CE6180:EIA- Lecture 4

LOCAL/REGIONAL/GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Localized environmental health problems such as inadequate household water and sanitation and indoor air pollution. Regional environmental problems such as ambient air pollution, inadequate waste management and pollution of rivers, lakes and coastal areas. Urban activities such as ecological disruption and resource depletion in a citys hinterland, and emissions of acid precursors and greenhouse gases. Global environmental burdens that arise from man made activities.

LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Contaminated Land, Environmental Justice, Environmental Liability, Air Quality Surface and Ground Water Quality Noise

EXAMPLES OF LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

SCALE Local TYPE OF HAZARD Biological pathogens SOME SPECIFIC EXAMPLES Pathogens in waste water, solid waste (if not removed from the site), local water bodies. Disease vectors, e.g. malariaspreading Anopheles mosquitoes breeding in standing water or filariasis-spreading Culex mosquitoes breeding in blocked drains, latrines or septic tanks. Ambient air pollution from fires, stoves; also perhaps from burning garbage if there is no regular garbage collection service. Air and water pollution and wastes from cottage industries and from motor vehicles. Site-related hazards, e.g. housing on slopes with risks of landslides; sites regularly flooded, sites at risk from earthquakes., Traffic hazards. Violence. Raised temperatures a health risk, especially for vulnerable groups (e.g. elderly, very young). Air pollutants may become trapped, increasing their concentration and the length of peoples exposure to them.

Chemical pollutants Physical hazards Heat island effect and thermal inversions

EXAMPLES OF REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

SCALE Regional TYPE OF HAZARD SOME SPECIFIC EXAMPLES Soil erosion from poor watershed management or land development or clearance; deforestation; Resource degradation water pollution; ecological damage from acid precipitation and ozone plumes; loss of biodiversity. Pollution of land from dumping of conventional household, industrial and commercial solid Land or water wastes and toxic/hazardous wastes. Leaching of pollution from waste toxic chemicals from waste dumps into water. Contaminated industrial sites. Pollution of dumping surface water and groundwater from sewage and surface runoff. Fresh water for city pre-empting its use for Pre-emption or loss of agriculture; expansion of paved area over good resources quality agricultural land.

EXAMPLES OF GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

SCALE Global TYPE OF HAZARD Non-renewable resource use SOME SPECIFIC EXAMPLES

Fossil fuel use; use of other mineral resources; loss of biodiversity; loss of non-renewable resources in urban waste streams. Persistent chemicals in urban waste streams; Non-renewable sink greenhouse gas emissions, stratospheric ozone use depleting chemicals. Overuse of 'finite' Scale of consumption that is incompatible with renewable Resources global limits for soil, forests, freshwater....

Classroom Exercise -1-Discussion

List the local/ regional/national/global environmental issues

SCALE

TYPE OF HAZARD

SOME EXAMPLES

SPECIFIC MITIGATION MEASURES