Technology has its influence in possibly every field of study and hence, it is a necessity to study its existence, application and effect across disciplines. There remains a constant conflict between development and environment. Technology, on one hand, leads to development and on the other, plays a vital role in the field of environmental law providing a cure to the damage caused due to such developmental activities. The application of technology can be majorly accounted as follows:
- Information technology– The field of information technology plays a pivotal role in providing the essential data for research and analysis which facilitates in understanding the environment impact of various activities. The Government bases the environmental legislations and schemes for the protection of environment on such observations. The contribution of information technology can be enumerated as furnished below:
- Remote Sensing[1]– The technique enables to detect the environmental changes and predicts the possibility of natural calamities. It provides enough data that speaks of the availability of resources such as crude oil, mineral deposits, etc.
- National Management Information System– It provides data in relation to research and development projects, research scientists and personnel.
- Environment Information System– ENVIS, established in the year 1982, is headquartered in Delhi, and has branches all over the country. It provides information regarding environment to the scientists, policy framers, law makers, and engineers all over the country to balance the equilibrium between development and ecology. It provides a network of database to aspects like, pollution control, remote sensing, wildlife, biodiversity, environment management, which constitute and affect the environment.
- Databases– Compiled and stored in computerised form, these inter-related data on various aspects of the environment provide enough support to the environmental laws in attacking elements that are hazardous to the environment. The Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India, bases its measures on these data so as to assure protection to the environment.
- Geographical information System– This technique involves the superimposition of thematic maps, with the use of digital data, on various inter-related or interdependent aspects of the environment. It generates data regarding the water resources, human settlement, forest land, agricultural land, soil type on a micro level. It identifies the polluted or derogated land, the activities of monsoon winds, the patches of ozone layer depletion, the environment impact of certain activities, etc.
The above point is a reflection of the ways in which information technology enables the identification of environmental issues in different aspects of the ecological system and
- Biotechnology– Environment and Biotechnology can be considered as interdisciplinary studies and extends its scope of application to pollution, depletion of natural resources, waste management and other techniques that help the environment sustain the hazards caused due to the rapid industrialization and urbanization. The following depict certain contributions of biotechnology to the field of environmental studies:
- Bioremediation- It is a cleaning up process which heals the contaminated soil or groundwater. Microbes are used in this process, which breaks down the hazardous substances into non-toxic compounds. An appropriate condition is created for the microbes to grow by providing fertilisers, oxygen and other necessities. This process is classified into five types, namely, Micro remediation, Phyto remediation, Microbial remediation, Biotransformation, Molecular ecology.
- Biofuels[2]– Biofuels enable the preservation of natural resources and is used in the industrial, domestic and space sectors. There are three distinct categories of biofuels namely, first-generation biofuels including bio alcohol derived from corn or sugarcane, second-generation biofuels including biohydrogen and bioethanol and finally the third-generation biofuel which is derived from algae.
- Biosensors- These analytical devices incorporating a biological material can detect the toxins in the ecological system and the air-borne pathogens that have the potential to degrade the air quality. Hence these are use in environment clean-up efforts.
- Biomarkers- Biomarkers, also known as biological markers, detects how the environment in which it is applied responds to the damage caused to it. It detects the change in pattern of the biological responses across the cellular, physiological and the behavioural level of the components of environment when it exposed to the toxic effects of any particular chemical. It can address issues related to the terrestrial as well as aquatic pollution. There are two types in which such biomarkers can be used, namely, in-vivo and in-vitro techniques.
The above points elucidate the contribution of biotechnology and biological science in dealing with environmental problems. These techniques facilitate the detection of environmental hazards and identification of the probable damage on the basis of which the industries are able to take precautionary measures and the government is able to implement the legislations and bring about necessary amendments to suit the need of the hour.
- Nanotechnology- Nanotechnology contributes to the protection of environment by improving manufacturing processes that can produce potential pollutants causing irreversible damage. Certain inputs of nanotechnology act as a cleanser for the environment where the toxicity of the trade and domestic effluents and the chemicals are removed before they come in contact with the water bodies. It has the capacity to breakdown oil into biodegradable compounds which cleans up an oil spill. It also prevents the non-renewable sources from being used up completely by providing alternatives.
Technology, on one hand, has a negative impact on the environment due to the rapid industrialisation, on the other hand, contributes to both, development and environment. Thus, we are able to identify the ways in which technology has proven to be a successful support to environmental law as well. The techniques which assess the environment impact and the potential of different activities carried out by developers/industrialists, help in determining the risks and the precautionary measures that are to be taken into account. Environmental law is influenced to a great degree by the data processed from information technology, the report of environment risk analysis provided by biotechnology and the alternatives that are available by the use of nanotechnology.
[1] Rikin Shah, Role of Information Technology in Environment and Human Health, available at Role of Information Technology in Environment and Human Health (biologydiscussion.com) last seen on 05/09/21.
[2] Application of Biotechnology in Environment, available at Applications of Biotechnology in Environment (earthreminder.com) last seen on 06/09/2021.
YLCC would like to thank Mouboni Banerjee for her valuable insights in this article.
