Introduction
The term environmental degradation as defined by Dippman (2012) is the introduction into the environment of foreign substances in quantities or concentration that are either too great for natural process to dissipate in a reasonable time or so great as to cause undesirable change in the physical, chemical and biological composition of the environment.
Environmental degradation refers to accidental or deliberate reduction in the quality of the environment and the alteration of its natural constituents through wide range activities including the release of toxic and non-toxic substances into the environment by way of pollution or contamination.
Environmental degradation has led to the pollution of water in water bodies meant for human consumption and other domestic purposes. This pollution occurs by washing of poisonous chemical substances e.g. fertilizers, pesticides, oil spillage, etc. into such water bodies. The deposition of these poisonous substances and other subsequent washing into the water bodies also kill aquatic lives meant for human consumption.
Environmental degradation has caused great damages to man and his environment by destroying the aesthetic nature of soil (land) thereby causing loss of lives and properties to man. As a result of man’s activities which include exploration of the earth resources in the natural state of the environment is constantly degraded and altered. In the words of Umoru (2009), this could lead to various types of disasters like earthquakes, excessive heat, drought, etc.
Environmental degradation has been one of the serious environmental hazards that affect lives, health and properties of the people. Instead of man enjoying the environment, he rather endures it. This calls for an urgent and proper attention, the need to control the activities of man that might predispose man to ill health conditions. It should be noted that without water, soil (land) plant cannot survive and without plant, life cannot be sustained by man or animals. Therefore, man contributes to his problem due to his carelessness.
Concept of environmental degradation
Environmental degradation is one of the ten threats officially cautioned by the high level panel of the United Nation. The World Resource Institutes (WRI), UNDP (United Nation Development Program) etc. have made public an important report on health and the environmental worldwide (Russel, 2008). The United Nation International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (2012) defined environmental degradation as the reduction of the capacity of the environment to meet social, ecological objectives and needs. Dippman (2012) defined environmental degradation as the introduction into the environment any foreign substances in quantity or concentration that one either to create for natural processes to dissipate in a reasonable time or are so great to cause undesirable change in the physical, chemical and biological environment.
Rhodes (2010), opined that the unwanted by-product of man in attempt to improve the standard of living, have contributed largely to the degradation of the environment (soil, water and land).
Causes of environmental degradation
Katkam (2008) stated that the primary cause of environmental degradation is human disturbance and that the degree of the environmental impact varies with the cause, the inhabitants, plants and animals that inhabit it. The causes are as follows:
Habitat fragmentation
According to Russel (2008), habitat fragmentation causes long term environmental impact; some of which can destroy the entire ecosystem in a distinct unit and includes the entire living and non-living element that resides within it. Plants and animals are obviously members, but it will also include other components in which they rely on such as stream, lake and soil.
Habitat becomes fragmented when development breaks up solid stretches of land; example includes road which cut through forest. While it may not sound all bad on the surface, some weed are so invasive and aggressive that they are declared noxious of federal or state government to prevent them from destroying unspoiled areas of the cultivation even sales of noxious weeds is prohibited by law.
Water and air pollution
Unfortunately, this is the most common cause of environmental degradation, and pollution which introduces contaminant into the environment that can maim or even kill plant and animal species. The two often go hand to hand (Aneke, 2007).
Acid rain
According to Rhodes (2010), acid rain occurs when sulphur dioxide from coal plant emission combines with moisture present in air. A chemical reaction creates acid precipitation. Acid rain can acidify and pollute lakes and streams, which cause similar effect to soil.
United State Environmental Protection Agency (2007) opined that acid rain causes acidification of lakes and streams and so contribute to the damage of trees at high elevation for example red spruce trees above 2000 feet which may be sensitive to forest soils. In addition, acid rain accelerates the decay of building materials, paint including irreplaceable buildings status and sculptures that are part of our nation’s cultural heritage.
Oxides of compounds and their particulate matter, derivative-sulphates and nitrates contribute to visibility degradation and which also harm public health.
Agricultural water run-off
It is a deadly source of pollution which can degrade the environment so much that the United State Environmental Protection Agency (2007) identifies agriculture as the primary source of water pollution.
