The word environment has been derives from the French word which means to surround. Thus, environment refers to the sum total of conditions which surround man at a given point of space and time. It is a composite term for the conditions in which organism live. In other words environment is the totality of all physical, social and biological factors that comprise the natural and man made surroundings.
Considering its basic structure, the environment may be divided into two broad types’ viz physical environment and biotic environment. The physical environment can be subdivided into two broad categories (i) solid (ii) liquid and (iii) Gas which represent three basic realms of the earth known as lithosphere, hydrosphere and the atmosphere. Whereas the biotic component of environment consists of plants and animals including man as an important factor. Of the entire organism existing on the earth, man is the most intelligent, skilled and civilized creature.
He is both the creater and the moulder of his environment. With his tremendous scientific and technological advancement, man has to a large extent, succeeded in controlling and dominating nature; in this process, man is interfering with the nature and disrupting his biotic and a biotic environment.