Human Communities and the

Environment
 Human Population Growth
❖Population:
• A population is a number of all
the organisms of the same group
or species who live in a particular
geographical area and are capable
of interbreeding
• India is the second most populous
country of the world after China
• The current population of India
has crossed the one-billion mark
based on Worldometer
elaboration of the latest United
Nations data
Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,
 Causes of Over Population
• The two main causes leading to over population in India
✓ The birth rate is higher than death rate
✓The fertility rate is higher due to the population policies

Other causes are

➢ Early marriage and universal marriage system
➢Poverty and Illiteracy
➢Age old cultural norms
➢Illegal migration

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

 Effects of over population
✓Unemployment- Huge population and illiteracy in a country rises
unemployment
✓Manpower utilization-Economic depression and slow business
development leads un employment of manpower
✓Pressure on infrastructure- Development of infrastructural facilities results
transportation, housing, education and healthcare. These aspects leads to
a increase in the number of slums, overcrowded house, traffic congestion
etc.
✓Resource utilization- Land areas, water resources, forests are over
exploited
✓Decreased production and increased costs- Increase population reduces
the decreased production as well as increased the cost
✓Inequitable income distribution- Due to increase in population leads to an
unequal distribution of income

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

 Effects of population growth on our
environment
✓Generation of waste
✓Threat to biodiversity
✓Strain on forest
✓Urbanization
✓Industrialization
✓Land degradation
✓Transport development
✓Climate change
✓Reduces economic productivity
✓Technology causes pollution
Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,
 Human Health and Environment
• Constant interaction between human and environment depends on
quality of environment
• Hence environment and human health are closely related
• Although many health problems are to be associated with
environmental pollution, it is difficult to assess the seriousness,
extent and causes of environmental related diseases.
• The changes in an environment increases the incidence of many
diseases in human

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

• 1. Water and air borne
diseases (HIV/ AIDS, TB,
Malaria, Cholera etc)
• 2. Nuclear hazardous,
harmful toxic
compounds, chemicals
like pesticides, DDT,
endosulfan etc
• 3. Infectious diseases
• 4. Risks due to chemicals
in food
• 5. Cancer and the
environment.
Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,
 Impacts of population growth on
environment, human health and welfare
• 1. Control of population
• 2. Economic development
• 3. Improving health and nutrition
• 4. Reducing poverty
• 5. Removing subsidies- Removed for public and private sectors
• 6. Clarifying and extending property rights
✓Lack of property rights over excessive use of resources leads to overgrazing
of common or public lands, deforestation, fisheries and over-exploitation
of minerals etc. Places where the use of common lands, forests, irrigation
systems, fisheries etc are regulated with rules and their proper use by
community and the ownership rights should be clearly specified in the
administrative records

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

• 7. Market based approaches
- There is a urgent need for market based approaches (MBA) for the
protection of environment. MBA are in the form of environmental taxes
• 8. Regulatory policies
-Regulatory policies should be applied to maintain environmental
standards to both public and private sector polluters and resources users
• 9. Economic Incentives
- Incentives will be given to the resource utilizers who generates less
pollution than the standard limits
• 10.Public Participation
-Public awareness and participation are highly effective to improve
environmental conditions
Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,
✓Environment management and awareness programmes
✓Afforestation
✓Conservation of wild life
✓Management of parks
✓Improvement of sanitation and drainage system
✓Flood control
✓Public has to make utilize of many voluntary organizations, NGO’s-
These organizations helps in educates the common people about
environmental pollution and benefits of keeping environment clean

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

 Disaster Management
• The world is facing an increasing frequency and intensity of disasters by
both natural and man-made
✓Disaster Risk Management includes sum total of all activities,
programmes and measures which can be taken up before, during and
after a disaster with the purpose to avoid a disaster, reduce its impact or
recover from its losses.

