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Ecosystem Degradation and the Need for Restoration: Through the Lens of Environment and Human Health

Bharat Dhiman

Due to ongoing global development and economic growth, ecosystem degradation has become a crucial issue for the environment and human health. Ecosystems are the basis of life itself! The natural ecosystems in the wilderness provide various products and are regions in which a number of vital ecological processes are present, without which human civilization would not be able to exist.

Ecosystems are, however, frequently disrupted by human actions, which lead to the extinction of species of plants and animals that can live only in the different natural ecosystems. Some species, if eliminated, seriously affect the ecosystem. These are called ‘keystone’ species. Extinction occurs due to changes in land use. Forests are deforested for timber, wetlands are drained to create more agricultural land, and semi-arid grasslands used as pastures are changed into irrigated fields. Pollution from industry and waste from urban settings can also lead to the extinction of several species.

The reason for the depletion of natural resources is twofold - our rapidly exploding population that needs to sustain itself on resources and the growth of affluent societies, which consume and waste a large proportion of resources and energy. Increasing extraction of resources is at the cost of natural ecosystems, leading to the derangement of their essential functions.

Each of us in our daily lives uses a variety of resources. If tracked back to their source, one finds that the resources were originally obtained from nature and natural ecosystems. Our insensitivity to using resources carefully has produced societies that nature can no longer sustain. Suppose one thinks before wasting resources such as water, reusing and recycling paper, and using less plastic that is non- degradable cumulatively. In that case, this can positively affect the integrity of our natural resource base and conserve the resources that nature provides. This article is about how restoration allows us to improve our relationship with the ecosystems we depend on and how we protect biodiversity for future generations.