Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Short Course (9th – 13th October 2005)
Key Presenters: Dr Godwell Nhamo
The Short Course Outline
This EIA short course comes in two modules to be covered over a period of 4.5 days
The modules are as follows:
Module 1: Understanding the Concepts Environment and sustainable Development and
Module 2: Concepts and Issues in Environmental Impact assessment
Details pertaining to these two module are presented in the following slides
Module 1 Contents
Concept Environment and SD
Module Overview
The Concept Environment
Importance of the Environment
Ideal environment
Environmental Issues, problems, risks & crises
Responses to Environmental Crises
Group Exercise: Identification of environmental Issues, problems, risks & crises
A Focus on Sustainable Development
Issues from Our Common Future
Agenda 21 and Local Agenda 21
WSSD
Millennium Development Goals
UN DESD
Sustainability reporting
Overview on Zimbabwe’s EMA
Module 2 Contents
Concepts & Issues in EIA
Module Overview
What is EIA?
EIA Objectives
EIA Terminology
Introduction to the EIA Process and Project Cycle linkages
Scoping and Public participation
Role play - Scoping and Public participation
Exercise: In randomly selected groups participants to draft ToR for selected proposed development activities of choice
Group and plenary feedback on ToR
Types of impacts
Impacts Prediction, Assessment and Mitigation
Impacts Prediction, Assessment and Mitigation
The EIA Report (Statement)
Special Interests Group Exercises
EIA audit for Operation Murambatsvina
EIA audit for NUST Old Quarry (only after the field trip)
EIA audit for Zimbabwe’s Land Reform Programme
Critical review of the Murowa Diamond Mine EIA, and
Theoretical EIA for a proposed huge open cast coal mine at Hwange
The EIA Report (Statement): Expectations from DNR – To include content, submission procedures and review process
EIA/Planning interface – to include especially procedures
Brief on the field work
Field Work
Special Interests Group Work – Finishing off write ups for feedback from fieldwork and case studies
Special Interests Group Work – Feedback from fieldwork and case studies
Handing of Certificates
Comments from a participant
Vote of thanks and departures
Module 1
Understanding the Concepts “Environment” and “Sustainable Development”
What do e understand by the concept ‘Environment’?
The Concept Environment: Definitions
Environment is a part of the earth’s surface that supports life and in which life occurs (Mnkandla, 1997:9)
Chenje (et al 2000:317) - Components of the earth, including air, land and water, all layers of the atmosphere, all organic and inorganic matter and living organisms, and the interacting among all these components
Fien (1993) - Environment is a social construct, referring to the interactions between social and biophysical systems
Di Chiro (1987)- Environment is defined by the use of our own individual and culturally imposed interpretative categories - it is a conceptual interaction between our physical surroundings and the social, political and economic forces that organise us in the context of these surroundings.
GoZ (2002) says environment means:
(a) the natural and man made resources physical resources, both biotic and abiotic, occurring in the lithosphere and atmosphere, water, soil, , minerals and living organisms whether indigenous or exotic and the interaction between them;
(b) ecosystems, habitats, spatial surroundings or other constituent parts whether natural or modified or constructed by people and communities, including urbanised areas, agricultural areas, rural landscapes, and places of cultural significance;
(c) the economic, social, cultural or aesthetic conditions and qualities that contribute to the value of the matters set out in (a) and (b) above
Classification of the Environment
Physical and biological environments
Natural and human environments
Socio-economic, political, physical and biological environments
Natural and built environments
Natural and human-made environments
Natural and artificial environments
Reconciling Definitions and Classifications
One can therefore talk of the environment in terms of three to five pillars or dimensions namely: social, political, economic, technological and biophysical
This brings about a holistic approach to managing the environment
One may also wish to classify the environment into: Biophysical and human environments or dimensions
Biophysical (natural) environment - includes aspects such as climate (to cover its elements that include temperature, rainfall, wind and evaporation); air; topography; geology; soils; vegetation (flora); fauna (animals); groundwater (hydrogeology); and surface water (hydrology)
Human (socio-economic and political) environment - includes factors such as people (population); land tenure and use; archaeological; social; cultural; political; and economic aspects
The Importance of the Environment
The environments fulfil a number of functions in our lives
They are productive, protective and have multiple-uses too
The atmosphere, for example, provides warmth and the rain, which are both necessities for growth and photosynthesis
The ozone layer shields us from the hazardous short wave, ultraviolet sunrays
The soils, rocks, forests etc are exploited to produce valuable mineral resources, crops, livestock, timber, fish and many more goods and services
The carbon dioxide-oxygen cycle cannot be over-emphasised either
Settlements shelter and protect us from natural hazards such as heat, wind, severe cold, rain, wild animals and pests
