Basic 5 · Religious and Moral Education · The Environment
Human Activities That Harm the Land
In this topic you will discuss human activities that damage the land, forests and wildlife, and their effects.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Name human activities that harm the land
- Explain the effects of these activities
- Relate them to religious teaching on creation
What you already know
- God the Creator (Basic 4)
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
- Strand
- God’s Creation & Attributes
- Sub-strand
- The Environment
- Indicator
- B5.1.2.1.1 – Discuss the effects of human activities on the environment
Introduction
God created a beautiful earth with forests, rivers and animals and gave people the duty to care for it. But some human activities are destroying the land.
1. Harmful Activities
| Activity | Effects |
|---|---|
| deforestation (cutting trees without replanting) | loss of shade, rain and wildlife; soil erosion |
| bush burning | kills animals and soil organisms; destroys crops; adds smoke to the air |
| galamsey | leaves open pits, destroys farms and forests, poisons soil and water |
| sand winning | creates pits and gullies; damages roads and buildings |
| overgrazing | removes grass cover; soil becomes bare and dry |
| poor farming (removing all vegetation) | soil loses nutrients and washes away |
| hunting with fire and poison | animals disappear; food chains break |
2. Effects on People
When land is destroyed, people suffer. Farmers lose fertile land and harvests become small, so food becomes expensive. Forests that provided medicine, firewood, fruits and bushmeat disappear. Rainfall becomes irregular. Galamsey pits fill with water and children have drowned in them. Erosion washes away roads and houses. Some communities have had to move because their land became useless.
3. What the Religions Teach
Christianity teaches that God put Adam in the Garden of Eden "to work it and take care of it" (Genesis 2:15). People are stewards, not owners, of the earth.
Islam teaches that humans are khalifah (stewards) on earth (Qur'an 2:30) and will answer to Allah for how they used it. The Prophet taught that planting a tree is a charity.
Traditional Religion teaches that the earth is a goddess (Asase Yaa among the Akan) and must be respected. Some days, such as Thursday among many Akan communities, are rest days for the earth when farming is not allowed. Sacred groves and taboos protect forests and rivers.
These teachings show that destroying the land is not only harmful but also morally wrong. A person who burns the bush carelessly or pollutes a river with mining chemicals is failing in the duty God has given. Every person, including pupils, can help by refusing to take part in such activities and by speaking up when they see them.
New words
- deforestation
- Cutting down forests without replanting.
- erosion
- Washing or blowing away of soil.
- galamsey
- Illegal small-scale mining.
- steward
- A person who takes care of something for its owner.
- Asase Yaa
- The Akan earth goddess.
- sacred grove
- A forest protected for religious reasons.
Summary
- Deforestation, bush burning, galamsey and sand winning damage the land.
- These activities cause erosion, food shortage and loss of wildlife.
- All three religions teach that people are stewards of the earth.
- Taboos and sacred groves protect the environment.
Class activity: Community Survey
- Walk around the school community (with your teacher).
- Record any signs of land damage you see.
- Report the cause and effect of each.
You need: Printed photographs of local galamsey, Bush burning, Charred wood, Discarded water sachet, Manila cause-and-effect chart
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Cutting trees without replanting is called…
- A. deforestation
- B. afforestation
- C. irrigation
- D. erosion
Show answer
Answer: deforestationIt destroys forests.2. Which verse says God put man in the garden to care for it?
- A. Genesis 2:15
- B. Exodus 20:13
- C. Psalm 1:1
- D. Matthew 6:9
Show answer
Answer: Genesis 2:15Man is a steward.3. The Akan earth goddess is called…
- A. Asase Yaa
- B. Onyankopɔn
- C. Tano
- D. Bia
Show answer
Answer: Asase YaaThe earth is respected.4. Bush burning kills animals.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueAnd soil organisms.5. Galamsey improves farmland.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalseIt destroys farms and water.6. A forest protected for religious reasons is a sacred ______.
Show answer
Answer: groveTaboos protect it.7. State two effects of deforestation.
Show answer
Answer: Soil erosion and loss of wildlife (or less rainfall).Any two.8. How does traditional religion help protect the environment?
Show answer
Answer: Through taboos, rest days for the earth and sacred groves that stop people destroying land and forests.Traditional conservation.
Homework
- Ask an elder about a taboo in your community that protects the land or a river.