COVID-19 Pandemic: A New Environmental Hazard?

Environment means the sum total of surrounding, which consists of all the living beings, natural resources, that creates livable atmosphere. Environment contains the essence of our life. If it is damaged in any way, it creates a threat on every living creature. The recent COVID-19 crisis has created hurdles in our everyday life and obliquely affected our atmosphere. The wildlife, eco-system is greatly damaged due to the corona virus rampant. How the environment destruction taking place thoroughly due to covid-19 is discussed below.

Excessive wastage producing:

A huge number of masks, gloves have been supplied to general folks in order to prevent the attack of the disease. But these materials are discarded by people without properly disposing them. Discarded gloves, wipes, bottles of sanitizer are found in streets, parks, everywhere. Many municipalities have stopped recycling due to the fear of corona virus infection. As the wastages are left to decay there is a high possibility of increasing the level of Methane (CH4) emission. When it rains the gloves and masks which were discarded on the streets are washed away to the sea and the rivers.

It even hit the uninhabited Soko Island near Hong Kong. Gary Stokes from the conservation group ‘Ocean Asia’ stated that 100 of masks washed up over the course, while it was only six to eight weeks people started using masks due to corona virus.

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in Article 194, states that,

States shall take, individually or jointly as appropriate, all measures consistent with the Convention that is necessary to prevent, reduce, and control pollution of the marine environment from any source.

So, such pollution clearly violates the international law. The wastage should be properly disposed by the people. Washable cotton masks should be made available for use. During the pandemic it’s much more important to wash hands regularly in order to prevent the virus, than using plastic masks. The wastages which are possible should be re-cycled. Biodegradable gloves and masks should be made available.

Deforestation:

Due to the corona virus crisis people have to maintain stay-at-home policy. Government has imposed restrictions on import and export. All the garments, offices have been shut down, so, people are left unemployed and do not have any source of earning livelihood. For such issues some are cutting trees in order to produce charcoal or to sell the woods in order to earn money. Researchers stated that, Amazon deforestation almost doubled in the first three months of this year ­compared to 2019. And it is claimed illegal loggers are taking advantage of the corona crisis to carry on their illegal activities. Around 5,076 square km of the forest have so far been destroyed this year.

In many countries the ecologically critical area, reserve forests are left unmonitored due to the corona crisis, as a result, illegal deforestations are taking place. For such action, the biosphere will face a great damage. According to Section 26 of the Forest Act, 1927 acts stated below are declared prohibited and punishable:

Any person who in a reserved forest-causes damage by negligence in felling any tree or cutting or dragging any timber, or removes any timber from the reserved forest or fells, girdles, lops, taps or burns any tree or strips off the bark or leaves from or otherwise the same, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years, and shall not be less than six months, and shall also be liable to fine which may extend to fifty thousand taka.

Wildlife endangered:

People are killing wild animals by taking advantage of the corona virus crisis. According to wildlife conservation organization Panthera, in Colombia, poaching of wild cats including jaguars and pumas are taking place. In India, there have been reports of a rise in tigers being poached.

Matt Lewis, who leads the work of Conservation International, on wildlife trafficking issues in Africa, says: In Africa, there has been an alarming increase in bush meat harvest and wildlife trafficking that is directly linked to COVID-19-related lockdowns, decreased food availability and damaged economies as a result of tourism collapses.

Due to the pandemic the Eco parks, sanctuary, safari parks are left unmonitored, as most of the empowered officers stopped working due to lockdown and quarantine. Wildlife hunting has increased a lot due to mismanagement. In Section 6 of the Wildlife (Preservation and Safety) Act, 2012:

No person can hunt any wild animal or willfully keeping, uprooting, destroying or collecting any vegetation without license.

Destruction of marine animals:

Due to recent COVID-19 pandemic a huge pile of plastic wastage is taking place. Among these, light plastics like gloves, masks plastic bags etc. get blown or swept away into our drains, finally to the sea. Such wastage is like a dead trap for the marine animals. Small animals gets stuck in plastics, while large animals like dolphins, turtles, octopus etc. gets trapped. These trapped animals die out of starvation. According to Section 194 of the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea, it is stated in order to save marine lives, that:

Measures shall include, inter alia, those designed to minimize to the fullest possible extent… the release of toxic, harmful or noxious substances, especially those which are persistent, from land-based sources [and] shall include those necessary to protect and preserve rare or fragile ecosystems as well as the habitat of depleted, threatened or endangered species and other forms of marine life.

