Chapter 7
COVID-19: Disaster or an Opportunity
for Environmental Sustainability
Abhishek Chauhan
Abstract Our earth is the only planet in our solar system where life is possible
due to the ecological balance between atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere.
Our earth is inhabited by numerous varieties of plants, animals and micro-organisms
besides humans. But human beings are considered as one of the most intelligent living
organisms who has been exploiting the nature for his own benefit and disturbing the
ecological balance of our ecosystem. Industrialization and globalization although
are considered the primers in development of human civilizations but have gradually
increased the carbon footprints and have generated many environmental problems
like change in climate, extinction of many varieties of flora and fauna, pollution, etc.
The development of science and technology has become a part and parcel of our
lives today and we cannot sustain without them. The onset of corona pandemic in
the world has clearly depicted the harm done by man to the environment. Clear sky,
fresh air, calm surroundings, cleaner rivers, reduced waste, repairing of ozone hole,
early monsoons, increase in wildlife sightings, undisturbed habitat for marine life,
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and particulate matter, etc., were some of the
most visible changes noticed during the lockdown due to coronavirus which acted
as an opportunity for repairing our Mother Nature. But COVID-19 pandemic has
also brought many problems like unemployment, psychological problems, economic
crisis, massive cuts in agriculture and fishery exports levels, generation of unrecyclable waste, rise in clinical waste, etc. The estimation of deaths due to coronavirus
is difficult but according to world health organization (WHO) due to ailments caused
by air pollution about 3 million people die each year which is more than the coronavirus toll to date. No doubt that the effects of the lockdown will be short-lived
and economic activities resumption will again increase emission levels and it will
wipe out all gains. Industries will make up their lost time by increasing production
and pollution level will return to its pre-pandemic stage. Governments will face a
shortage of resources to invest in clean energy which will increase the use of fossil
fuels. So, need of the hour is to maintain improvements achieved due to lockdowns
permanently and develop technologies that are eco friendly which can help in environmental sustainability. Some of the methods for environmental sustainability are
A. Chauhan (B)
Mechanical Engineering Department, UIET, PUSSGRC, Hoshiarpur, India
e-mail: abhishek_chauhan@pu.ac.in
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
C. Chakraborty et al. (eds.), The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Green Societies,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66490-9_7
169
COVID-19: Disaster or an Opportunity
for Environmental Sustainability
Abhishek Chauhan
Abstract Our earth is the only planet in our solar system where life is possible
due to the ecological balance between atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere.
Our earth is inhabited by numerous varieties of plants, animals and micro-organisms
besides humans. But human beings are considered as one of the most intelligent living
organisms who has been exploiting the nature for his own benefit and disturbing the
ecological balance of our ecosystem. Industrialization and globalization although
are considered the primers in development of human civilizations but have gradually
increased the carbon footprints and have generated many environmental problems
like change in climate, extinction of many varieties of flora and fauna, pollution, etc.
The development of science and technology has become a part and parcel of our
lives today and we cannot sustain without them. The onset of corona pandemic in
the world has clearly depicted the harm done by man to the environment. Clear sky,
fresh air, calm surroundings, cleaner rivers, reduced waste, repairing of ozone hole,
early monsoons, increase in wildlife sightings, undisturbed habitat for marine life,
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and particulate matter, etc., were some of the
most visible changes noticed during the lockdown due to coronavirus which acted
as an opportunity for repairing our Mother Nature. But COVID-19 pandemic has
also brought many problems like unemployment, psychological problems, economic
crisis, massive cuts in agriculture and fishery exports levels, generation of unrecyclable waste, rise in clinical waste, etc. The estimation of deaths due to coronavirus
is difficult but according to world health organization (WHO) due to ailments caused
by air pollution about 3 million people die each year which is more than the coronavirus toll to date. No doubt that the effects of the lockdown will be short-lived
and economic activities resumption will again increase emission levels and it will
wipe out all gains. Industries will make up their lost time by increasing production
and pollution level will return to its pre-pandemic stage. Governments will face a
shortage of resources to invest in clean energy which will increase the use of fossil
fuels. So, need of the hour is to maintain improvements achieved due to lockdowns
permanently and develop technologies that are eco friendly which can help in environmental sustainability. Some of the methods for environmental sustainability are
A. Chauhan (B)
Mechanical Engineering Department, UIET, PUSSGRC, Hoshiarpur, India
e-mail: abhishek_chauhan@pu.ac.in
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
C. Chakraborty et al. (eds.), The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Green Societies,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66490-9_7
169