Discuss the challenges and solutions involved in achieving data consistency in a distributed database environment.

Achieving data consistency in a distributed database environment is a critical challenge, as it involves ensuring that all nodes in the distributed system have access to the same, up-to-date data. Data consistency is one of the key properties of distributed databases and is essential for maintaining the integrity and reliability of the data. However, it can be challenging to achieve in a distributed environment due to factors like network latency, node failures, and concurrent updates.