Reckless People are also killing marine animals without any reasons, a recent incident took place in Cox’s Bazar where Local environmental activist and Save the Nature of Bangladesh chairman Moazzem Hossain Riyadh said, “Fishermen beat and killed the dolphin while caught in fishing net.”

Moreover, in order to prevent corona virus whole world are obliging the stay-at-home rule. But poor people have become helpless out of hunger and in order to serve themselves, some are even hunting fish using poison. It is polluting the water in great instance.

Stray, pet and zoo animals dying out of starvation:

Due to pandemic chaos, the lives of the stray and pet animals have become living hell. They are left without food as all the people stopped coming outside, and pet animals are abandoned because of the fear of virus spreading. According to Section 6 Animal Welfare Act, 2019-

The conduct of any person shall be held to be injurious to animals and cruel under this Act, if the animal is not provided with the necessary food and drink.

Because of rumors, that animals can also spread the virus, people are mercilessly harassing and killing poor animals. The zoo animals are also suffering due to the pandemic disaster, as no visitors are going to there  most of the workers left works because of the fear of disease, the  animals are left without any food or care. Even zoo animals are suffering from the virus attack. A tiger at the Bronx Zoo tested positive for the corona virus. It is thought the tiger, along with six other tigers were infected by zoo keeper. Paul Calle, the chief vet at the zoo, told Reuters that, “This is the first time that any of us know of anywhere in the world that a person infected the animal and the animal got sick.”

Excessive use of air conditioner and refrigerators:

While staying at home people are using refrigerators, air conditioner and other electrical instruments in excessive manner. The use of air conditioning is increasing pollution in the environment by releasing hazardous gases into the environment. These gases include the chlorofluorocarbons and hydro-chlorofluorocarbons which are part of greenhouse gases. They trap heat and harm the ozone layer. Refrigerators also cause damage to ozone layer and cause global warming. People are carelessly using these machines in order to store foods and bring comfort. But such acts are causing pollution to the environment.

Thus, it can be said that, the virus not only made our life miserable but also piercing invisible sting on our biodiversity, eco-system. Alternative solutions needs to be found as soon as possible otherwise, even after the virus crisis ends, the world would not remain livable. Cure of the virus may not be in our hand yet, to heal humans, but the world can be healed by protecting its environment.

 

Writer:

Sumaiya Sultana Ritu, Student of law, Department of Land Management of Law, Jagannath University.

Endnotes:

1. Nature’s comeback? No, the corona virus pandemic threatens the world’s wildlife, World Economic Forum, published on 16 April, 2020, retrieved from: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/nature-s-comeback-no-the-coronavirus-pandemic-threatens-the-world-s-wildlife/.

2. 5 ways the corona virus is affecting animals around the world, World Economic Forum, published on 7^th April, 2020, retrieved from- https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-animals-wildlife-biodiversity-tiger-boar-pandas-zoos/.

3. Corona virus plastic waste polluting the environment, published on 23^rd April, 2020, retrieved from- https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-plastic-waste-polluting-the-environment/a-53216807/.

4. Fisherman killed dolphin in Cox’s Bazar, Daily Bangladesh, retrieved from- https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/english/Fishermen-killed-dolphin-in-Coxs-Bazar/39856/ .

5.Ocean plastic tide ‘violates the law’, BBC NEWS, published on- 20 February 2018, retrieved from- https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43115486/.

6. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/amazon-deforestation-soars-illegal-loggers-21904136/.

7. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/harmful-effects-air-conditioning-our-environment-pat-wessels/.

8. Environmental impacts of corona virus crisis- challenges ahead, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD, published on 20 April, 2020, retrieved from https://unctad.org/en/pages/newsdetails.aspx?OriginalVersionID=2333/.

9. Imtiaz Ahmed, “Environmental Law Bangladesh and International Context”, Sufi Prokashoni.