In 2018 the CARE (The Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment) experts reported that unsafe environment poses greater risk to health than climate change.
Before we discuss about the report we have to know what is Environment pollution? And what is climate change? What are the consequences of environment pollution and climate change? Let’s see the answers.
Environmental pollution is a state of environment where the physical and biological components of the earth/atmosphere system to such an extent that normal environmental processes are adversely affected. Like this Climate change is a long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth’s local, regional and global climates. Though both environment pollution and climate change are interrelated, both have some similar types of consequences which are increased heat, drought and insect outbreaks, all linked to climate change, have increased wildfires. Declining water supplies, reduced agricultural yields, health impacts in cities due to heat, and flooding and erosion in coastal areas are additional concerns.
In 2021, globally, there are an estimated five million potentially- contaminated sites that threaten the well-being of the ecosystems and humans. However, less than 10% of the contaminated sites have been cleaned up. According to WHO, seven million deaths are linked to air pollution and another five million to chemical exposure. Environmental pollution if not addressed could result in extinction of humans in the next 100- 150 years. There is an urgent need for human capital and investment to clean up the contaminated sites. Coordination among all stakeholders is required to address the issue.
