UNIT VII

Human Population and the Environment

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, students will be able to:

  • Describe human population and the environment.
  • Explain population growth variation among nations.
  • Explain population explosion.
  • Describe family welfare programmes.
  • Define environmental and human health, human rights and value education.
  • Define HIV/AIDS women and child welfare.
  • Describe the role of information technology in the environment and human health, with case studies.

7.1 Population Growth Variation among Nations

According to an anthropological estimate, the history of human evolution and civilization is about 3 million years old. About 50,000 years ago, as a result of evolution human beings appeared in their present form (Homo-sapiens erectus). It took the world population several million years to reach one billion (in 1850 AD) and less than 100 years to double that figure.

Decrease in famine-related deaths and infant mortality rates are partially responsible for this rapid population growth. In addition, advances in public health, nutrition, sanitation and medicine have increased the life expectancy of countries worldwide. Industrialization has provided for better economies and has sustained human development. Hence, world population growth has been rapidly expanding at an exponential rate.

The total human population in 3000 BC was estimated to be 0.1 billion or 10 crore. It reached 250 to 300 million around the birth of Christ which nearly doubled to 500 million in 1650 AD that is in 1,650 years. Human population growth was slow till the 17th century. Since then there has been an exponential growth and rapid population explosion. Table 7.1 exhibits the growth of the world population.

 

Table 7.1 Growth of the World Population

YearWorld Population No.Time taken
3000 BC100 million45,000 years to reach 100 million from the origin of Homosapien erectus.
1 AD250 million≈3,000 years to grow 2.5 times.
1650 AD500 million≈1,650 years to double.
1850 AD1 billion200 years to double.
1925 AD2 billion75 years to double.
1960 AD3 billion35 years to increase by 1 billion.
1975 AD4 billion15 years to increase by 1 billion or 50 years to double.
1987 AD5 billion12 years to increase by 1 billion.
1999 AD6 billion12 years to increase by 1 billion.

A study of the geographical distribution of the world population in different continents over the last few centuries as tabulated in Table 7.2 reveals population growth variations among the nations.

 

Table 7.2 Geographical Distribution of the World Population in Different Continents

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Source: World Population: Past Growth & Present Trends (1936) Carr-Sounders, AM & Demographic Year Book, United Nations, 1995.

 

Population growth in the developing nations is faster than that in the developed world. The population growth in India, a developing country with a population of 10 billion and 2.2 per cent of the world’s land area, is very rapid. In India, 52 births occur every minute and 12 million heads are added every year. The number of births in India adds up to the population of Singapore in five weeks and that of Australia in eight months thereby posing a serious threat to the resource crisis and the ecological balance. Table 7.3 shows the population growth of India since 3000 BC.

 

Table 7.3 Population Growth of India

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Population Explosion

Population explosion throughout the world and in developing countries in particular, is increasingly threatening the global environmental balance because of the increasing environmental degradation and pollution. Over-population and overuse of resources by the technological societies are the root causes of environmental degradation and pollution. It depends on:

  1. Size of population.
  2. Per capita consumption of resources.
  3. Extent of population and degradation per unit of resources consumed.

The world population growth rate is exponentially high and rapid. The United Nations projects the world population to be 7.3–10.7 billion by 2050. The world population of 6.5 billion in 2005 is 380 million more than that of 2000, which is a gain of 76 million annually. Despite the lower fertility levels projected, the world population according to a medium variant is expected to reach 9.1 billion and would still be adding 34 million persons annually by mid-century, with fertility declining to slightly over two children per woman in 2050 from the present rate of 2.6. The projected world population in 2050 and beyond is given in Figure 7.1.

 

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Figure 7.1 Projected World Population

Very rapid population growth is expected to prevail in a number of developing countries, the majority of which are least developed. The population of the 50 least developed countries is projected to more than double, from 0.8 billion in 2005, to 1.7 billion in 2050. Growth in the rest of the developing world is also projected to be fast, though less rapid with its population likely to rise, from 4.5 billion to 6.1 billion between 2005 and 2050. Between 2005 and 2050, the population is projected to at least treble in underdeveloped countries such as Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Congo, Liberia and Uganda. During the years between 2005 and 2050, eight countries namely, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bangladesh, Uganda, United States and China listed according to the size of their contribution are likely to account for half the world’s population growth.

Because of its low and declining rate of population growth, the population of the developed countries as a whole will virtually remain constant at about 1.2 billion between 2005 and 2050. The population growth in USA at about 1 per cent or nearly 2.7 million people per year is one of the highest among the developed countries. The population of 51 developed countries including Germany, Italy, Japan and most of the successor states of former Soviet Union is expected to be lower in 2050 than it was in 2005.