Surface water washes over the soil into lakes and streams and when it does, it carries land into water source obviously introducing poisons into waterways which will have direct consequences. Fertilizers carry equal risk.
Fertilizers containing large amount of phosphorus can cause explosion of algae in lakes. As the algae dies which now develop into a situation where bacteria are using up the available dissolved oxygen in the water, plant, fish and other organism begins to die off. The water becomes a dead zone with a condition so toxic that neither plant nor animal can live in these environments (Asiodu, 2010).
Urban development
John (2006) discovered that urban development is a primary curse of environmental degradation. As pollution increases so did the need for land, for home and farms. Wetlands are drained and prairies are blown all over. Today less than 50 percent of the nation’s wetlands still exist and only one fifth of the nation’s prairies remain.
Environmental degradation is one of the most urgent of environmental issues. Depending upon the damages, environment never recovers. The plant and animal which inhabit this place will be lost forever. In order to reduce any fatal impact, city planners, industries and resource managers most consider the long term effect of development on the environment and how degradation can be prevented.
Konrad (2008) discovered that over the past century the United States has become an increasingly urban society. The change in land associated with urban development affect flooding in many ways, removing vegetations and soil, grading the land surface and constructing the drainage network which increases runoff to streams from rainfall and snow melt. As a result of this the peak discharges of volume and frequency of flood which increases in nearby streams. Changes to stream channels can limit their capacity to convey flood waters. Roads and buildings constructed in flood prone areas are exposed to increase flood hazard including undulation and erosion. As new development continues, information about stream flow and how it is affected by land use can help communities to reduce their current and future vulnerability to flood.
Oil spillage
Asiodu (2010) discovered that oil spillage have affected many people and industries; they affect both the economy and environment. Some of the mostly affected are marine life, local industries (often tourist industries), fishing industries, etc. People immediately think of birds and fish as being species affected by an oil spillage. More than 3 million metric tons of oil contaminates the sea every year. Majority of the oil pollutions in the ocean comes from land, runoff and wastes from cities, industries and rivers which carries oil into the ocean. Ships cause about a third of oil pollution into the ocean when they wash out their tanks or dump their bilge water. It is an unfortunate bye-product of the storage and transportation of oil, and petroleum is the occasional spill.
John (2006) discovered also that oil is the most common pollutant in the ocean. Some birds die because they have ingested oil. However, more commonly the birds get drown because they cannot get out of the water stave because there is no food left for them. The fishes because they have been poisoned by the oil or loss too much body heat due to the damage of their plumage by the oil. Some marine mammals and reptiles such as dolphins, whales and turtles are very vulnerable to oil spillage because they have to be able to get to the surface to breathe and the reptiles also need to have the water to breed. The layer of oil makes surfacing difficult and the animals drown. Oil spillage poses great threat on animals, plants and humans, such as posing hazard to man through eating contaminated sea food which decreases fisheries resources as mention before.
Indiscriminate disposal of hazardous waste
Gadget (2007) discovered that industries have become an essential part of modern society and waste production is an inevitable outcome of the developmental activities. A material becomes waste when it is discarded without expecting to be compensated for its inherent value. These waste way pose a potential hazard to the humans health or the environment (soil, air and water) when improperly treated, stored, transported, dispose off or managed. Some of these hazardous waste such as hospital waste and industrial waste, when they are not well treated and indiscriminately disposed off, they are being washed down into streams thereby rendering the stream unfit for drinking purpose, for recreation or for the support of aquatic life.
Human activities
The United State Global Change Research (2007) discovered that burning of coal, oil and natural gas, as well deforestation and various agricultural and industrial practices, are altering the composition of the atmosphere and contributing to climate change. These humans’ activities have led to increased atmospheric concentration of a number of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbon and ozone in the lower part of the atmosphere.
Russel (2008) also opined that methane (natural gas) is the second most important of the greenhouse gases resulting from human activities. It is produce by rice cultivation, cattle and sheep ranching, and by decaying materials in landfills. Methane is also emitted during coal mining, oil drilling and by leaky pipelines. Human activities have increased the concentration of methane in the atmosphere by about 145% above what would be present naturally.
