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1. Environmental Impacts of
COVID-19 Pandemic

2. Brief Timeline of Coronavirus Pandemic
Covid-19 disease originated in December
2019, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
JAN 30
India confirms first case. The WHO
declares the coronavirus outbreak as a
Public Health Emergency of
International Concern (PHEIC).
FEB. 28
Infections spiked in Italy, Spain, France,
Germany and UK. Iran emerged as a
second focus point. Outbreak in South
Korea.
JULY 21
Coronavirus Cases: 15 Million approx.
Deaths: 610,959
Recovered: 8,820,920
MARCH 26
The United States led the world in
confirmed cases.
APRIL 26
The global death toll surpassed 200,000 MAY 28
Coronavirus deaths in the U.S.
surpassed 100,000.
JULY 2020
The coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting
213 countries and territories around the
world and 2 international conveyances.

3. Lockdown Start Dates in Major Economies
USA
19 March
BRAZIL
17 March
UK
23 March
GERMANY
23 March
FRANCE
17 March
RUSSIA
28 March
JAPAN
NO
LOCKDOWN
CHINA
23 JANUARY
INDIA
25 March
AUSTRALIA
23 March
ITALY
09 March
CITY, STATE AND COUNTY LEVEL
STATE LEVEL
NATIONAL LEVEL
NATIONAL LEVEL
NATIONAL LEVEL
CITY LEVEL WUHAN
NATIONAL LEVEL
NATIONAL LEVEL
NATIONAL LEVEL
NATIONAL LEVEL

4. General Lockdown Restrictions
Allowed Not Allowed
Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Fire stations, ATMs All transport services (Public and Private) Road, Rail and Air.
Except Transportation for essential goods, emergency services,
fire department, Law and order.
Shops those dealing with Groceries, Fruits, Vegetables, Meat,
Dairy products, Fish, Animal fodder
Hospitality services such as Hotels, Motels, Resorts, Lodges.
Except those accommodating tourists stranded due to Lockdown.
Police, Home guards, Defense, Armed forces Educational, Social and Political Institutions. Religious Places,
Social and Political Gatherings.
Electricity, Water, Sanitation, Postal Services Not more than Limited people (As per Govt. notice) during
Funerals and Weddings.
Petrol Pumps (Gas Stations), CNG, LPG, PNG supply All Private offices, Airports, Railway Stations,
Bus Terminals.
Banks and other Financial Institutes as per Govt. notice,
Insurance offices, Print and Electronic Media
Offices of National, States and autonomous bodies. Factories
except for the essential services.
Disaster Management, Power Transmission units Restaurants, Pubs, Malls, Shopping Complexes, Stadium and
Other Places of Mass Gathering.

5. Decrease in Travel
• With entire populations ordered to stay
home, schools, offices and factories limited
their activities, road traffic dwindled to a
minimum.
• According to the IEA global average road
transport activity fell to 50% of the 2019
level by the end of March 2020.
• Almost every country has seen a huge drop
in road use. This has resulted in a massive
fall in the use of oil.
• Globally, the demand for jet fuel was down
by 65% in April as the airlines reduced
scheduled flights by 60% to 95%.

7. Less Industrial Activities
• Key segments of manufacturing had started shutting down in response to the lockdown
orders issued by the respective governments.
• In a few months, demand for energy globally has fallen drastically.
• The International Energy Agency (IEA) says that the world will use 6% less energy in 2020
- equivalent to losing the entire energy demand of India.
• The oil industry has ground to a halt as demand has slumped.
• The coal use fell by 40% at China’s six largest power plants since the last quarter of 2019.

8. Impact of Coronavirus Pandemic on Air Quality
• Due to the coronavirus outbreak's impact on travel and industry, many
regions and the planet as a whole experienced a drop in air pollution.
• Air quality levels in the world’s major cities improved dramatically in
March and April.
• Air quality improved largely because of a reduction in factory and road
traffic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and
related ozone (O3) formation, and particulate matter (PM).

