You main environmental problems that exist in Brazil and in the world are caused by the intensification of human activities, such as the production industrialization and urbanization, inadequate soil management and the intensive and unsustainable use of resources natural. The main environmental problems are the following:
atmospheric pollution;
global warming;
water and soil pollution;
deforestation and fires;
desertification;
biodiversity loss;
Illegal garbage disposal.
Read too: Environmental conferences — meetings held in order to discuss issues about the environment
Topics of this article
- 1 - Summary of the main environmental problems
-
2 - What are the main environmental problems in the world?
- → Atmospheric pollution
- → global warming
- → Water pollution
- → Soil pollution
- → Deforestation
- → Burning
- → Desertification
-
3 - What are the main environmental problems in Brazil?
- → Deforestation
- → Burning
- → Water pollution
- → Air pollution
- → Loss of biodiversity
- → Irregular garbage disposal
- 4 - Consequences of the main environmental problems
- 5 - Possible solutions for the main environmental problems
- 6 - Solved exercises on the main environmental problems
Summary of the main environmental problems
The main environmental problems observed in the world are atmospheric pollution, global warming, water and soil pollution, deforestation, fires, desertification and loss of biodiversity.
They intensified after the Industrial Revolution, with the increasingly intense action of human beings on nature.
The main environmental problems observed in Brazil are deforestation, fires, water pollution, air pollution, loss of biodiversity and irregular garbage disposal.
The accelerated growth of cities combined with the lack of access to basic sanitation services and the advance of exploratory and intensive economic activities in rural areas are among the causes of environmental problems in the Brazil.
They harm the quality of life of the current population and threaten future generations. They also put at risk the biodiversity of planet Earth.
Environmental education, the adoption of a sustainable way of life, the coordinated action of public managers on a national scale and international community and the elaboration of public policies aimed at the environment are some of the solutions to the problems environmental.
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What are the main environmental problems in the world?
The main environmental problems in the world were caused by anthropic action on nature. This process intensified after the Industrial Revolution, which dates back to the 18th century, and began to be widely discussed on an international scale from the 1970s onwards, with the holding of environmental conferences and on the climate. Check below which are the main environmental problems faced today in the world.
→ Atmospheric pollution
A pollution from the air or atmospheric can be described as the presence, up in the air, polluting gases, particulate matter, biological agents and other elements that alter the your quality. This problem is mainly caused by the burning of fossil fuels and industrial activity in large urban centers, activities that release substances such as carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur oxides (SO2 and OS3) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) In the atmosphere.
This kind of pollution causes other environmental problems, such as acid rain (rain with high acidity) and heat islands (higher temperature in cities compared to neighboring areas), typical of urban areas. On a larger scale, air pollution affects the atmospheric balance and intensifies the greenhouse effect, which causes global warming. Among the countries with the highest air pollution are India, Burkina Faso, Thailand, China and Azerbaijan.
→ Global warming
Global warming is the Abnormal increase in the average temperature of planet Earth. This phenomenon is caused by the intense exploitation of nature by human beings, causing problems such as deforestation, and the direct emission of polluting gases into the atmosphere through industrial activity and the burning of fossil fuels. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Earth's average temperature is currently 1.5°C higher than in the period leading up to the Revolution Industrial.
This increase in temperature also generates other problemsenvironmental. One of the main consequences of this fact is climate change and the increasingly recurrent occurrence of extreme phenomena, such as severe droughts, very voluminous and intense rains, in addition to the melting of the polar ice caps, rising ocean levels and the loss of biodiversity.
→ water pollution
A water pollution it happens when substances are released into water bodies and alter their physical, chemical and biological properties, which can cause contamination and, as a consequence, generate severe damage to the population that depends on that resource and to aquatic biodiversity. The irregular disposal of garbage and urban waste, such as sewage, and industrial waste are among the main causes of water pollution.
One of the discussions about water pollution revolves around the amount of plastic and microplastic present in the oceans. The accumulation of these substances harms marine fauna and can even affect human health, by contaminating the food chain of saltwater species.
→ soil pollution
Soil pollution is described as the chemical degradation of the substrate. It originates from the irregular disposal of garbage and urban, industrial, mining and electricity generating plants, in the use intensive use of agricultural pesticides and pesticides for production, deforestation and other events that contribute to the loss of fertility of soils.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a UN specialized agency, soil pollution threatens the quality of water and food we eat, in addition to affecting the guarantee of food security for a larger portion of the world's population due to this. Among the areas where this problem is most recurrent are Central Asia, North Africa and Europe.
