Multidisciplinary Nature

                      1 Definition 

Environmental studies deals with every issue that affects a living organism . It is essentially a multidisciplinary approach that brings about an appreciation of our natural world and human impact on its integrity . It is an applied science , as it seeks practical answers to the increasingly important question of how to make human civilisation sustainable on the finite resources that are available .

 Its components include biology , geology , chemistry , physics , engineering , sociology , health , anthropology , economics , statistics , computers and philosophy.  

                    2 Scope 

Environment is not a single subject ; it is an integration of several subjects that include both Science and social studies . To understand all the different aspects of our environment , we need to understand biology . chemistry . physics , geography , resource management , economics and population issues . Thus , the scope of environmental studies is extremely wide and covers some aspects of nearly every major discipline .

 If we study the natural history of the areas in which we live , we would see that our surroundings were originally a natural landscape , such as a forest , a river , a mountain , a desert , or a combination of these elements . Most of us live in landscapes that have been profoundly modified by human beings - in villages , towns or cities . But even those of us who live in cities must get our food supply

from the surrounding villages and these , in turn . are dependent on natural landscapes such as forests , grasslands , rivers , seashores , for resources such as water for agriculture , fuelwood , fodder and fish . Thus , our daily lives are inextricably linked to our surroundings and inevitably affect them.

               3 Importance 

We live in a world where natural resources are limited. Water, air, soil, minerals, oil, the produc we get from forests, grasslands, oceans and from agriculture and livestock, are all a part of our life-support systems. Without them, life itself would be impossible. As we keep increasing i number and the quantity of resources each of us uses also increases, the earth's resource bas must inevitably shrink. The earth cannot be expected to indefinitely sustain this expanding l eve of utilisation of resources. Added to this is the risk of misuse of resources. Increased amount of waste and pollution contaminating our existing supply is a threat to the quality of life for al This situation will only improve if each of us begins to take actions in our daily lives that we help preserve our environmental resources. 

             Environmental Values

  1.Direct Value

1.1 Consumption Use

1.2 Productive Use

2. Indirect Value

 2.1 Indirect use Eg: wetlands as flood buffers; forests as carbon sinks.

2.2 Existence value within generation.

 2.3 Aesthetic value.

2.4  Bequest value for future generations.

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