“Treat the Earth well; it was not given to you by your parents; it was loaned to you by your children.” – Kenyan proverb

WHAT IS POLLUTION?
Pollution is when the land, water, or air is made dirtier. Often, humans cause pollution by leaving waste in water or dumping it on land. Also, we pollute the air by emitting smoke and other chemicals in the air, for example, through car exhausts, burning materials, and industrial processes. Pollution is particularly bad for the environment because sometimes it can be poisonous. This can cause crops and animals to die and can even be toxic for humans. Worse still, the negative impacts can sometimes harm the environment so much that is beyond repair.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF POLLUTION
Pollution can come in many different forms, but the main types are:

1. Water pollution
2. Land pollution
3. Air pollution

WATER POLLUTION
Water pollution involves drinking water becoming dirtier. At the moment, over 358 million people in Africa do not have access to clean drinking water and this number will rise if water pollution worsens. This kind of pollution can result from waste materials being thrown in rivers and lakes, or chemicals in farming being washed into rivers by the rain. Also, sewage must be filtered correctly to avoid pollution of drinking water, otherwise diseases such as typhoid and diarrhoea can spread. Instead, human waste should be thrown away far from water bodies such as rivers and lakes. In fact, human waste can even be used as a fertiliser for crops in farming systems.

LAND POLLUTION
Land pollution is when the Earth’s surface becomes unclean or unproductive (for example, land becoming less useable for farming). This can happen after trees and vegetation are cut down, as the land becomes hard and bare so it cannot be used. Also rubbish and waste (like plastic bags) are sometimes thrown into heaps which also adds to the pollution. Instead, rubbish can be reused for other purposes.

AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution is when the chemicals or smoke are emitted into the air. This commonly comes from the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas). Also, smoke from cars and burning of waste and rubbish add smoke to the air. This is dangerous for human health as breathing in the smoke can injure lungs and cause death. Also animals and plants suffer from toxic chemicals if they are present in the air.

THE FUTURE
Pollution is bad for the environment as it can damage human health and impact on plants, animals, and crops. The environment we have is precious and to pollute it is not ideal. We must be aware of the different types of pollution so we can take care of the environment. If we do this, then future generations of family can also enjoy the environment that we currently have.