Covid-19 Effects on the Environment

Sahasra Karamsetty, 4/30/24

Environmentalists and researchers are calling this pandemic a “blessing in disguise,” but why ?

Covid-19 had a great impact on every person on this planet. People have lost their lives, lost their loved ones, lost their jobs, or gone through a mental illness. At the same time, Covid-19 made people realize that life is too short and that thye have to be grateful for what they have. This is just a summary of how Covid-19 has impacted us, but have you ever wondered about its impact on the environment?

For one, the ozone layer improved a great degree. According to NASA, emissions of nitrogen oxides that cause harm to the ozone have decreased by 15% globally with local reductions as high as 50%. As a result, global ozone levels dropped, which the scientists estimated could have taken at least 15 years had it not been for the pandemic.

Research says that the pandemic has immensely improved the air quality across the world. The concentration of major air pollutants, such as PM2.5, PM10, SO2, CO, and NO2, were reduced by about 30% because of lockdowns. There were substantial decreases in fuel demand around the world during lockdown periods due to the cessation of transportation and industrial activities. The reduced demand for fuel resulted in the drastic reduction of carbon emissions and air pollutant concentrations.

Covid-19 has been beneficial for the animals who were being over-exploited due to human activities. With restricted travel and enforcement efforts focused on controlling the spread of the virus, there were reports of decreased poaching and illegal wildlife trade activities in some regions. This reprieve from human exploitation might have benefited certain endangered species, giving them a chance to rebound.

In the last few decades the quality of the river water is being significantly deteriorated due to the influx of toxic substances and excessive nutrient runoff from agricultural areas. Lockdown measures led to a decline in industrial operations and transportation, resulting in decreased discharge of pollutants into river systems. Agricultural runoff also decreased due to reduced farming activities, contributing to improvements in water quality. The combination of these factors, alongside enhanced environmental monitoring efforts, resulted in temporary but significant enhancements in river water quality worldwide.

In conclusion, the pandemic did not only impact humans—it affected our planet too. But amidst all the chaos, there were some unexpected blessings for Mother Nature. Perhaps this whole experience will make us rethink how we treat our planet and inspire us to do better in the future.

Sources

https://www.nasa.gov/ 

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/18/10212

https://theconversation.com/mountains-a-fragile-source-of-life-153400#:~:text=Unfortunately%2C%20human%20activities%20like%20mining,of%20mountain%20environments%20for%20millennia.