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This syllabus outlines the content for the First Internal Continuous Assessment (ICA) in
"Environmental Studies" for students at SVKM's Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and
Economics. This ICA is a short, foundational test.
Course Details for the ICA:
●​ Programme: Applicable to all academic programmes offered by the college.
●​ Semester: I (First Semester of the academic year).
●​ Course: Environmental Studies (EVS) – a field that examines the interactions between
human systems and natural systems.
●​ Duration: 20 minutes – indicating a concise assessment format.
●​ Total Marks: 10 Marks – the total weightage of this assessment towards your overall
grade.

Module 1: Introduction to Environment and Environmental Issues

This module covers foundational environmental concepts and major global challenges.

1. Introduction to Natural Environment, Importance of Natural Resources

●​ Natural Environment:
○​ Definition: The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things
that occur naturally on Earth or within a specific region, without human interference.
It includes physical components like land, water, and air, as well as biological
components like plants, animals, and microorganisms.
○​ Components:
■​ Biotic Components: All living or once-living parts of an ecosystem (e.g.,
plants, animals, fungi, bacteria).
■​ Abiotic Components: All non-living physical and chemical elements in an
ecosystem (e.g., sunlight, water, air, soil, temperature, minerals).
○​ Scope: It involves the complex interactions and processes that occur within and
between these components, forming ecosystems, biomes, and the global
biosphere.
●​ Natural Resources:
○​ Definition: Natural resources are materials and components found in the natural
environment that are utilized by humans for various purposes, contributing to their
survival, well-being, and economic development.
○​ Classification:
■​ Renewable Resources: Resources that can replenish themselves naturally
over a relatively short period (e.g., solar energy, wind energy, water, forests,
fertile soil, biomass). However, they can be depleted if used unsustainably.
■​ Non-Renewable Resources: Resources that exist in a fixed amount and are
consumed at a much faster rate than they can be naturally formed or
replenished (e.g., fossil fuels like coal, oil, natural gas; metallic minerals like
iron and copper; non-metallic minerals like sand and gravel).
○​ Importance (Significance):
■​ Sustenance of Life: Provide fundamental necessities like clean air, potable
 water, and food.
■​ Economic Development: Serve as raw materials for industries (e.g., timber
for construction, minerals for manufacturing), energy production (e.g., fossil
fuels, hydro-power), and agriculture (fertile land).
■​ Ecosystem Services: Underpin critical functions of ecosystems, such as
water purification, climate regulation, pollination of crops, nutrient cycling, and
waste decomposition.
■​ Biodiversity Support: Diverse ecosystems, rich in natural resources,
support a vast variety of plant and animal life, which is essential for ecological
stability and resilience.
■​ Cultural and Aesthetic Value: Offer opportunities for recreation, tourism,
inspiration for art and culture, and spiritual significance.

