Human environment system

• One of the most tragic chapters of 2020 was the onslaught of typhoons in the country
• At least 100 people died during Typhoon Ulysses and at least 20 people during Typhoon Rolly. Thousands of homes and livelihoods were destroyed
• With the devastation caused by these typhoons, stronger calls have been made for the government to declare a climate emergency and take immediate action to help address climate change and its impacts
• Many Filipinos have also stood against government projects that worsen the impact of natural hazards
• Damage to the environment can lead to natural hazards. In turn, natural hazards lead to disasters that cause damage to human lives
• Human-Environment Systems approach


  A lens through which the chain of effects between human activities, environmental damage, natural hazards, and disasters can be analyzed
• Rampant destruction of forests will unleash more pandemics
• Our lives are shaped by the physical environment that we live in
• Our actions also affect the environment, e.g. building dams and replacing forests with farmlands
• Human-environment systems approach


  A framework that views society as part of a symbiotic system between people and the environment
• Symbiosis


  Two entities affect each other, either negatively or positively
• The environment determines what people can have in terms of food and livelihood
• People have the power to shape their environment, e.g. corporations can cause deforestation or people can take steps towards sustainable living
• The physical environment can influence people's lifestyle and culture, e.g. scarcity of land in the Himalayas leading to fraternal polyandry
• Cultural practices can also greatly affect the environment, e.g. cultures that value consumption more than sustainability are more likely to damage the environment
• Culture


  Such sphere that the physical environment can influence people's lifestyle and behavior
• The physical environment can influence the people's lifestyle and culture by posing opportunities or limits on behavior
• Fraternal polyandry


  Brothers are married to the same woman in order to prevent the further division of already scarce land as inheritance
• Cultural practices also greatly affect the environment
• Culture can influence what and how much natural resources people consume
• Cultures that value consumption more than sustainability are more likely to damage the environment
• Spatial distribution


  The spread of people in a particular place
• Decline in economic opportunities in an area

  People are more likely to migrate elsewhere, resulting in a sparse population spatial distribution
• Migration


  The movement of people from one place to another
• People's migration patterns tell us about the current state of the environment from where they came from and where they have chosen to settle
• Sense of place


  The feelings, symbols, or memories that a person associates with a particular place
• Human-environment interaction occurs at different levels - from the level of culture, society, and the individual
• Individuals interact with their environment, and the same can also be said of groups, organizations, and society
• Decisions about the environment can have a top-down movement, where a society that recognizes the need for sustainable use of natural resources can have a government that implements policies for organizations, groups, and individuals
• DPSIR model


  A model that emphasizes how environmental issues are connected to other important aspects of society, such as government programs and social and economic trends
• DPSIR variables


  • Drivers
  • Pressures
  • State
  • Impacts
  • Responses
• Drivers or Driving Forces


  Trends in the economy, culture, and people's lifestyles that can affect the environment
• Pressures


  The emissions or wastes created as a result of the drivers
• State


  A particular element or aspect of the environment, and the changes in this element or aspect as a result of the drivers and pressures
• Impacts


  The large-scale effects due to the changes in the state of the environment
• Responses


  The actions that people take in order to address the impacts, drivers, and pressures that affect the environment
• The DPSIR model is useful in understanding how human activities negatively affect the environment, and in order to mitigate these adverse effects, sustainability and conservation are important
• Sustainability


  Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
• Sustainability often involves numerous aspects of society, including the economy and the environment, as well as the management, use, and protection of natural resources to prevent overexploitation or destruction
• Sustainability often involves numerous aspects of society, including the economy and the environment