Go in for greening

A thick blanket of snow covers large parts of the mountains while much of north India is shivering under extreme winter conditions. The north-east monsoon has ravaged Tamil Nadu with a severity not seen for decades. A couple of months ago, Mumbai suffered a similar fate. A devastating earthquake in the north-west mountains, and floods in the plains. Everyday we are confronted by such natural disasters, mostly man-made.

Despite the great strides in science and technology, we are only now awakening to the realisation that current economic progress is destroying the earth’s natural resources, and if we don’t do something fast, we could endanger not only our own lives but that of future generations. This awareness of the need to protect our natural resources has led to efforts towards clean air, water protection, noise abatement, waste management, pollution control, re-forestation and the like, requiring a variety of new goods and services. This has created many fresh jobs for those trained in environment protection and management, or the field of environment science.

Environmental science, as a discipline, encompasses several fields. It is a composite of both natural and social sciences. At its roots lie natural history and the science of ecology. Resource management and resource technology are also significant features of environmental science. With the realisation that our resources are finite, comes the awareness that our lifestyles affect the environment and that we need to adopt an attitude of stewardship in order to make our resources last as long as possible. Demography is, therefore, also linked with the study of environmental science.

The opportunities in this field are therefore immense, not only for environmental scientists, but also for environmental engineers, environmental biologists, environmental modellers as well as environmental journalists. Opportunities also exist with NGOs and with various human rights advocates, anti-nuclear weapons protesters and other such public interest groups, in organising public opinion in favour of basic civic sense and the maintenance of hygienic conditions, as also in favour of energy conservation.

Environmental science is a broad term, incorporating various different activities. An environmental scientist’s job is basically to utilise the knowledge of various principles and concepts of science and the engineering disciplines, as the case may be, in order to protect and preserve the environment. Environmental scientists also conduct research studies in order to develop theories or methods of abating and controlling the sources of environmental pollution

Therefore, environmental scientists work in different areas. These include the maintenance and management of forests and wildlife as they provide necessary resources and help maintain the precarious ecological balance. Afforestation and regeneration of forest area as also the cleansing of rivers are some of the prime activities performed by environmentalists.

As it is now necessary for all industries to obtain environmental clearances, there is a major role for environmental scientists in industry too. Most manufacturing units, construction projects, chemical plants and other industrial organisations appoint environmental scientists and have separate Environmental Research and Development sections to manage and plan for pollution and waste control, and effluent control. In addition to environmental scientists, many industries employ environmental engineers who apply the principles of engineering to the control, elimination and prevention of environmental hazards which include air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution and noise pollution.

Various consultancy organisations also deal with environmental impact assistance and assessment for industries and the government. These scientists question the ecological viability of large projects that may inevitably alter the course of rivers and cause damage to fisheries and forest cover.

There is tremendous scope for research and development in this field, particularly in the area of maintenance of the ecological balance, biodiversity and wasteland management. With the increase in population pressure, the degradation of natural resources has been quicker than their regeneration and therefore artificial plantations need to be developed, the use of chemicals minimised and biodegradable products encouraged. Bio-technologists also work in this field to conserve and preserve the diversity of creatures and biological species in nature either through natural or through artificial means.

With various NGOs involved in creating awareness regarding the protection of the environment and the dissemination of environmental issues, environment scientists and journalists can work for political change, specialise in gathering and disseminating information, or undertake direct action for the protection of a specific resource.

To get into this field, in the industrial sector, the requirement is normally for environmental scientists with a masters’ in environmental science, or an ME in environmental or chemical engineering. The NGOs usually employ candidates with a B.Sc. or a M.Sc. in environmental science.

Environmental science is generally taught as an M.Sc programme and therefore a bachelor’s in any discipline of science is an essential prerequisite. However, there are some institutions that offer environmental subjects at the B.Sc level too. Environmental education broadly covers forestry, wildlife and environment protection.

Various institutes offer training in these fields. Courses in environmental sciences at the graduate and postgraduate levels are available in Bangalore, Delhi, Garhwal, Indore and Pune universities, besides the various IITs. The IITs offer postgraduate courses (B. Tech and M. Tech) in environmental engineering.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University’s School of Environmental Sciences, New Delhi, specially set up to promote teaching and research in the area of environmental science, offers M.Sc, M. Phil and Ph.D programmes. There are also several short-term courses for research scholars.

Other institutes offering this subject include Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, and the Salim Ali School of Ecology which conducts two-year Master’s courses in ecology, the Guru Govind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi, which provides two-year post-graduate degree courses in environmental management, and the Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi, which offers a two-year PG degree in environmental biology.

The Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun, conducts a two-year master’s in wildlife science, for graduates of life sciences, forestry, agriculture, veterinary science, and environmental science.

The National Institute of Environment, Lucknow, and the Indian Institute of Ecology and Environment, New Delhi, offer PG diplomas in environmental management, pollution management and in ecology and environment by correspondence.

Several institutions offer B.Sc. or M.Sc. degrees in forestry. The Indian Institute of Forestry Management, Bhopal, offers a one-year post-graduate diploma in forest management.

Career opportunities in this field are immense today, and the horizons are widening in India as well as abroad. With the rising demand for ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 certifications, industries are recognising the need for environmental planning and control. Many business houses are going into environment protection services as well as the manufacture and sales of environment-friendly goods. Universities and the Ministry of Environment, under the Central Government, and institutes such as the Bombay Natural History Society, the Hakine Institute, the Cancer Research Institute, the National Institute of Oceanography, the National Institute of Virology, Botanical Surveys of India and so on also offer opportunities to environmentalists, particularly in the area of research and study programmes focusing on industrial pollution, waste management and alternatives to chemical technology.

There are also jobs in pollution control boards of the government, educational institutions, and even large organisations like hotels, public sector organisations and banks. While the hospitality industry needs trained personnel to adopt environmental- friendly practices for use in the hotels, banks and financial institutions employ environment officers to check the feasibility of a project before forwarding loans.

Environmental science is a very wide-ranging subject, and therefore the scope for diversification in this field is also immense. The scope varies from teaching and research, engineering and journalism, to active social work. Those with a flair for writing can write on environmental issues, much sought after by the major newspapers, magazines and environment focused publications.

With air pollution from large scale industries having gone up 10 times over the past five years, waste paper discharge having gone up four times and hazardous waste by 14 million tonnes a year, today what really needs to go up is the number of dedicated environmental specialists.

The writer is a noted career expert