Environmental Performance Index

Access to Drinking Water Agricultural Subsidies Child Mortality Access to Sanitation Terrestrial Protected Areas Pesticide Regulation Critical Habitat Protection Marine Protected Areas Air Quality Fisheries (Fish Stocks) Wastewater Treatment

Since 1990 more than 2 billion people now have access to improved drinking water and sanitation, exceeding MDG target Afghanistan: 5% in 1991 of households to 61% in 2011 Ethiopia received through investment and international aid 2.3 million sqkm forest lost, 0.8 million gained Better technology = better data 1.78 billion people breathe unsafe air International policies largely absent/stagnant Expansion of industry and fossil fuels based transportation sectors Risen 606 million since 2000 14.6% terrestrial, 9.7% marine area protected (2012) Well organized systems and clearly established targets, careful analysis of threatened areas 34% of global fish stocks collapsed , 27% are overexploited Weak measurement systems, badly monitored, misreport catch data, international policy targets are incomplete

The EPI helps to aid the post 2015 development agenda, provide better insight into dense developed nations sustainability (Singapore wastewater treatment leader), however measurement indicators still remain weak

Top: Switzerland - 87.67 Bottom: Somalia 15.47

Soil and Change As soil forms, it supports the growth of plants by providing organic matter Soil erosion in the removal and transfer of soil particles from one place to another, usually by wind or running water, and is often aggravated by the actions of human. Natural erosion is affected by: Rainfall (intensity, duration, amount, seasonality) The nature and intensity of vegetation cover Length and angle of slopes Likelihood of soils to erode texture, structure, dispersibility Accelerated erosion is higher than normal erosion rates caused by human activity Tree vegetation has been removed alters surface cover, which exposes soils to additional risks of erosion by wind or water Cornell: Soil is being eroded at a rate ten to forty times faster that it is being replenished on an average worldwide basis As a majority of food comes from croplands (shrinking at more than 10 million hectares per annum due to soil erosion), the potential impact on the human food supply is obvious. Pressure on soils to produce food is further increased as the demand increases to grow vegetable based biofuels and industrial crops such as cotton both of which require vast areas of farm land and cleared rainforests.

Wind Erosion: Occurs where the soil particles are loosely bound together In many farming areas, land is cultivated to eliminate weeds Soil structures are broken up by cultivation and this makes the soil particles vulnerable to being blown by the wind when they are dry Cultivation of light soils in marginal wheat lands have led to desertification, which is the extension or intensification of desert conditions Desertification leads to reductions in plant productivity, accelerated decline in soil quality and increasing hazards for human occupancy West and central Africa and Australia are being threatened The edge of the Sahara has been advancing southwards by about 25km/year

Water Erosion: Human disturbance of vegetation cover has sped up rates of water erosion Sheet Erosion The removal of surface soil to an even depth over a wide area, often occurs on bare, cultivated ground If run-off is strong, channels are eroded into the soil Gully Erosion Occurs mainly after intense or prolonged rainfall Effects amplified when vegetation is cleared, however it is a natural effectRural Areas: Most erosion takes place on cultural land Land has been left bare on vegetation for weeks or months at a time is more exposed to the actions of wind and water Reductions in chemical fertility the top layer (horizon) of the soil usually has more plant nutrients and organic matter than the lower layers Reduces physical constitution lower layers horizons often contain more clay than the upper layers, less friable than surface soil Rates of erosion vary as a result of local characteristics (slope steepness), land management techniques (contour banks), soils chemical and physical properties 75% of Africas farmlands suffer from soil degradation Wind and water erosion has severe effects on its traditional farming (fallow allows the soils natural fertility to return) Population growth meant shorter fallow periods, causing degredation Traditional methods not replaced with new soil management and cropping, creating a positive feedback loop Uneducated and cannot afford, follow methods learned from parents Yields decline poverty increases farmers put more pressure on soil AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution Africa) 2006,Kofi Annan, founded by the Rockefeller foundation (Bill Gates) Improves knowledge, application and adoption of integrated soil fertility management Improving economic and physical access to fertilizers for poor farmers Developing policies and incentives for adoption of improved soil fertility management practices

Urban Areas Erosion often occurs when rural land is converted for urban uses Removal of tree shrub and vegetation, for building and road construction accelerates erosion rates Soil is compacted by heavy earth-moving machinery used for site preparation Topsoil is stripped in the leveling process, exposing the relatively impermeable subsoil to erosion Stockpiles of loose topsoil are reduced in storms by rills Sediment can slit up local drainage lines and water storages Erosion is established in urban areas and can be seen on steep or poorly vegetated roadside embankments, unlined channel banks and on the downstream side of some culverts and floodways

Water Resource Management 70% of the Earth is covered by water, 97% is contained in oceans as salt water, 3% of that is freshwater, 0.3% is found in rivers and lakes, the rest is frozen Water uses: household, manufacturing, irrigation, recreation and navigation Drinking water: used for domestic purposes (drinking, cooking, personal hygiene) Access to drinking water: source of water is less than 1km from where the place it will be used, able to obtain at least 20L/member of a household/day on a reliable basis Safe drinking water: water with bacterial, chemical and physical characteristics that meet the WHOs guidelines Access to safe drinking water: the proportion of people using improved drinking water sources Over 1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water MDG 2 to halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015 Unclean water results in waterborne diseases: cholera, diarrhea, schistosomiasis and intestinal problems (hookworm and hepatitis) 1.6 million people die each year from diarrhea and cholera 6 million visually impaired from schistosomiasis 133 million suffer from intestinal infections World usage of water, 1995 3906km3, 2025 to increase by 50%, severely limit water available for irrigation 4% increase only, restricting food production Uneven distribution, both within and between countries Surface stores are being depleted and underground reserves are shrinking more rapidly than they can be replenished One third of the world experiencing moderate to high water stress, by 2025, two-thirds (consumption levels exceed 20% of available supply) Demand from mainly manufacturing, global industrial use will double from 2000 and 2005 Agriculture accounts for 70% of world water use, expected to increase between 50-100%

Desalinization Plant in Singapore Could contribute to air pollution Issues related to intake of feed water and waste disposal Entrainment of fish Change in depth due to a reduction in water quantity which would result in a temperature change that can harm sea life and its subsequent consumers Need to make sure salt level in the discharge area does not exceed the threshold that the sea life can tolerate Make sure any chemicals used in the pre-treatment would not harm the aquatic organisms Ensure the outfall structure and installation does not damage the aquatic life on the ocean bed Check the concentration of metal ions is not at a level where it can harm sea life Brine disposed is compatible with the water in the ocean so that the ratios are not disturbed, which can lead to toxicity Educating the public to preserve water resources TV programs, cartoons, publications PURE magazine about conserving water for young adults and teenagers Wally Water PUB mascot, delivers information about saving and reusing water through a cartoon series Provides jobs in the local region and helps the local market Labour intensive = a lot of jobs created Opportunity for the market to provide essential equipment and chemicals Taxes on profit are generated Provide freshwater for Singapores growing industry