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ENS 121: Environmental Studies and Disaster Management Dr. YASHASVI THAKUR (Lecture 1: Environmental Studies: Definition, scope and importance) Environment The term environment has been derived from a French word “Environia” means to surround, The air, water, and Land in or on which people, animals, and plants live (Cambridge dictionary) The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plank lives or operates (Oxford dictionary) The aggregate of surrounding things, conditions, or influences; surroundings; milieu (dictionary.com) Environment can be defined as a sum total of all the living and non-living elements and their effects that influence human Life. While all Living or biotic elements are animals, plants, forests, fisheries, and birds,. non-living or abiotic elements include water, Land, sunlight, rocks, and air, Environmental Protection Act (19%6) defined “Environment as the sum total of water, air and Land, their interrelationship among themselves and with the human beings, other living beings and property.” Elements of Environment eo Environment is constituted by the interacting systems of physical, biological and cultural elements inter-related in various ways, individually as well as collectively, These elements are: (1) Physical Elements: Physical elements are space, Landforms, water bodies, climate, soils, rocks and minerals, They determine the variable character of the human habitak, its opportunities as well as Limitations. (2) Biological Elements: Biological elements such as plants, animals, microorganisms and men constitute the biosphere. (3) Cultural Elements: Cultural elements such as economical, social and political elements are essentially man- made features, which make the cultural background, Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Sciences Oceanography Geology Anthropology Archaeology Guiding Principles of Environmental Studies e (a) Environmental education should be compulsory, right from the primary up to the post graduate stage. o (b) Environmental education should have an interdisciplinary approach 4 including physical, chemical, biological as well as socio-cultural aspects the environment. It should build a bridge between biology and technology, oe (c) Environmental education should take into account the historical perspective, the current and the potential historical issues, (A) Environmental education should emphasise the importance of sustainable development i.e., economic development without degrading the environment, e (e) Environmental education should emphasise the necessity of seeking international cooperation im environmental planning. o (fF) Environmental education should lay more stress on practical activities ahd first hand experiences, Scope of Environmental Studies o The scope of environmental studies is very wide and it deals with many areas Like: i) Conservation of natural resources, ti) ecological aspects, iii) pollution of the surrouhding natural resources, iv) controlling the pollution, v) social issues connected to ik, and vi) impacts of human population on the environment, 1, Developing an awareness and sensitivity to the total environment and its related problems, 2. Motivating people for active participation in environmental protection and i a 3, Developing skills for active identification and development of solutions to environmental problems, 4. Imbibe and inculcate the necessity for conservation of natural resources. $. Evaluation of environmental programmes in terms of social, economic, ecological and aesthetic factors. Significance of Environmental Studies ° 1, Environment Issues are being of Global Level © 2, Development and Environment e 3. Explosive Increase in Population Need for an Alkernakive Solution e It is essential, especially for developing countries to find alternative paths to an alternative goal. We need a goal as under: 1. A true goal of development with an environmentally sound and sustainable development, 2. A goal common to all citizens of our planet earth, 3. A goal distant from the developing world in the manner it is from the over-consuming wasteful societies of the “developed” world, 