10. CO2 emissions drop the most ever due to the COVID-19 crisis
• Global CO2 emissions are expected to decline by 8%, or almost 2.6 gigatons (Gt), to levels of 10 years ago.
• Such a year-on-year reduction would be the largest ever, six times larger than the previous record reduction
of 400 million tones in 2009 – caused by the global financial crisis.
Source: IEA Global Energy Review 2020

13. China
NASA and ESA have been monitoring
how the nitrogen dioxide gases
dropped significantly during the
initial Chinese phase of the COVID-19
pandemic.
The economic slowdown from the
virus drastically dropped pollution
levels, especially in cities like Wuhan,
China by 25-40%.

14. India
• Coal-fired power generation was down
15% in March and 31% in the first
three weeks of April, according to daily
data from the Indian national grid.
• Oil consumption was down 18% year-
on-year in March 2020.
• According to analysis by the
environmental website, Carbon Brief.
study finds that Indian carbon dioxide
emissions fell 15% in March, and are
likely to have fallen by 30% in April.

15. • Every year, aerosols from anthropogenic
(human-made) sources contribute to
unhealthy levels of air pollution in many
Indian cities.
• Aerosols are tiny solid and liquid
particles suspended in the air that
reduce visibility and can damage the
human lungs and heart.
• Some aerosols have natural sources,
such as dust storms, volcanic eruptions,
and forest fires.
• Others come from human activities,
such as the burning of fossil fuels and
croplands.
• Human-made aerosols tend to
contribute most of the smaller particles
that have greater potential for damaging
human health.
• Anomaly shows how AOD in 2020
compared to the average for 2016-2019.
March 31 to April 5 from 2016 to 2019
Aerosol Levels In India
Image source: NASA

16. Delhi
• The spread of novel coronavirus
drastically cuts pollution in the
world’s most polluted capital.
• According to the System of Air
Quality and Weather Forecasting
and Research (SAFAR), the measures
against COVID-19 have led to a drop
in PM2.5 (fine particulate pollutant)
by 30% in Delhi.
• The Nitrogen-dioxide level has come
down drastically with a nearly 40%
reduction.

17. Visible Effects First time in decades 100 miles away Himalayan mountain ranges are now visible
from many north Indian states due to reduced pollution level
Jalandhar, Punjab Pathankot, Punjab Saharanpur, UP
@PARASRISHI @rameshpandeyifs
CNN
The COVID19 Lockdown has
cleaned the air over Nepal
so much so that for the first
time in many years, Mt.
Everest can be seen again
from Kathmandu Valley
Singhwahini Village, Bihar
@activistritu
@AbhushanGautam

18. October 17, 2019
(Image: Reuters)
April 13, 2020
July 4, 2019
April 16, 2020
Quezon City, Manila, Philippines
Jakarta, Indonesia
New Delhi, India
February 28, 2020
March 21, 2020
(Image: Reuters) (Image: GMA News)
Visible Effects

19. (Image: Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)
April 17, 2020
January 6, 2020
Venice, Italy Bangkok, Thailand
Milan, Italy
April 17, 2020
January 8, 2020
(Image: NEWSFLARE / AP)
(Image: Flavio Lo Scalzo/Reuters)
Before Lockdown
After Lockdown
Visible Effects

20. Impact on Water Quality
• For decades, the hydrosphere has been severely polluted because of rapid
urbanization, industrialization, and overexploitation.
• During the lockdown period, the major industrial sources of pollution that
affect aquatic ecosystems, such as industrial wastewater disposal, crude oil,
heavy metals, and plastics have shrunk or completely stopped.
• This resulted in improved water quality with the increase in dissolved
oxygen (DO) and reduced nitrate concentration.
• Therefore, the level of pollution has been reduced to some extent in large
water bodies.

21. Water Pollution: BOD and DO
• Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is
the amount of oxygen needed by
microorganisms to decompose organic
matter (waste or pollutants) under
aerobic reaction (in the presence of
oxygen).
• A higher BOD level means that more
oxygen is needed to decompose a
large quantity of organic matter (waste
or pollutants) present in the water.
• So, a higher value of BOD means that
the water is more polluted.
• Dissolved oxygen (DO) is the amount
of dissolved oxygen present in the
water which is needed for aquatic life
to survive.
• The quality of water increases with an
increase in DO levels.

