Question

Identify the importance of environment in the development of a nation.

Answer 1

Our environment is the space in which we live. As population has grown, the per capita space is shrinking. A modest world population growth rate of ~ 4% per annum equates to a doubling of earth’s population within 20 years. Therefore, creating policy to reduce population growth rates to within 1% or 2% per year seems to be necessary if our populations are to be able to cope with the shrinking environmental space of each individual.

At 1900 AD, the earth’s population ranged between 1 and 2 billion people. We are now at 7 billion people with indications of a slowing overall growth rate. A few prognosticators are forecasting that earth’s population will peak at about 9 billion and then begin a slow decline. I’m skeptical of this prediction and believe humankind needs to work toward effective population control - over population has many dangerous aspects. Highest population growth on the planet is occurring in the underdeveloped countries that can least afford and manage the population growth.

Answer 2

Answer:

People around the world depend greatly on the natural environment for their health and livelihoods— especially people in developing countries. A healthy environment supplies the necessities of life , like water, food and air. It also provides resources for economic growth and the means to fight natural hazards. The well-being of developing countries is often linked to the state of the natural environment and the opportunities it offers.

But globally, many inter-connected environmental issues have been worsening recently. They include:

air and water pollution

climate change

soil degradation

over-exploitation of natural resources

biodiversity loss

deforestation

desertification, and

ocean acidification

At the root of these problems are factors such as poor water quality and access, vector-borne diseases and exposure to toxic chemicals. These factors cause much death, disease and disability worldwide, particularly in developing countries