Microbes for Sustainable Development of Environmental Issues

The most hazardous environmental issues are the depleting soil quality, food insecurities, plastic waste, threat to marine life including flora and fauna. Agriculture is completely dependent on the quality of soil and various climatic factors which are deteriorating day by day, ultimately impacting word’s ecosystem and daily life of living beings because food and nutrition heavily relies on the agriculture. These problems are interlinked to each other and can probably be solved by the augmentation and engagement of beneficial microorganisms. Because of the present trend of excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, sustainability in the agriculture industry has become a challenging job. In addition, anthropogenic activities such as urbanization and industrialization are producing more garbage and endangering ecosystem. The incredible diversity of microorganisms on earth plays a critical function in the ecological processes of elements influencing soil fertility, organic matter breakdown, and carbon storage. Microorganisms mainly plant growth-promoting bacteria are now being utilized worldwide as bioenhancers for promoting growth of plant and development under various environmental stresses like heavy metals, etc. They are critical in a number of environmental friendly practices in addition to new advancements, from biogeochemical cycles to diverse industrial productions. Plastic is becoming a pest to environment and is a major threat to world in upcoming years. Microorganisms ensure the capability of degrading plastic and other harmful substances which causes damage to the environment. Microbes are very helpful in combatting bioterrorism which is a serious hazard to ecosystem as they can be used against pathogen and help the environment. This chapter focuses on the diverse role played by microorganisms in combating various environmental issues for the sustainable development.