The fertility rate in developed countries is projected to increase slowly from the present level of 1.56 per woman to 1.84 children per woman, between 2045 and 2050. In the least developed countries the current fertility of children per woman will dip to 2.57 children per woman by 2045–50. In the rest of the developing world, the same will be 1.92 from the current 2.57.

Global life expectancy at birth was 46 years in 1950–55 which rose to 65 years in 2000–2005 and is likely to increase to 75 years in 2045–50. In the developed countries, it is now 75 years and likely to be 82 years by 2045–50. Among the least developed countries, the life expectancy today, is less than 50 years which is likely to increase to 66 years, by 2045–50. The primary consequence of fertility decline especially in combination with increasing life expectancy is population ageing whereby the share of older persons in a population increases vis-a vis that of younger persons.

During the period 2005–2050 the net number of international migrants to more developed regions is projected to be 98 million which will result in an increase in population despite the deaths that are projected to be 73 million more than births there. In terms of annual averages projected, the major net receivers of international migrants are United States (1.1 million), Germany (204,000), Canada (201,000), UK (1, 33,000), Italy (1, 20,000) and Australia (100,000). The major donor countries are China (333,000), Mexico (304,000), India (245,000), Philippines (180,000), Pakistan (173,000) and Indonesia (168,000).

7.2 Family Welfare Programme

The family welfare programme not only covers family planning to contain population growth but also extends welfare measures to children, women, the aged, handicapped and less privileged to provide food, shelter, education, medical and developmental assistance so as to protect them from hunger, poverty, undernourishment and underdevelopment which are the consequences of population growth and overexploitation of natural resources and the environment. This is a high priority area in India. The objective of the National Family Welfare Programme, launched in 1951 in India has been ‘reducing the birth rate to the extent necessary to stabilize the population at a level consistent with the requirement of the national economy.’ In the first two Five Year Plans a ‘clinical’ approach was adopted to family welfare by providing facilities of services. In the subsequent plans, based on the 1961 census report, the ‘extension and education approach’ of family welfare through expansion of services along with the message of a small family, has been adopted.

Family Planning

To save the earth and sustain its fast-depleting resources for future generation’s, population control is extremely important. While global environmental change cannot be stopped the pace can be slowed and we may be able to reduce environmental damage and risk markedly, by prudent policy actions. Family planning programmes provide educational and medical services which help couples choose the size of their family and the timing of starting one. The size of the family is smaller in educated and economically better-off families. Illiteracy and lack of education are associated with high rate of population growth in developing and underdeveloped countries including India.

Population can be effectively controlled with sex education, information on methods of birth control, distribution of contraceptives, information on sterilization and abortions and other family planning methods. Family planning has become very successful in China, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Cuba, Thailand, South Korea and some other developing countries while it achieved moderate results in the countries of the Indian sub-continent and in Brazil, Nigeria and other developing and underdeveloped countries. The success of population control programmes depends on committed leadership, wide availability of contraceptives and family planning services, suitable implementation methods specific to social and cultural characteristics, the role of print and electronic media to propagate sex education, level of education and wealth in the society.

7.3 Environment and Human Health

Human activities in every sphere of life have continuously been changing our environment which in turn is affecting human health. Health is an outcome of the interactions between people and their environment. Millions of people mainly children, suffer from malnutrition and poor health due to parasitic infections such as amoebiasis and worms occurring from infected food or water. About three million children die each year across the world from water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea. In India, it is estimated that every fifth child below the age of five dies due to diarrhoea. Contaminated water results in gastrointestinal diseases in the communities and even sporadic large epidemics.

Oral Rehydrating Salts

Diarrhoeal diseases are not only very common among young children but are also a leading child-killer. About 2.2 million children die from dehydration occurring due to diarrhoeal diseases every year. Diarrhoea is the discharge of watery stool. This means body fluids and salts are quickly drained out of the body and the child becomes dehydrated. This is very dangerous and may even be fatal.

Diarrhoea is caused by bacteria or viruses. The main factors are unclean water and dirty hands and malnourished children are more likely to suffer. Diarrhoea can be prevented through exclusive breast feeding, improved weaning practices, washing hands, keeping food and water clean and the sanitary disposal of stool.

Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) is the process of continuous replacement of essential body fluids and salts in proper quantities during an attack of diarrhoea. By replacing lost body fluid, ORT prevents dehydration and nurses the child back to health.

ORT is best administered with the use of pre-packed formulae called Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) available in a sachet to make a litre of solution. According to UNICEF, these sachets should be stocked in each household to prevent or treat dehydration. Oral rehydration salts are a combination of salt electrolytes and sugar meant to be taken orally. The combination of electrolytes and sugar stimulates water and electrolyte absorption from the gut and this prevents or reverses dehydration and replaces lost salts in conditions such as diarrhoea and vomitting.

