7

Learning
Material

Evaluating Environmental
Problems

Causes, Effects, Risks and Impacts

Causes, Effects, Risks and Impacts

 Evaluating Environmental Problems


Overview

In the past lessons, you were able to be introduced to the different environmental problems that
we are facing today. Now, to further deepen your knowledge and understanding of how these problems
came about and how they will impact our environment as well as the human well-being, we will
evaluate the different environmental problems in terms of their causes, effects, risks and impacts.

For this learning material, we will give emphasis on the steps of how to assess an
environmental problem by analyzing its root cause and the risks associated with the problem in order to
provide and come up with a feasible solution or resolution.

Learning Outcomes

The main objective of this learning material is to evaluate local environmental problems
associated with human interactions, their causes, and associated risks. Specifically, after completing
the study of this material, you should be able to propose an evaluation of a local environmental problem
by designing a plan of the general steps in analyzing problems using root cause analysis.

Initial activity – accessing prior knowledge

Before, we start evaluating environmental problems through their causes, effects, risks and
impacts, let us first have a review of what you have learned in the previous learning material. Based on
past discussions, enumerate five (5) different environmental problems that you could remember and
rate each problem from 1 to 5 according to the severity and extent of destruction the problem may
bring, 1 being the highest and 5 as the least, then provide a brief explanation. Use the table provided
below.

Environmental Problem Rank (1-5) Remarks

(Brief explanation of the rank/rating)
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Causes, Effects, Risks and Impacts of Environmental Problems

1
 Evaluating Environmental Problems


The list of issues and problems concerning our environment goes on. Environmental
issues are extremely complex and they vary in intensity, forms, features, and other
characteristics. Environmental issues are defined as problems within the different systems of
the Earth such as the biosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere and the hydrosphere. Some of these
may have been developed naturally while others emerged as a result of human interference or
misuse of the different resources. If these issues and problems will not be properly addressed,
they may result to long term ecological effects that can demolish whole environments.

In the past activities and lessons, we were able to

examine some specific environmental problems and to
assess the different factors that have contributed to the
problems. We were also able to evaluate the possible effects
of the problems on our environment, specifically on the
different systems of the Earth, as well as its impact to
mankind. The failure to properly address the root cause of
such problems has led to most of the environmental
problems being unresolved and even worsening. However, if
you look deeper to figure out what is specifically causing the
problem, the underlying issues will be resolved.
Source: Thwink.org

One of the most effective way in addressing

environmental problem is through the Root Cause Analysis (RCA) as well as risks and
consequences assessment. Root cause analysis is a process used to identify the primary
source of a problem. Root cause analysis may involve different wide range of approaches,
techniques, and tools that can be used to uncover causes of problems. In this process you will
identify causes and preventive actions. For example, if a chemical spill occurs, you would
attempt to identify the root cause of the spill occurring so that you could address the cause and
therefore prevent a spill from occurring in the future.

Root Cause Analysis is a commonly used technique that aids in answering the question
“why does a certain problem occurred in the first place?”. This method seeks to identify the
origin of a problem using specific set of steps using the appropriate tools in order to find the
primary cause of the problem. It is assumed that the systems and events are interrelated, thus
through this analysis, an action in one area triggers an action in another, and another, and so
on. By tracing back these actions, you can discover where the problem started and how it grew
into the environmental issues we are now facing.

RCA helps in problem solving by determining WHAT happened, WHY it

happened and HOW to prevent it from happening again.

2
 Evaluating Environmental Problems



Assessing the causes of problems involves the investigating the patterns of negative effects,
finding hidden problems, and formulating specific events that contributed to the problem.

The Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Process:

Root Cause
Analysis (RCA): An
Analogy Step One: Define the Problem

Think of uprooting a grass in What do you see happening?

your backyard. If you keep on cutting
the leaves for some time, you will see What are the specific symptoms?
that your lawn will be clear, but after a
day or two, new grasses have already Step Two: Collect Data
sprouted. In order to eliminate the
grasses, you must pull out the whole
grass together with the roots, thus What proof do you have that the problem exists?
getting rid of the weeds totally. How long has the problem existed?
What is the impact of the problem?

