The Earth Day is observed on April 22 with the objective of keeping the mother Earth healthy and habitable not only for man but also for all living beings.
In the manner and spirit developmental works are going on throughout the globe these days, land, water, air and the entire surroundings of man are alarmingly polluted, which makes it difficult for the living beings to survive. This has led to global warming and climate change.
The concept of sustainable development and its international perspective for the first time was used at the Cocoyoc Declaration on Environment and Development in 1970s. The sustainable development means an integration of developmental and environmental perspectives. The sustainable development of a nation cannot be achieved without economic and ecological stability.
In the UN General Assembly in 1967, the ecological resources of the globe were taken as a common heritage of mankind, which are required for legal protections by the global community. The concept of sustainable development was further clarified in the United Nations Conference on Human Environment in 1972 in the Stockholm’s Declarations.
This declaration states that the earth’s capacity to produce vital renewable resources be revived. Similarly, the Brundtland Commission report on sustainable development was for the first time brought into common use by the World Commission on Environment in 1987. The broad principles of the report state that the fundamental human rights on environment must be adequate for their health and well being. All countries should conserve the environment and natural resources for the benefit of the present and future generations.
But in practice, the human rights on environment is always violated and the environment and natural resources are always over exploited by the present generations, ignoring the fate of the future generations, which cannot be told as sustainable management.
This year’s theme of Earth Day is to prevent polythene pollution on earth and make a polythene-free globe. All the major cities of the global are on the sea-coasts and nearly 70 per cent of world population are residing in the coastal zones. So the major polythene pollution is found in the ocean of these zones. Now the United Nations is planning for removal of plastic garbage from the ocean floor. Recently, carcass of a Blue Whale was detected from the Bombay harbor, whose post mortem report said it had 30 kg of polythene in the intestine, causing its death. This is a living example of the extent to which our oceans are polluted and spoiled. Moreover, over fishing is done with least regard for rules and ecology. So the ecological resources of the blue-planet are over-harvested poisoning the water resources. How long the mother earth will tolerate the oppression of man is a big question now.
Again all the water pollutants like oil, fertilizer and water soluble products are mostly transported from one country to other through oceanic routes, which is a major cause of pollution of the oceanic body.
At the same time, all atomic experiments and explorations of the global nations are going on in the oceanic body and the exercises also destroy the biological wealth of the oceans. Practically, there is one ocean in the globe, which occupies two thirds areas of the entire planet area and man has divided it into five. But, the oceanic pollutions cannot remain confined to the man-made imaginary boundaries. In other words, if one part of the ocean is polluted, it affects the whole oceanic body.
The population of the globe is increasing and there is pro rata pollution and mismanagement of resources. So, sustainable development of India or of entire planet depends on mainly three factors, such as international human rights, international environment management and international economic achievement. These three things are always obligatory and under no circumstances such rights can be ignored. In the eyes of law, everybody is equal and no part of the world or people living there can be deprived of the natural resources and amenities. The water of rivers and other natural sources cannot be monopolised under any circumstances by any individual or State or nation by force, money power or lobby.
The usual foods of other herbivores are herbs and their fruits. When such herbs are depleting fast from the ecosystems, the herbivores are forced to stray into human habitations and cause damages to human properties. Elephant, beer, wild boar, deer, monkey and many others usually eat fruits and flowers of mahua, char, kendu, mango, jamun, etc in the natural eco systems. Now these plants are removed from forests for various grounds, including mining of minerals.
So, every day there is encounter of man and animal. Every month one or two or even more elephants and other animals are meeting death for such encounters in Odisha. This is happening due to ecological imbalances created by man.
The ecology and economy are complementary to each other. So ecology cannot be ignored or exploited for economy. The conservation and sustainable use of ecology or eco-system is an important factor. In no case should we allow our ecosystems to be over-exploited.
In case of the Chilika lagoon, every year the fish production is dwindling. It is due to over exploitation of fish capital of the lagoon. This indicates the deteriorating ecological and environmental standard of the lake. The caring for the earth must be supported by a strategy for sustainable living.
A largest ever conference of the United Nations was held in June 1992 at Rio de Janeiro in which 150 nations participated.
The summit is known popularly as the Earth Summit. It discussed on the aims and objectives of sustainable development and how ecological resources can be properly managed. India took a leading role there. But if we examine the ecological systems of India at present, it is quite hopeless and alarming. The biosphere of the country is thoroughly devastated for exploitation of minerals.
(The writer is a former forest officer and environmentalist. M-9937460649)
