ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

What are the effects of these problems to people’s health? How will you prevent/reduce the impacts of these problems in your
community?

Because of deforestation, there’s an increase in the spread of life-threatening By planting a tree where I can, reducing the use of paper, buying recycled
diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. For a host of ecological reasons, the products and then recycling them again, supporting the products of companies
loss of forest can act as an incubator for insect-borne, other infectious diseases Deforestation that are committed to reducing deforestation, raising awareness in my circle
and dealy pathogens such as Nipah and Lassa viruses, and parasites that and in my community, buying only what I will use, and not using Palm Oil or
cause malaria and Lyme disease that afflict humans. products with Palm Oil.

Mining has harmful effects on human’s health such as respiratory By doing these practices that include measures such as reducing water
complications, injuries and fatalities, cancers due to radioactive and energy consumption, minimizing land disturbance and waste
material exposure, poisoning and organ damage due to heavy Mining production, preventing soil, water, and air pollution at mine sites, and
conducting successful mine closure and reclamation activities.
metals exposure.

Land pollution can cause many things to the human body. People can be By reusing materials such as cloth, plastic bags and glass
exposed to toxic waste and chemicals. Land pollution is also caused by at home rather than disposing of them, reducing and recycling,
disposal of harmful toxic wastes. Long term health effects can include Land Pollution
reducing the amount of solid refuse going to landfills and also
chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even brain
damage.
by making a contribution toward saving natural resources.

Soil erosion increases the amount of dust carried by wind, By using soil-friendly agricultural practices, rehabilitating,
which not only acts as an abrasive and air pollutant but also avoiding cutting down trees and plant instead, and by
Soil erosion
carries about 20 human infectious disease organisms, including convincing others to do so.
anthrax and tuberculosis that affects human’s health.

The immediate health impacts of floods include drowning, injuries, hypothermia, and By cleaning our surroundings and picking up garbages then
animal bites. Health risks also are associated with the evacuation of patients, loss of
health workers, and loss of health infrastructure including essential drugs and supplies. putting it in the appropriate trash bin, avoiding cutting
In the medium-term, infected wounds, complications of injury, poisoning, poor mental Flash Flood down trees and plant instead, doing activities to reborn
health, communicable diseases, and starvation are indirect effects of flooding. In the
long-term, chronic disease, disability, poor mental health, and poverty-related diseases again the nature, and convincing others to do so.
including malnutrition are the potential legacy.
Because of deforestation, there’s an increase in the spread of life-threatening diseases such
as malaria and dengue fever. For a host of ecological reasons, the loss of forest can act as
an incubator for insect-borne and other infectious diseases that afflict humans.
Over the past two decades, a growing body of scientific evidence suggests that deforestation, by triggering a complex cascade of events, creates the conditions for a range of
deadly pathogens—such as Nipah and Lassa viruses, and the parasites that cause malaria and Lyme disease—to spread to people.

1. Plant a Tree where you can.

2. Go paperless at home and in the office. 
3. Buy recycled products and then recycle them again.
4. Buy certified wood products. Read the labels and look for the
FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) mark.
5. Support the products of companies that are committed to
reducing deforestation. It’s all about business. If you don’t buy,
they will be encouraged to improve their practices.
6. Raise awareness in your circle and in your community.
7. Buy only what you will use. 
8. Don’t use Palm Oil or products with Palm Oil.

Effects of Mining on Human Health

1. Respiratory complications
Studies indicate that mining is one of the most perilous occupation
in the world in terms of injuries and fatalities, and also due to the
long term health effects associated with it. Long term effects include
respiratory problems such as pneumoconiosis, asbestosis, and
silicosis.
The health effect of mining is based on the type of mining activities
namely deep mining and the open cast methods of mining. A coal
mine produces lots of dust which if inhaled, can lead to the black
lung disease among the miners and other people living within the
surrounding region.

Due to blasting and drilling, the fine mineral particles of dust are
inhaled and accumulate in the lung causing pneumoconiosis. And
when miner inhales excessive amounts of quartz or crystalline
silica, he or she is likely to suffer an irreversible disease called the
silicosis.

In addition, miners and people living around areas

where radioactive gases such as Radon are emitted can suffer from
long term respiratory diseases such as lung cancer. Chronic
exposure to welding fumes can also cause lung irritation and
poisoning, and inhalation of mercury can lead to mercury poisoning.

2. Injuries and fatalities

In 2006, a coal mine accident in China collapsed and caused the
death of more than 4,700 people. Such accidents have been
recorded in many mining sites across the world. There are reports
of people injured by the rails that transport them to and from the
ground. Others have had rocks collapsing on them as they mine.

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Plus, some mining activities are associated with a lot of heavy lifting
and shoveling which can cause back injuries. Studies indicate that
25 percent of the total injuries reported in mining are due to slips
and falls.

3. Cancers due to radioactive material exposure

People in industries that mine radioactive elements or in fields that
generate hazardous gases such as Radon are in danger of having
terminal diseases, especially cancers. Also, people living in these
regions will be affected by radioactive materials.
 4. Poisoning and organ damage due to heavy
metals exposure
Mining activities ordinarily generate high concentrations of metals
and metalloids. When these metals leach they can reach the
groundwater and surface water and find a way into the food chain
and even climb up the food chain through bioaccumulation. If a
metal such as mercury is ingested it can lead to poisoning, organ
damage, and even death in high concentrations.
1. These practices include measures such as reducing water and energy consumption,
minimizing land disturbance and waste production, preventing soil, water, and
air pollution at mine sites, and conducting successful mine closure and reclamation
activities.