WHO and UNICEF recommend the following single formula of glucose-laced ORS to treat and/or prevent dehydration in persons of any age:

 

Table 7.4 Formulation of ORS

Reduced osmolarity ORSgms/litreReduced osmolarity ORS
Sodium chloride2.6Sodium chloride
Glucose, anhydrous13.5Glucose anhydrous
Potassium chloride1.5Potassium
Trisodium citrate dihydrate2.9Citrate
Total weight20.5Total osmolarity

ORS is used for the following purposes:

  1. Dehydration.
  2. Fluid and salt replacement in conditions such as sudden diarrhoea and vomitting.
  3. Severely low concentration of salts in the blood (severe electrolyte depletion).

While using ORS we should keep the following 10 points in mind:

  1. Prior to solution preparation, hands should be washed with soap and water.
  2. Clean water should be added up to the mark of the bottle, which is equal to one litre.
  3. Empty the contents of one packet of ORS into the water and stir it.
  4. Give the sick child as much of the solution as it needs, frequently and in small quantities.
  5. Give other fluids, such as breast milk and juices, alternately.
  6. Continue to give solids if the child is four months or older.
  7. If the child still needs ORS after 24 hours, make a fresh solution.
  8. ORS does not stop diarrhoea. It prevents the body from drying up. The diarrhoea will stop by itself.
  9. If the child vomits, wait for 10 minutes and give ORS, again. Usually vomitting will stop.
  10. If diarrhoea increases and/or vomitting persist take the child to a health clinic.

ORS has no significant reactions and harmful effects. However, it should be carefully used in case of diabetes, prolonged illness, infant patients, kidney or liver problems, shocks, allergies to any of the ingredients and so on. According to some experts, ORS/ORT is lifesaving.

The following are some of the comments about ORT:

‘ORT can rightly be called the medical miracle of this century… For people in Asia, Africa and Latin America, ORT holds the promise of healthier childhoods and more productive adult lives.’ (Shamsul Hag, Minister of Health and Population Control, Government of Bangladesh)

‘Today the high success rate and low cost of ORT makes it the preferred treatment for mildly or moderately dehydrated children. According to current American Academy of Pediatrics practice guidelines, ORT is effective as a therapy for mild to moderate dehydration.’ (Mayo Clinic)

‘Nearly 90 per cent mortality from diarrhoea is due to fluid loss. Accurate replacement of that loss is lifesaving.’ (Dr. Norbert Hirsclorn, Nutrition Reviews, Volume 40, page 87, 1982)

Every year millions of people in tropical countries get malaria when mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. This also causes several casualties. Hundreds of millions of people suffer from serious respiratory diseases such as lung cancer, tuberculosis and so on due to the fumes of industries, motor vehicles and smoke from fires, kitchens and smoke of tobacco. Millions of people are exposed to hazardous chemicals and radioactive rays resulting in ill-health and sometimes even death. Thousands of people die or get injured in road accidents. About 1,000 million people live in abject poverty, with no clean water, air, proper shelter and nutrition. Population growth threatens the environmental balance and the health of nearly all individuals due to the way resources are exploited and wasted and the inequalities of distribution of wealth and resources.

Human health and quality of life depend on the physical, chemical, biological, social and psychological factors in the environment. Climate and weather too, affect human health. Public health depends on adequate, safe and quality food, water and shelter. Floods, storms, hurricanes and tsunamis kill many people every year. Unprecedented drought and rainfall cause water-borne diseases; global climate change and global warming cause serious health implications. The transmission of vector-borne diseases such as malaria depends on the weather and climate.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) due to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Bird Flu were practically unknown earlier. Many infectious diseases related to the environment such as plague, dengue and tuberculosis reappear due to changes in the environment. Cholera, typhoid, diarrhoea, dysentery, polio, meningitis, hepatitis A and E are caused due to impure drinking water. Arsenic poisoning due to presence of arsenic in water; cancer, infertility and neurological diseases due to the harmful pesticides that contaminate water, and blood disorders due to excessive nitrate content in water are all examples of water-borne diseases which claim thousands of lives every year. Aquatic organisms such as guinea worm which affect the feet and roundworm which affects the small intestine cause a variety of water-based diseases. Malaria and filariasis are water-related vector diseases spread by insects that breed in stagnant water. They cause illness and death in many people. Tuberculosis, tetanus and leprosy which take many lives every year are caused due to scarcity of water and consequent unhygienic conditions.

The environment and human health are interdependent. A sustainable environment cannot be achieved without proper health care. Clean potable drinking water and nutrition are absolutely essential for human health and thus for a sustainable environment. Industrial pollution and transport emissions cause ill-health and need to be reduced. The use of renewable non-conventional energy instead of thermal power generation, contribute to improving human health. Factors like population control and reduction in the consumption of natural resources are instrumental towards this cause. We must aim for a sustainable environment, which ultimately will result in ‘health for all.’