Settlements are also centres for education, economic activities, employment, services and recreation
The Ideal Environment
Should be pollution-free and the one in which people enjoy a better quality of life
Land should be fertile enough to produce and ecosystems well balanced to maintain a healthy cycle
There should be no diseases, no wars, no man-induced flooding, no accidents and other calamities
People should have good attitudes towards good environmental stewardship
Such an environment is today only, but too theoretical and a wish
As such we can only work towards reducing the negative impacts that have evolved over time, especially due to the creation and erection of the so-called concrete jungles, all done in the name of development
Environmental Issues, Problems, Threats and Crises
When dealing with the environment, the following terms must be explained:
Environmental issue
Environmental problem
Environmental threats
Environmental crisis and
Environmental Issues, Problems, Threats and Crises
An issue is an important topic for discussion
Some major environmental issues experienced at the global, regional, national and even local levels include:
Land
Air
Water
Waste
Health
Biological diversity
A problem is defined as a thing that is difficult to deal with or understand
Examples include:
Land degradation (soil pollution, etc)
Global warming (and associated problems)
Ozone depletion (and associated problems)
Biological terrorism
Water pollution
Environmental threats
Environmental threats come in four key forms:
Risk: possible outcomes can be defined and their probabilities assigned in a meaningful manner
Uncertainty: possible outcomes are identifiable, but their probabilities cannot be established
Ignorance: its when we are unaware of what we are unaware of
Indeterminacy: describes a condition in which the complexity of an environmental system or problem is so vast that very little is known about the relevant parameters and their relationships
When a problem and the various threats are not addressed on time, these may degenerate into crises (level of great difficulty or danger)
Plenary Session Exercise
Identification of Environmental Issues, Problems, Threats and Crises
To identify:
a) National environmental issues, problems, crises and threats
b) Local level environmental issues, problems, threats and crises
Towards SD: Stockholm Declaration 1972
The UN Conference on the Human Environment, which is commonly known as the Stockholm Declaration was held in Stockholm, Sweden in June 1972.
This followed an invitation by Sweden as it had just experienced “severe damage to thousands” of its lakes from acid rain following critical air pollution in Western Europe
Twenty-six principles and an Action Plan of 109 recommendations guide the Stockholm Declaration.
The general principles from the Stockholm Declaration are presented in the following slides.
Principle 1: Human rights must be asserted, apartheid and colonialism condemned
Principle 2: Natural resources must be safeguarded
Principle 3: The earth’s capacity to produce renewable resources must be maintained
Principle 4: Wildlife must be safeguarded
Principle 5: Non-renewable resources must be shared and not exhausted
Principle 6: Pollution must not exceed the environment’s capacity to clean itself
Principle 7: Damaging oceanic pollution must be prevented
Principle 8: Development is needed to improve the environment
Principle 9: Developing countries therefore need assistance
Principle 10: Developing countries need reasonable prices for exports to carry out environmental management
Principle 11: Environment policy must not hamper development
Principle 12: Developing countries need money to develop environmental safeguards
Principle 13: Integrated development planning is needed
Principle 14: Rational planning should resolve conflicts between environment and development
Principle 15: Human settlements must be planned to eliminate environmental problems
Principle 16: Governments should plan their own appropriate population policies
Principle 17: National institutions must plan development of states’ natural resources
Principle 18: Science and technology must be used to improve the environment
Principle 19: Environmental education is essential
Principle 20: Environmental research must be promoted, particularly in developing countries
Principle 21: States may exploit their resources as they wish but must not endanger others
Principle 22: Compensation is due to states thus endangered
Principle 23: Each nation must establish its own standards
Principle 24: There must be cooperation on international issues
Principle 25: International organisations should help to improve the environment
Principle 26: Weapons of mass destruction must be eliminated
UNEP was born out of Stockholm
A Focus on Sustainable Development
The phrase sustainable development was popularised by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) in its 1987 report entitled Our Common Future
The aim was to find practical ways of addressing environmental and developmental problems of the world
A Focus on Sustainable Development
The three general objectives were:
To re-examine the critical environmental and development issues and to formulate realistic proposals for dealing with them;
To propose new forms of international co-operation on these issues that will influence policies and events in the direction of needed changes; and
To raise the levels of understanding and commitment to action of individuals, voluntary organisations, businesses, institutes, and governments.
