from: water contamination or pollution, air pollution, use of pesticides
enters through food chain, radiation effect of nuclear water, diseases caused from improper disposal of solid
wastes and also due to noise pollution.

HUMAN RIGHTS
Human rights are the fundamental rights, which are possessed by all human beings irrespective of their
caste, nationality, sex and language.
IN 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights UNKHR was established by UN.

 Human right to freedom[express views, forming union, building houses, choose any profession]
 Human right to property [right to earn property]
 Human right to freedom of religion [freedom to choose religion to his wishes]
 Human right to culture and education [right to conserve culture, language, establishing educational institution]
 Human right to constitutional remedies [can go to court, if fundamental rights are denied]
 Human right to equality [all citizens are equal before law without discrimination of religion, sex, caste, place]
 Human right against exploitation [children should not be employed as labours]
 Human right to food and environment [right to get sufficient food, safe, water, healthy environment]
 Human right to good health [right to have very good physical and mental health].

VALUE EDUCATION

It is nothing but learning about the particular thing through knowledge. We can identify our values and
ourselves with the help of knowledge and experience.

Types
1. Formal education-
Self related learning process, all will read, write, get jobs, tackle any problem with formal education
.
2. Value education –
Analyze our behavior, provide proper direction to youth, know right & wrong.
3. Value-based environment education-
knowledge about principles of ecology, biodiversity, care for natural resources, know to safe
and clean environment.

Objectives
• To improve the integral growth of human begins.
• To create attitudes and improvement towards sustainable lifestyle.
• To increase awareness about our national history our cultural heritage, constitutional rights,
national integration, community develo9pment and environment.
• To create and develop awareness about the values and their significance and role.
• To know about various living and non- living organisms and their interaction with
environment.

Value Education:
Education is one of the most important tools in bringing about socioeconomic and cultural progress of
a country. The objective of education should not be merely coaching the students to get through the exams
with good results and get some good job. Education does not simply mean

Value based environmental education:

Environmental education is something that every person should be well versed with. The principles of
ecology and fundamentals of environment help to create a sense of earth citizenship and a sense of care for the
earth and its resources - a sense of commitment towards the management of the resources in a sustainable way
so that our children and grand children too have a safe and clean planet.
Following the Supreme Court directives 1998 environmental education has been included in the
curriculum right from the school stage to university level. The objective of it is to make everyone environment
 literate. Let us see how environmental education can be made value based one.
1. Preparation of text books materials on environmental education – to built a positive attitude towards
environmental factors.
2. Social values like love, tolerance, compassion can be woven into environment. Education. This will help to
nurture all forms of life and biodiversity.
3. Cultural and religious values: Our culture and religions teach us not to exploit nature – but to perform
such functions which project and sacred nature. Therefore these value scan be added up with environment.
Education.
4. Environment Education should stress on earth centric views rather than human centric view such that it
include the ethical values.
5. Global values: Stress on the concept human is part of nature and all natural processes are inter linked and
they are in harmony. If this harmony is disturbed it may lead to imbalance in ecology and catastrophic results.
6. Spiritual values: highlights on self contentment, discipline, reduction of wants etc. This will reduce our
consumerist approach If the mentioned values are incorporated in environment education, the goal of
sustainable development and environment conservation can be easily attained. Value based environment
Education can bring about a total transformation of our mind set, our attitudes and life style to protect nature.

Methods of Imparting value Education:

 Telling
 Modeling - presenting ideas to leaner’s as model
 Role Playing - Acting the role of another person
 Problem Solving - Asking the learners about their decision during dilemma
 Studying biographies of great man - use of great man good deeds & worthy thoughts

WOMANS WELFARE
Need of Women Welfare
 Women suffer gender discrimination
 Devaluation at home, matrimony, workplace, public & power
 Dowry death, rape, domestic violence, mental torture to women
 Human rights are violated, decision making are neglected

Objectives
• To provide education
• To impart vocational training
• To generate awareness
• To improve employment opportunities
• To restore dignity, equality and respect.
• To aware problems of population
Objectives of National Commission For Women
• To examine constitutional & legal rights for women To
review existing legislations
• To sensitize the enforcement & administrative machinery to women’s causes.

