Write short notes.
a. Environmental Conservation.
b. Chipko Movement of Bishnoi.
c. Biodiversity.
d. Sacred Groves.
e. Disaster and its management.
a. Environmental Conservation.
b. Chipko Movement of Bishnoi.
c. Biodiversity.
d. Sacred Groves.
e. Disaster and its management.
a. Environmental conservation is a broad term which refers to the actions we take in order to protect our planet and conserve its natural resources. We are very well aware of the fact that the human life on earth is supported by the various components of the environment. There is a direct relationship between environment and life on earth. Any kind of harm or disruption to the environment will directly and indirectly affect the life of organisms on this earth. We need to understand that natural resources should be used in a sustainable manner and not to fulfill our greeds.
Environmental conservation implies to the conservation of forests, water resources, mineral resources etc. There are various projects which are being carried out at different levels with respect to environment conservation. These programmes are carried out by government organisations, NGO's, RWA's, schools, colleges etc. The aim of these programmes is to promote the conservation of environment from the grassroot level.
b. The Chipko Movement started in the 1970s in Garhwal in Uttarakhand. It was a socio-ecological movement which followed the Gandhian ideology of satyagraha for the protection of trees from cutting. Chipko, in Hindi, literally means ‘to stick’. Under the movement, people used to hug the trees in order to protect them from being felled. The movement mobilized villagers by making them aware about the after effects of destruction of forests. It was a great success and soon spread all over India. It was because of Chipko Movement that the government of India realized the importance of formulating wildlife conservation plans and policies in order to protect the biodiversity of the country.
c. Biodiversity refers to the combined diversity at all levels of biological organisation. It includes genetic diversity, species diversity and ecological diversity. Importance of biodiversity:
(i) A wide range of materials such as fibres, dyes, resins are obtained from plants.
(ii) A variety of plants and animals are utilised as sources of food.
(iii) Medicinal plants act as sources of drugs.
(iv) Plants and animals also have a cultural and aesthetic value.
d. The sacred groves are forest fragments which are highly protected by certain communities because they are of religious importance to the communities. These can be considered as sanctuaries which are protected by the society and not by the government organisations. More than 13000 sacred groves have been identified all over India.
e. Any natural or man made event which has a negative impact on life, property and livelihood and causes permanent changes to environment, ecosystem and human society is termed as a disaster.
Natural disasters: Any adverse event which occurs as a result of natural processes of earth is called natural disaster for example: cyclones, earthquakes, storms, tsunami, etc.
Man made disasters: Unlike natural disasters, which are influenced by natural forces, man made disasters are caused due to negligence of humans. Gas leaks, oil spills, nuclear meltdown or leakage of radiation, industrial fires, transport accidents, terrorism, epidemics and biological warfare are examples of man made disasters.
The damage caused by disasters can be reduced by making ourselves prepared in disaster management. Disaster management is the strategy and course of action to be executed at the time of any such disaster to save as much life as possible. This includes:
- Improving tolerance
- Preventing losses and dangers
- Providing relief to the affected people
- Preparing for actions to be taken at the time of disaster
- Assessing the damage caused
- Arrangement of rescue for the affected
- Rehabilitation and rebuilding the affected area
a. Environmental conservation is a broad term which refers to the actions we take in order to protect our planet and conserve its natural resources. We are very well aware of the fact that the human life on earth is supported by the various components of the environment. There is a direct relationship between environment and life on earth. Any kind of harm or disruption to the environment will directly and indirectly affect the life of organisms on this earth. We need to understand that natural resources should be used in a sustainable manner and not to fulfill our greeds.
Environmental conservation implies to the conservation of forests, water resources, mineral resources etc. There are various projects which are being carried out at different levels with respect to environment conservation. These programmes are carried out by government organisations, NGO's, RWA's, schools, colleges etc. The aim of these programmes is to promote the conservation of environment from the grassroot level.
b. The Chipko Movement started in the 1970s in Garhwal in Uttarakhand. It was a socio-ecological movement which followed the Gandhian ideology of satyagraha for the protection of trees from cutting. Chipko, in Hindi, literally means ‘to stick’. Under the movement, people used to hug the trees in order to protect them from being felled. The movement mobilized villagers by making them aware about the after effects of destruction of forests. It was a great success and soon spread all over India. It was because of Chipko Movement that the government of India realized the importance of formulating wildlife conservation plans and policies in order to protect the biodiversity of the country.
c. Biodiversity refers to the combined diversity at all levels of biological organisation. It includes genetic diversity, species diversity and ecological diversity. Importance of biodiversity:
(i) A wide range of materials such as fibres, dyes, resins are obtained from plants.
(ii) A variety of plants and animals are utilised as sources of food.
(iii) Medicinal plants act as sources of drugs.
(iv) Plants and animals also have a cultural and aesthetic value.
d. The sacred groves are forest fragments which are highly protected by certain communities because they are of religious importance to the communities. These can be considered as sanctuaries which are protected by the society and not by the government organisations. More than 13000 sacred groves have been identified all over India.
e. Any natural or man made event which has a negative impact on life, property and livelihood and causes permanent changes to environment, ecosystem and human society is termed as a disaster.
Natural disasters: Any adverse event which occurs as a result of natural processes of earth is called natural disaster for example: cyclones, earthquakes, storms, tsunami, etc.
Man made disasters: Unlike natural disasters, which are influenced by natural forces, man made disasters are caused due to negligence of humans. Gas leaks, oil spills, nuclear meltdown or leakage of radiation, industrial fires, transport accidents, terrorism, epidemics and biological warfare are examples of man made disasters.
The damage caused by disasters can be reduced by making ourselves prepared in disaster management. Disaster management is the strategy and course of action to be executed at the time of any such disaster to save as much life as possible. This includes:
- Improving tolerance
- Preventing losses and dangers
- Providing relief to the affected people
- Preparing for actions to be taken at the time of disaster
- Assessing the damage caused
- Arrangement of rescue for the affected
- Rehabilitation and rebuilding the affected area
