Скачать или смотреть 15. Describing the distribution of rubber-producing countries, indicate the major environmental issu

15. Describing the distribution of rubber-producing countries, indicate the major environmental issues faced by them. (Answer in 250 words)

Asia is the largest producer of the world and produces about 91 per cent of the world production, followed by Africa which produces 6 per cent. Thailand is the highest rubber producer in the world, which produced 31.29 per cent of world production. Indonesia is the second largest producer.

Distribution of Rubber producing countries:


Climatic Conditions require temperatures above 25°C with a moist, and humid climate & rainfall of more than 200 cm. Thus, tropical regions are suitable for rubber plantation.
Despite natural rubber being native to the Amazon basin, approximately 90 percent of the world’s supply is grown in Asia.
At the forefront of the 20th century, Brazil became the first nation to grow rubber trees commercially and produced almost all the world’s rubber (99%). Today, it produces less than 1%.
Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, and China are the top 5 rubber producing countries.
According to FAOstat, Thailand grows 35% of the world’s natural rubber supply.
Most synthetic rubber is produced in the United States, Japan, Russia, and the countries of Western Europe. China was the world’s largest producer of synthetic rubber in 2020 (22%).
Intermediate products from natural rubber industries include ribbed smoked sheets (RSS), air dried sheets (ADS), block rubber, crepe rubber, and concentrated rubber latex. In these production processes, many environmental problems arise. These include air, water, and odor pollution.

Environment Implications faced by Rubber producing countries:

Deforestation: Natural rubber contributes to deforestation.
Consumes large volumes of water and energy: Rubber plants require more water which reduces groundwater potential. Washing consumes a large amount of water, therefore, wastewater generated is a major issue.
The use of large amounts of chemicals can cause serious environmental impacts in the neighbouring receptor water bodies.
Discharges of massive amounts of waste and effluents: led to water pollution
Biodiversity loss: Rubber plantation leads to reduced total carbon biomass and impacts climate change.
Impact on Natural vegetation and soil quality: In Kerala, rubber plantations replaced natural vegetation. Studies linked this to reduced biodiversity, river flow, and soil nutrients.
Conclusion

Intermediate products from natural rubber industries include ribbed smoked sheets (RSS) , air dried sheets (ADS) , block rubber, crepe rubber, and concentrated rubber latex. In these production processes, many environmental problems arise. These include air, water, and odor pollutions.