Unit IX – People, Development and Environment
Development and Environment: Millennium Development and Sustainable Development Goals:
Development and environment are interconnected; unsustainable development often leads to environmental degradation.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (2000–2015) were eight international targets aimed at reducing poverty, improving health, promoting gender equality, and ensuring environmental sustainability.
Building on this, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (2015–2030) encompass 17 goals, including climate action, clean water, affordable energy, sustainable cities, responsible consumption, and life on land and below water.
These frameworks emphasize the balance between socio-economic progress and environmental protection, highlighting global responsibility for ecological conservation.
MCQs – Development and Environment: MDGs and SDGs
- MDGs were adopted in:
Answer: 2000 - SDGs replaced:
Answer: Millennium Development Goals - How many SDGs are there?
Answer: 17 - MDGs aimed to reduce:
Answer: Poverty and hunger - SDGs promote:
Answer: Sustainable development - Goal of climate action is part of:
Answer: SDGs - Gender equality was a target of:
Answer: MDGs - Environmental sustainability was included in:
Answer: Both MDGs and SDGs - SDGs address:
Answer: Economic, social, and environmental issues - SDGs promote responsible:
Answer: Consumption and production - MDGs ended in:
Answer: 2015 - SDGs aim to ensure:
Answer: Access to clean water and energy - Life below water is addressed in:
Answer: SDGs - Sustainable cities is part of:
Answer: SDGs - MDGs were mainly focused on:
Answer: Developing countries - Global partnership was a target of:
Answer: MDGs - Affordable energy is an SDG:
Answer: Goal 7 - SDGs emphasize:
Answer: Global collaboration for environment - MDGs were endorsed by:
Answer: United Nations - SDGs include climate action, poverty eradication, and:
Answer: Quality education
Human and Environment Interaction: Anthropogenic Activities and Their Impacts on Environment:
Human activities, termed anthropogenic activities, profoundly affect ecosystems. Examples include deforestation, urbanization, industrialization, mining, and intensive agriculture.
These activities lead to habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, soil degradation, and water and air pollution. Overexploitation of resources and emission of greenhouse gases contribute to climate change, altering rainfall patterns, increasing temperatures, and causing extreme weather events.
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is essential to predict and mitigate the effects of human interventions.
MCQs – Human and Environment Interaction
- Anthropogenic activities are:
Answer: Human-induced activities affecting environment - Deforestation causes:
Answer: Habitat loss and biodiversity decline - Industrialization increases:
Answer: Air and water pollution - Overfishing affects:
Answer: Aquatic biodiversity - Mining leads to:
Answer: Soil erosion and contamination - Urbanization results in:
Answer: Increased impervious surfaces - Greenhouse gas emissions cause:
Answer: Global warming - Intensive agriculture may lead to:
Answer: Soil nutrient depletion - Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) helps:
Answer: Predict impacts before projects - Climate change leads to:
Answer: Extreme weather events - Air pollution sources include:
Answer: Factories, vehicles - Water pollution sources include:
Answer: Industrial effluents, sewage - Biodiversity loss affects:
Answer: Ecosystem services - Overexploitation of resources results in:
Answer: Resource scarcity - Deforestation impacts:
Answer: Carbon sequestration - Urban heat island effect is due to:
Answer: Dense urbanization - Climate mitigation involves:
Answer: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions - Anthropogenic activities require:
Answer: Sustainable management - Pollution monitoring helps:
Answer: Reduce environmental hazards - Renewable resources reduce:
Answer: Human impact on environment
Environmental Issues: Local, Regional and Global:
Environmental challenges occur at multiple scales.
Air pollution: Emission of particulate matter, CO2, NOx, SOx affects health and climate.
Water pollution: Contaminants from industries, agriculture, and sewage degrade water quality.
Soil pollution: Use of pesticides, heavy metals, and industrial waste reduces fertility.
Noise pollution: Urbanization and transportation cause stress and hearing impairment.
Waste management: Solid, liquid, biomedical, hazardous, and electronic wastes pose serious threats.
Climate change: Global warming impacts agriculture, sea levels, and socio-economic systems, influencing political decision-making.
