IB Geography 6.2.1 Transboundary Pollution Notes

Environmental Threats Crossing National Borders

1. Imagine waking up to a hazy sky, the air thick with smoke from fires burning hundreds of kilometers away.
2. Or consider the invisible threat of radiation spreading silently across borders, affecting millions.
3. These scenarios highlight a critical issue: environmental threats don't respect national boundaries.

What Are Transboundary Environmental Threats?

1. Transboundary environmental threats are issues that cross national borders, affecting multiple countries. They include:
   1. Pollution: Air, water, and soil contamination spreading across regions.
   2. Natural Disasters: Events like wildfires or floods that impact neighboring countries.
   3. Resource Depletion: Overfishing or deforestation affecting shared ecosystems.

Examples of Transboundary Environmental Threats

1. Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster (1986)

1. On April 26, 1986, a reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in USSR (contemporary Ukraine) exploded, releasing radioactive materials into the atmosphere.
2. The fallout spread across Europe, affecting millions.

2. Haze Pollution in Southeast Asia

1. Every year, forest fires in Indonesia (mostly on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra) create a thick haze that blankets significant share of Southeast Asia.
2. These fires are often set intentionally to clear land for agriculture.
3. Haze created by forest fires bring severe air pollution to Indonesia and to neighboring countries like Malaysia and Singapore.

3. Acid Rain

1. Acid rain was first observed in Manchester, UK in 1852, but it was not properly studied until the 1960s.
2. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are the two main chemicals that react with water to make acid rain with pH levels as low as 3.0 or even 2.0.