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024
UNIT 1: WHERE DO WE STAND? THE STATE OF THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT
For tourism, land
degradation
directly implies
the loss of tourist
sites, and food
and water
shortages.
Why Should the Tourism Industry be Concerned about
Land Degradation?
Land degradation directly or indirectly hinders the development of all industries.
For tourism, land degradation directly implies the loss of tourist sites, and food
and water shortages. What is more, increasing poverty implies lack of skilled
labour and expertise, with a consequent fall in service quality, and destination
image.
International Action on Land Degradation
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification works towards halting
land degradation through site-specific soil remediation programmes and by
setting up partnerships to allow for the exchange of expertise and indigenous
technologies across countries. But so far these efforts have had limited success.
In most developing countries, populations continue to rise faster than food
production.
When it comes to land degradation and future food security, there are two
schools of thought. The optimistic view is that improvements in technology and
agricultural practices will enable the world’s food demands to be met without
exceeding biological production capacity. The pessimistic view is that technology
will not necessarily lead to environmentally-sound agricultural practices and land
will go on being degraded, that the best technology will remain out of reach
for developing nations, and that they will have to continue spending heavily on
importing food. As a result, over two-thirds of the world’s population will suffer
from malnutrition.
1.6 Acid Deposition
Acid deposition and acid rain occur when emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2)
and nitrogen oxides (NOx) react in the atmosphere with oxygen, water and other
oxidants to form acidic compounds. These acidic compounds fall on the earth as ‘wet
deposition’ (rain, snow, fog), and as ‘dry deposition’ (particulate matter and gas).
Sulphur dioxide is a product of burning fossil fuels. Coal and oil contain significant
quantities of sulphur, which is released into the atmosphere as sulphur dioxide
and sulphur trioxide during combustion. Oxides of nitrogen are also produced
during the burning of fossil fuels – either as ‘fuel oxides of nitrogen’ or as ‘thermal
oxides of nitrogen’.
S
E
C
T
I
O
N
1
Sources of global sulphur emissions
SOURCE
Power generation using coal and oil
Industry processes powered by fossil fuel and
the burning of wastes
Oil refineries
Transport
% OF TOTAL SULPHUR EMISSIONS
66%
25%
7%
3%