WiserEarth Governance

This class deals with exotic or excess materials introduced to the environment. There is obviously a fine distinction when the pollution comes from another threat - for example, should an oil spill from a pipeline be classified as Utility and Service Lines or Industrial and Military Effluents? You will have to exercise some judgement here as to which represents the direct threat in your situation. In some cases, the source of the pollution may be either unknown or from a historical source (e.g., heavy metals buried in sediments). In these cases, you may have to make an educated guess as to which category to assign the pollutant. Includes Household Sewage and Urban Waste Water, Industrial and Military Effluents, Agricultural and Forestry Effluents, and Garbage and Solid Waste as sub-categories.

This category is part of a standard classification of ‘Direct threats to biodiversity’ edited by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and in use by all major biodiversity conservation organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, Birdlife International, Wildlife Conservation Society, and World Wildlife Fund. For a detailed description of the classification please go here. To search for solutions, service providers, consultants, practitioners, and funders related to this conservation threat use the Conservation Pages.