Anthropocene: Human Activity Impact on the Climate and Environment

Abstract

The environment undergoes shifts across various timescales, yet presently, human intervention remains the primary solution provider and is likely to persist in this role for the next few centuries. While it is widely recognised that human-induced, or anthropogenic, climate change contributes to global warming, what is often underestimated are the direct impacts of heavy rainfall, droughts, and storms, incurring significant costs for both society and the environment. The expansion of human populations has led to the conversion of natural ecosystems for agricultural, industrial, and residential purposes, creating a demand for environmental inputs such as fresh water, fiber, and soil fertility. This heightened demand puts increased pressure on the capacity of natural ecosystems. Deforestation, expanding agriculture, illegal fishing and hunting, unplanned tourism, and pesticide pollution have collectively led to the progressive degradation of natural habitats. The consequence is a loss of biodiversity and the removal of forests, disrupting the food and shelter sources for wildlife residing in these ecosystems. Scientific research aims to comprehend the scale of biodiversity, and land use, and contribute to mitigating the impacts of land use changes.