introduction to environmentally sound design & management [date][speakers names]

Introduction to Environmentally

Sound Design & Management

[DATE][SPEAKERS NAMES]

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design 2

Environmentally Sound Design & Management is the

design & implementation of activities so that. . .

•Environmental damage is kept to a practicable minimum.

•Environmental benefits are maximized to the extent practicable

Defining ESD


Why ESD?

If ESDM is not a conscious goal,then ENVIRONMENTAL FAILURE is much more likely

!


Environmental Failure &Small-Scale Activities

Definition of environmental failure:When an activity creates an adverse impact on the environment that substantially reduces or offsets the activity’s intended benefits

The reality of “environmental failure”-- some examples coming up: Health care facilities Water and Sanitation Activities Community Forestry

when benefits of the activity are completely overwhelmed in size and scale by the effects of the adverse impacts

Environmental Failure can be TOTAL

!


Environmental Failure & Small-Scale Activities

Myth: “the environmental impact of small-scale development activity on the environment is negligible”

Reality:If small-scale activities are implemented poorly: Impacts of a single small-scale activity may be small in absolute

terms But impacts at the local level--to people and communities--can be

very significant And because small-scale activities are numerous, together they

have a very significant impact



Example: Health care facilities

Goal: Improve public health

Risk:Endanger the health of patients and the community with poor facilities design & improper waste management

An unused incinerator. . .

surrounded byneedles & other medical waste

(open access to livestock, ~15m from

households)




Less than 10m

Unscreened simple pit

latrines

A newly constructed

open-air kitchen

! An open invitation to oral-fecal disease transmission




Health facility wastes that require management

Sharps(used needles,

scalpels,broken glass)

Pathological wastes

(tissues, organs, blood & body parts)

Excrement(Urine & faeces)

Radioactive*

Pharmaceuticals(expired,

contaminated, surplus)

Site latrines, waste pits

close to wells

Des

ign

iss

ues

Site unscreened kitchen near

latrines

What are the consequences of failing to manage

these different waste streams?

What constitutes acceptable

management?

?



Example: Water & Sanitation Activities

Goal: Improve/preserve public health & quality of life

Risks:Endanger public health, degrade water supply, with poor design and operation Seepage

Around the back of the latrine. . .

Uncontrolledwaste disposal



Example: Water & Sanitation Activities

Failure to safeguard

water source from runoffD

es

ign

an

d o

pe

rati

on

p

rob

lem

s

Unsustainable extraction

rates

De

sig

n

pro

ble

ms

Contamination of ground or

surface waters

Creation of standing water

& other disease

reservoirs

How, specifically, can these

problems arise?

What are the impacts that

result from these design & operation problems? ?

Failure to test new water source, especially

groundwater, for natural & industrial contaminants



Example: Community Reforestation

Goals: Conserve soil & prevent erosion, provide building materials & fuel, reduce risk/impacts of flooding

Risks: Deplete water table, Displace local plants and vegetation, Intensify use of pesticides Increase community vulnerability

An activity intended to improve the environment!

Is this a nice picture?

?


Unfortunately not.

!

Progressive blight in the

shade trees, an aging

monoculture

High-quality organic shade-grown coffee

An extensive monoculture reforestation scheme was undertaken decades ago.

The aging trees have proved vulnerable to a blight known to impose 80% mortality. All trees are approximately the same age.

The unforeseen long-term vulnerabilities created by monoculture reforestation will likely affect thousands of small coffee producers.


Example: Community Reforestation


How does environmental failure happen?

In the previous examples, the environmental failures were obvious.

Designing for average conditions

!

Ignoring economic-environmental linkages

!

Failure to plan for the effects of increased scale

!But environmental failure is often harder to understand & avoid. This type of environmental failure is often caused by some common design mistakes:


Common causes of environmental failure #1

Failure to plan for the effects of increased scale!

The environmental effects of a small-scale animal husbandry

project may be minor

BUT if the project is successful, and many more individuals begin

to hold larger numbers of animals, serious problems may arise. . .

Health hazards from animal waste. . .

Fodder shortages (may lead to

overgrazing and erosion and/or land conflicts)

Or, failure to plan for success!



Designing for average conditions!

This schoolhouse is being rebuilt with plank walls and a split-bamboo roof.

Strong winds ripped the aluminum sheet roofing off the structure and toppled the

landcrete walls.

In this area, one or two storms every 5 years typically have winds of this strength.

Other “average conditions” to be careful of:Rainfall, tides, water tables. . . What else?



Ignoring economic-environmental linkages!

Household consumption depends on income.

Success in raising income in a community may increase• demand for building materials (brick & timber)

• the number of livestock, • demand for water• generation of waste, including disposable packaging

Another failure to plan for success!

All can have significant adverse environmental impacts!