22. • On April 6, the DPCC had collected water
samples from nine locations along the
Yamuna and compared the different
parameters with values from April 2019.
• According to the report five locations have
shown18%-33% reduction in biochemical
oxygen demand (BOD) levels.
• Four locations where dissolved oxygen (DO)
was nil in 2019 showed DO levels of 2.3-4.8
mg/l.
• In terms of drains, the highest drop in
pollution levels was at Civil Mill drain (80%),
followed by ISBT (68%).
• UP pollution control board (UPPCB) states
that fecal coliform in Yamuna has come down
to 310MPN from 1300MPN, as recorded pre-
lockdown. (Image Source: Times of India)
Yamuna River, India

23. (Image: Adnan Abidi/Reuters)
March 21, 2018 April 8, 2020
New Delhi as seen from the Yamuna River
The quality of water in the Yamuna has improved along the Delhi stretch during the nationwide lockdown, compared to
April last year, according to a report by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).
(Image: Adnan Abidi/Reuters)

24. The Ganges (Ganga River)
• The Ganges is one India's holiest and also most-polluted river.
• The river has seen a significant improvement in water quality during the
coronavirus lockdown.
• Professor at Chemical Engineering and Technology at IIT-BHU, Varanasi,
said there has been a 40-50% improvement in the quality of water.
• The main reasons are the industries discharging pollutants into the Ganga
shut and Ghats closed.

25. Ganga in Uttarakhand
According to Uttarakhand Environment
Protection and Pollution Control Board
(UEPPCB). At Har-Ki-Pauri, Haridwar in April,
2020 there is
• 34% reduction in fecal coliform (human
excreta)
• 20% reduction in biochemical oxygen
demand
• The water has ranked in Class A for the
first time in recent history
• Class A water has pH balance between
6.5 to 8.5. and is fit to drink after
disinfection.
Source: Prabhasakshi
Deserted Ghats and Clear water of Ganga in Haridwar

26. Parameters Pre-Lockdown Lockdown
Dissolved Oxygen
(DO)
8.3 10
Biochemical
Oxygen Demand
(BOD)
3.8 2.8
Fecal coliform
count (FCC)
2,200 1,400
Low DO level signifies poor quality
Low BOD indicating good quality
FCC the primary indicator of potability, Less is better
Date BOD Level Total Coliform Fecal Coliform
March 13 2.8 mg/l 3400 MPN/100ml 1300 MPN/100ml
April 9 2.4 mg/l 2600 MPN/100ml 820 MPN/100ml
April 30 2.2 mg/l 2100 MPN/100ml 680 MPN/100ml
Data source: UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), TOI
Pollution levels in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
(where Ganga and Yamuna River meet)
Pollution level in Ganga
Ganga in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh contributes the highest pollution load in the Ganga

27. The remote sensing images show the suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the Vembanad Lake,
the longest and one of the severely polluted freshwater lakes in India decreased by 15.9% on
average during the lockdown period.
Study Report
Vembanad Lake, Kerala, India

28. Venice, Italy
Venice's normally murky canals have cleared
due to fewer tourists, motorboats and pollution
allowing aquatic life to be visible from the
surface.
Seaweed can be seen in clear waters in Venice Jellyfish seen swimming in Venice's canals
Photograph: The Guardian Photograph: CNN

29. Fact: The “Venetian” dolphins were filmed
at a port in Sardinia, in the Mediterranean
Sea, hundreds of miles away."
Fact: The swans in the viral posts regularly
appear in the canals of Burano, a small
island in the greater Venice metropolitan
area, where the photos were taken.
Fact Check: National Geographic
Dolphins and Swans had
returned to the canals of Venice

