Sustainable Systems: Environmental Issues, EIA Process, Strategies

SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS
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Table of Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3
1. Identification of environmental issues in Australia............................................................................3
2. Examination of EIA process conducted in NSW Australia................................................................5
3. Location.............................................................................................................................................8
4. Development of new strategy and planning to overcome the environmental issues in Australia.....10
Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................13
Reference List......................................................................................................................................15
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Introduction
It is well notified by one and all; that the environmental conditions are degrading with each passing
day and this study explores this with respect to Australia. It is this part of the world that has been
facing a lot of environmental issues and is ardently looking for ways to curb them. The purpose
behind this research is to explore these issues, and relate them with the climatic changes with lining
down certain steps to tackle these concerns to ensure a safe environment to reside in. An analysis of
this contextual study has further paved path to lay down the steps to control these issues. And this
was done by investigating the factors effecting the Australian environment and the adverse impact of
the same on the climate. An understanding is perceived on the significance of these conditions on the
climate and solutions are reached by observing and studying the drastic climatic change.
1. Identification of environmental issues in Australia
A team of well educated and experienced researchers undertook the task of identifying the
environmental issues in Australia. Their study, to everyone’s amazement rendered some of the
shocking reasons behind these environmental challenges. They identified an array of these problems
with focusing mainly on those which are considered to be most influential in this case. To state the
same, the underwritten content will help to interpret the main two issues that are bothersome to this
country:
I. Overgrazing and Agricultural clearing
The country has witnessed a high frequency of agricultural clearing activities. And it has been found
that it is because of these clearing activities for agricultural purposes, that the country is facing a
huge problem. There has been marked a great removal of Australia’s primitive vegetation to serve
the purpose of producing main agricultural lands. And the stats report the percentage to be 13% of
the original vegetation that was erased since European settlement found its base here (Elaw.org,
2019). This percentage seems to increase drastically as the country faces the pressure to produce
more economically through agriculture. In tandem to this issue there is another problem of
overgrazing that has become a serious issue from environmental point of view.
This poses a grave threat to the Australian biodiversity. It is the collective activities of grazing and
agriculture that have changed the green grasslands dramatically. The wide open woods are
transformed to an extent that the wild life is getting adversely affected. The researchers have found
that less than 2% of the original grassland has remained as it otherwise they have changed beyond
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one’s imagination. The problem of overgrazing has laid foundation for a string of problems like that
of erosion, desertification and spread of invasive plants.
II. Deforestation
This is the second biggest environmental issue that Australia is facing in the current time. With the
increased cutting down of the forests, the salinity of the soil is also increasing tremendously. The
drainage of such waters into the down slope area is affecting the water quality. The study has found
that 7% of the agricultural grounds in Western Australia are facing this problem. Also, it has been
found that the soil quality that has gotten affected is very difficult to be recovered (Epa.wa.gov.au,
2019). This is costing the government $1 billion yearly affecting the economic budget to maintain
the environmental balance.
Other than these two, there are others like the issues of pollution, infrastructure development,
introduction of exotic species; illegal fishing and overfishing, etc. that seem to have presented
serious environmental issues in Australia.
Impact of these issues on the climate change in Australia
These environmental issues are affecting the coastal areas’ life. Short spanned weather cycles are
causing river flooding, sea fluctuations, coastal inundation, and some acute events in the continent.
All these address risks not only to the people having their households in these areas but also varied
businesses of infrastructure, water energy, tourism and fishing are getting severely affected. The city
people are facing problems of temperature rise, which acts as a catalyst to bushfire. The coastal areas
have become more prone to cyclones and storms now. Different natural ecosystems and biodiversity
are becoming vulnerable as a result. Other industries of agriculture, fisheries and forests are also
confronting some of the serious risks with the change in the weather. The rain rate has fallen down
with loss of grasslands in the country (Planning.nsw.gov.au, 2019). The livestock are at higher risks
of low productivity along with facing the heat stress. Not only the rainfall has shifted its cycle but
resultantly and gradually, the groundwater is reported to become vulnerable to the climatic
variations. The rise in the temperature and heat is resulting in contamination of water, algal
outbreaks and acidic soil situations.
These changed weather conditions, water quality; environmental heat levels etc have an unpleasant
influence on human health. In the last 10 years, the mortality rate has increased due to variable
environmental changes. These changes are also posing challenge for the government’s potential to
cope with these mentioned risks.
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