2. EIA and Sustainability
Part of the goals of EIA, is to achieve a sustainable development. However, before the role of EIA in sustainable development can be critically assessed, there is need to understand the concept of sustainability. Increasing global environmental problems, which include exploding population levels, climate change, loss of biodiversity and ozone depletion have being important issues forming a key discussion at international conferences. Unequal distribution of development as can be seen in problems like hunger, poverty, illiteracy and ill health are also some key issues. These social, environmental and economic stresses are now known to be interdependent (Lawrence 1997; Morrison-Saunders & Pope 2013). The challenge
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2013). There are other tools which play certain roles in sustainability, such as, Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA), Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA),Environmental Management Programmes (EMPs) etc. However, EIA provides chance of considering the environmental and social issues along with the economic issues in project development which create an outreach to sustainability. Furthermore, EIA definition and purpose suggest prospects for meeting the goals of sustainable development. Each process involve in EIA contributes in different ways to decision making for sustainable development. These processes and the roles will be briefly discussed in relation to the sustainable strategies involved. However, it is of importance to note that the roles of EIA in decision making for sustainable development are subject to the legislative rule in individual region or country (Morrison-Saunders & Retief 2012; Glasson et al. 2013). Nevertheless, there are basic standards of implementation set at international level in achieving sustainability goals for a viable
The following case study critiques Upton’s vision to establish a sustainable community through implementing comprehensive sustainable strategy. The urban periphery development is thought to demonstrate superior execution of sustainable principles in development (Jackson 2007). As a parallel, the report focuses on the development of Upton’s design code and demonstrates how large -scale mix-use developments can incorporate sustainable practice and principles of urban growth.
Although that SIA is considered to contribute effectively to social sustainability, there are three key limitations of current SIA practices leading challenges to achieve it (Vanclay et.al 2011). Firstly, the limitation of SIA in resource development and design. Secondly, people have traditional understandings about SIA, which limits the effective contribution of SIA to sustainability. Thirdly, the SIA lack of a regulatory agency definition and peer review studies. However, in order to fully achieve potential contribution of SIA to sustainability, three ways are promoted to achieve better sustainable development.
The EIA Directive aims to be integrative of all interested actors and to make a wide range of projects sustainable, in order to protect the environment, enhance the quality of life and reduce any friction between planners, developers and local communities [European Union (EU), 2009]. It is a process constituted by different stages from screening to evaluating and monitoring the impacts of the project implemented (Wood, 2003).
Sustainability must be defined to include meeting human physical, emotional and social needs (Rogers et al. 2012) and scholarly research and thinking on well being and its connection to the environment, sustainability, growth and sustainable development considers aspects that move towards social and environmental benefits . While environme...
The development of environmental regimes involves a five-fold process. The first process is the agenda setting and issue definition stage, which identifies and brings attention to an issue to the international community. Secon...
In their article “Sustainable Development in the Globalized World,” Olsson, Hourcade, and Kohler define sustainable development using four principles. First, modern science and technology are utilized in an effective and ecological manner. Second, externalities must be internalized in order for the market to be sustainable. Third, private organizations should be socially responsible and take initiative without the government. Last, members of social movements need to take an active part in development. These four factors combine concerns regarding peace, justice, development, and the earth into the single category (Olsson, Hourcade, and Kohler). These concerns are all important in the movement to effectively reduce hunger in Ethiopia; therefore, sustainable development is key to food
EIA is standardly defined as the study of impact on environment of proposed action like policy, plan or project. It is a process of anticipating or establishing the changes in the physical, ecological and socio-economic components of the environment before, during and after an impending developmental project so that undesirable effects, if any can be mitigated.
Environmental management awareness rose up for last decades until today. So in managing and avoiding environmental degradation happen continuously, the are several policy and regulation formed from time to time. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) And Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is two of environmental protection that being implemented. Most country have the same policy but in own standard of control. These policy primary goal is to ensure the implementation and enforcement
According to the International Institute for Sustainable Development, sustainable development is defined as development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. If we follow this definition, it becomes easy to see that the vast majority of the “developed” world has not, and is not developing sustainably. The idea of sustainable development requires us to consider how our action of developing will affect other countries, and future generations. Many people believe in “the butterfly effect”, where the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in one part of t...
Sustainable development refers to not only meet the needs of contemporary people, but also not compromising the ability of future generations to meet development needs.Sustainable development and environmental protection have established contact, not the same. Environmental protection is an important aspect of sustainable development. The core of sustainable development is development, but requires strict control of the population, improve population quality and protect the environment for the conduct of economic and social development under the premise of sustainable use of resources.
Humans have become a threat to our own way of life by consuming more resources than needed, blind to the consequences that we may face in the future. As of 2016 the world population is at 7.4 billion and it is estimated to be at 11.2 billion by the year 2100. However 10 billion is the maximum population that can be sustained in terms of food security, only one of the many factors to global sustainability. Due to the fact that human consumption exceeds the amount of resources available, the United Nations “recognizes that eradicating poverty is the greatest global challenge” in A/RES/70/1. Sustainable development is not only required to fulfill the necessities of the present but to guarantee the capability for future generations to satisfy theirs.
In class we discussed what sustainable development meant to us; each group had its own definition. Our group’s definition was that sustainable development is for the long term for future generations, for the basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and job. The basic will increase over time and our resources will diminish, which why sustainable development is important. Sustainable development is important for future generations so that they end up with a world better than ours. Sustainable development is achievable if society works together to meet everyone’s basic needs and create a better world.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a key aspect of many large scale preparation applications. It is a technique that is meant to help us understand the potential environmental impacts of major development proposals. We can say EIA is just an information gathering work out that is carried out by the developer and other bodies which enables a Local Planning Authority to understand the environmental effects of a development before reaching a decision whether or not the development should go ahead. The most important thing about environmental assessments is how they stress on using the best available sources of objective information and they also carry out a systematic and holistic process which should be bias free and allow the local authority and the whole community to properly understand the impact of the proposed development. It should lead to better standards of development and in some cases development not happening at all. Where developments are approved and they do go ahead environmental assessments should help to propose proper mitigation measures. Environmental impact assessment is meant to be a systematic process which leads to a final product, the Environmental Statement (ES).
‘Development that meets the needs of the present with the ability for the future generation to meet their own needs.’ (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987) Sustainable development requires three key components: economy, society and environment, sustainable development can be success through striking balance in those factors. These three components are indispensible, they compel to depend on each other. On the other words, we can only gain a decent and energetic environment and society if the economy is strong with a healthy a stable growth rate.
Sustainable development means that the present generations should be able to make use of resources to live better lives in such a manner that it doesn’t compromise the ability of future generations to survive and make better lives for themselves as well. For sustainable development to occur, there needs to be sustainable economic, ecological and community development. Society needs to be educated about ways in which they can use resources, especially natural, in such a manner that it doesn’t cause harm to the environment and put future generations lives at risk.