UNIT 4
Social Issues and the Environment
A) Social Issues and the Environment:
A wide range of human activities affect water availability and quality especially in areas with a high population density, concentrated industrial activity and intensive agriculture.
Only a small fraction of the world's population has access to tap water that is suitable for drinking. In the European Union, this service is taken for granted, and it is forgotten that this is not the case everywhere. The indicators selected by the panels of water experts will give a comprehensive description of the pressures imposed on quality and availability of water resources and of the success of environmental policy to reduce them.
The prevention of over-exploitation of ground water and surface water for drinking water or industrial or other purposes;
The prevention of pollution of ground water from diffuse sources; and
A better ecological quality of surface and marine water.
The indicators formulated by the Scientific Advisory Groups for the policy field Water Pollution & Water Resources go into more detail: nutrients, overuse of ground water resources, pesticides, heavy metals and organic matter are listed as the most important pressures on water. A more general indicator "wastewater treated" is also included as a measure of the efforts invested in the protection of water quality.
Water conservation can be defined as:
Any beneficial reduction in water loss, use or waste as well as the preservation of water quality.
A reduction in water use accomplished by implementation of water conservation or water efficiency measures; or,
Improved water management practices that reduce or enhance the beneficial use of water. A water conservation measure is an action, behavioral change, device, technology, or improved design or process implemented to reduce water loss, waste, or use. Water efficiency is a tool of water conservation. That results in more efficient water use and thus reduces water demand. The value and cost-effectiveness of a water efficiency measure must be evaluated in relation to its effects on the use and cost of other natural resources (e.g. Energy or chemicals).
The goals of water conservation efforts include as follows:
Sustainability. To ensure availability for future generations, the withdrawal of fresh water from an ecosystem should not exceed its natural replacement rate.
Energy conservation. Water pumping, delivery, and waste water treatment facilities consume a significant amount of energy. In some regions of the world over 15% of total electricity consumption is devoted to water management.
Habitat conservation. Minimizing human water use helps to preserve fresh water habitats for local wildlife and migrating water flow, as well as reducing the need to build new dams and other water diversion infrastructure.
Rain water harvesting is the accumulating and storing of rainwater for reuse before it reaches the aquifer. It has been used to provide drinking water, water for livestock, water for irrigation, as well as other typical uses. Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses and local institutions can make an important contribution to the availability of drinking water. It can supplement the subsoil water level and increase urban greenery. Water collected from the ground, sometimes from areas which are especially prepared for this purpose, is called Storm water harvesting. In some cases, rainwater may be the only available, or economical, water source. Rainwater harvesting systems can be simple to construct from inexpensive local materials, and are potentially successful in most habitable locations. Roof rainwater may not be potable and may require treatment before consumption. As rainwater rushes from your roof it may carry pollutants, such as mercury from coal burning buildings, or bird faces. Although some rooftop materials may produce rainwater that would be harmful to human health as drinking water, it can be useful in flushing toilets, washing clothes, watering the garden and washing cars; these uses alone halve the amount of water used by a typical home. Household rainfall catchment systems are appropriate in areas with an average rainfall greater than 200 mm (7.9 in) per year, and no other accessible water sources (Skinner and Cotton, 1992). Overflow from rainwater harvesting tank systems can be used to refill aquifers in a process called groundwater recharge; though this is a related process, it must not be confused with rainwater harvesting.
Development projects that displace people involuntarily generally give rise to severe economic, social, and environmental problems: production systems are dismantled; productive assets and income sources are lost; people are relocated to environments where their productive skills may be less applicable and the competition for resources greater; community structures and social networks are weakened; kin groups are dispersed; and cultural identity, traditional authority, and the potential for mutual help are diminished. Involuntary resettlement may cause severe long-term hardship, impoverishment, and environmental damage unless appropriate measures are carefully planned and carried out.
The World Bank was the first multilateral lending agency to adopt a policy for Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R).
The treatment of resettlement issues beyond hydropower and irrigation projects to all types of investment operations. It emphasizes the need for:
- Minimizing involuntary resettlement;
- Providing people displaced by a project with the means to improve, or at least restore, their former living standards, earning capacity, and production levels;
- Involving both resettles and hosts in resettlement activities;
- A time-bound resettlement plan; and
- Valuation and compensation principles for land and other assets affected by the project.