30. Impact on Wildlife and Habitats
• Nature and wildlife have replenished itself during Lockdown.
• According to the Bombay Natural History Society, there has been a 25% increase in flamingo migration since
2019.
• German scientist Rainer Froese has said the fish biomass will increase due to the sharp decline in fishing.
• In the United States, fatal vehicle collisions with animals such as deer, elk, moose, bears, mountain lions fell
by 58% during March and April.
• As countries around the world have put into place national lockdowns, some animals have been spotted in
cities in the areas which usually have a human presence.
• Viral social media posts showing wildlife returning to urban areas? Sadly Some of these reports proved to be
true while many of these have turned out to be fake.
• Hidden from view, marine animals may also start roaming more freely across the world’s oceans, following
reductions in vessel traffic and noise-pollution levels

31. @rumireports
The Guardian
A civet cat has been spotted roaming on the
streets of Kozhikode in the State of Kerala,
India on 27 March, 2020
In Nara, Japan, sika deer wandered through
city streets and subway stations because of no
tourists who normally fed them in city parks
A flamboyance of flamingos in Navi Mumbai
on April 15, 2020
Footage of a stag scampering through
Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
A puma in the streets of Santiago, Chile.
Source: CGTN
Jackals in broad daylight in urban parks in
Tel Aviv, Israel
Source: Euronews
Visible Effects

32. Reduction of environmental noise level
• Environmental noise is defined as an unwanted sound that could be generated by
• industrial or commercial activities
• the transit of engine vehicles
• melodies at high volume
• The imposition of Lockdown measures by most governments has caused the noise level to drop
considerably in most cities in the world.
• Reduced noise levels are associated with higher reproductive success, less migration, and
ultimately lower mortality rates.
• Seismologists are reporting less seismic noise, or vibrations in the Earth’s crust.
• E.g. Seismic noise caused by human activity in Brussels, Belgium, is reported to be down by 1/3
compared to pre-lockdown levels.
• Tools to detect earthquakes and other seismic activity can be more precise.
• With large ships temporarily on hold, there is decrease in ocean noise which will help to increase
the reproductive success of marine lives.

33. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Energy Demands
• According to IEA Global Energy Review 2020 analysis:
• countries in full lockdown are experiencing an average 25% decline in energy demand per
week
• countries in partial lockdown an average 18% decline
• Global energy demand declined by 3.8% in the first quarter of 2020
• Global coal demand had fallen by almost 8% compared with the first quarter of 2019.
• Oil demand was also hit strongly, down nearly 5% in the first quarter.
• Renewables were the only source that posted a growth in demand.
• Electricity demand has been depressed by 20% or more during periods of full lockdown in several
countries
• The report projects that energy demand will fall 6% in 2020 – seven times the decline after the
2008 global financial crisis
• India’s electricity consumption has fallen by 18.72% (till April 3, 2020) due to the lockdown
• In India, a 26% decrease in coal-based power generation is one of the major reason for reduction
in pollution
• Lockdown measures are driving a major shift towards low-carbon sources of electricity including
wind, solar PV, hydropower and nuclear.

34. Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on energy

35. Reduction in the consumption of petroleum products in India.
Source: Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) report

36. Negative impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Environment
• Not all the environmental consequences of the crisis have been positive.
• Volumes of unrecyclable waste have risen
• Severe cuts in agricultural and fishery export levels have led to the generation
of large quantities of organic waste
• Maintenance and monitoring of natural ecosystems have been temporarily
halted
• Absence of environmental protection workers has resulted in a rise of illegal
deforestation, fishing and wildlife hunting
• The stoppage of ecotourism activity has also left natural ecosystems at risk of
illegal harvesting and encroachment
• Local waste problems have emerged as many municipalities have suspended
their recycling activities over fears of virus spread
Background Image

37. Increase in Waste Generation
• Organic waste generated by households has increased due to surge in demand for
online shopping and home delivery.
• Food purchased online is shipped packed, so inorganic waste has also increased
• Plastic packaging has increased in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic.
• In the US, reusable bags have been banned in many states
• The increase in single-use plastics will have long-term impacts on the environment.
• There has been an increase in Medical waste from discarded PPE kits, worn masks
and gloves and empty hand sanitizer bottles.
• While contributing to other problems–clogging drainage systems, litter and
releasing pollutants when burned.
• Levels of methane (CH4) emissions, a greenhouse gas, from decaying products are
expected to rise sharply in the crisis and immediate post-crisis months.

