Maharashtra Board Class 12 Political Science Chapter 3 Key Concepts and Issues since 1991 Humanitarian Issues PDF Download

3. Key Concepts and Issues Since 1991: Humanitarian Issues

In the first two chapters we have studied the changes that have taken place in the world since 1991. We saw how the process of globalisation has brought in concepts like participatory state, awareness of human rights, increasing importance of non-state actors, etc. Today, humanitarian issues like environment, perspectives about poverty and development policies and approaches towards gender have become important. This chapter looks at these issues and tries to understand how India has dealt with them.

Environment and Sustainability

What is the environment? It is everything that makes up our surroundings, the air we breathe, the water that covers most of the earth's surface, the plants and animals around us, and much more. It is the conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives. The natural environment consists of all living and non-living things occurring naturally. It would include soil, rocks, atmosphere, air, water, and climate, etc. There is also the built environment. This refers to such areas where man has transformed landscapes such as urban settings and agricultural land conversion. The natural environment is modified into a human environment.

The relationship between economic development and environmental degradation was first placed on the international agenda in 1972, at the United Nations (UN) Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm. The main purpose of the conference was to encourage and provide guidelines for the protection and improvement of human environment. In 1983 the UN set up the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission). The Report of the Commission (1987) put forward the concept of sustainable development as an alternative approach to one based on economic growth.

The UN General Assembly called for the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) as a follow up to the report of the Brundtland Commission. The goal of the summit was to understand the concept of development that would support socio-economic development and prevent the continued deterioration of the environment. It also aimed at creating a partnership between the developing and the more industrialised countries to ensure a healthy future for the planet. This summit was held at Rio in 1992. The Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit (1992) also called the Rio Summit, the Rio Conference, or the Earth Summit sought to create international cooperation on development issues. It tried to raise public awareness on the need to integrate environment and development. In 2002 the Earth Summit was held in Johannesburg with the goal of again bringing together leaders from government, business and NGOs. Sustainable Development was recognised as the most important goal for institutions at the national, regional and international levels. In 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development was again held in Rio, and is also commonly called Rio+20 or Rio Earth Summit 2012.

Teacher's Note

Environment means all things around us. Just like your home needs clean water and fresh air, our Earth also needs them to stay healthy. In India, we see many rivers getting polluted and forests being cut down.

Exam Trick

Remember: Rio Summit 1992 = Environment and Development together. Think of it like this: you cannot have a good house if you destroy the land under it.

Points to Remember

Environment is everything around us - air, water, plants, animals, and soil.
The natural environment is made by nature. The built environment is made by humans.
In 1972, the UN first talked about the problem of pollution and development together.
The Rio Summit in 1992 was very important for the environment.
Sustainable development means meeting our needs today without hurting the needs of future generations.

The goal of environmental sustainability is to conserve natural resources and to develop alternate sources of power while reducing pollution and harm to the environment. Environmental sustainability is defined as responsible interaction with the environment to avoid depletion or degradation of natural resources and allow for long-term environmental quality. The practice of environmental sustainability helps to ensure that the needs of today's population are met without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Some of the important environmental concerns are as follows:

Climate Change: Greenhouse gas emissions are the main cause of climate change. This has resulted in extreme weather events such as droughts, wildfires, heat waves and flooding.

Pollution: Air pollution and climate change are closely linked. Greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet are also creating smoggy conditions in major cities that endanger public health.

Deforestation: Forests are important as they absorb CO₂ that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere and worsen global warming. Cutting down trees also threatens animals and humans who rely on healthy forests to sustain themselves.

Water Scarcity: As the population increases and climate change causes more droughts, water scarcity is becoming more of an issue. Access to clean, safe drinking water is an important problem faced by the population today.

Loss of Biodiversity: Loss of biodiversity threatens food security and population health. Climate change is also a major contributor to biodiversity.

Do this.

What can you do to protect the environment?

Climate Change: ______________

Pollution: ______________

Deforestation: ______________

Water scarcity: ______________

Protect Biodiversity: ______________

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal agency in the administrative structure of the Central Government for the planning, promotion, coordination and overseeing the implementation of India's environmental and forestry policies and programmes. The primary concerns of the Ministry are implementation of policies and programmes relating to conservation of the country's natural resources including its lakes and rivers, its biodiversity, forests and wildlife, ensuring the welfare of animals, and the prevention and abatement of pollution. While implementing these policies and programmes, the Ministry is guided by the principle of sustainable development and enhancement of human well-being.

Teacher's Note

India has a ministry just to protect forests and environment. This is like having a teacher for one special subject - it shows how important this topic is.

Exam Trick

Remember: Ministry of Environment = India's protector of nature. It takes care of forests, animals, water, and air pollution.

Points to Remember

Environmental sustainability means using nature carefully so it lasts forever.
Climate change is caused by gases that warm the Earth.
Cutting forests is bad because trees clean the air.
Water scarcity means there is not enough clean water to drink.
India has a special ministry to protect the environment.

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