1.
destruction of nature; environmental destruction
The damage or devastation of the natural environment caused by human activities such as deforestation, pollution, and overdevelopment.
自然破壊が深刻だ。
The destruction of nature is serious.
開発による自然破壊を止めなければならない。
We must stop the destruction of nature caused by development.
自然破壊が進むと多くの動植物が絶滅の危機にさらされる。
As the destruction of nature progresses, many plants and animals face the threat of extinction.
A compound of 自然 (nature) + 破壊 (destruction). A central term in environmental discourse in Japan, where rapid postwar industrialization led to significant environmental damage and subsequent environmental protection movements.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 自然破壊を防ぐ: to prevent destruction of nature
- 自然破壊が進む: destruction of nature advances
- 大規模な自然破壊: large-scale environmental destruction
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 環境破壊: environmental destruction — broader term that includes pollution and other forms of environmental damage, not limited to the natural world
- 森林破壊: deforestation — specifically about the destruction of forests
- 自然保護: nature conservation — the opposite concept, protecting nature