Environmental conservation is the management of human use of the biosphere or environment so that it may yield the greatest sustainable benefit to present generations while maintaining its potential to meet the ends and aspirations of future generations. Thus conservation is positive, embracing preservation, maintenance, sustainable utilization, restoration, and enhancement of the natural environment.

The primary cause of environmental degradation is human disturbance. Human source of environmental deterioration are air and water pollution, acid rain, agricultural runoff, urbanization whereas natural source are landslides, earthquake, tsunamis, wildfires. The environmental problems faced by developed nations are largely the result of their economic strength and higher standards of living. Overconsumption is cited by many observers as a cause of resource depletion in the world. Americans, and to a lesser extent western Europeans, Japanese, and other residents of developed nations, are more than the subsistence level required.

For environmental conservation and sustainable development, the steps which need to be taken in some of the key sectors of development activities in developed countries are outlined in the following sections:

1. Agriculture:

-Development of pesticides and insecticides policy for the country.

-Development of integrated pest management and nutrient supply system.

-Development and promotion of methods of sustainable farming, especially organic and natural farming.

-Efficient use of inputs including agro-chemicals with minimal degradation of    environment.

-Promotion of environmentally compatible cropping practices, bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides.

-Ensuring land for different uses based upon land capability and land Productivity.

2. Irrigation:

-Priority to small projects to meet the requirements of irrigation without causing significant alteration in the environmental conditions

-Revival of traditional water management systems and development of alternate irrigation systems such as harvesting and conservation of run-off rain water

-Adoption of command area development approach for all irrigation projects to ensure optimal utilization.

3. Animal husbandry:

The activities relating to animal husbandry should concentrate on the following

-Improvement in genetic variability of indigenous population.

-Promotion of stall feeding and rotational grazing.

-Restoration and protection of grazing lands.

-Involvement of local people in the policy planning on pasture lands and stall feeding to avoid fodder scarcity.

4. Forestry:

Concerted efforts should be made for raising the forest cover and for conservation of existing forests which constitute an essential life support system and an important source of food, fibre, fodder, fuel and medicines etc. Following steps can be useful for conservation:

-Maintenance of environmental stability through preservation and, where necessary, restoration of the ecological balance that has been adversely disturbed by serious depletion of the forests of the country.

-Encouraging efficient utilization of forest product.

-Substitution of wood by other materials, alternative sources of energy and fuel efficient stoves.

5. Energy Generation and Use:

-Location of energy generation projects based on environmental considerations including pollution, displacement of people and loss of biodiversity.

-Decentralized small projects for meeting the rural energy needs and incentives for use of non-conventional energy sources.

-Setting up of biogas plants based on cow-dung, human excreta and vegetable wastes.

6. Industrial Development:

-Incentives for environmentally clean technologies, recycling and reuse of wastes and conservation of natural resources.

-While deciding upon sites, priority to compatible industries so that, to the extent possible, wastes from one could be used as raw material for the other and thus the net pollution load is minimized.

-Location of industries as per environmental guidelines for sitting of industry.

-Encouragement for use of environmentally benign automobiles /motor vehicles and reduction of auto-emissions.

7. Mining and Quarrying:

-Environmentally safe disposal of the by-products of mining.

-Restriction on mining and quarrying activities in sensitive areas such as hill slopes, areas of natural springs and areas rich in biological diversity.

-Environmental impact assessment prior to selection of sites for mining and quarrying activities.

8. Transportation:

-Improved transport system based on bio-energy and other nonpolluting energy sources.

-Rail transport and pipeline transport instead of road transport, where ever possible, by appropriate freight pricing so as to reduce congestion, fuel consumption and environmental hazards.

-Enforcement of smoke emission standards for containing vehicular exhausts, at the manufacturer and user level.

9. Human Settlements:

-Decentralization of urbanization through establishment of secondary cities and towns with requisite infra-structural services and employment opportunities by developing human settlement perspective plan at national and state level.

-Improvement of infra-structural facilities such as water supply, sewerage, solid waste    disposal, energy recovery systems and transportation in an integrated manner.

-Planning of shade giving and fruit bearing and ornamental trees along the road side, in the compounds of schools, hospitals, Government as well as private office buildings, places of worship, places meant for public fairs, assemblies and markets, and the periphery of play grounds and water bodies.

Thus, these are some of the strategies that are highly recommended to be followed by developing nations to keep their ecology safe, sound and smiling.