12-10-2016, 09:17 AM
The importance of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in planning of human settlement
To facilitate decision-making: For the decision-maker, for example the local authority, it provides a systematic examination of the environmental implications of a proposed action, and sometimes alternatives, before a decision is taken. The decision-maker along with other documentation relating to the planned activity can consider the environment impact statement (EIS).
To aid in the formation of development: Many developers see EIA as another set of hurdles for them to cross in order to proceed with their various activities. They may also see the process involved in obtaining the permission from various authorities as costly and time-consuming. In reality, however, EIA can be of great benefit to them, since it can provide a framework for considering location and design issues and environmental issues in parallel. It can be an aid to the formulation of developmental actions, indicating areas where the project can be modified to minimise or eliminate altogether the adverse impacts on the environment. The consideration of environmental impacts early in the planning life of a development can lead to environmentally sensitive development; to improved relations between the developer, the planning authority and the local communities; to a smoother planning permission process and sometimes to a worthwhile financial return on the expenditure incurred.
To be an instrument for sustainable development: The key characteristics of sustainable development include maintaining the overall quality of life, maintaining continuing access to natural resources and avoiding lasting environmental damage. Institutional responses to sustainable development are, therefore, required at several levels. For example, issues of global concern, such as ozone-layer depletion, climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss, require a global political commitment to action. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 was an example of international concern and also of the problems of securing concerted action to deal with such issues. Governments have recognised the interaction of economic and social development and the ecosystems, and the reciprocal impact between human actions and the biogeophysical world. While there are attempts to manage this interaction better, investigation reveal disquieting trends that could have devastating consequences for the quality of the environment. These trends are likely to be more pronounced in developing countries where, because of greater rates of population growth and lower current living standards, there is more pressure on environmental resources.
The environmental impacts of the problems associated with urban planning and growth can be listed as follows:
i. ground water contamination due to soak pits and improper drainage system near open wells,
ii. decrease in groundwater recharging due to increasing surface runoff due to paved areas,
iii. spoiling surface water bodies like tanks by the letting off sewage into them,
iv. health problems due to uncollected garbage strewn around,
v. health problems due to crowding of families in one-room or two-room houses,
vi. increase in temperatures due to radiation from buildings and paved roads (heat islands), and inadequate tree cover to counter this rise in temperature. Air circulation is also reduced due to the dense residential development and loss of vegetation/tree cover,
vi.
Ecological damage: Urbanization has been accompanied by disruption and sometimes destruction of fragile ecosystems, including water bodies, green cover, over-extraction of ground water etc. As surface water bodies like lakes and tanks disappear (or degrade) and groundwater tables decline, the green cover with its accompanying life support system is adversely affected. Inland fish species have also been lost with these lakes and tanks.
Environmental Damage due to Construction Activities:. The construction of residential & non-residential buildings (schools, hospitals) and developmental activity of constructing access roads and infrastructure provision create increased demand on items like cement, steel, bricks and stone, timber, etc. Moreover, the environmental pressures while such construction is going on are in terms of vehicle movements, dust, water requirement, contamination, noise etc. Places where construction workers stay and the environs in that region will also get affected temporarily. Once the construction is over and normal land use activities start, the requirements and waste generated by this population will put new environmental pressures. These problems have been observed more recently in the city of Bangalore, where debris from construction work have increased particulate air pollution, and constricted road space causing traffic congestion. The increased movements of heavy vehicles carrying construction material like trucks and lorries, and concrete mixtures during the peak hours have also caused traffic snarls.
PERI-URBANIZATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
The four main processes of environmental change as per Allen[3] include:
1. land use changes,
2. use of renewable resources (water resources, soils and biomass),
3. use of non-renewable resources (fossil fuels, minerals and biodiversity) and
4. waste generation and pollution (use of the absorptive or sink capacity for wastes)
To facilitate decision-making: For the decision-maker, for example the local authority, it provides a systematic examination of the environmental implications of a proposed action, and sometimes alternatives, before a decision is taken. The decision-maker along with other documentation relating to the planned activity can consider the environment impact statement (EIS).
To aid in the formation of development: Many developers see EIA as another set of hurdles for them to cross in order to proceed with their various activities. They may also see the process involved in obtaining the permission from various authorities as costly and time-consuming. In reality, however, EIA can be of great benefit to them, since it can provide a framework for considering location and design issues and environmental issues in parallel. It can be an aid to the formulation of developmental actions, indicating areas where the project can be modified to minimise or eliminate altogether the adverse impacts on the environment. The consideration of environmental impacts early in the planning life of a development can lead to environmentally sensitive development; to improved relations between the developer, the planning authority and the local communities; to a smoother planning permission process and sometimes to a worthwhile financial return on the expenditure incurred.
To be an instrument for sustainable development: The key characteristics of sustainable development include maintaining the overall quality of life, maintaining continuing access to natural resources and avoiding lasting environmental damage. Institutional responses to sustainable development are, therefore, required at several levels. For example, issues of global concern, such as ozone-layer depletion, climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss, require a global political commitment to action. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 was an example of international concern and also of the problems of securing concerted action to deal with such issues. Governments have recognised the interaction of economic and social development and the ecosystems, and the reciprocal impact between human actions and the biogeophysical world. While there are attempts to manage this interaction better, investigation reveal disquieting trends that could have devastating consequences for the quality of the environment. These trends are likely to be more pronounced in developing countries where, because of greater rates of population growth and lower current living standards, there is more pressure on environmental resources.
The environmental impacts of the problems associated with urban planning and growth can be listed as follows:
i. ground water contamination due to soak pits and improper drainage system near open wells,
ii. decrease in groundwater recharging due to increasing surface runoff due to paved areas,
iii. spoiling surface water bodies like tanks by the letting off sewage into them,
iv. health problems due to uncollected garbage strewn around,
v. health problems due to crowding of families in one-room or two-room houses,
vi. increase in temperatures due to radiation from buildings and paved roads (heat islands), and inadequate tree cover to counter this rise in temperature. Air circulation is also reduced due to the dense residential development and loss of vegetation/tree cover,
vi.
Ecological damage: Urbanization has been accompanied by disruption and sometimes destruction of fragile ecosystems, including water bodies, green cover, over-extraction of ground water etc. As surface water bodies like lakes and tanks disappear (or degrade) and groundwater tables decline, the green cover with its accompanying life support system is adversely affected. Inland fish species have also been lost with these lakes and tanks.
Environmental Damage due to Construction Activities:. The construction of residential & non-residential buildings (schools, hospitals) and developmental activity of constructing access roads and infrastructure provision create increased demand on items like cement, steel, bricks and stone, timber, etc. Moreover, the environmental pressures while such construction is going on are in terms of vehicle movements, dust, water requirement, contamination, noise etc. Places where construction workers stay and the environs in that region will also get affected temporarily. Once the construction is over and normal land use activities start, the requirements and waste generated by this population will put new environmental pressures. These problems have been observed more recently in the city of Bangalore, where debris from construction work have increased particulate air pollution, and constricted road space causing traffic congestion. The increased movements of heavy vehicles carrying construction material like trucks and lorries, and concrete mixtures during the peak hours have also caused traffic snarls.
PERI-URBANIZATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
The four main processes of environmental change as per Allen[3] include:
1. land use changes,
2. use of renewable resources (water resources, soils and biomass),
3. use of non-renewable resources (fossil fuels, minerals and biodiversity) and
4. waste generation and pollution (use of the absorptive or sink capacity for wastes)