degradation

• What is degradation?


  The process where an object or substance loses its quality, value, or usefulness over time
• Soil erosion is the process where soil is worn away over time
• Natural events like rivers, waves, rain, wind, and glaciers, as well as human activities like tree clearings, can cause soil erosion
• Soil degradation occurs when soil loses its fertility
• Causes of soil degradation include chemical changes, machinery, hard-hooved animals, and the build-up of fertilizers
• An ecosystem is a community made up of living organisms that interact with each other and their environment
• Causes for ecosystem decline can include loss of vegetation, invasion of alien plant and animal pests, and decline in the quality of streams and rivers
• Desertification is the transformation of fertile land into a relatively dry desert
• Three causes of air pollution in New Delhi are the rapid increase of new vehicles, the increase of industries releasing toxic fumes, and India's use of burning coal for energy
• Health problems caused by air pollution in New Delhi include half a million citizens dying from pollution, chronic respiratory problems, skin diseases, and destruction of the nasal septum
• The ozone layer is a layer 10km above Earth that protects the Earth from harmful radiation from the sun
• The recovery of the ozone layer began in the 1970s when a reduction of molecules was found due to chemicals released from aerosol cans and refrigerators, leading to a ban on these chemicals in 1987
• Tanneries in Bangladesh cause water degradation by releasing 22,000 cubic meters of liquid toxic waste into surrounding rivers, canals, and gutters, affecting the popular Buriganga River used for drinking, cleaning, showering, and irrigation
• Using rivers for agriculture causes water degradation as farmers use excessive amounts of water at low prices, impacting ecosystems like the Murray-Darling Basin where 330L of water are pumped from the river to water almond trees, causing flora and fauna to suffer
• Damming rivers causes water degradation by disrupting water flow, leading to floods in some areas and water scarcity in others, affecting fertile soil, food production, and fish reproduction due to the destruction of river structures