Sustainable Development: Some Definitions
Sustainable development is such development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Our Common Future, 1987).
Lowe (1990) maintains that sustainable development has three dimensions. It means not unreasonably depleting natural resources, not producing waste products that significantly alter natural systems, and not undermining social stability.
Singh and Titi (1995) say sustainable development means: ensuring self-sustaining improvements in productivity and quality of life of communities and societies; ensuring that production processes do not overexploit the natural resource base and compromise the quality of the environment, thus limiting the options of the poor, the present and future generations; and ensuring that people have basic human rights and freedoms to participate in societies.
Sustainable development means the will to follow a rational approach to economic policies; to show respect for future generations by integrating concern for environmental protection into decision-making; and progressively to evolve towards the full participation of all concerned actors (Barboza (2000).
Group Exercise
An Analysis of the Definitions of Sustainable Development and coming up with localised definition for the concept
Expectation: The pillars of SD
Issues from Our Common Future
It recommended urgent action on eight (8) key issues to ensure that development was sustainable
The eight issues were:
Population and Human Resources
Food Security
The Urban Challenge
Energy
Industry
Species and Ecosystems
Managing the Commons and
Conflict and Environmental Degradation
Major Issues not Addressed
Some of the major global issues not addressed in Our Common Future are:
Over-consumption
Inappropriate economic frameworks
Increasing poverty and HIV/AIDS
Inequality
NB: One of the main reason why, could be due to the North-South perception of environmental issues
In fact, these seriously affect countries of the so-called South (developing) such as Zimbabwe.
The International Monetary fund (IMF) and the World Bank driven Economic structural Adjustment Programmes have been severely criticised for being heavily biased towards economic dimension of development.
The Earth Summit (1992)
The earth summit (UN Conference on Environment and Development - UNCED), popularly known as Rio 1992 took place in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro from 3-4 June in 1992
It was attended by 120 heads of government plus delegates from over 170 countries
Parallel to this was the Global forum comprising interests from special groups and NGOs
Rio Declaration
The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 underscored 27 principles.
These principles are presented here in their shortened version and students are encouraged to consult relevant reading material for the longer versions
Rio Declaration Principles
Principle 1: Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.
Principle 2: States have, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental and developmental policies.
Principle 3: The right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations.
Principle 4: In order to achieve sustainable development, environmental protection shall constitute an integral part of the development process a
Principle 5: All States and all people shall cooperate in the essential task of eradicating poverty as an indispensable requirement for sustainable development
Principle 6: The special situation and needs of developing countries, particularly the least developed and those most environmentally vulnerable, shall be given special priority.
Principle 7: States shall cooperate in a spirit of global partnership to conserve, protect and restore the health and integrity of the Earth's ecosystem.
Principle 8: To achieve sustainable development and a higher quality of life for all people, States should reduce and eliminate unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and promote appropriate demographic policies.
Principle 9: States should cooperate to strengthen endogenous capacity-building for sustainable development
Principle 10: Environmental issues are best handled with the participation of all concerned citizens, at the relevant level.
Principle 11: States shall enact effective environmental legislation.