Various Organizations towards Women Welfare:

• The National Network for Women & Mining (NNWM) → fighting for gender audit of
 India’s mining companies
• United Nations Decade for Women → inclusion of women welfare related issues on international
agenda.
• International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW) → Protection & Promotion of women’s upliftment
• Non-Government Organizations (NGO’s) → Empower, educate village women & making self-
dependent
• Ministry for Women and Child Development → work for upliftment of women by family
planning, health, education & awareness

CHILD WELFARE:
Reason for child Labors
Poverty → work in unhealthy conditions
Want of Money → parents need money for their family

Various Organizations towards Child Welfare:

1. UN Conventions on Rights of Child or International Law → promote & protect children in our
society
Rights of the Child:
The right to survival → emphasizes on good health, nutrition, standard of living
The right to participation → freedom of thought to the child
The right to development → ensures education, care, support, social security & recreation
The right to protection → freedom from exploitation, inhuman treatment & neglect

2. World summit on children → well being of the children is targeted

3. Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) → concentrate on childs health, education,
nutrition
4. Center for Science & Environment (CSE) - keeping environment clean for healthy life of children

HIV/AIDS
AIDS is the abbreviated form for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome caused by a virus called
HIV (Human Immune deficiency Virus). Immune deficiency means that the disease is characterized by a
weakening of immune system
Origin of HIV/AIDS
1. Through African Monkey or Chimpanzees to human.
2. Through Vaccine Programme
a. Polio, small pox vaccine prepared from monkey’s kidney-Africa.
b. spread through Hepatitis-B viral vaccine-Los Angles and New York.
c. through small pox vaccine programme of Africa
Scenario in India: India ranks 2nd with 5.1 million HIV affected people. The % is lower than
Thailand, Myanmar & South Africa
Factors influencing modes of Transmission of HIV

1. Unprotected sex with infected person.

2. Using needles or syringes from HIV positive person.
3. During pregnancy, breast feeding HIV transmits from mother to infant babies.
4. Blood transfusion during accident and pregnancy.
5. Biologically the male to female transmission is 2 to 4 time more efficient than female to male transmission.
6. Women’s cervical tissue is more vulnerable to HIV than men.
7. Transmission of HIV to new born babies happen easily

Factors not influencing transmission of HIV

1. Tears, food, air, cough, handshake and normal kissing.
2. Mosquito flies and insect bites.
3. Sharing of utensils, clothes, toilets and bathroom.

Functions of HIV in human body

 White blood cells (WBC) are responsible for the formation of antibodies called T-helper cells’-
 T- helper cells are the key infection fighters in the immune system.
 Once HIV cells are enter into the boy they destroy the T-cells & cause many infection diseases.

Minor symptoms
 Persistent cough for more than one month.
 General skin disease. Viral infection.
 Fungus infection in mouth and throat.
 Frequent fever, headache and fatigue
Major symptoms
 Fever for more than one month
 Diarrhea for more than one month.
 Cough & TB for more than one month.
 Fall of hairs.
 10% of body weight loss within short period.

Control and Preventive measures

1. Education. → health education, avoid sharing razors, needles and syringe
2. Prevention of Blood borne HIV transmission. → screening of blood for HIV before transmission &
following strict sterilization in hospitals
3. Primary health care → AIDS awareness programme, participation of voluntary health agengies].
4. Counseling services → Counseling through phone or through telephone].
5. Drug treatment → Early medical care, taking nutritious diet, maintaining stress free mind].

Effects
 Death
 Loss of labor & level of production decreases
 Inability to work due to lack of energy & frequent fever & sweating
 More water is needed for maintaining hygiene in AIDS affected locality.
Screening test:
 ELISA-Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay
 Western blot
  DNA test
 Immuno fluorescent antibody assay

DENGUE FEVER

Dengue infection is caused by Arbovirus

• Dengue virus (DENV) infects 50 million (WHO) to 100 million (NIH) people annually.
• Forty per cent of the world’s population, predominately in the tropics and sub-tropics, is at risk for
contracting dengue virus.
• DENV infection can cause dengue fever, dengue haemorrhagic fever, dengue shock syndrome, and death.

