Answer: Both countries face serious environmental problems created mainly by population pressure and unplanned development.
Brazil:
- Large-scale deforestation of the Amazon for timber, farms, cattle ranches and roads, and forest fires that destroy vast areas.
- Loss of biodiversity — many plants and animals are disappearing before they are even studied.
- Soil erosion and silting of rivers after the forest cover is removed, and floods in the Amazon basin.
- Pollution of rivers by mining waste and industrial effluents, and air pollution and poor sanitation in large cities such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
India:
- Air pollution from vehicles, industries and the burning of fuel and crop waste, which causes serious health problems.
- Water pollution of rivers such as the Ganga, and depletion of ground water by excessive irrigation.
- Deforestation, land degradation, desertification and loss of wildlife and their habitats.
- Problems of solid waste, plastics, noise and the effects of climate change such as floods, droughts and heat waves.