environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems; habitat destruction; the extinction of wildlife; and pollution. it is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. as indicated by the i=pat equation, environmental impact (i) or degradation is caused by the combination of an already very large and increasing human population (p), continually increasing economic growth or per capita affluence (a), and the application of resource-depleting and polluting technology (t).