38. Discarded face masks are piling up on Hong
Kong's beaches and nature trails (Gary Stokes,
co-founder of marine conservation group
OceansAsia, pictured in Soko Islands)
Image source: Daily Mail
A stray dog over a open municipal garbage bin
containing Blue PPE kits and other medical
waste in Coimbatore, India
Image source: Daily Mail
These photos show COVID-19 personal
protective equipment, gloves and masks
discarded in the streets of the Lebanese
capital Beirut April 8, 2020.
Image source: Forbes
Visible Effects

39. Environmental setbacks linked to coronavirus response policies
US significantly lowers
vehicle emission standards
and air quality reporting
standards.
China temporarily
suspends environmental
regulations to accelerate
economic recovery.
Brazil reduces
surveillance of
Amazon Rainforest
UN- Major
international
environment
summits postponed
The COVID-19 stimulus
program represents both an
opportunity and a risk to
develop a sustainable post-
COVID economy.
International travel
restrictions and low
donations effecting
the environmental
non-profits
Captive animals in zoos
are suffering due to loss
of revenue, lack of staff
and high operational
costs causing
Growing carbon footprint
of e-commerce due to
increase in online
purchasing
unsustainability of
the medical and
pharmaceutical
supply chains
Source: Forbes

40. Issues and Challenges
• Decreasing Green House Gas concentrations during a short period is not a
sustainable way to clean up our environment.
• For a significant decline, there should be a long-term structural change in the
countries' economies.
• The economies have become very weak and therefore supporting the fight
against climate change is going to be very difficult.
• Severe cuts in agricultural and fishery export levels have led to the generation of
large quantities of organic waste.
• Medical waste can easily be mixed with domestic waste, they should be treated
as hazardous waste and disposed of separately.

41. Need for action
• Attention must be given to threats on the environment and natural resource bases as a result of
the coronavirus pandemic
• Need for environmental action when economies re-open
• Now is the time to realize the importance of sustainable development
• The repeated outbreak of pandemics like SARS, MERS, Ebola is a result of climate change,
desertification, loss of biodiversity, and illegal trading of wildlife.
• In order to successfully avert such a crisis in the future, we have to respect nature and
biodiversity.
• Governments should also make developmental policies keeping in mind the environmental
challenges.
• The coronavirus crisis also presents the world with an opportunity to invest in clean energy and
ensure a cleaner future.

42. Conclusion
• The reduced pollution levels and replenished wildlife is a silver-lining
amidst COVID-19 crisis.
• It is an eyeopener for mankind but this has come at a major
humanitarian cost, taking a toll on both human life and economy.
• A long-term vision with a targeted stimulus towards sustainable goals
is the need of the hour.
• Many of the environmental challenges caused by the coronavirus
crisis will gradually resolve on their own once the crisis comes to an
end and previous levels of economic activity resume.

43. References
Dhristiias: The Big picture: Coronavirus Impact on Environment
GreenBiz: How coronavirus will affect 4 key environmental issues
BBC: Will Covid-19 have a lasting impact on the environment?
Forbes: Ten Areas Where COVID-19 Responses Have Increased Environmental Risks
United Nations: Environmental impacts of coronavirus crisis, challenges ahead
ScienceDirect: Indirect effects of COVID-19 on the environment
Venngage: The Coronavirus Pandemic’s Impact on the Environment [Infographic by Bronwyn Kienapple ]
BBC: Climate change and coronavirus: Five charts about the biggest carbon crash
Wikipedia: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment
IEA: Global Energy Review 2020- The impacts of the Covid-19 crisis on global energy demand and CO2 emissions
TopicsforSeminar: Environmental impacts of COVID-19 pandemic