Environmental Issues in Developing Countries

Developing countries find themselves in a very difficult environmental position. Various countries across Asia, Africa, South America and Europe find themselves trying to make economic progress through industrialization, but also have to confront the problems of underdevelopment and poverty. A multitude of environmental problems stem from the contradiction of these countries economic situations and as a result, most developing nations experience the land degradation and deforestation commonly experienced by underdeveloped nations, along with the air pollution, water pollution and chemical exposure of more developed nations.

Developing nations experience unique forms of land degradation and deforestation. Citizens in developing nations are very dependent on their land, much more so than in developed nations. This necessity forces populations to engage in the practices of farming, livestock growth and forestry wherever they can find the space. This results in the overuse of marginal and semiarid regions with low soil quality and water supply. In addition, farmers in developing nations are usually unaware of proper land maintenance techniques. The intense cultivation of unfit and undernourished land leads to problems of soil erosion, which ultimately pose the threat of desertification if the problems persists. The economic and human needs of developing countries also lead to a great deal of deforestation. Unlike in developed nations, developing nations still rely heavily on wood for heat and cooking; a necessity that is paired with an increased need for farm land and foodstuffs. In response to this demand, many forests have been cleared with little to no consideration of the environmental consequences. In many countries, such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana and Pakistan, the use of wood for fuel is only increasing, which will make deforestation an even more pressing problem in the future. As a result of deforestation, the ecosystems, biodiversity and animal populations of developing nations are negatively affected. In the cases of developing countries in Africa and Asia, deforestation actually does a great deal to damage land productivity by reducing available nutrients and water.

Though land degradation and deforestation are associated with the poverty levels of developing nations, their pollution levels have to do with their economic growth. Increases in urban development have led developing nations to experience industrial level air pollution. The two main sources of air pollution are automobiles and industrial factories. Though greenhouse gases are always an environmental concern, in many developing nations, lead pollution from auto exhaust is an issue that dwarfs carbon emission concerns. Air pollution is greatly increased because of a lack of regulations on factories, which burn great amounts of air quality reducing coal. As alluded to earlier, coal and wood are also burned at a much higher rate in developing nations, which greatly reduces air quality. Water pollution is an equally serious environmental concern in developing countries. Many of these problems also arise from a lack of regulation and awareness about the dangers of pollution. In many developing urban centers, it is not unusual to dump raw sewage into the ocean or other nearby bodies of water. These practices put strain on developing nation's fresh water supply; a problem that is made even more difficult by increases in demand. Ground water is also affected by the unregulated dumping of waste from factories and other industrial facilities. The problem of sewage and industrial water contamination, coupled with an increase in the demand of growing urban centers, are problems that developing nations will have to confront.

A peek into the environmental issues of developing countries shows the contradicting issues that countries face while trying to facilitate economic growth. By trying to expand their economies, these countries bring more industry and create larger urban cities. Unfortunately, these advancements are met with drastic increases in water pollution and air pollution. To make matters even more complicated, these developing countries have farming and fuel needs, which have resulted in dangerous levels of deforestation and land degradation.