Major Environmental Hazards and their Remedies Environment:

All the things and factors around us that affect us directly are called environment. It includes physical features of the land, climate, soil, vegetation, and other factors. Economic, political, social, religious, financial and all other activities which he performs in a specific area are under the influence of his or her environment.

Hazards to Human Environment:

A rapidly growing population creates many problems. On one side, we are facing the problem of attainment of self-sufficiency in food while on the other side, we are facing rapidly decreasing agricultural resources especially the problem of getting water shortage. Fertile lands are being turned into barren ones. We must know all these hazards. We must evaluate them, and we must find some adequate solution to eradicate these hazards. Today, our environment is facing following major hazards:

Salinity and water logging
Deforestation
Desertification
Increase in environmental pollution

Salinity and Water Logging:

The excess of underground water gives rise to water logging whereas salinity is caused by lack of underground water. At present, about 20 million acres of land in Pakistan is suffering from salinity and water logging. It is not only affecting the fertility of the soil and we are not getting the desired yield from the crops, but environmental pollution is also increasing.

Causes of Salinity and Water Logging:

Following are the major causes of salinity and water logging:

Seepage of canal water into the ground
Uneven fields
Old and traditional methods of irrigation
Repetition of same crops

Measure took by the Government to control the problems of salinity and water logging:

The Government of Pakistan has taken the following measures to control the problems of salinity and water logging:

By the installation of tube-wells. The water table goes down. The water obtained by tube wells brings a decrease in water logging
The banks of canals and water channels are strengthened so that water may not seep into the ground.
Introducing a proper system of irrigation fields.
Establishment of laboratories for water and soil testing
Training and counselling of farmers

Deforestation:

For the mild climate in a country, 20 t0 25 per cent of its total area must consist of forests. But in our country, there are forests only 5 percent of its total area. No increase has been seen in forests since long. There are many reasons for the shortage in forests. Some important reasons are given below:

Excessive cutting of trees
Increase in wood timber needs due to increasing in population.
Increase in salinity and water logging
Diseases of trees
Decrease in rainfall
Breaking out of fires in forests
Environmental pollution
Shortage in river water

The decrease in forests given rise to the following problems:

A decrease in the income of the government
Increase in soil erosion
Climatic changes
Decrease in water shortage capacity of dams due to sedimentation
Decrease in wildlife
Deterioration in environmental beauty and attraction
Increase in environmental pollution

Steps Taken by the Government:

The Government is striving hard to increase the area of the forests. The Government takes many steps every year. Some of them are given below:

Tree plantation campaign is launched twice a year.
Government imports various kinds of seeds. Nurseries are grown with the help of these seeds and plants are provided to the people to create the trend of growing trees.

Desertification:

Allah Almighty has blessed Pakistan with the wealth of fertile land but the fertile in changing into deserts. Following are some of the important reasons for this decrease.

When we grow the same crops on a piece of land repeatedly, it lessens its fertility. Due to it, the land becomes barren and turns into desert.
Due to expensive grazing in the fields, the vegetation is uprooted, and it changes land into desert.
The use of poor methods of cultivation; cutting of trees; rapidly increasing soil erosion are also causing of desertification.
Salinity, water logging and fast-growing population are also a cause of turning natural land into deserts.
When forests are cut down to construct buildings, factories and roads, the natural land suffers a lot.
When natural land is not properly cared for it, it turns into deserts.

Environmental Pollution and its Types of Pollution:

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes changes in many ways. The pure and natural environment is inevitable for the proper growth of all living organisms on the earth. The increase in the human population is directly proportional to the increase of human needs of life. It means the more human population; the more human needs will be there. This is creating problems like environmental pollution.

Types of Environmental Pollution:

Air Pollution
Water Pollution
Soil Pollution
Noise Pollution

Air Pollution:

Pure air is essential for all the creatures and vegetations. But with every passing day, it is becoming harder and harder to get pure air. Some important causes of air pollution are given below:

Smoke:

It includes the smoke rising from the factories, houses, vehicles, brick kilns, fire, and cigarettes.

Harmful Gases:

These include chemical fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides sprayed at home and such gases coming out of factories and vehicles are injurious to health.

Dust:

It includes winds, cyclones and small dust particles that are blown into the air.

Water Pollution:

Like air, water is also an essential element for life. Although three fourth of our earth is covered with water, yet according to research, only 3 percent of it is drinkable. Day by day, water is becoming polluted. Some important causes of this pollution are as under.

The polluted water of houses and industries is released into rivers and canals. It had a biocidal effect on crops as well as aquatic life.
The polluted water of the houses, through the sewerage system, seeps into the ground and pollutes the underground water.
The drainage water is released into rivers and canals. It polluted the water.
When pesticides are sprayed on crops, they are absorbed into the ground. This also makes the underground water polluted.
Various kinds of chemical fertilizers are used for agricultural purposes. They are absorbed into the ground to make underground water polluted.

Effects of Water Pollution:

Water Pollution is increasing the disease in open areas. The number of patients is increasing day by day because people are suffering from the diseases caused by water pollution such as cholera, hepatitis, typhoid, skin diseases, eye diseases and many other diseases. Water pollution is not only harmful to human beings but also the aquatic life. It may associate with fishing.

2. Soil Pollution:

Major causes of this pollution are as under:

Releasing used water of houses and factories
Spraying pesticides on crops and using chemical fertilizers
A natural disaster such as earthquakes and floods etc
Salinity and water logging
Heaps of domestic and industrial wastage

Effects of Soil Pollution:

Soil Pollution may pose a serious threat to food production. The world may suffer from the shortage of food. Fast increasing soil pollution is much harmful to the crops, forests, and wildlife.

3. Noise Pollution:

Unnecessary and unwanted sound is called noise. The noise produced by buses, wagons, cars, rickshaws, aircrafts, drums, hawkers, loud-speakers, different types of horns, machines and other types of noise is increasing noise pollution day by day. This type of pollution is more in cities as compared to villages.

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