2. Climate Change - Global Warming, Kyoto protocol mechanism, Threats to

Biodiversity

●​ Climate Change:
○​ Definition: Climate change refers to significant and long-term shifts in global or
regional climate patterns, including changes in average temperatures, precipitation,
wind patterns, and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. While
natural factors can cause climate change, the current rapid changes observed since
the mid-20th century are primarily attributed to human activities.
○​ Primary Cause: The emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere
due to human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)
for energy, industrial processes, and deforestation.
●​ Global Warming:
○​ Definition: Global warming is a specific aspect of climate change that refers to the
long-term, ongoing increase in the average temperature of Earth's climate system.
It is predominantly caused by the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere, leading to an enhanced greenhouse effect (where the atmosphere
traps more heat).
○​ Consequences: Rising global temperatures lead to consequences such as melting
glaciers and ice sheets, rising sea levels, more frequent and intense heatwaves,
altered precipitation patterns, and increased frequency of extreme weather events.
●​ Kyoto Protocol Mechanism:
○​ Definition: The Kyoto Protocol was an international treaty, adopted in 1997 and
effective from 2005, that committed industrialized countries (known as Annex I
Parties) to legally binding targets for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. The
"mechanisms" within the Protocol were designed to help these countries achieve
their targets more flexibly and cost-effectively.
○​ The Three Mechanisms:
■​ International Emissions Trading (IET): Definition: A market-based
mechanism that allows countries with emission reduction commitments to buy
and sell greenhouse gas emission units. Countries that have reduced
emissions below their target can sell "assigned amount units" (AAUs) to
countries that are finding it difficult to meet their targets.
■​ Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): Definition: A project-based
mechanism that allows industrialized countries (Annex I Parties) to earn
 Certified Emission Reduction (CER) credits from projects that reduce or avoid
greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries (non-Annex I Parties).
One CER credit is equivalent to one tonne of CO2 equivalent. This
encourages sustainable development in developing countries while helping
industrialized nations meet their targets.
■​ Joint Implementation (JI): Definition: A project-based mechanism that
allows an industrialized country (Annex I Party) to earn Emission Reduction
Units (ERUs) from an emission-reduction or emission-removal project carried
out in another industrialized country. This provides a flexible way for countries
to cooperate on emission reduction efforts.
○​ Purpose: These mechanisms aimed to lower the overall cost of achieving the
Kyoto Protocol's emission targets by allowing investments in emission reduction
activities where they are most cost-effective globally.
●​ Threats to Biodiversity:
○​ Definition: Biodiversity (biological diversity) refers to the variety of life on Earth at
all its levels, from genes to species to ecosystems, and the ecological and
evolutionary processes that sustain it. Threats to biodiversity are factors or
activities that lead to the reduction, degradation, or loss of this variety of life.
○​ Key Threats (often summarized as HIPPCO):
■​ Habitat Loss and Fragmentation: Definition: The destruction (e.g.,
deforestation, urbanization, agricultural expansion, mining) and breaking up
of natural habitats into smaller, isolated patches, which reduces the living
space available for species and isolates populations, making them more
vulnerable.
■​ Invasive Alien Species (or Introduced Species): Definition: Non-native
species that are introduced (intentionally or unintentionally) to an ecosystem
and then outcompete native species for resources, prey on them, or introduce
diseases, thereby disrupting the natural balance of the ecosystem.
■​ Pollution: Definition: The introduction of harmful substances or
contaminants (e.g., industrial waste, pesticides, plastics, excessive nutrients,
greenhouse gases) into the environment, which can directly poison
organisms, degrade habitats, and disrupt ecological processes.
■​ Population Growth (Human) & Resource Overconsumption: Definition:
The increasing number of human beings on the planet, coupled with rising
per capita consumption, places immense pressure on natural resources and
ecosystems, leading to increased habitat destruction, pollution, and resource
depletion.
■​ Overexploitation (or Overharvesting): Definition: The unsustainable
harvesting or hunting of species (e.g., overfishing, poaching, illegal logging,
excessive wildlife trade) at a rate faster than their populations can naturally
replenish, leading to rapid decline or even extinction.
■​ Climate Change: Definition: As discussed, the long-term shifts in global
climate patterns, leading to altered habitats, changes in species ranges,
ocean acidification, and increased frequency of extreme weather events, all
of which directly impact the survival and distribution of species.

Question Paper Pattern for the First ICT:

This section details how your knowledge from Module 1 will be assessed:
●​ Total Time: 20 mins. (Emphasizes quick, precise answers).
●​ Total Marks: 10 Marks.
●​ Q.1 Concept-based questions:
○​ Total Questions: 04.
○​ Marks per question: 01 mark each.
○​ Total Marks: 04 Marks.
○​ Expected Answer: These will likely require very brief, direct answers such as
definitions of terms, identifying examples, or stating a single key fact related to the
concepts.
●​ Q.2 Questions based on small answers:
○​ Total Questions: 03.
○​ Marks per question: 02 marks each.
○​ Total Marks: 06 Marks.
○​ Expected Answer: These will require slightly more elaborated answers than Q.1,
perhaps a short explanation of a process, listing 2-3 points about a topic, or briefly
describing an impact or importance.
This comprehensive breakdown, with clear definitions for each term, should provide a solid
foundation for your First ICA in Environmental Studies. Good luck!