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

➢Mitigation - Minimizing the effects of
disaster.
• Ex: Building codes and zoning;
vulnerability analyses; public education.
➢Preparedness - Planning how to
respond.
• Ex: Preparedness plans; emergency
exercises/training; warning systems.
➢Response - Efforts to minimize the
hazards created by a disaster.
• Ex: Search and rescue; emergency relief
➢Recovery - Returning the community to
normal.
• Ex: Temporary housing; grants; medical
care

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

❖Flood
Flood disaster management
• Afforestation- Reducing run off
• Construction of barriers (Dams)
• Flood insurance
• Flood forecasting
• Reducing flood level by river channel improvement (Widening, cleaning
and deepening)
• Flood plain zone mapping

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

❖Earthquakes
✓Shaking of the earth’s surface as a result
of sudden release of pressure built up in
the earth crust which causes extensive
damage to a wide area
Earthquake disaster management
✓Incorporation of proper safety measures
✓Codes and guideline for earthquake
resistant buildings developed by the
bureau of Indian standard code of
practice-should be included in town and
country planning act
✓Fatalities can be reduced if the
aftereffects relief work can be organized
timely and efficiently
✓This requires adequate medical staffs to
treat injured, machineries to clear debris
and organize temporary food, shelter and
cloths

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

❖ Cyclones
✓A storm or system of winds that rotates
about a center of low atmospheric
pressure, advances at a speed of 20 to 30
miles (about 30 to 50 kilometers) an
hour, and often brings heavy rain

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

✓ Pre disaster

a) Provide cyclone forecasting, tracking and warning systems

b) Construction of cyclone shelters, cyclone resistant buildings, road links,
bridges, canals, drains etc
c) Mock drills, and training of local population and police by NDRF and SDRF
d) Plantations of strong rooted trees, canopies, mangroves and proper
vegetation cover which act as first line of defence
e) Proper drainage system throughout the city to discharge the water as soon
as possible to avoid flood like conditions
f) Use of NAVIC and RESOURCESAT-2 for disseminating coastal information and
helping in disaster management.
g) Implementation of National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

✓ During disaster

• a) Cautionary advice put out on social platforms influences people

to stay safe can reduce the number of sufferers as seen in Chennai
during recent cyclone Vardha.
• b) Social media and the Internet, speedy official and community
messages, creating online groups and sharing messages offering
help and advice.
• c) Perception of people decides the intensity of disaster. If people
take necessary active steps to deal with disaster then even the
severe disaster can be distributed with minimum damage.
• d) Delivery of food and health care via mobile hospitals, with
priorities to women child & elders.

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

✓ Post disaster

• a) It is vital that the learning from each event is shared nationally, and
the capacity of officials and communities to manage disasters built
continuously.
• b) Among the securities available to individuals in many countries is
insurance against property losses. Viable policies should be made
available in India too.
• c) Providing alternative means of communication, energy and
transport just after the disaster.

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

 ❖ Landslide
• Landslides are a serious
geographical hazard causes
due to gravitational force

➢Landslides are rock, earth

Or debris flow on slopes due
to gravity

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

Landslide disaster management
• Individuals can take steps to reduce their personal risk
• Have to take steps to reduce risk and preparedness plans
• In order to restore the original shape of the slop, an embankment
was built and tunnel type box was constructed around the road to
prevent further landslide

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

 Environment movements in India
❖Chipko movement:
✓The Chipko movement or Chipko Andolan, was a forest conservation
movement in India
✓It is a non-violent protest started in India
✓ It began in 1973 in Uttarakhand, then a part of Uttar Pradesh and went
on to become a rallying point for many future environmental movements
all over the world
✓The Chipko movement was a non-violent agitation in 1973 that was
aimed at protection and conservation of trees
✓Under the leadership of Mr. Sunderlal Bahuguna and Mr. Chandi prasad
bhatt
✓The villagers hug the trees and prevented from felling them

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

• The importance of chipko movement in conservation of forest helps
to protect and manage the forest, this movement therefore has
awaken people to the importance of conserving trees as it helps the
ecosystem of a nation to function properly and also it aid the
livelihood of people to live healthily and have a prosperous

