A brief discussion on Environmental Geography

Earth- the Blue Planet, being the only planet in our solar system to support life, needs to be taken well care of. Humans have been fulfilling their needs selfishly from Mother Earth since their genesis without even thinking for a moment of how greatly the whole ecosystem is being affected. Thus, in the process, humans and other living beings are being affected too. Like it takes a lot of time and investment to build a mansion; similarly, it takes a lot of time to get the lost natural resources back again. So, it’s very important to understand the past mistakes made by humans in order to build a safer and greener future for the upcoming generations through the proper study of Environmental Geography.

Geography 

Geography and environment are the study of the human-dwelling world along with the humans living on the Earth in several places; their environment and the various landscapes surrounding them. It is divided into three parts-

• Physical Geography
• Human Geography
• Environmental Geography
• Physical Geography 

Physical Geography is that division of Geography which includes the study of the natural resources on Earth like the various landforms (hills, mountains, plateaus, valleys), water bodies (rivers, lakes, seas, oceans), flora, fauna and natural disasters (volcanoes, earthquakes, cyclones, tsunamis).

• Human Geography 

Human Geography is the study of humans; their population, lifestyle, occupation, food habits; and crop cultivation according to the regions being dwelt in; as well as their birth and death rate.

• Environmental Geography 

Environmental Geography is the discipline which goes on to explain the effects of humans on their environment as well as the impact of the environment on humans. Basically, one can study the interrelationship & interdependence between the living beings and their surrounding environment. 

Environmental Geography Meaning

The term ‘Geography’ comes from the Greek word ‘Geo’ meaning ‘Earth’ and ‘graphy’ meaning ‘description or writing’. The term ‘Environment’ comes from the French word ‘Environia’ meaning ‘to surround’. It refers to the two types of environments;

• Biotic Environment
• Abiotic Environment

Biotic Environment includes the living environment whereas Abiotic Environment includes the non-living or physical environment.

Geography & Environment 

Environmental Geography is a mixture of both the disciplines, that is, Physical and Human Geography. It is good to use the resources coming from the environment but over-exploitation of anything leads to doom. Time and again, humans have witnessed the consequences of misuse of power leading them to learning to inculcate the values of the three Rs-

• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle.

The various kinds of environmental problems faced by humans for their own consequences are-

Being the protective layer in the Stratosphere, the Ozone layer protects the living beings on Earth from the harmful UV (Ultraviolet) rays of the Sun. The UV rays have the capacity to cause permanent blindness, cataract, sunburn, skin cancer in all living beings. With the emerging population, the needs of humans too have increased. Most people own individual AC cars, separate houses which means separate ACs and refrigerators leading to the release of CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons)- also known as one of the ODSs (Ozone Depleting Substances). Through the process of photo-dissociation, the atoms from the ODSs are released in the Stratosphere leading to catalysing the breakdown of ozone (O3) into oxygen (O2). It was first observed in 1982. After much depletion, the production of ODSs was banned in 1989. Ozone layer has been stabilised by the middle of 1990s and recovered in the 2000s.

There is a huge connection between the ozone layer depletion and global warming. The global temperature has risen up since the industrial revolution. It mainly occurs when increased carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere absorbs and traps the heat on Earth itself without letting it escape. The greenhouse gases are the heat-trapping pollutants, which include-

• Carbon dioxide
• Methane
• Nitrous oxide
• Water vapour
• Synthetic fluorinated gases

These gases lead to the greenhouse effect leading to global warming as well.

Climate change has occurred several times, especially due to global warming, which led to the melting of polar ice caps and submergence of various low land areas under water affecting the living beings in and around the marine and coastal ecosystem. This in turn led to the change of the food habit of the living organisms. There are water shortages due to frequent droughts, heavier rainfalls and disastrous hurricanes.

The deforestation has led to the damage of the forest ecosystem of both the flora and fauna greatly. It also led to climate change threatening humans with the scarcity of food and water leading to migration and economic loss as well.

Environmental health refers to the impacts of humans on the health of the environment as well as the impact of the environment on human health in turn. Environmental Geography makes significant contributions to comprehending the environmental conditions in various places and their effects on human health.

Conclusion

Currently, the humans are at stake dealing with the various variants of the novel coronavirus- Covid-19. This in a way is aiding the humans to deal with it slowly but taking away the lives of many in the process. All living beings adapt themselves to the changes happening in and around them. The body adapts itself slowly to the changes around it trying to recognize and fight against the foreign particles. Thus, in a way, humans and environment are codependent on each other as humans need to conserve nature in order to survive for a longer period.