Human Rights

Man gets his sustenance from the environment which in turn is greatly affected by humans. Therefore, human rights and environmental issues are closely interlinked. They are equity in the distribution of environmental resources, utilization of resources, intellectual property rights, tribal people’s rights in forest areas and conflicts with wildlife, particularly in protected areas, development, displacement and resettlement issues and accessibility to nutrition and health care to prevent diseases mainly those caused by negligence to the environment.

The foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, depends on the recognition of the inherent dignity and equal rights of all members of the human family. The General Assembly of the United Nations, on December 10, 1948 adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which needs to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions. The full text of the Declaration is appended at the end of the chapter.

In spite of the widening gap between the rich and the poor, components of human rights such as equality and social justice are essential for men and women, irrespective of their caste, creed and nationality. The right to the use of natural resources is a human right. For example, tribal people should have access to fuel woods and forest products for their livelihood and water should be available to the villagers, irrespective of their caste or wealth.

The right to life and thus proper nutrition and health are fundamental human rights. Poverty, hunger, malnutrition and a poorly managed environment affects human health as well as the socio-economic development of the society.

Traditional medicines, complementary and alternative medicines, herbal products, yoga and naturopathy are widely used in our country since ancient times. Now, the western world is taking patents for the same because of lack of seriousness on our part. This may result in denial of this type of medication or payment of royalties to Multinational Companies (MNC) as per the patent laws, intellectual property rights and so on. Over one-thirds of the population in developing countries does not have access to essential allopathic medicines. The provision of safe and effective traditional medicines and complementary and alternative medicines could increase health care. Therefore, there is a need for serious and proper handling of intellectual property rights.

Value Education

Values are one’s own beliefs, principles, perceptions, feelings and behaviour to judge what is right or wrong. Value education in the context of a sustainable environment must transmit environmental values, values for nature’s bounty, cultures, human heritage, equitable use of resources and common property resources, social justice, protection of environment and so on. Value education must give weightage to sustainability, equitable use of resources, avoiding consumerism, wastefulness and overexploitation of non-renewable natural resources. Environmental values make us understand the importance of conservation of nature and encourage us to look beyond the physical values. Rivers, forests and seas are not to be merely seen as sources of water, wood and fish, respectively. In the years gone by, killing a tiger or other wild animals was considered a profession or a sport, but in current times it is a crime against biodiversity. This is what environmental values and value education teach us.

Till the 18th century, value education remained the core of our education system in institutions and gurukuls. In ancient times we were taught ethical and moral values. The economic and technical development of society has now changed the social structure, education system and also shifted the emphasis of to economic and secular values. Presently, value-based education in schools at all levels has again taken the centrestage. The National Resource Centre on Value Education was set up at National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) by the Government of India to cultivate good values in the future citizens of India.

Environmental values are also emphasized in the Constitution of India in the following articles:

Article 51A(g): The constitution expects citizen of the country to ‘protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife and to have compassion for all living creatures’.

Article 48A: The state shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife in the country.

Value education in the context of the environment must teach us the following:

  1. Environmental values.
  2. Values for nature.
  3. Values for culture.
  4. Values for social justice.
  5. Values for human heritage.
  6. Values for equitable use of resources.
  7. Values for sharing common property resources.
  8. Values to stop/minimize environmental degradation.

7.4 HIV/AIDS

AIDS is one of the most serious deadly diseases in human history. The first cases of AIDS in the world were reported in New York and San Francisco, USA in 1981. In India, the first HIV infection report came from Chennai in 1986. Now, there are an estimated 42 million people living with HIV or AIDS worldwide. This includes about four million people in India. It has spread worldwide threatening all of mankind so much so that it is estimated that 7,000 adults and 500 babies are infected with HIV or AIDS every day. It causes the death of more than three million people every year throughout the world and the cumulative number of deaths due to HIV/AIDS is around 30 million.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. A person infected with HIV is referred to as a HIV positive person. Only a blood test can establish one’s status. HIV causes AIDS; it destroys a type of defence cells in the body called CD4 helper lymphocyte cells (CD4 cells). Under normal circumstances these cells help the immune system to function normally and fight-off certain kinds of infections by acting as messengers to other immune system cells telling them to become active and fight against an invading germ. The HIV attached to these CD4 cells infects them and uses them to multiply resulting in loss of ability of CD4 cells to do their job of fighting infections. The name for this condition is Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Because their immune systems are weakened, people who have AIDS are unable to fight-off many infections particularly tuberculosis, pneumonia, meningitis, encephalitis and cancers. AIDS is fatal. It is essential therefore to detect AIDS/HIV at an early stage through blood tests.

