WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING ?

CONCEPT OF ENVIRONMENT

‘Environment’ is derived from the French word Environner, which means to encircle or surround. All the biological and non-biological entities surrounding us are included in environment. As per Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, environment includes all the physical and biological surroundings of an organism along with their interactions. Environment is thus defined as “the sum total of water, air and land and the inter-relationships that exist among them and with the human beings, other living organisms and materials.”

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Supplying potable water to rural areas, towns and cities and disposal of waste water and solid waste is another field of civil engineering. Solid waste management and disposal of electronic waste systematically is the need for maintaining good environment. Study of sources, causes, effects and remedial measures associated with air pollution, water pollution, land pollution and noise pollution forms Environmental engineering branch of civil engineering.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT :-

Built Environment refers to man-made environment encompassing ecology—environment—human settlements in urban/rural areas and their interrelationships.

The built environment is defined as man-made structures built to fulfil human needs and values by modifying the environment and thus affecting it. The six components of built environment include:-

(i) Products—include materials used to create the tasks of building (wood, bricks, mortar, concrete, steel, plastic, iron marble, glass etc.

(ii) Interiors—created by arranged grouping of materials enclosed within a structure to fulfill activity needs (living room, stadium, assembly halls etc.).

(iii) Structures—planned grouping of spaces where generally related activities are combined into a composite unit (e.g., schools, factories, official complexes, housing, bridges etc.).

(iv) Landscapes—exterior areas around structures (e.g., parks, gardens, forests etc.).

(v) Cities—groupings of structures and landscapes of different sizes clustered together.

(vi) Regions—grouping of cities.

Different regions all over the world together give rise to the highest artifact, the earth. Thus, each component is related to the other and the term built environment is a holistic concept encompassing integration of various designed components.

NATURAL AND MAN-MADE ENVIRONMENT :-

Nature has provided dwelling place to millions of species of living organisms including small and

big animals, birds, insects, microfauna and microflora. Most of the species build some sort of a protective structure or find some natural shelter for living and to protect themselves from their predators, enemies and vagaries of nature. But they generally live in harmony with nature,

whereas man transforms the surroundings of his dwelling place causing large-scale impacts on environment.

The design of built environment depends a lot upon the type of the natural environment. For example, settlements developed on hills, slopes, plains, on the banks of rivers, and in deserts show basic difference in construction lay outs. Cultural aspects also play an important role in designing built environment.

In the modern era of fast urbanisation and industrialisation along with explosive population growth, there has been unchecked encroachment of human settlements into forest areas and degradation of environment due to dumping of wastes and depletion of natural resources. Man is moving away from nature and converting natural areas into concrete jungles. These built Environments are usually overcrowded, afflicted by vehicular and industrial pollution, noise, and devoid of natural greenery. Such built environments cause stress and health problems to the inhabitants. Development of poor quality housing in the slums in cities are the worst built environments where the inhabitants suffer from various diseases due to unhygienic living conditions and being cut-off from nature, are deprived of the environmental benefits of nature.