→ Logging
Also called deforestation, deforestation is the Removal of partial or total vegetation cover from a given place. The loss of vegetation cover leaves soils unprotected and more vulnerable, while at the same time affecting the functioning of ecosystems, contributes to the silting up of rivers and interferes in the dynamics of local climates and, in the long term, the climate global.
→ fires
Also called forest fires, human fires are a practice of clearing an area with the use of fire. Fire from burnings eliminates part of the biodiversity of the forests and contributes to the emission of polluting gases into the atmosphere. In some cases, as we have seen recently on the West Coast of the United States, Australia and Southern Europe, fires are caused by extreme heat and dry weather, which dries out vegetation and facilitates the spread of flames.
→ Desertification
Desertification is aphenomenon of chemical and physical degradation of soils, resulting from the depletion of soil production capacity, which is caused by the exploitation of this resource intensively for economic purposes, inadequate management, successive burnings and logging. Natural factors can contribute to the desertification of areas, such as the presence of dry climates and the natural properties of the substrate.
This process has the effects of physical soil degradation, salinization and an increase in the destructive potential of rainfall in arid regions. Furthermore, directly and negatively impacts population and biodiversity, bearing in mind that desertification leaves the soil unsuitable for planting, makes raising animals difficult and prevents the formation of drinking water reservoirs. One of the areas most affected by desertification is the Sahel, in the northern region of the African continent.
See too: What are the main rural environmental problems?
What are the main environmental problems in Brazil?
Brazil's main environmental problems were aggravated by late industrialization and accelerated urbanization that took place in the second half of the 20th century and that generated phenomena such as the urban macrocephaly. In rural areas, the advance of the agricultural frontier and activities economical like extractivism are among the main causes of impacts on the environment. Below, see what are the main environmental problems in Brazil.
→ Logging
Deforestation is one of the environmental problems in Brazil and is present in virtually all biomes in the country. In a recent period, there has been a significant growth in the removal of native vegetation in the Amazon and in the Cerrado in as a result of the opening of new areas for the practice of agribusiness, with emphasis on soy planting, and extractivism vegetable and mineral. In the second case, we have recently followed up on the impacts of illegal mining inside the Amazon rainforest.
In the last 30 years, the Amazon has lost approximately 800,000 km² of area covered with native vegetation. In the Cerrado, the loss was 265,000 km², according to information from MapBiomas.
→ fires
Fires are phenomena that can happen naturally in hot areas and that have dry vegetation due to the heat. In many of these locations, there are plants with adaptations capable of resisting the action of fire, as identified in the Brazilian Cerrado. However, Brazil experienced a increase in illegal burnings carried out with the intention of opening new areas for the economic exploitation of natural resources.
→ Water pollution
Water pollution in Brazil is an environmental problem that has as one of its main causes the lack of proper sewage collection and treatment, which results in its irregular disposal directly into water bodies. It should be noted that, according to the Saneamento Brasil Panel, 44.2% of the Brazilian population does not has access to this type of service, which represents an absolute number of more than 92 million people.
In addition, industrial and mining waste, garbage and pesticides and other agricultural pesticides are also among the causes of water pollution in the country. Considering pollution and factors such as climate change and the diversion of water courses for the construction of hydroelectric plants, Brazil lost 15.7% of its water resources in the last 30 years, an area equivalent to 3 million hectares.|1|
→ Air pollution
Air pollution is, in Brazil, a environmental problem associated with large urban centers, deforestation, especially that caused by illegal burning, It isto the inadequate soil management, which are responsible for releasing a high amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
A site survey Carbon Brief, from the United Kingdom, shows Brazil in the fourth position among the largest emitters of CO2, second only to the United States, China and Russia. The research took into account a very wide period of time, ranging from 1850 to 2021. During this period, the country was responsible for the emission of more than 100 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.|2|
→ Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is the variety of living things in a place. Therefore, the loss of biodiversity is a serious environmental problem, which threatens the fauna and flora of Brazil and endangers its main biomes, especially the Amazon and the Cerrado. Deforestation and the consequent destruction of the habitat of many species of animals are among the causes of the loss of Brazilian biodiversity. With regard to fauna, the list of endangered animals in Brazil has almost 1400 species, half of which were added between 2014 and 2022.|3|
→ Illegal garbage disposal
Causing other impacts such as soil and water pollution, irregular waste disposal is an environmental problem. generated by the growth of the total waste generated by the population and for thelack of access to essential services sanitation, such as garbage collection, in Brazilian municipalities.
The IBGE estimates that 20 million people do not have access to this type of service in Brazil, which leads to disposal in the streets, vacant lots, forest areas or in nearby rivers and streams. In cities, one of the problems generated by garbage thrown in the streets inappropriately is the flooding of roads during the rainy season.