What causes Dengue?

• Dengue (DF) and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) are caused by one of four closely related, but
antigenically distinct, virus serotypes (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4), of the genus Flavivirus.
• Infection with one of these serotypes provides immunity to only that serotype for life.

How Mosquitos spread the infection

• The disease starts during the rainy season, when vector Mosquito Aedes aegypti is abundant
• The Aedes breeds in the tropical or semitropical climates in water holding receptacles or in plants close to
human dwellings
• A female Aedes acquires the infection feeding upon a viremic human.
• After a period of 8 – 14 days mosquitoes are infective and remain infective for life. ( 1- 3 ) months.

Clinical Manifestations
• Any or few of the following events can occur.
• Fever,
• Severe head ache
• Muscle and joint pains
• Nausea, vomiting,
• Eye pain
How Dengue Infection starts and manifests
• Incubation period 4 – 7 days ( 3 – 14 days)
• Fever may start with, Malise, chills, head ache
• Soon leads to severe back ache, joint pains, muscular pain, pain in the eye ball.
• Temperature may persist for 3 -5 days.
• On some occasions once again raises in about 5 – 8 days (Saddle back fever)
• Myalgia may be severe with deep bone pain
• ( Break bone fever ) characteristic of the Disease
 • On majority of the occasions a self limited condition,
• Subside on its own
• Death is a rare event.

Treatment
• No Anti viral therapy available
• Symptomatic management in Majority of cases
• Dengue Hemorrhagic fever to be treated with suitable fluid replacement
• No Vaccine available, difficult in view of four serotypes.
Control of Dengue
• Control of Mosquito breeding places.
• Anti mosquito measures
• Use of Insecticides.
• Screened windows and doors can reduce exposure to vectors.

SWINE FLU

WHAT IS SWINE FLU?

H1N1 flu is also known as swine flu. It's called swine flu because in the past, the people who caught it had
direct contact with pigs. That changed several years ago, when a new virus emerged that spread among
people who hadn't been near pigs.

In 2009, H1N1 was spreading fast around the world, so the World Health Organization called it a pandemic.
Since then, people have continued to get sick from swine flu, but not as many.
How Do You Catch It?
The same way as the seasonal flu. When people who have it cough or sneeze, they spray tiny drops of the
virus into the air. If you come in contact with these drops, touch a surface (like a doorknob or sink) where
the drops landed, or touch something an infected person has recently touched, you can catch H1N1 swine
flu. People who have it can spread it one day before they have any symptoms and as many as 7 days after
they get sick. Kids can be contagious for as long as 10 days.
Swine Flu Symptoms
These, too, are pretty much the same as seasonal flu. They can include:
• Cough
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Body aches
• Headache
• Chills
• Fatigue
Like the regular flu, swine flu can lead to more serious problems including pneumonia, a lung infection, and other
breathing problems. And it can make an illness like diabetes or asthma worse.

How Is It Treated?
Some of the same antiviral drugs that are used to treat seasonal flu also work against H1N1 swine flu. Oseltamivir
 (Tamiflu), peramivir (Rapivab), and zanamivir (Relenza) seem to work best, although some kinds of swine flu
don’t respond to oseltamivir. These drugs can help you get well faster. They can also make you feel better.

Besides a flu shot, there are other things you can do to stay healthy:
• Wash your hands throughout the day with soap and water. Sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice to make
sure you've washed long enough. Or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Don't touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Avoid people who are sick.

Role of Information Technology in Environment And Human Health:

Information technology means collection, processing storage & dissemination of information.

1. REMOTE SENSING [RS]

 Gathering information about an object without coming in contact with it is called remote sensing.
 Any force like acoustic, gravity, magnetic, electromagnetic etc. could be used for remote sensing.

