What is environmental degradation

Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through the depletion of natural resources such as water, soil, air, forests, among others.

An FAO definition says that environmental degradation is the loss of an environment’s ability to produce goods or services.

These definitions are not the only ones. Regardless of the definition, however, it is important to know that, as we will see below, environmental degradation is not an isolated phenomenon.

Environmental degradation concepts

In general terms, environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment caused by the exhaustion of natural resources, such as water, air, soil and forests. It can also refer to the destruction of ecosystems and habitats, extinction of wildlife and pollution.

In other words, environmental degradation can be defined as any change or disturbance in the environment that is perceived as undesirable or problematic. In this sense, environmental degradation is a process, which can amplify social and environmental problems, such as gullies, and leave long-term negative impacts on the environment and society.

In fact, the problem of environmental degradation is so serious that it is one of the ten threats to global security officially warned by the United Nations (UN). This same institution defines environmental degradation as

“reduction in the environment’s capacity to meet ecological and social objectives and needs”.

Similarly, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) distinguishes between soil and landscape to define environmental degradation, defining that

[land degradation is] “the process that reduces the current and/or potential capacity of land to produce goods and services.”
FAO

However, other definitions go deeper and characterize soil degradation as the loss of physical, chemical and biological aspects such as fertility.

In the same vein, environmental degradation of the landscape (land degradation) encompasses both soils and natural landscapes and vegetation.

There are also legal definitions of environmental degradation. In Brazil, this definition is given by Decree nº 97,632/1989, which links degradation to the recovery of degraded areas:

Processes resulting from damage to the environment, through which some of its properties are lost or reduced, such as the quality or productive capacity of environmental resources, and whose recovery must aim to return the degraded site to a form of use according to a pre-established plan for land use, aiming at environmental stability
(Brazil, 1989).

On the other hand, it is important to note that environmental degradation often occurs naturally. An example of this are the nutrient cycling processes in forests, the erosion of rocks to form soils, among others.

These processes are important for the maintenance and continuity of many biomes. One example is natural fires in the Cerrado, which are important for breaking the dormancy of seeds of certain species.

However, these processes are not always natural. In fact, human-caused environmental degradation causes the biggest problems for society. Furthermore, this type of degradation worsens the effects of climate change.

Main types of environmental degradation

Environmental degradation affects numerous spheres of the environment. However, the areas most frequently affected are:

• Soil and landscape degradation
• Degradation of forests and flora
• Freshwater degradation
• Marine degradation
• Air degradation

Soil degradation can refer to the destruction of physical, chemical and structural components of the soil, as well as the death of its microbiome. This is because a preserved and fertile soil is rich in life, which can be microscopic (bacteria, fungi, etc.) or macroscopic (worms, ants, beetles, rodents, etc.).

In other words, the complex interaction between these abiotic and biotic factors is what generates the favorable environment for vegetation. Thus, if life in the soil disappears, the soil degrades.

Soil degradation also includes contamination by pesticides, herbicides, mining waste deposit tanks, storage of various effluents (human, animal and agricultural).

In this sense, soil degradation can occur directly (removal of the organic horizon, for example) or indirectly (flow of effluents and chemical residues into water bodies, for example, which indirectly contaminates the soil).

In turn, landscape degradation involves soil degradation, but also encompasses the physical destruction of the environment by economic activities, such as:

• Construction of commercial complexes such as shopping centers, administrative buildings, among others
• Construction of urban infrastructure (roads, sanitation, squares, etc.)
• Storage of contaminating, toxic or nuclear waste
• Implementation of garbage deposits
• Agriculture and forestry
• Home construction
• Mining

In other words, the ecological characteristics of these places are permanently altered, even if these areas are later recovered.

The degradation of forests and flora concerns the destruction of plant habitat, as well as the loss of floristic biodiversity in some areas.

In turn, the environmental degradation of freshwater – a substance crucial to the survival of animals on Earth – occurs when freshwater is polluted by agricultural runoff, chemical leaching, siltation and accumulation of garbage.

Similarly, marine degradation refers to the destruction of marine habitats and ocean waters

Finally, air degradation is the loss of air quality due to pollution and increased concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere.

Identifying sources of degradation

The causes of environmental degradation are numerous, but two main sources can be cited:

Environmental degradation of natural origin, arising from natural processes that are not controlled by human beings, such as volcanoes, earthquakes and tornadoes.

Environmental degradation of anthropogenic origin, such as deforestation to change land use. Some examples of this type of degradation include:

• Erosion
• Excessive cultivation
• Extractive industries
• Degraded pastures
• Industrial waste deposit
• Implementation of urban infrastructure
• Air pollution and its effects on the earth
• Deforestation or loss of plant diversity
• Deposit of sediments by silting or erosion
• Inappropriate use of fire as an agricultural cultivation practice

In either case, environmental degradation is part of a process that can be natural or anthropic. Differentiating between the two is very important to adequately characterize the sources of degradation and create a good Degraded Areas Recovery Program.

Thus, the characterization of degradation will depend on what the original environment was like, who occupies the area, what economic activities are carried out there and how much the characteristics of this environment are compromised in relation to the original.

Therefore, environmental degradation is a complex phenomenon, whose definition and resolution involves both technical, economic and social factors as well as political decisions.