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Chapter 1:

Introduction to the Environmental ScienceIntroduction to the Environment

Mr. Yim Mongtoeun

Department of Environmental Science

Royal University of Phnom Penh

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Contents

1.1 What Is Environment?

1.2 Why Study the Environment?

1.3 Global Environmental Problems

1.4 Cambodian Environmental Problems

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1.1 What is Environment?

• Environment is everything surround organisms or group of organisms or the complex of social or cultural conditions that affect an individual or community.

Environment

Natural Environment Socio-cultural Environment

Living things

Environment

Living things Environment

Non-living things Environment

Non-living things

Environment

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Interconnection of the natural world with the society and culture and interdisciplinary of many subjects

Interconnection of the Environment

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1.2 Why Study Environment?

• Humans are part of environment and our activities cause rapidly change the natural environment.

• Three main human activities effect the environment:

– Taking resource from the environment

– Adding things to the environment

– Replacing the natural environment with something else

Study Environment is to understand environmental issues and to manage these issues appropriately

to reach sustainable development

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1.3 Global Environmental Problems

• Population Growth;

• Loss of Ecosystem and Species Extinction;

• Urbanization;

• Air Pollution;

• Solid Waste Disposal;

• Water Pollution and

• Noise Disturbance

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Population Growth

Resources DepletionResources Depletion PollutionPollution

Excess population growthExcess population growth

Starvation, Diseases, Crime, Misery, Land-use

change

Starvation, Diseases, Crime, Misery, Land-use

change

Over- crowding

Over- crowding

Unemployment

Unemployment

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Loss of Ecosystem and Species Extinction

• Deforestation soil erosion desertification• Direct and indirect destruction of wildlife habitat

Urbanization• Urbanization is the way cities grow bigger and rural

areas change because more people come to live in the city

• Environmental concerns include lack of sanitation and water supply; air and water pollution; shrinking open spaces and recreational areas; traffic congestion; waste disposal problems, etc.

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Air Pollution

• Air pollution is one of the most discussed of all environmental problems.

• Many health problems in cities are caused by air pollution.

• Three phenomena of global concern:

•Acid Rain•Climate Change•Ozone Depletion

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Solid Waste Disposal

• Solid waste disposal is an issue for all countries

• No safety disposal landfill cause air, soil and water pollution

• Harmful to human health

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Water Pollution

• Major environmental problems: Marine and freshwater pollution

• Sources of water pollution– Domestic– Industrial activities– Agricultural run-off

• Effects– Human health– Environment

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Noise Pollution

• Noise pollution is often a serious environmental problem in urban areas

• Sources of Noise Pollution: personal and commercial vehicles, aircraft, sirens, speakers, air conditioners, generators etc.

• Effects: intrudes on people aesthetically and physically and leads to mental fatigue, stress and damaged hearing.

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1.4 Cambodia Environmental Problems

• Deforestation

• Siltation

• Soil Erosion

• Pesticide

• Over-fishing

• Urbanization

• Solid and liquid wastes

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Deforestation

• Most serious and most widespread of the environmental problems facing Cambodia today.

• 73 % of Cambodia's total land area was covered with forests (1963). 35-63 % of the land is covered with forests (1998).

• Causes of deforestation are:

• Increased internal and external demand• Agriculture: indiscriminate clearing of forests for the

expansion of agricultural land• Shifting agricultural practices• War and large population movements• The lack of clear forest policy and government’ lack of

commitment to protect and manage forest resources.

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Siltation

• Causes of Siltation– Deforestation– Land cover (grass….)– Mining activities

• Effects:– Water body (shallower)– Ecological threat (fish, aquatic plants…)

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Soil Erosion

• Natural process, but it happens very slow in the nature

• Human impacts accelerate the erosion greatly through the following activities:

• Deforestation• Loss of land cover (grass, vegetable

• Effects:• Eutrophication• Land degradation

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Pesticide

• Potential harm to human health and environment

• Can also pollute surface water stream and river when spraying equipment is through surface water run-off during the wet season.

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Over-Fishing

• 88% of Cambodian population depends on fishing activities

• Amount of caught fish decreased whereas the number of fisher increased

• Unclear fishery management policy

• Lack of secure access and right to open access areas for small scale fishers

• Destructive/illegal fishing practices by both small scale and commercial fishers

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Urbanization

• Cause environmental problem such as solid and liquid waste, land use, air pollution and transportation and increasing of slums

• Population growth will however pose a considerable challenge to the government’s attempts to achieve poverty reduction, sustainable economic development, sustainable natural resource and environmental management

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Solid and Liquid Waste

• It is estimated that average urban household is between 0.38-0.56 kg of waste per capita.

• 62% of waste is collected and disposal at dumping site Steung Mean Chey. Problems still exist in waste management, control, collection, transportation and disposal

• Wastewater is classified as household and commercial wastewater.

• Most of the wastewater systems in Cambodia are combined systems, bringing together contaminated domestic wastewater and surface drainage.

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Self-study exerciseSelf-study exercise

1. What is the two classification of environment?2. Why do we need to study the environmental

science?3. What are the three significant global

environmental problems?4. Descript the 3 significant environmental problems

in your home town?

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Thank You..!