There are many definitions of the environment. According to the “Environmental Protection Law of Vietnam”: “The environment includes natural elements and artificial material elements that are closely related to each other, surrounding humans, and influencing the lives, production, existence, and development of humans and nature.”
From an economic perspective: “The environment is the entirety of physical and biological areas, the material-natural conditions as a long-lasting product of creation, existing before humans, interacting with each other, and collectively influencing the formation, existence, and development of humans, along with their social activities. Structurally, the environment includes the biosphere (air, water, land, light…) and ecosystems, which interact with each other and collectively impact human life.”…
However, the global environment is deteriorating and significantly affecting human survival. Humanity is facing major environmental challenges.
Challenge One: Soil Pollution. Worldwide, there is a growing trend of soil pollution, caused by: first, the overuse or side effects of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and other growth stimulants. Every year, thousands of new chemicals are introduced globally, while humans still do not fully understand their side effects on ecosystems. Second, improper technical handling of industrial and domestic waste from humans and animals, or the remains of dead organisms causes pollution… Soil pollution reduces the productivity and quality of crops, destroys the lives of certain organisms in heavily polluted areas, and threatens human health through livestock and crops, even causing severe ecological and genetic deformities in ecosystems.
Challenge Two: Water Pollution. Water pollution is at risk of increasing due to a lack of necessary treatment measures for domestic and industrial waste; due to chemicals used in agriculture and contamination from other raw materials used in production; pollution caused by fast-growing floating plants that lead to massive marine animal deaths due to lack of oxygen. Some floating plants can produce toxins harmful to both animal life and humans; pollution due to seabed mining for oil and other rare minerals; and pollution from natural waste (it is estimated that over 600,000 tons of waste falls from the atmosphere each year, particularly hydrogen gas from the atmosphere – known as atmospheric precipitation).
Currently, between 40-50% of stable river flow on Earth is polluted. The degree of water pollution worldwide could increase tenfold in the next 25 years. Additionally, scientists estimate that approximately 96.5% of the Earth’s water is saltwater located in the oceans. Only 2.53% of the total water available is freshwater suitable for agriculture and human use. However, the demand for clean water is rapidly increasing due to population growth and production development. It can be said that after the oil crisis, humanity has faced and will continue to face the widespread threat of a lack of clean water necessary to sustain and develop its socio-economic life.
Currently, it is estimated that over half of the countries and regions in the world are facing varying degrees of water scarcity, with about 50 countries facing severe water shortages. Up to 80% of diseases are directly related to contaminated water sources, with 25 million children dying each year due to unsafe water.
Challenge Three: Air Pollution. Industrial development and urban life based on the “oil civilization” are polluting the air with emissions of SO2, NO2, CO, lead vapors, soot, ash, and other suspended particulate matter generated during the combustion of fuels and other combustible materials…
According to United Nations statistics, currently, up to 50% of the urban population worldwide lives in environments where SO2 levels exceed standards, and more than 1 billion people live in areas with coal dust and particulate matter exceeding permissible limits. In recent years, emissions have been steadily increasing (projected to increase 15-fold in the next 20 years). Air pollution can directly kill or harm the health of living organisms, cause the “greenhouse effect,” and acid rain that distorts and degrades the environment, destroying ecosystems.
Challenge Four: Overexploitation of Marine Resources, Deforestation, and Increasing Desertification. The oceans are increasingly becoming the largest dumping ground on Earth, leading to severe pollution. Additionally, there is reckless and excessive exploitation by humans. Currently, under the pressure of socio-economic issues, countries have increasingly ventured into the oceans, leading to the depletion of marine resources and worsening pollution.
Along with the oceans, forests are increasingly diminishing. The deforestation rate in many countries worldwide is alarming. Forest loss results in colossal global disasters such as ecosystem distortion, increased water scarcity risk, climate change, and increased natural disasters.
Desertification leads to many unpredictable consequences. Moreover, issues such as noise pollution, radioactive pollution, radiation, and climate instability directly and long-term harm the health and genetics of organisms and plants, including humans. The consequences will be truly horrifying and unpredictable. The losses in human life and material caused by environmental degradation have already surpassed the losses from social upheaval and war.
Forecasts indicate that in the early years of this century, the number of victims from environmental issues will reach at least 50 million people. Humanity is facing a new warning: apart from nuclear war, climate change will pose the greatest threat to the survival of humanity and the future of the Earth. These are warnings for humanity to quickly take positive actions for the environment, for the environment, and for their own survival.
TRUNG GIANG (Compiled)
