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Chapter 1:
Introduction to the Environmental
Science
Introduction 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
Non-living things
Living things
Non-living things
Environment
Environment
Environment
Environment
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Interconnection of the Environment
Interconnection of the natural world with the society
and culture and interdisciplinary of many subjects
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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
environment:
human
activities
effect
the
– 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
Excess population growth
Resources
Depletion
Pollution
Overcrowding
Unemployment
Starvation, Diseases,
Crime, Misery, Land-use change
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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 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..!
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