A full EA is required if a project is likely to have significant adverse impacts that may be sensitive, irreversible, and diverse. The impacts are likely to be comprehensive, broad, sector-wide, or precedent-setting. Impacts generally result from a major component of the project and affect the area as a whole or an entire sector.
- Dams and reservoirs; Forestry production projects;
- Industrial plants (large-scale) and industrial estates;
- Irrigation, drainage, and flood control (large-scale);
- Land clearance and leveling;
- Mineral development (including oil and gas);
- Port and harbor development;
- Reclamation and new land development;
- Resettlement and all projects with potentially major impacts on people;
- River basin development;
- Thermal and hydropower development; and
- Manufacture, transportation, and use of pesticides or other hazardous and/or toxic materials.
The impacts are not as sensitive, numerous, major, or diverse as category A impacts; remedial measures can be more easily designed. Preparation of a mitigation plan suffices for many category B projects. Few category B projects would have a separate environmental report. Examples of Category B projects are:
- Agro-industries (small-scale);
- Electrical transmission;
- Aquaculture and mariculture;
- Irrigation and drainage (small-scale);
- Renewable energy;
- Rural electrification;
- Tourism;
- Rural water supply and sanitation;
- Watershed projects (management or rehabilitation); and
- Rehabilitation, maintenance, and upgrading projects (small-scale).
1 It has been realized empirically that all the major religions and their diverse religious associations share the belief that humans are stewards of the environment and its resources. Therefore, they would account for the way they led their lives, including how they treated the biodiversity resources in nature.
2 Religion plays out its role in environmental conservation and protection by its beliefs and teachings; it guides the relationship between man and nature, it offers moral framework. The major religions; Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism have adopted similar approaches or traditions that are geared towards environmental conservation. These are: dominion: humans at the top of Creation and using natural resources as needed. Stewardship: humans having a delegate dominion over Creation and being responsible and accountable for their use of natural resources, empathy: nature is affected by human misbehavior and God and worship: nature gives glory to God and nature is sacred. These approaches correlate and they all complement each other.
3 Each religion through its beliefs expresses concern for the environment and guides its believers towards conservation. The Buddhists believe in oneness and between humanity and nature. If you harm the environment, you harm yourself too; hence taking care of nature is taking care of yourself. Another practice is that of peace and compassion to everyone and everything and ultimately ensuring a balance between human practices and conservation.
4 Christianity, through bible teachings, promotes environmental care through the belief of nature’s divinity and humanity’s responsibility to look after creation/nature. This is also supported by Islam through the teachings of Quran that refer to nature as beautiful and sacred.
5 Hinduism also practices ecosystem protection beliefs and a good example is Mahatma Gandhi who promoted peace and coexistence with fellow humans and nature too, his teachings are extensive and all work towards environmental care.
6 Judaism also, through its teachings, plays a role in ensuring a proper environment. Nature is a central and since God is the owner, we should leave it as we found it. Judaism also discourages unnecessary destruction and destructive human activities.
7 Many religious groups are engaged it restoration and environmental protection activities. This has also led to the development of a new field of study/specialization; Eco-theology, which incorporates the concept of ecosystem management in religious teachings.
8 However, the role of religion and all these efforts and teachings seem to be currently fruitless due to our individual behaviors, it all boils down to your practices and activities, as it is always said, change begins with you.
B) Environmental Management:
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process which ensures that all environmental matters are taken into account quite early in the project at planning process itself. It takes into consideration not only technical and economic considerations but also, traditional aspects like impact on local people, biodiversity etc.
EIA is intended to prevent or minimize potentially adverse environmental impacts and enhance the overall quality of a project. The main benefits and advantages of EIA are:
- Lower project costs in the long-term
- Increased project acceptance
- Improved project design
Various Stages Of EIA
Screening
The EIA process begins from the very start of a project. Once a developer has identified a need and assessed all the possible alternatives of project design and sites to select a preferred alternative, two important questions must be asked: 'What will be the effects of this development on the environment? Are those effects significant?' If the answer to the second question is 'yes', an EIA may be required. Answering this question is a process known as screening and can be an essential first step into a formal EIA.
The EIA process is, it must be stressed, iterative. This is demonstrated at this early stage of screening where the requirement for a formal EIA and its associated cost implications can lead the developer to reassess the project design with a view to reducing the significant impacts to a level where an EIA is not legally required (Nielsen et al 2005).