MCQs – Environmental Issues
- Air pollution affects:
Answer: Human health and climate - Water pollution can result from:
Answer: Industrial effluents - Soil pollution is caused by:
Answer: Pesticides and heavy metals - Noise pollution impacts:
Answer: Hearing and stress levels - Solid waste includes:
Answer: Household garbage - Biomedical waste requires:
Answer: Special disposal methods - Electronic waste is abbreviated as:
Answer: E-waste - Climate change results from:
Answer: Greenhouse gas emissions - Regional pollution includes:
Answer: Acid rain - Global environmental issues include:
Answer: Ozone depletion - Waste segregation improves:
Answer: Recycling efficiency - Noise above 85 dB can:
Answer: Cause hearing loss - Industrial emissions contribute to:
Answer: Air and water pollution - Pesticides affect:
Answer: Soil and groundwater quality - Electronic waste contains:
Answer: Heavy metals - Climate change affects:
Answer: Agriculture and sea levels - Global warming is a result of:
Answer: Excess CO2 emissions - Environmental issues require:
Answer: Multiscale management - Waterborne diseases increase due to:
Answer: Water pollution - Waste management reduces:
Answer: Environmental hazards
Impacts of Pollutants on Human Health:
Pollutants adversely affect human health.
Air pollutants cause respiratory diseases, cardiovascular issues, and cancer.
Water contamination leads to gastrointestinal infections, cholera, and heavy metal poisoning.
Soil contamination may result in food chain toxicity.
Noise pollution leads to stress, hypertension, and hearing impairment.
Chronic exposure to pollutants can reduce life expectancy and affect vulnerable populations disproportionately.
MCQs – Impacts of Pollutants on Human Health
- Air pollutants can cause:
Answer: Asthma and respiratory disorders - Water pollution leads to:
Answer: Cholera and gastrointestinal infections - Heavy metals in soil affect:
Answer: Food safety and health - Noise pollution may result in:
Answer: Stress and hypertension - Long-term pollutant exposure affects:
Answer: Life expectancy - Carbon monoxide poisoning impacts:
Answer: Cardiovascular system - Lead exposure affects:
Answer: Nervous system - Airborne particulate matter causes:
Answer: Lung diseases - Industrial effluents may contain:
Answer: Toxic chemicals - Pollutants in drinking water may cause:
Answer: Heavy metal toxicity - Noise above 85 dB can:
Answer: Damage hearing permanently - Pesticide residues may lead to:
Answer: Chronic illnesses - Air pollution aggravates:
Answer: Cardiovascular diseases - Waterborne pathogens cause:
Answer: Gastrointestinal infections - Heavy metal contamination affects:
Answer: Brain development in children - Indoor air pollution leads to:
Answer: Respiratory disorders - Pollutants disrupt:
Answer: Normal physiological functions - Long-term exposure to pollutants increases:
Answer: Chronic diseases - Environmental hazards are a major:
Answer: Public health concern - Preventing pollution helps in:
Answer: Reducing health risks
Natural and Energy Resources:
Sustainable management of natural resources is crucial for development.
Renewable energy sources include solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass, and forests, providing clean and inexhaustible energy.
Non-renewable sources include nuclear energy, which requires careful handling due to radioactive waste.
Soil resources support agriculture, while forests provide timber, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. Effective utilization and conservation are essential to ensure future availability.
MCQs – Natural and Energy Resources
- Solar energy is:
Answer: Renewable - Wind energy is:
Answer: Renewable - Hydropower is generated from:
Answer: Flowing water - Geothermal energy comes from:
Answer: Earth's heat - Biomass energy is derived from:
Answer: Organic matter - Nuclear energy is:
Answer: Non-renewable - Forests provide:
Answer: Timber, biodiversity, and oxygen - Soil is important for:
Answer: Agriculture - Renewable resources are:
Answer: Inexhaustible - Non-renewable resources are:
Answer: Limited in supply - Solar panels convert sunlight into:
Answer: Electricity - Wind turbines convert wind into:
Answer: Mechanical and electrical energy - Hydropower reduces:
Answer: Carbon emissions - Biomass energy reduces:
Answer: Waste accumulation - Forests act as:
Answer: Carbon sinks - Nuclear energy produces:
Answer: Radioactive waste - Geothermal energy is:
Answer: Sustainable - Renewable energy supports:
Answer: Sustainable development - Overuse of soil leads to:
Answer: Degradation and infertility - Energy conservation reduces:
Answer: Environmental impact
Natural Hazards and Disasters: Mitigation Strategies:
Natural hazards include earthquakes, floods, cyclones, tsunamis, droughts, and landslides.