An HIV positive person may not necessarily have AIDS. Such a person remains infected for the rest of his life but could remain asymptomatic for about three to 12 years, or longer. The amount of time it takes for the AIDS symptoms to appear varies from person to person. It is possible to infect others with HIV even if the person with the virus has absolutely no symptoms. In a person infected with AIDS symptoms can include extreme weakness or fatigue, rapid weight loss, frequent long fevers, heavy sweating at night, minor infections that cause skin rashes and sores in the mouth, anus or genitals, swollen lymph glands, white spots in the mouth or throat, chronic diarrhoea, loss of memory and consistent cough.

HIV can spread from one infected person to another in the following ways:

  1. Unprotected sex: HIV is transmitted mostly through semen and vaginal fluids during unprotected sex.
  2. Contaminated blood: HIV can be transmitted through transfusion of blood and blood products.
  3. Using contaminated syringes and needles: Sharing of syringes and needles among intravenous drug users can transmit HIV and the chances of transmission are the highest via this.
  4. From an infected mother to her baby: HIV can be transmitted to the baby from an infected mother before birth, during birth and after birth. Breast milk can also transmit HIV infection to the infant.

Chances of infection are highest in blood transfusion (90–95 per cent) followed by prenatal (from mother to baby, 20–40 per cent). While unprotected sex has a low efficacy of 0.1–1 per cent of HIV transmission, yet it contributes the highest infection globally (75 per cent). The efficacy of HIV transmission by different routes is shown in Table 7.5.

 

Table 7.5 HIV Transmission through Different Routes

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HIV is not transmitted by casual contact such as touching, holding hands, body contacts in crowded places, shaking hands, working or playing together, sharing food vessels and clothes or eating food, cooked or handled by an infected person. HIV/AIDS does not spread by donation of blood, by mosquito or insect bites. Swimming pools and toilet-sharing also are not known to spread HIV infection. HIV has been found in small amounts in body fluids such as saliva, faeces, urine and tears but no evidence has been found that it could spread through these body fluids.

Prevention is the only solution against HIV/AIDS. Awareness and proactive action only can ensure a HIV/ AIDS-free society. Some of the protective actions are safe sex (use of condoms), having a faithful monogamous sexual relationship with an uninfected partner, use of sterilized disposable syringes, sterilization of needles, transfusion of unaffected blood and blood products after proper test. Children and adolescents have to be made aware about HIV infection and its mode of transmission before they become sexually active. A tolerant, compassionate and non-discriminatory attitude towards people with HIV infection is very important, as ill-based fear of HIV and AIDS affects the patient’s environment adversely. Proper medical care for HIV positive pregnant women can prevent HIV infection to the newborn. Every woman should know about HIV and AIDS to protect herself and her family. According to a World Health Organization estimate, approximately 44 per cent of the 40 million adults living with HIV/AIDS are women. Women are more affected because they are more vulnerable. Moreover, women in India and in most of the countries invariably occupy a subservient status within the family and society which further heightens their vulnerability to infection. In a developing country such as India, HIV affects people in the productive age groups and leads to premature deaths. In most of the families the male member is also the earning member and his death/incapacitation affects the whole family. Besides, no cure for AIDS has been found till date and the medicines used in the treatment are very costly therefore beyond the reach of many people. This severely affects the economic condition of the whole family and in turn the community and the country.

7.5 Woman and Child Welfare

Woman and child welfare are very important for a sustainable environment and a healthy society. There are strong connections between several environmental factors and woman and child welfare. Women in the developing world invariably occupy a subservient status within the family and society. Women, especially in lower income group families both in towns and villages work for longer hours than men. Their work pattern also differs and is more prone to health hazards. They are often the last to eat and fed mostly on leftovers and may not get enough nutrition. The girl child is given few facilities for education. This socio-environmental divide is a major concern. Each year about 11 million children die due to diseases and malnutrition in the world. Pneumonia, diarrhoea, measles, malaria and malnutrition are the main causes of such deaths. In most of the underdeveloped countries one in five children die before they are five years old. The WHO estimates that 1.6 billion early deaths occur annually from the pollution caused by the cooking oven (chulha). Oven smoke is the third highest cause of diseases and death after dirty water and lack of sanitation. Around the globe about 4, 40,000 women suffer from HIV/AIDS. There is always a close relationship between poverty, a degraded environment and malnutrition. As per the 1991 census, India has 150 million children constituting 17.5 per cent of the population. Many of them are deprived of primary health care, elementary education, sanitation, proper food and nutrition. Under these circumstances, woman and child welfare becomes an absolute necessity for the development of a society.

In India, the Department of Women and Child Development was set up in 1985 as a part of the Ministry of Human Resource Development to give the much needed impetus to the holistic development of women and children. As the national machinery for the advancement of women and children, the Department formulates plans, policies and programmes, enacts/amends legislation, guides and coordinates the efforts of both governmental and non-governmental organizations working in the field of women and child development. Besides playing a nodal role, the Department implements certain innovative programmes for women and children. The programmes for children emphasize on nutrition, pre-school education and various aspects of health, while those for women cover welfare and support services, training for employment and income generation, awareness generation and gender sensitization. These play a supplementary and complementary role to other developmental programmes in the sectors of health, education, rural development and so on. All these efforts are directed to ensure that a sound foundation is laid for the physical, social and psychological development of children and towards the economic and social empowerment of women.

