Analysis of Human Activities and Environmental Consequences: A Review

This report examines the significant impact of human activities on the environment, highlighting key issues such as deforestation, climate change, and pollution. It explores how factors like population growth, land use changes, and emissions have led to decreased water quality, resource depletion, and ecosystem degradation. The report discusses the link between deforestation and the spread of infectious diseases, including examples like malaria and the Nipah virus outbreak. It also addresses the effects of climate change, including rising temperatures and melting glaciers. The report suggests mitigation methods at both individual and organizational levels, emphasizing the importance of sustainable practices like public transportation, reduced fertilizer use, and energy conservation to combat these adverse effects. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for institutional and policy changes to slow down and reverse the negative impacts on the environment.

Study of Human Bearing on Environment: A Review of Causes and
Resolutions
Changes in climatic patterns and conducts of animal forms have been observed from time to
time. These changes have become more prominent in the recent past. In the current paper, a
study of environmental impacts of human activities has been done to identify the various
issues arising out of such impacts. After identifying major issues, their resolution and
mitigation methods are suggested which need to be incorporated on individual and
organisational levels.
Introduction
Human activities have profoundly impacted the environment in many ways which
include decreased water quality, depletion of natural resources, increased pollution and
greenhouse gas emissions, and contribution to global climate change [1]. These changes have
been made either by direct intervention of human activities or by indirectly. Few concerning
factors like growing human population densities, intensified land-use, invasive species,
often linked to changes in habitat heterogeneity, increasing habitat fragmentation and limited
dispersal capacities are threatening ecosystems world-wide. According to the findings of the
report by [2], humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively over the last
few dacades than in any comparable periods of time largely to meet rapidly growing demands
for food, fresh water, timber, fiber, and fuel. Growth in human populations and prosperity
has not only resulted into increased conversion of natural ecosystems to agricultural,
industrial, or residential use, but also into increased demand for ecosystem inputs, as
well as increased pressure on the capacity of natural ecosystems to assimilate our waste,
including air and water pollution as well as solid waste[3]. More recently, two other

factors have proven devastating to populations and ecosystems: pathogen pollution, and
global environmental change linked to climate. Even though the human populace have
traversed major economic feats but these gains have been achieved at growing costs in the
form of the degradation of many ecosystem services, increased risks of nonlinear changes,
and the aggravation of poverty for some groups of people.
Major Environmental Issues
Two major areas of concern that have caught the attention of public health and
conservation arenas are deforestation and climate change. It has been noted that
environmental instabilities affect the ecological balances of hosts of diseases and pathogens.
One such cause is the deforestation. The World Health Organization has recorded over 36
new emerging infectious diseases since 1976, many of which, particularly malaria and
dengue, are the direct result of landscape influencing the ecology of disease[4]. In case of
mosquito borne diseases like malaria and dengue, deforestation reduces the diversity of the
mosquitos. Yet the surviving species are found to transmit diseases more effectively. This
has been observed in all areas of high malaria risk – the Thailand, East Africa, Amazon and
Indonesia. There are other prominent ways in which deforestation has affected the spread of
human infectious diseases. One example is the outbreak of Nipah virus infections in
Malaysia, 1998-99. Here it was found that, loss of forest cover made bats move to mango
trees surrounding large pig farms at the edge of forests. Pigs consumed bat feces and fallen
fruits infected with bat saliva and contracted Nipah virus for which fruit bat is a vector. This
was passed onto humans resulting in fatalities [4].
A second major environmental impact is the climate change. According to the US
Environmental Protection agency, the increase in temperature around the globe can largely be
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attributed to human activities leading to emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gas [1]. This increase in temperature has led to changes in where a certain flora and fauna
could be found. Another impact of increase in temperatures is the melting of glaciers. Melting
of glaciers releases water that causes a significant rise in sea levels which threaten coastal
communities and dependent economies. The first World Climate Conference held in 1979 in
Geneva also identified leading causes of global warming as increased concentrations of
carbon dioxides[5]. Succeeding Climate Conferences have reviewed the initiatives taken in
the first Conference and this has helped in reduction of green house gases to a large extent.
Suggestions
It has been widely observed and concurred that these effects on ecosystems, effect the
human sustainability too. These changes influence the basic material needs, global
employment and economic activity and also represent a loss of a capital asset. With these
ramifications of human activities, its imperative to undertake measures to mitigate or
completely stop activities that would result in bringing about these effects. Although it’s a
challenging task to reverse or mitigate these environmental impacts, it should be noted that
changing institutions, policies and practices can certainly slow down the adverse impacts on
environment in a longer run. However, we could still take small initiatives to control these
negative impacts like taking public transportation, biking or walking instead of driving will
reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Further, reducing the amount of fertilizer applied to lawns,
gardens and vegetables will lessen the likelihood of water pollution nearby, which is also
beneficial for drinking water and human health. Using less energy in the home can lessen the
amount of pollution put into the air by coal burning power plants. Any activity which reduces
water and energy consumption can lead to constructive impacts on our environment. Thus
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even before the changes at the planning level are made, such small initiatives would also help
in conservation of environment.
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References
[1] J. Mortonas. “Effect of Human Activities on the Environment”.
https://education.seattlepi.com/effect-human-activities-environment-3653.html (accessed
Feb. 24, 2020)
[2] “Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Synthesis”. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment,
Island Press, Washington, DC, 2005.[online] Available:
https://www.millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.356.aspx.pdf(accessed Feb. 24,
2020)
[3]V. Shende, K. Janbandhu, and K. Patil. “Impact of Human Beings on Environment”.
International Journal of Researches in Biosciences, Agriculture and Technology. 23-28, 2015.
[online] Available:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
273948259_Impact_of_Human_Beings_on_Environment
[4] G. Bodeker, 2017. “Health Care of Indigenous Peoples/Nations”. International
Encyclopedia of Public Health (Second Edition), 2017. [online]. Available :
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/human-activities-effects (accessed Feb.
24, 2020)
[5] “The First World Climate Conference”. Information Unit on Climate Change, UNEP,
1993. [online]. Available:
https://web.archive.org/web/20070928195911/http://www.cs.ntu.edu.au/homepages/jmitroy/
sid101/uncc/fs213.html (accessed Feb. 24, 2020)
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