Scoping
Where it is decided that a formal EIA is required, the next stage is to define the issues that need to be addressed, that is, those impacts that have a significant effect on the environment. This is known as scoping and is essential for focusing the available resources on the relevant issues.
Baseline study
Following on from scoping, it is essential to collect all relevant information on the current status of the environment. This study is referred to as a baseline study as it provides a baseline against which change due to a development can be measured.
Impact prediction
Once the baseline study information is available, the important task of impact prediction can begin. Impact prediction involves forecasting the likely changes in the environment that will occur as a result of the development.
Impact assessment
The next phase involves the assessment of the identified impacts - impact assessment. This requires interpretation of the importance or significance of the impacts to provide a conclusion, which can ultimately be used by decision-makers in determining the fate of the project application.
Mitigation
Frequently, the assessment of impacts will reveal damaging effects upon the environment. These may be alleviated by mitigation measures. Mitigation involves taking measures to reduce or remove environmental impacts and it can be seen that the iterative nature of the EIA process is well demonstrated here. For example, successful design of mitigation measures could possibly result in the removal of all significant impacts; hence a new screening exercise would reveal that there might have been no need to carry out a formal EIA had the mitigation measures been included from the start.
- Preparation of EMP report is required for formulation, implementation and monitoring of environmental protection measures during and after commissioning of the steel project. The EMP is to indicate the details as to how various measures have been or are proposed to be taken including cost components as may be needed. Cost of measures for environmental safeguards is to be treated as an integral component of the project cost and environmental aspects are to be taken into account at various phases of the steel project which include
(i) conceptualization phase when preliminary environmental assessment is done,
(ii) planning phase when detailed studies of environmental impacts and design of safeguards are carried out,
(iii) project execution phase when environmental protection and safety measures are implemented, and
(iv) project operational phase when monitoring of the effectiveness of built-in safeguards is carried out.
- An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is a document prepared to describe the effects for proposed activities on the environment. "Environment," in this case, is defined as the natural and physical environment and the relationship of people with that environment. This means that the "environment" considered in an EIS includes land, water, air, structures, living organisms, environmental values at the site, and the social, cultural, and economic aspects. An "impact" is a change in consequence that results from an activity. Impacts can be positive or negative or both. An EIS describes impacts, as well as ways to "mitigate" impacts. To "mitigate" means to lessen or remove negative impacts.
Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS, is a document that describes the impacts on the environment as a result of a proposed action. It also describes impacts of alternatives as well as plans to mitigate the impacts.
There are many kinds of audit which can be conducted alone or not. The audit can be concentrated on organization, emission, compliance with standards and regulation, maintenance, security, material balance, training, outside contractors…
The International Chamber of Commerce presents the different steps of an EA as follows:
Pre-audit activities: which include:
- Selection and scheduling of facility to audit,
- Selection of audit team,
- Contact with facility and planning of the audit.
Site activities: which are divided into 5 steps:
- First understanding of internal controls,
- Assessment of internal controls,
- Gathering of audit evidence,
- Evaluation of audit findings,
- Report of findings to facility.
Post audit activities: which include:
- Production of a draft report,
- Production of a final report,
- Preparation and implementation of an action plan,
- Monitoring of action plan.
Ecotourism is now defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education”
Principles of Ecotourism
- Ecotourism is about uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel. This means that those who implement, participate in and market ecotourism activities should adopt the following ecotourism principles:
- Minimize physical, social, behavioral, and psychological impacts.
- Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.
- Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.
- Provide direct financial benefits for conservation.
- Generate financial benefits for both local people and private industry.
- Deliver memorable interpretative experiences to visitors that help raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climates.
- Design, construct and operate low-impact facilities.
- Recognize the rights and spiritual beliefs of the Indigenous People in your community and work in partnership with them to create empowerment.
References :
- Textbook Of Environmental Science By Deeksha Dave And E.Sai Baba Reddy, Cengage
- Publications.
- Text Book Of Environmental Sciences And Technology By M.Anji Reddy, Bs Publication.
- Comprehensive Environmental Studies By J.P.Sharma, Laxmi Publications.
- Environmental Sciences And Engineering – J. Glynn Henry And Gary W. Heinke – Prentice Hall Of
- India Private Limited.
- A Text Book Of Environmental Studies By G.R.Chatwal, Himalaya Publishing House