The Department has three autonomous organizations namely National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD), Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) and the Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB) working under its aegis. A Minister of State with an interdependent charge heads the Department. Four Joint Secretaries, who head Child Development, Child Welfare and Nutrition, Women’s Development and Micro-credit Development Bureau, assist the Secretary.

Some of the women welfare programmes are:

  1. Providing assistance to women welfare organizations such as mahila samajams/mandals by giving equipment and raw material for manufacture of garments, handicrafts and tailoring products.
  2. Establishment of self-reliant women’s self help groups.
  3. Conducting seminars/workshops/exhibitions on mother and child care.
  4. Organizing medical awareness camps on the health aspects of women.
  5. Organizing meeting of mothers on health and nutrition especially for pregnant and lactating mothers.
  6. Providing additional central assistance for foodgrains to undernourished adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating mothers.
  7. Organizing special programmes on nutrition and swayam sidha through establishment of self-help groups.

7.6 Role of Information Technology in Environment and Human Health

The development of information technology has caused knowledge explosion and our society has become a technical society where IT is used in all spheres in mega-cities and remote villages in the field of arts, advanced sciences, environment management, weather forecasting, agriculture, banking, industry and medical profession. Information technology, Internet and satellite communication enhance interaction between people and institutions and allow people to communicate with the government more easily and instantaneously and share information globally.

Environmental changes are taking place constantly, due to man-made activities and natural factors. Accurate and timely information of various environmental changes are of great significance. A timely forecast of a tsunami on December 26, 2004 or of the super cyclone on November 29, 1999, in Orissa could have saved a lot of loss of human life and property. An environmental information system is an essential part of governance at the local, national or international level and can be done with the support of modern information technology so as to acquire, store, manage, disseminate information and awaken and warn people and the society of any eventualities. Linking together citizens, schools, libraries, newspapers, local authorities, institutions and people will create a powerful knowledge sharing/managing infrastructure. Information technology has an important role in planning, developing, policymaking, statistics generation and maintenance, natural resource management, census demographic research analysis and forecasting and in other spheres of governance.

Institutions in Uganda, an underdeveloped country in Africa shared information with other African countries about the development of plans of actions in various sectors. Bhoomi, Karnataka’s GIS scheme has revolutionized the way farmers access their land records. Karnataka has brought computers to 6.7 million farmers of the state. A farmer can get a copy of the records of rights, tenancy and crops from a computerized information kiosk, without harassment or bribes. Information technology has enabled us to access information from regional and international organizations such as Network for Environmental and Sustainable Development in Africa (NESDA), United Nation’s Environment Programme (UNEP), World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and World Bank for weather forecasts, natural resource management, policymaking and planning and development. Information technology is a powerful tool of sustainable development through improved decision making, quick, transparent and effective communication of reliable information to more people and more areas. The application of information technology in the environment and human health ranges from IT-based medical diagnosis to the operation of sending satellites to space to explore the universe. Some of the applications of IT in the environment and human health are:

  1. Telemedicine, advanced diagnostic, health care and operation equipment.
  2. Statistics based on IT for planning, decision making and developmental activities, family welfare, population control and health care.
  3. Use of radio sensing technology in wildlife tracking census and study.
  4. Environmental pollution monitoring and weather forecasting through remote sensing and geographical information system.
  5. Communication, collaboration and coordination among environmental scientists for decision-making.
  6. Computer-based modelling and simulation of environmental scenarios for analysis and prediction.
Summary

Human population growth was slow till the 17th century, followed by a rapid population explosion. Population growth in developing nations is faster than that in the developed world. The population growth of India, a developing country, with a population of 10 billion, living on 2.2 per cent of the world’s land area, is extremely rapid. Moreover, the decrease in famine-related deaths and the infant mortality rate are partially responsible for this rapid population growth. In addition, advances in public health, nutrition, sanitation and medicine have increased the life expectancy of countries, worldwide.

The population explosion throughout the world and in the developing countries in particular, is increasingly threatening the global environmental balance due to the fast depletion of resources and energy sources due to the increasing demand. This is leading to rapid environmental degradation and pollution.

The population growth in the USA is one of the highest among the developed countries at about 1 per cent or nearly an addition of nearly 2.7 million people per year. The fertility rate in developed countries is projected to increase slowly to 1.84 children per woman in 2045–2050 from the present level of 1.56 per woman. In the least developed countries the fertility of children per woman will dip to 2.57 children per woman by 2045–50.