Applications
In agriculture → RS provide information about land, water management, use of seeds,
fertilizer input etc
Forestry → Information on type, density & extent of forest cover, wood volume, forest fire, pest
etc.
Land cover → Gives spatial information on land, RS data is converted to map
Water resources → surface water body mapping, ground water targeting, flood monitoring, water
quality monitoring, run-off modeling, irrigation water management

2. DATA BASE (DB) - Collection of inter related data on various subjects.

Applications

 Ministry of environment and forest → compile data on biotic communites, diseases like HIV, malaria, fluorosis
 National Management Information System (NMIS) → DB on R&D projects, research scientists etc.
 Environmental Information System (ENVIS) → DB on pollution control area, clean technology,
biodiversity, remote sensing, environmental management, desertification etc

3. GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS)

It is a technique of superimposing various thematic maps using digital data on a large number of inter-
related aspects.
Application
• Thematic maps are super imposed using software’s.
• Interpretation of polluted zones, degraded lands
• To check unplanned growth and related environmental problems.

4. SATELLITE DATA
 Helps in providing reliable information and data about forest cover
 Provide information about forecasting weather, smog, ozone depletion
 Reserves of oil, minerals can be discovered.

5. WORLD WIDE WEB → It provides more and latest data.

Important on line learning center
www.mmhe.com/environmentalscience
Multimedia digital content manager (DCM) in the form of CD-ROM

Applications
 These online learning center provides the current and relevant information on, principles,
problems, quarries, application of EVS
 It has digital files of photos , power points lecture presentations, animations, web exercises and
quiz.
 They are useful to both students and teachers of environmental studies

ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN HUMAN HEALTH

Human Health
• WHO describes Health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity.
• Innovations leading to converging of IT & Life Sciences creating vast qualities of data.
 • HIT (Health Information Technology) provides the umbrella framework to describe the comprehensive
management of health information across computerized systems.
• Helps in exchange between consumers, providers, government, quality entities and insurers.
Databases
 Data regarding birth, death rates, immunization programs can be maintained more accurately than before in
health centers due to computers.
 Information and statistics about diseases like malaria, fluorosis, AIDS, etc.
 DNA databases and genetic information about population, medical records, fingerprints, etc can be stored
and accessed.
Bioinformatics
 Inter-disciplinary field that develops methods and software tools for understanding biological data.
 Combines computer science, statistics, mathematics and engineering to study and process biological data.
 Major applications in sequence analysis, Databases, literature, structural bioinformatics, gene and protein
expression analysis and algorithms, statistical methods to assess relationships
Telemedicine
 Use of telecommunication and information technologies in order to provide clinical care at a distance.
 Helps eliminate distance barriers. • Saves lives in critical care and emergency situations.
 Benefit remote regions with specialists living far away.
 Also eliminates the possibility of transmission in case of infectious diseases.
Biomechanics
 Robots that emulate or simulate living biological organisms or are inspired by them chemically or
mechanically.
 Nanotechnology use is also being studied. • Nano-bots are programmed to act as delivery systems within the
organism (like blood).
 In biomimicry, robots have to be programmed to make the mechanism simpler and more effective.
 Research on humanoid robots is also becoming increasingly popular.
Controlling diseases
 Isolation is one of the major step in controlling highly infectious diseases.
 In the ongoing Ebola virus containment, spreading awareness was the first step taken.
 This reduces panic and provides information about prevention and if infected, treatment options.
 Several airports in many countries, screened passengers for high temperature and other symptoms via
thermal sensors and computers without any manual labor need. This was possible due to applying IT
services in medical fields.

Application of IT in health services

1. The data regarding birth and death rates, immunization and sanitation programme are maintained more
accurately using IT packages
2. It helps the doctor to monitor the health of the people effectively
3. The information regarding the out break of epidemic diseases can be conveyed easily
4. On-line help of expert doctors can be consulted to provide better treatment and services to the patient
5. With a control system the hospital can run effectively
6. Drugs and its replacement can be administered efficiently