Indian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Life Sciences ISSN: 2231– 6345 (Online) An Open Access, Online International Journal Available at http:// http://www.cibtech.org/sp.ed/jls/2014/01/jls.htm 2014 Vol. 4 (S1) April-June, pp. 70-76/Namdar et al. Review Article © Copyright 2014 | Centre for Info Bio Technology (CIBTech) 70 CONSIDERING THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURE IN EXACERBATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS * Razie h Namdar 1 , Gholamreza Pezeshki Rad 2 , Hassan Sadighi 3 and Ezatollah Karami 4 1 Department of Extension and Education, Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University Tehran, IRAN 2 Department of Extension and Education, Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University Tehran, IRAN 3 Department of Extension and Education, Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University Tehran, IRAN 4 Department of Extension and Education, Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz IRAN *Author for Correspondence ABSTRACT Literature review reveals that sustainable development has three essential dimensions: economical, social and environmental. According to “sustainable development commission”, the most important component of sustainable development is considered to be “conserving environment”. Agriculture and Forestry are the main activities of human being in the world. Researches show that agricultural activities all around the world have unbelievable hazardous effects on environment. This fact has caused a number of international concerns about ecologic aspect of sustainable development. In the other hand, conflictions between farmers economical interests and urge of conserving the agricultural and natural resources ecologies has amplified the crisis. The most severe risks of agricultural activities for environment are categorized as: 1) soil erosion, 2) pesticide pollution, 3) greenhouse gases, 4) pollution of water resources, 5) negative effects of agricultural activiti es, and 6) health hazards. It seems that improving farmers’ public knowledge and their environmental attitude, using public media and education, and economical incentives can be of remarkable help in decreasing environmental hazards. Keywords: Environmental Hazards, Sustainable Development, Agriculture INTRODUCTION Human is continuously degrading and polluting water, soil, jungle and other sector of nature. This is not only a threat for health and welfare of local societies, but also decreases economic growth (Dimara et al., 1999) the ecosystem in which all rural activities is done also includes the air we breathe, the water bodies around us and the earth we step on. Unfettered activities of human can compromise environment (Sarkarand Chakrabarti 2007). Agriculture and Forestry are the main activities of human being in the world. Researches show agricultural activities have incredibly had hazardous impacts on soil, water quality, biodiversity, meteorological patterns and long term efficiency of agricultural activities in local and regional levels. This has caused serious international concerns about economic part of sustainable development. Soil erosion, uncontrolled farming, soil low nutrient level, problems in water management and infections and diseases are the environmental factors that can be obstacles, as hard as economical and social limiting factors, in reaching to agricultural sustainable development (National Research Council,1993). Despite other sectors, agriculture sector is a multifunctional one. Except food and oil fiber production, it imposes deep effects (positive or negative) on lots of local, national and global economical and ecosystemic elements (FAO, 1999). Since early 1970’s and as agriculture was developing, the term of “sustainability” in agriculture was born and environment fans warned the world about the oncoming danger (Bewsell and kani, 2004). Sustainable development is substantiated by association of all development activities by efficient management and conservation of natural resources. This concept is initiated in individual level and ends in local activities