Family Welfare Programme

The family welfare programme not only covers family planning to control population growth but also extends to welfare measures for children, women, the aged, the handicapped and the less privileged. These welfare measures aim to meet the needs for food, shelter, education, medicine and development, of the most vulnerable sections of society so as to protect them from hunger, poverty, undernourishment and underdevelopment which are the consequences of population growth and overexploitation of the natural resources and the environment.

Family planning

Family planning programmes provide educational and medical services which help couples to choose their family size and when to have children. The size of the family is smaller in educated and economically better-off families. Illiteracy and lack of education are associated with a high rate of population growth in developing and underdeveloped countries, including India.

Environment and Human Health

Human activities in every sphere of life have continuously been changing our environment which in turn is affecting human health. Millions of people, mainly children are malnourished and in poor health due to parasitic infections such as amoebiasis and worms, occurring due to infected food or water. About three million children die each year across the world from water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea. These are caused by bacteria or viruses. The main factors are unclean water and dirty hands and malnourished children suffer the most. Diarrhoea can be prevented through exclusive breastfeeding, improved weaning practices, washing hands, keeping food and water clean, sanitary disposal of stool and following Oral Rehydration Therapy. Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) is the process of continuous replacement of essential body fluids and salts in proper quantities during the attacks of diarrhoea. This prevents dehydration and nurses the child back to health.

Disasters such as floods, storms, hurricanes and tsunamis kill many people every year. Unprecedented drought or rainfall also leads to water-borne diseases. Symptoms of global climate change such as global warming have serious health implications. The environment and human health are interdependent. Clean potable drinking water and nutrition are absolutely essential for human health and thus for sustainable environment.

Value Education

Value education in the context of the environment must transmit environmental values to all members of the society. These values include value for natures, cultures, human heritage, equitable use of resources and common property resources, social justice and protection of the environment, among others. The National Resource Centre on Value Education was set up at NCERT by the Government of India to realize value-based education at the school stage in the country.

HIV/AIDS

Today, there are an estimated 42 million people living with HIV or AIDS worldwide. This includes about four million people in India. A person infected with HIV is referred to as an HIV positive person. AIDS is caused by the HIV. AIDS is fatal. However, HIV positive persons may not have AIDS. HIV-contaminated blood can transmit the virus through transfusion of blood and blood products. Breast milk can also transmit HIV infection to the infant.

Prevention is the only solution available against HIV/AIDS. Awareness and proactive action can ensure a HIV/AIDS-free society. Proper medical care to a HIV positive pregnant lady can prevent the transmission of the HIV infection to the new born. Every woman should know about HIV and AIDS to protect herself and her family. According to a World Health Organization estimate, approximately 44 per cent of the 40 million adults living with HIV/AIDS are women. In a developing country such as India, HIV affects people in the productive age groups and leads to premature deaths.

Women and Child Welfare

Women and child welfare are very important for a sustainable environment and a healthy society. Women in the developing world invariably occupy a subservient status within the family and society. Oven smoke is the third highest cause of diseases and death after dirty water and lack of sanitation. About 44 per cent of the 40 million HIV/AIDS affected adults are women. India, as per the 1991 census, has 150 million children, constituting 17.5 per cent of the total population. In India, the Department of Women and Child Development was set up in the year 1985 as a part of the Ministry of Human Resource Development to give the much needed impetus to the holistic development of women and children. Besides playing a nodal role, the Department implements certain innovative programmes for women and children. The secretary is assisted by four joint secretaries, who head Child Development, Child Welfare and Nutrition, Women’s Development and Micro Credit Development Bureau.

Role of Information Technology in environment and human health

New technologies such as information technology, the internet and satellite communication improve the interaction between people and institutions. Information Technology, or IT, makes it easier for people to interact with the government, as well as share information globally and instantaneously. The development of information technology has caused a knowledge explosion. Our society is increasingly becoming a technological society where IT is used in all spheres of life. Accurate and timely information about various environmental changes are of great significance. Information technology has also been supporting planning, developmental policymaking, statistics generation and maintenance, natural resource management, census demographic research analysis and forecasting and also in different spheres of governance, linking together citizens, schools, libraries, newspapers, local authorities, institutions and people. In doing so, IT has created a powerful knowledge sharing/managing infrastructure.