Disaster mitigation involves preparedness, early warning systems, resilient infrastructure, community awareness, and emergency response planning.
Sustainable urban planning, afforestation, and climate-resilient agriculture reduce vulnerability. Governments and NGOs coordinate disaster risk reduction through national and international frameworks.
MCQs – Natural Hazards and Disasters
- Earthquakes are caused by:
Answer: Tectonic plate movements - Floods result from:
Answer: Excessive rainfall or river overflow - Cyclones are:
Answer: Intense tropical storms - Tsunamis are generated by:
Answer: Undersea earthquakes - Droughts result in:
Answer: Water scarcity - Landslides occur due to:
Answer: Soil erosion and instability - Early warning systems help:
Answer: Minimize disaster damage - Disaster preparedness includes:
Answer: Evacuation plans and drills - Community awareness improves:
Answer: Resilience to disasters - Resilient infrastructure reduces:
Answer: Vulnerability - Afforestation prevents:
Answer: Soil erosion and floods - Climate-resilient agriculture adapts to:
Answer: Changing weather patterns - National disaster management authorities coordinate:
Answer: Mitigation and response - NGOs assist in:
Answer: Disaster relief and awareness - Earthquake-resistant buildings are part of:
Answer: Mitigation strategies - Floodplain zoning is used for:
Answer: Risk reduction - Early warning systems include:
Answer: Weather alerts and sirens - Disaster drills improve:
Answer: Community preparedness - Resilient cities include:
Answer: Risk-informed planning - Disaster risk reduction aims to:
Answer: Save lives and property
Environmental Laws and International Agreements:
Key environmental regulations include the Environmental Protection Act (1986) in India, which provides a framework for pollution control and conservation.
The National Action Plan on Climate Change promotes sustainable development and climate resilience.
International agreements aim to mitigate global environmental challenges:
- Montreal Protocol: Protects ozone layer by phasing out CFCs.
- Rio Summit: Promotes sustainable development principles.
- Convention on Biodiversity: Conserves ecosystems and genetic resources.
- Kyoto Protocol & Paris Agreement: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally.
- International Solar Alliance: Promotes solar energy adoption worldwide.
MCQs – Environmental Laws and International Agreements
- The Environmental Protection Act was enacted in:
Answer: 1986 - NAPCC stands for:
Answer: National Action Plan on Climate Change - Montreal Protocol aims to:
Answer: Protect the ozone layer - Rio Summit promotes:
Answer: Sustainable development - Convention on Biodiversity focuses on:
Answer: Conservation of ecosystems - Kyoto Protocol targets:
Answer: Greenhouse gas reduction - Paris Agreement addresses:
Answer: Climate change mitigation - International Solar Alliance promotes:
Answer: Solar energy adoption - EPA regulates:
Answer: Pollution control - NAPCC includes:
Answer: Renewable energy and energy efficiency programs - Montreal Protocol phases out:
Answer: CFCs - Rio Summit was held in:
Answer: 1992 - Convention on Biodiversity was adopted in:
Answer: 1992 - Paris Agreement was signed in:
Answer: 2015 - Kyoto Protocol came into force in:
Answer: 2005 - EPA empowers:
Answer: Government to take preventive action - International environmental agreements are:
Answer: Multilateral efforts - Solar Alliance aims to:
Answer: Promote solar technologies in developing countries - Global treaties reduce:
Answer: Environmental degradation - Overall, laws and agreements aim to:
Answer: Ensure sustainable development worldwide
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