7 COVID-19: Disaster or an Opportunity …
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Thus, though lockdown during pandemic has helped our Mother Nature to heal but
it has changed our lives completely and has impacted people socially, psychologically
and economically. 24 million people are estimated to be trapped in poverty in the
regions of Pacific and East Asia in 2020 alone according to World Bank [73]. Further
the generation of biomedical waste [65] has increased due to large-scale use of
masks, PPE kits and sanitizers [27], increase in cost of treating sewage water and
managing solid waste which are posing an extra burden on the economy, various
businesses like eatery, hotels, restaurants, cinema halls are in a great loss since the
initiation of COVID-19. The positive effect due to lockdowns is only temporary but
the negative effect has posed a huge financial burden which can pose a threat in various
programmes implemented by the governments to attain the goals of environmental
sustainability. So to maintain the legacy of positive effects we have achieved due to
lockdowns it is essential that there should be proper implementations of environment
protection policies at national and international level.
7.4 Future Suggestions to Maintain Environmental
Sustainability Post-COVID-19
No doubt, coronavirus is a life threatening disaster but it has given us understanding to
differentiate between our needs and luxuries at individual level. This understanding
can lead to environmental sustainability at various levels such as global, community, individual and state. Some of the suggestions to maintain the environment
sustainability are:
I.
Air quality achieved during coronavirus can be achieved permanently if
we go for electrification of transport. The people should stop use of cars
in all residential, academic and other government institutes and should
avoid cars for going to office, shops, etc. Electric vehicles may be made
available for the needy. The use of electric cars by phasing out petrol and
diesel cars and using more and more public transports such as metros,
electric trains, etc., for daily commutation instead of individual cars will
help in reduction of air pollutants such as NO 2 [47]. The air quality can
be improved permanently by using renewable energies and low carbon
sources instead of fossil fuels. This can reduce monthly NO 2 emissions by
10% [47].
II.
By making forced lockdown for at least three weeks twice in the entire
country for the nature to recover every six months. Lockdowns can be
used as an emergency measure to prevent situations of severe air pollution
[15]. It is also seen that source control can improve the air quality [40].
III.
All the industries who are throwing effluents in freshwater lakes or rivers
should be strictly directed to process their effluents to the level of fresh
water they are drawing. They will naturally recycle the water in use.
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Thus, though lockdown during pandemic has helped our Mother Nature to heal but
it has changed our lives completely and has impacted people socially, psychologically
and economically. 24 million people are estimated to be trapped in poverty in the
regions of Pacific and East Asia in 2020 alone according to World Bank [73]. Further
the generation of biomedical waste [65] has increased due to large-scale use of
masks, PPE kits and sanitizers [27], increase in cost of treating sewage water and
managing solid waste which are posing an extra burden on the economy, various
businesses like eatery, hotels, restaurants, cinema halls are in a great loss since the
initiation of COVID-19. The positive effect due to lockdowns is only temporary but
the negative effect has posed a huge financial burden which can pose a threat in various
programmes implemented by the governments to attain the goals of environmental
sustainability. So to maintain the legacy of positive effects we have achieved due to
lockdowns it is essential that there should be proper implementations of environment
protection policies at national and international level.
7.4 Future Suggestions to Maintain Environmental
Sustainability Post-COVID-19
No doubt, coronavirus is a life threatening disaster but it has given us understanding to
differentiate between our needs and luxuries at individual level. This understanding
can lead to environmental sustainability at various levels such as global, community, individual and state. Some of the suggestions to maintain the environment
sustainability are:
I.
Air quality achieved during coronavirus can be achieved permanently if
we go for electrification of transport. The people should stop use of cars
in all residential, academic and other government institutes and should
avoid cars for going to office, shops, etc. Electric vehicles may be made
available for the needy. The use of electric cars by phasing out petrol and
diesel cars and using more and more public transports such as metros,
electric trains, etc., for daily commutation instead of individual cars will
help in reduction of air pollutants such as NO 2 [47]. The air quality can
be improved permanently by using renewable energies and low carbon
sources instead of fossil fuels. This can reduce monthly NO 2 emissions by
10% [47].
II.
By making forced lockdown for at least three weeks twice in the entire
country for the nature to recover every six months. Lockdowns can be
used as an emergency measure to prevent situations of severe air pollution
[15]. It is also seen that source control can improve the air quality [40].
III.
All the industries who are throwing effluents in freshwater lakes or rivers
should be strictly directed to process their effluents to the level of fresh
water they are drawing. They will naturally recycle the water in use.