Environmental education and legislation | Environmental Geography | Principle Of Geography

 

Environmental Geography

Principle Of Geography

Geography Complete Study Material

(Paper - I)

Environmental education and legislation

       The awareness and consideration for environment covers several environmental issues such as pollution of water, air and soil, land degradation, industrialization, urbanization, depletion of natural resources etc. Environmental Law plays a very crucial and important role in regulating the use of natural resources and in protecting the environment. The success of environmental legislations mainly depends on the way they are enforced. Legislation also serves as a valuable tool for educating masses about their responsibility in maintaining healthy environment. Numerous legislations have already been put forth at national and international levels. In this lesson, you will learn about some important environmental legislations. Indian legislations are called Acts where as the international legislations are in the form of conventions, protocols and treaties.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

        The role of national government is critical for control of environmental pollution control, conservation and improvement of environment for promoting sustainable development. To address the diverse environmental issues a number of environment related institutions and organization have been setup at international, national level by United Nations, national governments and civil society. An environmental organization is an organization seeks to protect, analyze or monitor the environment against misuse or degradation or lobby for these goals. Environmental organization may be a government organization, a nongovernment organization, a charity or trust. Environmental organizations can be global, national, or local. This lesson provides information on leading environmental organizations, both within and outside the government, working for the conservation and improvement of environment at global and national level.

Important Point:

• Developmental projects are an essential component of economic development and progress of a country. 

• To prevent adverse impacts of developmental projects and programmes an environment, Environmental Impact Assessment or EIA is carried out before the implementation. 

• While development is important, more important is environmental protection so that there is sustainable development and the environmental resources remain available to future generations. 

• EIA is tool for anticipating any harmful effects or developmental activities on the environment. As it clears the project plans only after mitigating all probable damaging effects on the environment. 

• As a tool EIA improves decision making and ensures environmental safety. 

• With EIA, a project is implemented with minimal damage to the environment. 

• Important aspects of EIA are (i) risk assessment, (ii) environmental management and (iii) post product monitoring. 

• Integrity, utility and sustainability are the core values of EIA. 

• There are several legal bases of EIA as it not only appraises environmental health but also the social implications of planned developmental projects. 

• In India the projects that require clearance for the government are related to industries, mining power plants, river valley projects, nuclear power projects and coastal regulation zone (CRZ). 

• The environmental components of EIA are associated with air, water, organisms, noise, and land. 

• The EIA report is prepared after the following are carried out: 

• - collection of baseline data 
• - prediction of impact 
• - evaluation of net cost benefit versus evolution of impacts
• - monitoring strategies and mitigation strategies and their quantities estimation. 
• - environmental monitoring plans 

• EIA processes are screening, scoping, collection of baseline data, impact prediction, mitigation measures, public hearing, decision making, monitoring and implementing EMP and risk assessment

• Experts from ecosystem management, pollution control, resource management, land use planning, rehabilitation project appraisal, ecology, and NGOs concerned with environmental issues 

• Procedure for Environmental appraisal in India stepwise are (1) submission of documents by investor. (2) scrutiny by multidisciplinary staff or Ministry of Environment and Forests. (3) placement before experts and evaluation by them. (4) recommendations from Appraisal Committees are their passed by Ministry of Environment and Forests. (5) ministry accepts or rejects proposal. 

• Clearance or rejection issues are (a) single window clearance (b) time frame and (c) post project monitoring. 

• The participants in EIA are (i) developer who proposes the project, (ii) government departments which regulate the projects and (iii) the general public 

• There are various steps in forestry clearance or for obtaining environmental clearance for various projects. 

• An effective EIA is focused, time bound, cost effective and reliable. 

• There are 30 projects which require environmental clearance.

ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION 

     The genesis of various legislations in the country lies in the environmental problems. There should be effective legislations to protect the environment or else the need for resources by the growing population will create havoc on the environment. The other important aspect is enforcement of these laws. To safeguard our environment from further degradation and pollution these must be enforce laws forcefully and effectively.

Important Point :

• The various national and international legislations, which have been framed to stop environmental degradation. 

• India is one of the few countries of the world that have made specific reference in the constitution to the need for environmental protection and improvement. The Central Government and State Governments have utilized this provision to pass various Acts in order to protect the environment from destruction. 

• There is a great contribution of UN in addressing global environmental challenges. To implement the agenda of UN, there is movement towards environment protection on a worldwide scale through special conventions, protocols and multilateral agreements. 

• Despite of the presence of satisfactory legislative measures and administrative set-up, it is difficult to enforce the legislation due to lack of expertise, shortage of funds, and no seriousness on the part of implementing authority.

• The main objective of water act of 1974 is to provide prevention and control of water pollution and maintaining or restoring of wholesomeness and purity of water. • The main objective of Air Act 1981 is to improve the quality of air and to prevent, control and abate air pollution in the country. 

• Through environment acts Central Government gets full power for the purpose of protecting and improving the quality of the environment and preventing, controlling and abating pollution. 

• Most of the international legislation is international agreements to which nations adhere voluntarily. 

• A protocol is an international agreement that stands on its own but is linked to an existing convention. 

• The aim of Wetland convention is to halt the loss of wetlands and to ensure the conservation of flora and fauna and their ecological process. 

• The objective of Montreal protocol is aims to reduce and eventually eliminate the emission of man-made ozone depleting substances.