ESSAY TYPE QUESTIONS
  1. What are the contributing factors of world population growth?
  2. Sketch a brief history of population growth in developing countries and developed countries of the world.
  3. ‘Population explosion threatens the global environmental balance.’ Justify the statement.
  4. ‘Human health and diseases are generally caused by the environment.’ Justify the statement with suitable examples.
  5. Write a note on human rights and the environment.
  6. What are the objectives of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations?
  7. Discuss the process of HIV infection and its mode of transmission.
  8. What is the difference between HIV Positive and AIDS and how can they be prevented?
  9. Describe various roles of information technology in the protection of human health and the environment.
  10. What is value education, how does it help to maintain a sustainable environment?
SHORT-ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
  1. Define the following:
    1. Population ageing.
    2. Fertility rate of reproductive women.
    3. Birth rate.
    4. Growth rate.
  2. ‘Population growth in developing countries is more compared to developed countries.’ Justify the statement.
  3. What are the different family welfare and family planning programmes?
  4. What is the major objective of family welfare and family planning programmes undertaken by India?
  5. Write short notes on the effect of population growth on:
    1. Energy Resources.
    2. Food Resources.
    3. Water Resources.
  6. Write short notes on:
    1. Water-borne diseases.
    2. Air-borne diseases.
    3. Value education.
  7. Differentiate between HIV & AIDS.
  8. Why are women considered the worst victims of environmental hazards?
  9. Describe how environmental values are emphasized in the Indian Constitution.
  10. Name a few applications of information technology in environment and human health.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
  1. The history of human evolution and civilization is about
    1. 3 million years old.
    2. 100 million years old.
    3. 1 billion years old.
    4. only 50,000 years old.
  2. Population growth in developing countries as compared to developed countries is
    1. negligible.
    2. slower.
    3. faster.
    4. at almost the same growth rate.
  3. Family welfare programme
    1. covers family planning only.
    2. covers welfare measures of children, women, aged and the handicapped.
    3. Both a and b.
    4. None of the above.
  4. ORS is used in case of
    1. dehydration.
    2. fluid and salt replacement due to diarrhoea and vomitting.
    3. severe electrolyte depletion.
    4. All of the above.
  5. HIV destroys a kind defence cells in the body called
    1. CD4 helper lymphocyte cells.
    2. white blood cells.
    3. nerve cells.
    4. red blood cells.
  6. HIV does not spread through
    1. contaminated blood.
    2. unprotected sex.
    3. from infected mother to her baby.
    4. sharing food vessels and eating food cooked by the infected person.
  7. The process of continuous replacement of essential body fluids is
    1. rehydration therapy.
    2. hydration therapy.
    3. oral hydration therapy.
    4. oral rehydration therapy.
  8. Which of the following is not a woman welfare programme?
    1. Establishment of a self-reliant women’s self-help group.
    2. Conducting workshop on mother and child care.
    3. Conducting medical awareness camps on health aspect of women.
    4. None of the above.
  9. The Department of Women and child development was set 1985 as a part of
    1. Ministry of Women and Child Welfare Department.
    2. Ministry of Human Resource Development.
    3. Both of the above.
    4. None of the above.
  10. Which of the following is an autonomous organization of the Department of Women and child development?
    1. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK).
    2. Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB).
    3. Both of the above.
    4. None of the above.
  11. Telemedicine and weather forecasting are examples of
    1. computer-based modelling for analysis of weather.
    2. use of radio sensing technology.
    3. diversification of the Healthcare Department.
    4. application of IT in environment and healthcare.
  12. UNEP stands for
    1. United Nations Environmental Policy.
    2. United Nations Environmental Programme.
    3. United Nations Environmental Protection.
    4. None of the above.
  13. The threat to global environmental balance and fast depletion of natural resources are all outcome of
    1. overuse of natural resources.
    2. population explosion.
    3. pollution.
    4. All of the above.
  14. An environmental information system is an essential part of any government at
    1. only local level.
    2. local and international level.
    3. national, international and local levels.
    4. national and local levels.
  15. The first cases of AIDS in the world was reported at
    1. Stockholm and Italy.
    2. Beijing and Taiwan.
    3. Italy, San Francisco and Beijing.
    4. New York and San Francisco.
  16. One’s own belief, principles, perceptions, feelings and behaviour to judge what is right and wrong is called
    1. morality.
    2. perception.
    3. life science.
    4. value education.
  17. The fundamental human rights include
    1. the right to eat and access to livelihood.
    2. the access to livelihood and health.
    3. the right to eat and nutrition.
    4. proper nutrition and health.
  18. SARS stands for
    1. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
    2. Sudden and Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
    3. Severe and Acquired Respiration State.
    4. None of the above.
  19. Equity and social justice are essential components of
    1. value education.
    2. conservation of biodiversity.
    3. human rights.
    4. environmental ethics.
  20. Diarrhoea is caused by
    1. bacteria and protozoa.
    2. viruses and fungi.
    3. viruses only.
    4. bacteria and viruses.
ANSWERS

1 (a)

2 (c)

3 (c)

4 (d)

5 (a)

6 (d)

7 (d)

8 (d)

9 (b)

10 (c)

11 (d)

12 (b)

13 (b)

14 (c)

15 (d)

16 (d)

17 (d)

18 (a)

19 (c)

20 (d)

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