Key Terms
Sustainable development is concerned with meeting the needs of the present while ensuring that progress will be able to continue into the future. This inevitably means that the human and especially the natural environment is not destroyed. Many economic activities necessitate some sort of disturbance to the natural environment and therein lies the problem. Governments all over the world often grapple with fulfilling the basic needs of their populations and developing their economies, while trying to preserve the natural environment. However, for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) such as those of the Caribbean, the challenge increases exponentially due our small size, vulnerable economies and growing populations. Most modern economies therefore have ministries that treat specifically with the issues of sustainable development and conservation. We as geographers need to be aware of the unique challenges that different types of economic activities pose to the natural environment.
- Environmental degradation is the process whereby the quality of natural resources such as air, water, soil and or wildlife is diminished, particularly through the introduction of harmful substances into the environment.
- Pollution occurs when there is a change or disruption to the environment by a foreign substance, the source of which may be natural or human derived.
- Contamination occurs when the depletion of the environment is caused by a human-derived substance which is introduced it.
- Preservation and conservation are sometimes used interchangeably but in popular use with respect to environmental issues, preservation indicates that a resource should be kept as far as possible in its original state. We use the word "preserve" when we often refer to endangered species of flora and fauna as well as their habitats.
- Conservation emphasizes the wise use and management of resources such as water and soil. It acknowledges that some exploitation of the resource is necessary, however it seeks to ensure that future generations also benefit from it. There is really no hard and fast rule for these two terms and often they are used all over the place. Therefore the important thing to remember here is the context in which it is used.
Sustainable development is concerned with meeting the needs of the present while ensuring that progress will be able to continue into the future. This inevitably means that the human and especially the natural environment is not destroyed. Many economic activities necessitate some sort of disturbance to the natural environment and therein lies the problem. Governments all over the world often grapple with fulfilling the basic needs of their populations and developing their economies, while trying to preserve the natural environment. However, for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) such as those of the Caribbean, the challenge increases exponentially due our small size, vulnerable economies and growing populations. Most modern economies therefore have ministries that treat specifically with the issues of sustainable development and conservation. We as geographers need to be aware of the unique challenges that different types of economic activities pose to the natural environment.
Task: Answer the following questions for practice.
- Describe one way in which agricultural activities can cause water pollution.
- Identify one strategy to minimize soil exhaustion due to agriculture.
- What type of farming may lead to gully and sheet erosion?
- Describe one effect of deforestation on the environment.
- How can quarrying lead to land degradation?
- Describe one way in which Caribbean governments have tried to mitigate the negative effects of traditional tourism on the environment.
- Where can dust originate from and how does it effect the environment.
- List three types of pollution.
- Define 'urban smog'.
- What is the connection between the ozone layer and human activities?
See if you can guess the correct answers for these flashcards!