2. Reduce inputs. The mining industry uses a large amount of water and land in

their operations. ...
3. Reduce outputs. ...
4. Proper waste disposal. ...
5. Improving the manufacturing process. ...
6. Close and reclaim shut-down mines. ...
7. Replenishing the environment. ...
8. Final words.

Land pollution can cause many things to the human body. People can be exposed to toxic waste and
chemicals. Land pollution is also caused by disposal of harmful toxic wastes. Long term health effects
can include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even brain damage.

The land, when contaminated with toxic chemicals and pesticides,

lead to potentially fatal problems like skin cancer and the human
respiratory ailments in particular. 

Globally, 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day.

The toxic chemicals can reach our body through foods and
vegetables that we eat as they are grown in polluted soil.

Land pollution also caused developmental deficiency in children.

Chemicals, such as lead that are commonly found in contaminated
soil and water, can impact a child’s cognitive development even
when the exposure is very low.
To reduce solid waste pollution on land, you can reuse materials such as cloth, plastic
bags and glass in your home rather than disposing of them. By recycling, you reduce the
amount of solid refuse going to landfills and also make a contribution toward saving natural
resources.

How to Prevent Land Pollution

Given the disastrous effects of land pollution, taking preventive measures
to reduce its impact moving forward is crucial. 

Using Fewer Pesticides and Chemicals in Agriculture

Given that the use of pesticides and chemicals in farming and agriculture
greatly contribute to land pollution, finding alternatives will help to reduce
the environmental impact. Farmers, for instance, can use natural
ingredients by switching from bio-fertilizers to manure. 
On the individual level, supporting environmentally-conscious, local farmers
at your closest farmer’s market or local grocery store can help to build up
business for farmers with more sustainable farming practices. Another
option is to contribute to or volunteer in an urban garden in your
neighborhood.

Reforestation
Reforestation involves replanting an area with trees. This can be needed
for areas that have experienced wildfires, for instance, or where trees had
been chopped down and milled. This process helps to bind the soil, which
helps to protect it from land pollution and prevents soil erosion and
flooding.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle 

At the individual level, there are many things we can do to reduce our
contribution to land pollution. One of the simplest ways to do this is to reuse
or recycle items so that you aren’t creating waste out of a material or item
that still has a purpose. With the growing awareness around what can be
recycled and an increase in recycling bins in many cities, it has never been
easier to recycle. 
If you’re looking to make a difference on a community level, read our blog
post on how to be an environmental steward in your neighborhood. 
1. Use Soil-friendly Agricultural Practices
Terraced farming needs to be implemented to make hillside agriculture
manageable. Terraces prevent erosion and allow more water to flow to
crops. In addition, hillside farm fields need full crop cover to help keep the
soil in place. This can be accomplished by intercropping, which means
growing two crops together in the same field, such as planting rows
of maize or soybean between rows of oil palm trees. For
smallholders, agroforestry systems where a diverse set of crops, including
trees, are grown together can be effective. Access to manure improves the
organic matter of the soil, which inhibits erosion. Finally, alternating deep-
rooted and shallow-rooted crops improves soil structure and reduces
erosion at the same time.

2. Offer Incentives for Land Management

Although the science of sustainable land management has been gaining
support, the socio-economic context often makes implementation difficult.
Sustainable land practices need to be financially viable for farmers. Anti-
erosion measures have a median cost of $500 per hectare, a considerable
investment for a farmer. Governments and banks must help farmers get
access to credit and support in implementing erosion prevention. This is
not only a good deal for the farmer, but for the whole community. The cost
of erosion prevention is far lower than the price of land restoration and
rehabilitation, which one source estimated to be around $1,500–$2,000
per hectare. Another source found it could reach $15,221 per hectare.

3. Prevention AND Rehabilitation

The key to managing and reducing soil erosion is to rehabilitate already-
damaged land, stop further degradation and put erosion-preventative
measures at the core of land management policy. In this way, we can help
prevent hunger and mitigate the climate crisis.

Flooding brings a lot of diseases and infections including fever, pneumonia and dysentery.
The consequences of events triggered by a flash flooding usually overwhelms local
response capacity and seriously affects the social and economic development of the
country
The immediate health
impacts of floods include Permanent, contingent and emergency flood-proofing of your
drowning, injuries, business’ property.
 Install backflow prevention check valves to stop floodwater
hypothermia, and animal
from entering at vulnerable points where utility and sewer
bites. Health risks also are lines enter the facility.
associated with the  Reinforce walls to resist water pressure and adequately
seal walls to prevent or reduce seepage.
evacuation of patients,
 Build watertight walls around equipment or work areas
loss of health workers, and within the facility that are particularly susceptible to
loss of health damage should floodwater enter the building.
infrastructure including  Construct floodwalls or levees outside the facility to keep
flood waters away.
essential drugs and  Install permanent sump pumps with solar and backup
supplies. In the medium- power solutions. Backup power generators or battery
term, infected wounds, supplies should be located well above the high-water
mark.
complications of injury,  Install watertight barriers called flood shields to prevent the
poisoning, poor mental passage of water through doors, windows, ventilation
health, communicable shafts, or other openings.
 Install permanent watertight doors and pumps to remove
diseases, and starvation
flood waters and construct movable floodwalls.
are indirect effects of  Have backup systems available for use during
flooding. In the long-term, emergencies, such as portable pumps to remove flood
chronic disease, disability, water, alternate power sources, such as generators or
gasoline-powered pumps, and battery-powered
poor mental health, and emergency lighting, located well above the high water
poverty-related diseases mark.
including malnutrition are Planting trees
the potential legacy.