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

❖ Silent valley movement
• Silent Valley National Park, is a national park in Kerala, India. It is
located in the Nilgiri hills, has a core area of 89.52 km², which is
surrounded by a buffer zone of 148 km². This national park has some
rare species of flora and fauna
• Save Silent Valley was a social movement aimed at the protection of
Silent Valley, an evergreen tropical forest in the Palakkad district of
Kerala, India.
• Silent Valley National Park In Kerala is a home to animals as rare as
the Nilgiri Tahr and Lion Tailed Macaques as well as the greenest of
evergreen forests ever, the Silent Valley National Park in Kerala is
among the most favorite biodiversity hubs for nature lovers and
wildlife.
Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,
Mr. Gangadharan helped to make silent valley as a
National Park
• The aim of the movement was to save the place from being flooded due
to Hydroelectric project. The issue further caught attention due to the
endangered lion tailed macaque and other rare wildlife that was present
in that area
• In 1970s, plans for a hydroelectric project by the state electricity board
were shelved after protests by “Save Silent Valley” movement, which
highlighted the dangers to the rich diversity
• It was declared a national park in 1984, by late Prime Minister, Indira
Gandh

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

❖ Appiko Movement
➢In September 1983, women and youth of the region decided to launch a movement
similar to Chipko, in South India.
➢The movement was named Appiko which means “hug” in Kannada, symbolising
protection for the tree.
➢The movement was founded and led by environmental activist Panduranga Hegde.
➢The aim of the movement was to conserve the trees of the Kalse forests in
Karnataka.
➢Women and youth from Saklani and surrounding villages walked five miles to a
nearby forest and hugged trees there.
➢They forced the fellers and the contractors of the state forest department to stop
cutting trees.
➢The people demanded a ban on the felling of green trees.
➢The agitation continued for 38 days and this forced the state government to finally
concede to their demands and withdraw the order for the felling of trees.
➢Like the Chipko, the Appiko movement revived the Gandhian way of protest and
mobilisation for a sustainable society in which there is a balance between man and
nature.
Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,
 Saalumarada Thimmakka - The Mother to More Than
8000 Trees.
➢ Born into a poor family of Hulikal village in Magadi Taluk, Ramnagar,
Karnataka, she never had the opportunity to go to school or have
any kind of formal education. She was known by the name of
Thimmaka during her childhood. She started working at an early age
as a quarry laborer.
➢ The invaluable service done by Saalumarada Thimmakka to our
environment has got worldwide recognition
➢ Thimmaka and her husband decided to plant trees from their village
to the next village, Kudoor. They chose a stretch of 4 km and there
were no trees at all in the locality. Since there were plenty of
banyan trees near her village the couple decided to plant trees along
the roadside
➢ She has done much more than planting trees. She is actively involved
in the state and national environmental protection campaigns.
➢ Thimmakka has been an active environmentalist in circulating the
message of afforestation. She believes every human being on earth
should plant trees.
➢ Recently she has been awarded Padma Shree Indian prestigious
award
Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,
 Importance of public awareness
• 1. Preserve forest cover
• 2. Preserve natural resources
• 3. Conserve energy
• 4. Maintain ecological balance
• 5. Practice green technology
✓Treatment of air emissions
✓Treatment of waste waters
✓Waste reduction, waste or emission management
✓Use of renewable energy resources like solar energy

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,

 Solar Energy park of Karnataka
▪ The Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL),
the renewable energy implementing agency in Karnataka, has
retendered 200 MW of solar capacity at Pavagada Solar Park.

Pavagada Solar Park is a solar park covering an area of 53 square

kilometres (13,000 acres) in Pavagada taluk, Tumkur district, Karnataka.
Completed in 2019, the park has a capacity of 2,050 MW. As of April 2021,
it is the World's third largest photovoltaic solar park

Dr. Nagalakshmi G, SIMS, Bengaluru,