Effect of environmental degradation
Water pollution and water scarcity
As per the estimation of the United Nations, more than two million death and billions of illness a year are attributed to water pollution and water scarcity compound this health problem. Productivity is affected by the cost of providing site water by constraint on economic activities cause by water shortage on either environmental resources such as decline in fishery and aquifer depletion leading to irreversible compaction (Odu, 2006).
Air pollution
According to the United States Environmental Health Agency (2010), exposure to air pollution is associated with numerous effects on human health, including pulmonary, cardiovascular and neurological impairments.
The health effect varies greatly from person to person. High-risk groups such as the elderly, infant, pregnancy women and the sufferers from chronic heart and lungs diseases are more susceptible to air pollution related diseases. Children are at greater risk because they are generally more active outdoors and their lungs are still developing.
Francis (2006) opined that the health effect caused by air pollutant may range from subtle biochemical and physical changes to difficulty in breathing, wheezing, coughing and aggravation of existing respiratory and cardiac conditions. This effect can result in increased medication use, increased doctor or emergency room visits, more hospital admissions and even premature death.
Deforestation
Deforestation makes soil prone to erosion by agent such as wind and water (Panaroma, 2006). The root of the tree holding the particle of soil together thus prevents the top fertile soil from being carried away. Soil erosion leads to loss of productivity of the land due to loss of mineral nutrient and soil micro-organisms. All other animals need forests as their habitats. These forests do not only provide a place for the animal to roam all day but also provide their food and act as a source of protection from predators through camouflage. Destruction of the animal habitats literally kills the animals.
Also medicinal plants that could be used for the treatment for various ailments are being destroyed. Hurricanes and storms are liable to occur as a result of these cutting down of forest trees which could have acted as wind breakers.
Solid and hazardous wastes
Khan (2008) discovered that hazardous waste, which are solid, liquid and gaseous wastes that can cause death, illness, injury to people or destruction to the environment if improperly treated, stored, transportation or discarded. Substances are considered hazardous waste if they are ignitable, corrosive, reactive or toxic, mixtures, residues or materials containing hazardous wastes which are also considered hazardous wastes. Many dangerous substances can be use only with special precaution that decreases their risk.
Atmospheric change
Ozone depletion is responsible perhaps 300,000 additional cases of skin cancer. A year ago, 1.7 million cases of cataract were recorded. Global warming may lead to increase in the risk of climatic natural disaster. Productivity impact may include sea rise damage to coastal investment, regional change in agricultural productivity and disruption of the main food chain. Other effects include loss of biodiversity and the deforestation (Asiodu, 2010).
Soil degradation
According to McGruill (2005), soil degradation often affects productivity through the depletion of plant nutrient. Excessive leaching of cat ions involve in buffering soil PH may result in soil acidification, changing the solubility and thus availability of certain nutrient to plants. Misuse of soil can also result in concentration of chemicals that are toxic to plant. Others may include loss of lives, properties and cause famine.
Hazards associated with environmental degradation
Russel (2008) stated that individuals living in an area where source of drinking is contaminated are sure to suffer from intestinal diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid fever, helminthes, vomiting and a host of other diseases.
They went further to cite example of immolation in Japan where there was mercury poisoning which was discharge into rivers from PVC. Manufacturing industries thereby contaminate the water bodies, rendering it unsafe for aquatic lives and for human consumption.
Prevention and control of environmental degradation
Abudu (2006) stated that environmental degradation can be prevented and managed by taking the following steps.
- Pollution effects may be unpredictable but pollution event such as water and land degradation are unpredictable whether they are caused accidentally, therefore require rapid response. Scientists should always be available in Niger Delta region and they should be trained in the areas relevant to environmental degradation control and management.
- Community education and integration is necessary to increase awareness among people of the dangers of deliberate cause of environmental degradation (land and water).
- Environmental friendly policies are required to repair all degradable habitats and communities through rehabilitation of province program project and establishment of new once.
- Implementation of total discharge quantity control programme application of lifecycle control and recycle economy should be adjusted to improve the environmental management within the enterprise.
- Afforestation should also be encouraged through the plant a tree principles.
References
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