Environment

What does that mean?

The environment is what is around you and how it affects your development.

Scientifically speaking, the environment is a complex of physical, geographical, biological, social, cultural and political conditions surrounding a person or other living organism that determines the form and nature of his existence.

The environment affects people's lives and the development of society as a whole. As a consequence, people, progress, development and the environment are closely interlinked.

The environment can also be a threat. Polluted air, waterborne infections, toxic chemicals and natural disasters pose only a fraction of the environmental threats to humanity.

In many countries, pollution of natural resources, land, water and forests> is occurring at an alarming rate, and if all this disappears, it will disappear forever.

If we want development to be sustainable, that is, to meet today's needs without jeopardizing the opportunities of future generations, countries must care not only about economic progress, but also about protecting the environment.

In the fight against poverty, one of the important aspects is concern for the environment throughout the world, since the poorest live in the most vulnerable regions.

Every year in the world:

• three million people die prematurely due to waterborne infections;
• in India alone, more than 700,000 children under 5 years of age die from diarrhoea;
• two million people die from inhaling smoke from slabs located inside the dwelling. About half of these deaths occur in India and China. The victims are mainly women and children from rural poor families who do not have access to clean water, sanitation and modern fuels for household needs;
• one million people, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, are dying of malaria;
• one million people die from polluted urban air.
• According to the World Health Organization's Global Burden of Disease report, respiratory infections, diarrhoea and malaria are responsible for 20% of deaths in developing countries.

More serious effects of air pollution include:

• the destruction of fisheries;
• damage to crops of grain crops;
• increase in production costs for enterprises that have to purify air and water in order to ensure the proper quality of products.

Natural disasters of unprecedented magnitude (tornadoes, floods, hurricanes) are becoming more frequent, affecting the lives of more people than ever before. The poor are the most exposed to the harmful effects of the environment.

As people move from rural areas to large cities, environmental problems will increase. Often, the rapid growth of cities at the expense of rural dwellers who change their place of residence in search of better jobs and living conditions leads to a deterioration in the already terrible living conditions in slums.

What is the international community doing?

Environmental sustainability is one of the most important global issues and one of the UN millenium Development Goals.

Many organizations are looking for ways to conserve natural resources so that they can be used not only by us, but also by future generations.

International organizations such as the World Bank work with developing countries to help them address environmental problems and challenges that arise as these countries develop.

Countries and societies may prioritize the environment in different ways, but their decisions should in any case be based on careful analysis and the participation of all social groups that may be affected by these decisions.

Maintaining a balance while moving towards economic, social and environmental development is a complex undertaking that often requires complex trade-offs. These trade-offs between generations, social groups, and countries influence how different people perceive sustainable development.

Caring for healthy environments around the world is one of the pillars of the World Bank's efforts to combat poverty. As part of this effort, it is of particular importance to address the challenge of improving the environment so that millions of people can live in healthier conditions.

The World Bank provides loans to countries for the implementation of projects to protect the environment. In addition, when allocating money for development projects, the World Bank requires environmental guarantees.

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