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ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES IN
SRI LANKA
RAMANI ELLEPOLA
LECTURE AT INSTITUTION OF
ENGINEERS June 22nd, 2015
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION IN SRI LANKA
The need for environmental safeguards is
enshrined in the constitution.
Article 27 states that the state shall protect,
preserve and improve the environment for the
benefit of the community
Article 28f states that the exercise and
enjoyment of rights and freedoms is
inseparable from the performance of duties and
obligations and accordingly it is the duty of
every person in Sri Lanka to protect nature and
conserve its riches
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION IN SRI LANKA
In Sri Lanka, there are a multitude of laws
Environmental Authority
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN
SRI LANKA
Municipal Solid Waste (urban areas)
Coastal erosion
Water pollution (Mainly from sewage)
Air pollution(mainly vehicular pollution)
Hazardous waste management
Inappropriate siting of industry
Human elephant conflict
Soil erosion
Deforestation
HAZARDOUS WASTE
MANAGEMENT
Disposal of hazardous waste also poses
HAZARDOUS WASTE
Hazardous waste from many industries is
INAPPROPRIATE SITING OF
INDUSTRY
Inappropriate Siting of industries can
IMPROPER SITING OF
INDUSTRY
There is a government policy that high
WATER POLLUTION
Pollution of water bodies is mainly from
COMMON WASTE
TREATMENT PLANTS
Two common waste treatment plants
REGULATORY FUNCTIONS OF
THE CEA
The CEA has focused its attention on two
main regulatory functions
1.Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA)
2. Environmental Protection Licence for
waste discharging industry (EPL)
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ASSESSMENT(EIA)
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
is one of the most powerful tools in
operational sing the concept of
Sustainable Development
Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA)-Contd.
Environmental Impact Assessment is a
politically driven.
There are many instances where
proper feasibility studies are not
even done prior to implementation
of major projects.
In such instances the EIA
procedure becomes part of the
feasibility study in addition to the
EIA.
PROJECT EXAMPLES
Industrial Estates with no water source
in sight
Sulphuric Acid factory next to Ranaviru
Housing project
Weeravila Airport in the middle of three
Bird Sanctuaries
Ship Breaking industry near Trincomalee
Bay area.
All of the above projects should have
been rejected long before the EIA
process.
PROJECT DECISION
MAKING
Many agencies do not make the decisions
DECISION MAKING
AS A RESULT THE EIA PROCESS
BECOMES THE SCAPEGOAT
EIA process is blamed for delaying
projects, slowing down development in
the country, and for the rejection of
good projects
In actual fact the rate of rejection of
projects under EIA is around 2%
The other 98% of projects become
BETTER projects as a result of EIA.
PURPOSE OF EIA
The main purpose of EIA is not
EMOTIONAL VERSUS
ANALYTICAL DECISION MAKING
It is very important in EIA
IMPACT MITIGATION
We cannot and should not take the
EIA process.
It is a VITAL requirement in the EIA
process as it allows focusing
attention on major issues.
The Terms of Reference should be a
follow up to scoping whereby the TOR
would focus only on major issues.
EIA REPORTS
EIA REPORTS ARE EXPECTED
expectation.
A majority of reports have very good
descriptions of the existing
environment, project details and very
long explanations of minor impacts of
little consequence.
The reports have no proper
analysis of the impacts of the
project on the environment.
conclusion
The EIA process is meant to ASSIST in
a hurdle to development
EIA can assist in planning a better
project
As engineers, EIA can be made use of to
plan a better project overall
PLANNING OF PROJECTS
Engineers involved in project planning
PROJECT PLANNING
There are many irrigation and water
PROJECT PLANNING
During the project planning and
PROJECT PLANNING
In many projects in Sri Lanka, agencies
Pollution Control
One of the major areas in which the CEA
MISCONCEPTION
There is a misconception that the
Air Pollution
Diesel vehicles- the major pollutants arising
EFFECTS OF AIR
POLLUTION
Health Effects- due to Lead, Oxides of
1994.
Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide levels
are more stringent than WHO
recommended levels.
Levels of CO, NOx, SO2 are still lower
than WHO reocommended levels.
Particulate matter(dust) exceeds WHO
recommended levels.
Air Pollution-Contd;
Lead fumes can cause severe health
Air Pollution-Contd
In addition to vehicle pollution industries
NATURAL GAS
Sri Lanka does not have any hazardous
HAZARDOUS WASTE
MANAGEMENT
Regulations for the management of hazardous
13 th Amendment to the
Constituition
Under the 13 th Amendment
NORTH WESTERN
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL
The Northwestern provincial Council has
13th Amendment
There are other issues such as
setting of environmental standards,
national rivers,
Hazardous waste Management,
control of chemicals,
international Environmental conventions
which has to be handled at the centre
and not by the provinces.
13th Amendment
This is an issue which has to be clarified
And settled very early in order to avoid