Today the environment is changing both in terms of space and time. The major causes of environmental change are the various anti-nature human activities such as urbanisation, industrialisation, expansion of transport and communication, shrinking of forest cover and wetlands, etc. These activities have profoundly affected all the four spheres. The spread of population and human activities to the mountainous and desert areas are causing rapid environmental changes there. Thus, we can say that the primary cause for environmental change is human activities.
Briefly, the major causes of environmental change are:
(i) Increase in population.
(ii) Industrialisation and urbanisation.
(iii) Increase of carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere.
(iv) Deforestation and decrease in wetlands.
(v) Expansion of human activities in the mountainous and desert areas.