Also access: Floods in Brazil—natural phenomena that have been intensified by human practices
Consequences of the main environmental problems
The main environmental problems in Brazil and the world affect the quality of life of the population, causing respiratory and infectious diseases as a result of pollution, increasing the food insecurity of the poorest groups vulnerable, generating a series of disorders in the urban environment, such as flooding, and intensifying the occurrence and severity of disasters environmental.
these problems are responsible for environmental imbalance and the destruction of entire ecosystems, terrestrial and aquatic, endangering the survival of animal and plant species. The Earth's climate and water dynamics have undergone transformations due to environmental problems, which impacts negatively affect the natural cycles that are fundamental for the maintenance of the different forms of life present in our planet.
It is increasingly observed that reduction of availability of natural resources, which can culminate in its shortage in a short period of time. With this, we can say that, in addition to the present generation, the main environmental problems also threaten future generations.
Possible solutions to the main environmental problems
It is urgent to adopt measures capable of containing the advance of the main environmental problems, so that their impacts, which are already significant, are reduced in the medium and long term. This guarantees a better quality of life for the population and maintains the fauna and flora of our planet. Here are some solutions that can be adopted to reduce environmental problems:
environmental education;
guaranteed access to basic sanitation for the entire population;
carrying out recycling and selective collection;
reforestation and recovery of degraded areas;
crop rotation;
proper soil management;
increased use of renewable energy sources;
avoidance of garbage disposal in land, rivers and other inappropriate places;
conscious consumption;
saving water and electricity;
adoption of sustainable measures by the industrial sector and in agriculture;
protection of endangered animal and plant species;
greater inspection in areas of illegal deforestation;
elaboration and application of environmental protection and preservation policies.
Solved exercises on the main environmental problems
question 1
(And either)
TEXT I
TEXT II
The Tietê river is dead. At least part of it: 137 kilometers, to be precise. A survey by Fundação SOS Mata Atlântica shows that, in 2016, the stretch of river with water quality classified as poor or very bad starts in Itaquaquecetuba, passes through the entire metropolitan region of São Paulo and reaches Cabreúva, already in the interior of São Paulo Paul. In this stretch, the water does not have enough oxygen to support life.
Available at http://epoca.globo.com. Accessed on: Dec 7, 2017 (adapted).
Considering the analysis of the texts, the current condition of this river originates from:
A) valorization of the urban site.
B) extinction of native vegetation.
C) receiving a dense load of waste.
D) disorderly capture of rainfall.
E) expansion of the use of chemical pesticides.
Resolution:
Alternative C.
The pollution and contamination of the waters of the rio Tietê are caused by the disposal of large amounts of waste and urban waste, which occurs on a larger scale in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, a densely populated area.
question 2
(And either)
This is the progressive loss of productivity of entire biomes, affecting very expressive portions of subhumid and semi-arid domains in all warm regions of the world. It is in these areas, ecologically transitional, that pressure on biomass is felt very strongly, due to the removal of forest cover, overgrazing and mining activities not controlled, triggering an acute picture of environmental degradation, reflected by the inability to support the development of plant species, whether a natural forest or plantations agricultural.
CONTI, J. B. Physical geography and society-nature relations in the tropical world, In: CARLOS, A. F. A. (Org.). New paths of geography. São Paulo: Context, 1999 (adapted).
The text emphasizes a consequence of the conflicting relationship between human society and the environment, which concerns the process of:
A) thermal inversion.
B) atmospheric pollution.
C) eutrophication of water.
D) soil contamination.
E) desertification of ecosystems.
Resolution:
E alternative.
The excerpt talks about the loss of productivity of biomes, a characteristic linked to the soils of these domains. Thus, the described process is the desertification of ecosystems, an environmental problem present in several regions of the world.
Grades
|1| MODELLI, Lais. Brazil lost 15% of its water resources in 30 years, a loss of almost twice the water surface of the entire Northeast. G1, 23 Aug. 2021. Available here.
|2| PASSARINHO, Natalia. Brazil is 4th in the world in the ranking of polluting gas emissions since 1850. BBC News Brazil, 27 Oct. 2021. Available here.
|3| ESSAY. List of endangered animals in Brazil doubles in eight years. Jornal Nacional, 12 Mar. 2022. Available here.
By Paloma Guitarrara
Geography Teacher
Learn what deforestation is and how this practice has caused numerous environmental problems. See how deforestation is doing in the world and in Brazilian biomes.
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Learn more about pollution by clicking here. In this text we will explore what pollution is, its types and its consequences for the environment and living beings.
Understand the causes and consequences of fires. Know the different types of fires. Learn more about fire control in Brazil.
