Environmental problems in selected developing countries

THE SURVEY REVEALED AN INVERSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE QUALITY OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE HUMAN POPULATION PRESSURES AND URBANIZATION IN THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. IN AT LEAST HALF OF THE COUNTRIES, RAPID URBANIZATION HAS BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY INADEQUATE OR NON-EXISTENT SEWERAGE SYSTEMS, INADEQUATE WATER SUPPLIES, AIR POLLUTION, AND CROWDED AND BADLY DETERIORATED HOUSING. THE POLLUTION OF BEACHES AND WATER SYSTEMS WAS COMMONLY ATTRIBUTED TO MUNICIPAL WASTE, INDUSTRIAL WASTE, AND IN SOME CASES, TO OIL AND OTHER WASTES FROM COASTAL SHIPPING. IN RURAL AREAS NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF THE AID MISSIONS EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE HEAVY USE OF CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS AND INSECTICIDES, ALONG WITH THE LACK OF ANY MONITORING MECHANISMS. AT LEAST HALF OF THE COUNTRIES NOTED SOIL EROSION AND DESTRUCTION FROM DEFORESTATION, OVERGRAZING, BURNING, MINING, AND FARMING, COUPLED WITH THE ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS OF FLOODING, WATER DEGRADATION, AND RESERVOIR SILTATION. COUNTRIES OF EQUATORIAL AFRICA FREQUENTLY NOTED PROBLEMS OF AQUATIC WEEDS AND WATER-RELATED DISEASES, SUCH AS SCHISTOSOMIASIS. IN GENERAL THE PEOPLES AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES EVIDENCE LITTLE AWARENESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS. MANY COUNTRIES ARE PREOCCUPIED WITH DEVELOPMENT. TO THE EXTENT THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, THEY ARE APPREHENSIVE THAT COSTS MAY WELL OUTWEIGH THE BENEFITS OF SOLVING THEM.