Rapid population increase, poverty and urbanisation are some of the social factors underlying environmental degradation. Transportation and agricultural industrialisation are also factors, economic factors, which have an underlying cause of environmental degradation.
Warthog recognises that environmental degradation is a result of the dynamic inter play of socio-economic and institutional. In simple terms, underlying causes are the indirect factors that influence changes in the environment. Such changes are said to be environmental degradation when they negatively affect the environment.
Population increase is an important source of development. A population whose composition ratio is of more people between the ages of 15 and 65 has a comparative advantage on productivity because it reposits a viable labour reserve.
On the other hand, rapid population increase is a major source of environmental degradation when it exceeds the carrying capacity of the support systems.
Population explosion impacts on the environment primarily through the use of natural resources and production of wastes and is associated with environmental stresses like loss of biodiversity, air and water pollution and increased pressure on arable land.
Another underlying cause of environmental degradation is poverty. Poverty is said to be both a cause and an effect of environmental degradation. The cyclic link between poverty and the environment is an extremely complex phenomenon.
Poor people rely on natural resources more than the rich and they have no real prospects of gaining access to other types of resources.
As a result they are more likely to deplete natural resources faster. Moreover, a degraded environment can accelerate the process of impoverishment. That is because the poor depend directly on natural assets and with all natural resources gone, their livelihood is compromised.
Poverty still remains a problem at the root of several environmental problems.
Despite the efforts being made to reduce poverty, Zambia still remains among countries most hit by poverty with an approximate rate of 68 perc cent.
Lack of opportunities for gainful employment in villages and the ecological stresses are leading to an ever increasing movement of poor families to towns. This leads to the emerging and expansion of urban slums.
Such rapid and unplanned expansion of urban settlements has resulted in degradation of urban environments. I
t has widened the gap between demand and supply of infrastructural services such as energy, housing, transport, communication, education, water supply and sewerage and recreational amenities, thus depleting the precious environmental resource base of the cities.
The result is the growing trend in deterioration of air and water quality, generation of wastes, the proliferation of slums and undesirable land use changes, all of which contribute to urban poverty.
Economic factors underlying environmental degradation are complex. Warthog here only highlights a few.
Transport activities are some of economic activities exerting pressure on the environment.
They have a wide variety of effects on the environment such as air pollution, noise pollution from road traffic as well as water and land pollution caused by oil spills from industrial haulage. The transport infrastructure in Zambia has expanded considerably in terms of network and services.
Thus, road transport accounts for a major share of pollution load in cities such as Lusaka.
Industrialisation of agriculture is one other economic factor that has an underlying effect on the environment.
The spread of green revolution around the world has been accompanied by over exploitation of land and water resources, and use of fertilizers and pesticides have increased many fold. Leaching from extensive use of pesticides and fertilizers is an important source of contamination of water bodies. Intensive agriculture and irrigation contribute to land degradation particularly soil erosion, land salination, alkalisation and loss of soil nutrients.
Institutional Factors are arguably play the most critical role in environmental degradation.
The Ministry of Lands, Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Environment is responsible for protection, conservation and development of environment. The Ministry works in close collaboration with other Ministries, Governments department and agencies etc.
These institutions are the custodians of initiatives, innovations and measures that will either harm or protect the environment. Research has shown that when the institutions tasked with environmental protection are not effective in their operations, chances are that environmental degradation will occur.
Yes, there are many factors that have an indirect bearing on environmental degradation some of which Warthog has not mentioned here. It is worth noting that to effectively address an environmental issue at any level, whether regional or national, would require addressing the identified underlying cause.
Wildlife & Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia
P.O. Box 30255, Lusaka, Zambia.
Telefax: 260-211-251630, Cell: 0977-780770
E-mail: wecsz@coppernet.zm