Human behavioural change vital to mitigate environment problems

Kathmandu, June 4: World Environment Day is observed worldwide on June 5. This year, the day is being commemorated under the theme of "Beat Plastic Pollution." On the eve of this occasion, we are presenting insights from experts on environmental pollution and effective strategies to combat it.

                                                                                                Maheshwor Dhakal

                                    Director General, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation

Water, air, and soil pollutants are the biggest environmental problems of today. Day-to-day human activities are mainly responsible for causing these environmental problems, and therefore we all human beings should find solutions to these problems through our behavioural change.  

In order to make daily life easy and comfortable, we are using plastic bags and other materials, and tend to throw them wherever we feel easier, which is totally ridiculous for a civilized society. It takes more than 400 years for plastic to decompose. If we do not change our behaviour and minimize the use of plastics, I think we will face further degradation of our environment.  Most of the wildlife live in the wetland areas, aquatic lands and river bank areas. 

If water is contaminated and polluted, it has a direct bearing on poor wildlife health as they drink this polluted water. Similarly, polluted soil does not produce nutritious food. Similarly, air pollution is equally responsible for poor wildlife health, particularly, soil dust in road construction areas or gravel roads and during the forest fires in the winter season.    

                                                                                                         Madhukar Upadhya

                                                                                                         Senior Watershed Expert

Nepal has two major types of environmental problems: human-caused and human-induced. Human-caused problems such as unmanaged solid waste, use of toxic materials, air pollution, and river water pollution are mainly seen in and around urban centres. They are fairly recent problems that hit the headlines and draw the attention of policymakers. Besides, human-induced problems of land degradation caused by floods, landslides and erosion are widespread and have been seen causing serious damage to the economy and well-being of communities and yet have received only nominal attention.  

When land degradation was taking place in the past, instead of looking for ways to deal with the fundamental causes, decision-makers came up with temporary, ill-planned ideas to address the symptoms by moving people from the mountains to settle in the plains. Therefore, we can't accurately gauge the state of land degradation in the country, say, in the past half a century. 

The long-term impacts of this problem were summarized well by Nepal’s first Agriculture Conference held in 1958 which concluded that “degrading natural resource base, declining soil fertility, and the rising pressure on land resources have led to the deterioration of farms and farming system, resulting in migration of youth from the hills for jobs in other countries, who return home when they are old, weak and unable to work to make a living in the poor homestead.’’ A starker commentary of our present doesn't exist. 

This is one of the reasons why Nepal remains poor despite the hard work of the people toiling the soil. It is not a failure of one plan or one policy but a failure of all our development policies of the last sixty years and the result is with us: about a quarter of the national GDP today is generated through remittance income. 

The problem of land degradation is currently spiraling because of climate change. Solving this problem should begin by recognizing that it's a national problem associated with our economy and the well-being of the majority of our people. Then, start a campaign with high school students across the country to implement measures that are nature-friendly, less expensive, easy to implement, and don't require a high skill level, but help reduce the rate of degradation. Examples have shown that such efforts result in better food security due to increased agriculture production, stable water security, and improved land conditions. 

Global warming is a result of carbon emissions that are largely associated with the burning of fossil fuels. Plastic is a by-product of fossil fuel processing. In that sense, the demand for and use of plastic also intensifies global warming. But reducing the use of plastic will only marginally affect the continued warming of the atmosphere as long as our economy continues to be powered by fossil fuels. 

                                                                                                            Manjeet Dhakal 

 Head of LDC Support Team at Climate Analytics (CA) and Director for Climate Analytics South Asia Office

In the present global scenario, climate change stands out as one of the most critical environmental problems. It poses a serious threat to our planet, affecting diverse ecosystems and human well-being. The primary cause of global warming is the escalating concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, primarily resulting from human activities like fossil fuel usage and deforestation. This leads to rising temperatures that we have started observing, altered weather patterns, melting of glaciers, sea-level rise, and other adverse impacts on both natural and human systems.

In the context of Nepal, environmental challenges such as air and river pollution in urban areas, deforestation, and land degradation are significant concerns. The excessive use of single-use plastic also adds to these pressing environmental issues. These factors further intensify the susceptibility to climate change impacts, especially in rural communities that heavily rely on natural resources for their livelihoods.

To overcome these environmental challenges, concerted efforts are required at both global and local levels. On a global scale, countries must collaborate to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by switching to cleaner, renewable energy sources and implementing sustainable practices. Furthermore, there is a need for increased investment, as well as research and development to assist countries on the receiving end in responding to these crises.

At the national level, Nepal may adopt several measures to solve environmental concerns and has already set an example by implementing some of them. Transitioning to electric vehicles, particularly for mass transportation; replacing traditional fuel with electric cooking; banning the use of single-use plastic; and enforcing strict river pollution restrictions will all assist. Moreover, by incorporating climate change considerations into development planning and conducting thorough assessments of the impacts and opportunities within key economic sectors, Nepal can enhance resilience to the impacts of global environmental problems.

When considering the link between plastic pollution and global warming, it is critical to consider the environmental costs of plastic manufacture and disposal. 

Plastic waste burning, for example, not only contributes to air pollution, which puts human health at risk but also releases toxins and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, increasing global warming. Furthermore, plastic waste can have a negative impact on ecosystems, resulting in biodiversity loss and the disturbance of natural mechanisms that regulate climate.

Efforts to combat plastic pollution, including reducing consumption, improving waste management, and promoting recycling and circular economy practices, can reduce energy consumption, and create cleaner surroundings. These are some actions that our cities and towns can take to set a good example.

Global environmental challenges such as climate change and plastic pollution necessitate collective action at all levels. This requires sustainable practices, policy frameworks, and behavioural changes that prioritize environmental preservation and enhance resilience in the face of a rapidly evolving world.

                                                                                                        Dr. Hemu Kafle

                              Scientist and Head at the Centre for Water and Atmospheric Research, Kathmandu Institute of Applied Sciences

One of the most severe environmental problems nowadays is air, water and soil pollution. We have almost completely destroyed our natural resources like forests, rivers, wetlands as well as agricultural fields. Due to this, all other species of plants and animals, except human beings are in the process of rapid extinction. We, humans, have totally forgotten that the environment and all other living organisms and plants are related to our wellbeing. We all are connected. We somehow became selfish and self-centred. Therefore, due to our ignorance, we are now suffering from extreme climatic conditions, different kinds of diseases and scarcity of water, food and even fresh air.

Occurrence of extreme climatic conditions like drought and flood are frequent and extreme. Our weather pattern is also changing. This year in Nepal we have observed the highest recorded temperature. Our monsoon has also shifted, that is there was late rainfall in winter and early rainfall this summer. This unpredictable weather pattern has a direct impact on food production. 

To solve these problems, first and foremost we need to recover our natural resources. Our land cover should be changed. There should be trees, open fields, rivers, other water bodies and agricultural fields with houses and urban spaces. These elements are necessary to recover our environment. 

We all know that trees are very important for providing oxygen, shade, and habitat for other animals and also plant species. Their roots hold water and also help to improve the soil quality. Forests as well as agricultural areas, water bodies and open fields can recharge groundwater. Trees are also very useful for carbon sequestration. That is taking carbon dioxide from the air. This will help to decrease the pollution level. Tree-based agriculture will be helpful in food production. This will help in solving the food shortage problem.