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Encyclopedia of Sustainability in Higher Education pp 1184–1189Cite as

Multidisciplinary Approach to Environmental Problems and Sustainability

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Definition

The environment is defined as the complex of physical, biotic, and chemical factors (such as living things, climate, and soil) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its survival and form (Merriam-Webster’s dictionary). It is derived from the French word environ, meaning external conditions or surroundings that favor the growth of flora and fauna, human beings, and their properties and protect them from the effects of pollution. According to Douglas and Holland (1947), the environment describes, in the aggregate, all of the extrinsic (external) forces, influences, and conditions, which affect the life, nature, behavior, and the growth, development, and maturation of living organisms. The “environment” includes land, water, air, and the interrelationship which exists between these elements and human beings, other living creatures, microorganism, plants, and property (Environmental Protection Act 1986).

The natural environment comprises...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands

    Glory Ikponmwosa Edwards

Authors
  1. Glory Ikponmwosa Edwards
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Correspondence to Glory Ikponmwosa Edwards .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences, World Sustainable Development Research and Transfer Centre, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

Section Editor information

  1. Strathmore University, Nairobi, Kenya

    Izael da Silva

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Edwards, G.I. (2019). Multidisciplinary Approach to Environmental Problems and Sustainability. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainability in Higher Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11352-0_241

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