Question

Discuss any five ways by which multinational companies (MNCs) cause environmental degradation in developing countries.

Answer 1

1. Industrial Pollution: MNCs frequently locate operations in developing nations due to lower labour costs and fewer environmental laws. These factories may emit chemicals, heavy metals, and toxic waste into the air, water, and soil, causing environmental damage and health problems.
2. Resource Exploitation: In developing countries, multinational corporations routinely exploit natural resources such as minerals, oil, and lumber. Excessive extraction can cause deforestation, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation, leaving local communities with limited land and water supplies.
3. Deforestation for Agriculture or Industry: Many multinational corporations engage in large-scale agricultural or industrial operations that frequently destroy forests to make space for plantations, mines, or factories. This deforestation causes habitat loss, lowers biodiversity, and increases carbon emissions, exacerbating global warming.
4. Deforestation for Agriculture or Industry: Many multinational corporations engage in large-scale agricultural or industrial operations that frequently destroy forests to make space for plantations, mines, or factories. This deforestation causes habitat loss, lowers biodiversity, and increases carbon emissions, exacerbating global warming.
5. Carbon Emissions: MNCs' industrial, transportation, and energy-intensive businesses in developing nations contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions contribute to global climate change, disproportionately impacting developing countries by producing severe weather, rising sea levels, and agricultural disruptions.