Positive changes in the environment have been seen globally in the terms of fewer greenhouse gas emissions, a decline in water and noise pollution, and less pressure on the tourist places due to lockdown. However, tonnes of medical waste including face-covering masks, PPE kits, disposable latex gloves, and others have been generated. According to guidelines provided by the WHO, people are using masks and gloves on a regular basis as a protective measure from COVID-19 but throwing the used protective materials casually. Also, a huge amount of water is being wasted following the continued practice of washing hands. Hence, negative impacts on the environment have also emerged. In this chapter, an attempt has been made to emphasize the positive and negative impacts of COVID-19 on the environment. Various approaches have been suggested to avoid the reversal of the positive change in environmental health.
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CORONA CORONA CORONA!!! What is corona? From where it has come? Does China responsible for the outbreak of this pandemic? Is COVID-19 a bioweapon? When this coronavirus will end? Let’s not discuss all this, rather accept the reality that world is facing its biggest challenge since WWII in this “CORONA period”. The outburst of COVID-19 since 31st December 2019, when first case was reported, from Wuhan has changed the lives of everyone on earth. COVID-19, pandemic has been a boon as well as a bane for the environment. On climatic point of view, all of us has witnessed a significant positive aspect of the environment. During 3 months of lockdown period, from March-April 2020, when half of the world was under lockdown, environment rejuvenated itself. The absence of human interference has proved a ventilator for air and water bodies. It will not be wrong to mention COVID-19 as earth’s vaccine. During this period, air and road traffic and so, the pollution became a standstill amid the fear of virus, therefore, Mother Nature restored herself. Many pictures of cleaner air were exploded on social media (BBC News, 2020). The major industrial sources of water pollution were stopped, which eventually helped in reducing water pollution (Yunus, Masago, & Hijioka, 2020). But the question is, does this positive change in environment is permanent? Obviously, No. So, strategies have to be explored to prevent reversion of the positive change in the environmental health.
Human interference and industrial revolution have burdened the water bodies with pollution (Kumar et al., 2020). The habitat encroachment has increased the contact between human and animal population. Today, the world has come across with one virus, “corona”, who knows which new one is waiting for us in future? A lesson can be learnt from this pandemic that Live and let Live. Wildlife does not feel safe in their own land because of human invasion. A strict check must be conducted on human movement in natural reserves like National parks, biosphere reserves, wetlands, wildlife sanctuaries etc. in order to preserve the wildlife even after COVID-19 phase. In this chapter, some important positive and negative impacts of outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic on various aspects of environment and society have been highlighted.