You need to analyze a situation fully before you can move on

to look at factors that contributed to the problem.

Step Three: Identify Possible Causal Factors

What sequence of events leads to the problem?

What conditions allow the problem to occur?
What other problems surround the occurrence of the main problem?

During this step, identify as many causal factors as possible. In order to identify the
possible causal factors, some of the techniques that could be employ are: (1) ask many
"Why’s?" until you get to the root of the problem, (2) Drill down by breaking the problem into
small, detailed parts, and (3) creating a cause and effect diagram or a chart of all the possible
causal factors to see where the issue or problem have begun.

Step Four: Identify the Root Cause(s)

Why does the causal factor exist?

What is the real reason the problem occurred?

Use the same tools you used to identify the causal factors in the third step to look at the
roots of each factor. These tools are designed to encourage you to dig deeper at each level of
cause and effect.

Step Five: Recommend and Implement Solutions

3
 Evaluating Environmental Problems


What can you do to prevent the problem from happening again?
How will the solution be implemented?
Who will be responsible for it?
What are the risks of implementing the solution?

In this step, the cause-and-effect process must be analyzed. This will be useful in planning the
whole solution and to predict possible effects of the process. This way, potential failures can
be predicted and avoided.

The above steps are the general method that could be observed and be conducted in
order to evaluate local environmental problems associated with human interactions, their
causes, and associated risks. For further readings and studies, you may visit these following
references for the different application of RCA and the different techniques and methods than
can be used in analyses:

A. ABC of root cause analysis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgBeC2j99LA)

B. Root Cause analysis for beginners (Rooney, J. J., & Heuvel, L. N. V. (2004).
Root cause analysis for beginners. Quality progress, 37(7), 45-56.)

Evaluation

Using your understanding on evaluating environmental problems, choose one

issue/problem that is existing in your community or barangay. Then, by applying the steps
of RCA, formulate a comprehensive analysis of that environmental problem. You may also
use other methods that is discussed in the additional resources mentioned above. Use a
separate sheet for this activity.

References

1. Chiras, D. D. (2009). Environmental science. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

2. Harich, J., Bangerter, P., & Durlacher, S. (2012, July). Solving the sustainability problem
with root cause analysis. In Proceedings of the Ecosystem Services Partnership
Conference, Portland, OR, USA (p. 25).
3. Robitaille, D. (2004). Root cause analysis: Basic tools and techniques. Paton
Professional.
4. Rooney, J. J., & Heuvel, L. N. V. (2004). Root cause analysis for beginners. Quality
progress, 37(7), 45-56.
5. Root Cause Analysis. Thwink.org. Accessed on
Thwink.orghttp://www.thwink.org/sustain/glossary/RootCauseAnalysis.htm

Scoring Rubric for the Student’s Evaluation of Learning Material 7

EVALUATING ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

4
 Evaluating Environmental Problems



Category 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25

(UNACCEPTABLE) (NEEDS (AVERAGE) (VERY (EXCELLENT)
IMPROVEMENT) GOOD)
Definition of Student does not Student fails to Student Student Student states
the Problem identify the problem define the adequately adequately the problem
problem define the and clearly clearly and
adequately problem but defines the identifies
missed some problem underlying
points issues
Process of Only 30% of the Only 50% of the 85% of the 90% of the All of the
Analysis Steps in RCA were Steps in RCA Steps in Steps in Steps in RCA
applied in problem were applied in RCA were RCA were were applied
analysis problem analysis applied in applied in in problem
problem problem analysis
analysis analysis
Identification No causal factors Very few causal Only some of Most of the All of the
of Causal and root cause of factors and root the causal causal causal factors
Factors and the problems was cause of the factors and factors and and root cause
Root Cause identified problems were root cause of root cause of the
identified the problems of the problems were
were problems identified
identified were
identified
Presentation/ Output presentation Very few parts of Only some of Majority of The output
Organization was not organized the output were the parts of the parts of was presented
at all presented in an the output the output in a very
organized was was organized
manner presented in presented manner
an organized in an
manner organized
manner