Food Aid & Environmental failure

Food Aid: Fulfills a vital need

However, Food Aid may alter the relationship between people and how they manage natural resources in their area(see right)

These changes can create long-term problems

Change land use & tenure

Reduce production & use of local

seed/varieties

Change seasonal & long-term migration patterns

Change crop and livestock production strategies

Change wood-gathering practices

Introduce foreign species


Is ESDM only about avoiding failure?

NO. Remember the 2 parts of the ESDM definition:

Environmentally Sound Design is the design & implementation of activities so that. . .

•Environmental damage is kept to a practicable minimum.

•Environmental benefits are maximized to the extent practicable

ESDM is proactive.

It seeks to preserve and improve the resource base upon which future economic activity and subsistence depends


Wait!

Are we saying that environment should be the ONLY concern in development activity?

ABSOLUTELY NOT! Development always involves environmental change Environmental soundness is not enough!

Development activities must also be technically, socially and economically sound.

The long-term health of the environment depends on successful development. Poverty degrades the environment,

BUT REMEMBER environmental degradation endangers future subsistence & future development


How do we achieve ESDM?

ESDM requires design and implementation of activities with an understanding of their environmental impacts, and active efforts to minimize these impacts.

Success requires following 3 basic rules:

Be prevention-oriented

Apply best development practices to

environmental aspects of the

activity

Be systematic

1 2 3


ESDM is prevention-oriented

DesignConstruct/ implement

Operate(may include handover)

Decommission(in some cases)

Make decisions about site, technique and operating practices to minimize impacts

1. Implement & maintain proper operation

2.Monitor the activity and its impacts

1.Implement design decisions

2. Build capacity for environmentally sound operation

Prevention occurs across the project lifecycle—but it starts with design!



Prevention starts early in the DESIGN phase

DESIGN starts with the choice of means.

Improve agricultural productivity

Objective

Possible means How do you choose?

Introduce improved crop

varieties?

Change use of agricultural

inputs?Change cultivation

practices?



In ESDM, the choice of MEANS considers the environmental impacts of each alternative.

!





activity

Be systematic

1 2 3

Now, rule 2 for achieving ESDM. . .


What are best development practices?

As development professionals, we say. . .

“For a successful project, we need. . .

A technically sound design

To design for the local social & policy context

To build beneficiary capacity & stakeholder commitment

To adjust what we do as results come in


Each of these general best practices has particular application to ESDM.

!


General BP #1:The design is technically sound

Environmental application: the design must be appropriate for local environmental conditions

Appropriate choice of crops or

trees?

?

Appropriate choices of

construction materials & methods?

?

For example. . .

Rainfall, temperature, soils, flood, drought and earthquake potential. . . What else?

Environmental conditions include. ..


Example: Design for local environmental conditions

Appropriate choices of construction materials &

methods?

?

Structure: Schoolhouse

Coastal West Africa; deforested area subject to heavy winds & rains. Moist tropical climate. Building sits on slight slope.

Local environment

Long-span split-bamboo roof

Unplastered “landcrete” walls

No rock or concrete foundation

Construction


General BP #2:Design for the policy & social context

Environmental applications:

The activity must comply with national & local environmental laws and policies

Compliance

Activities that require the utilization of natural resources (including land) must be compatible with local NRM and land tenure.

NRM and land tenure

The activities demands on beneficiaries must be matched to capabilities.

Language, literacy

1 2

3

land & resource rights are often gender-specific!

What else?4


General BP #3:Build stakeholder commitment & capacity

Local communities/ organizations need to be trained and committed to:

environmentally sound operation.

maintain the equipment/ structure

Proper maintenance and operation are critical to controlling environmental impacts.

! Environmental application:

Who will maintain it?Who will operate it?


General BP #4Practice adaptive management

Environmental applications: If your activity has

unintended environmental consequences, you need to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

adjusting implementation of your activity based on results from the field

Adaptive management means:

A project budget that funds environmental monitoring

The flexibility to adapt the project in response to unanticipated adverse impacts

Adaptive environmental management requires:


Adaptive management also means adjusting implementation of YOUR project based on the experiences of others.

Communicate, coordinate, share lessons on environmental impacts with colleagues!

General BP #4Practice adaptive management

!


Ethics require it.

Note: ESDM requires community involvement

Two basic reasons for community involvement:

1

You can’t apply BPs without it.

2

Local residents must live with the environmental impacts of activities!

Why?


BPs require community involvement!

Technical soundness

Beneficiary commitment &

capacity

Adaptive management

Design for the policy & social

context

Stakeholders and local communities have local knowledge that you need.

• Is there a land tenure problem?

• How often does the river flood?

• How often are crops rotated?

• What do people value and need?

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE is critical!

LISTEN to thecommunity.TALK to bothmen & women.

!


BPs require community involvement!

Technical soundness

Beneficiary commitment &

capacity

Adaptive management

Building commitment & capacity is not possible without actively engaging the community.

Design for the policy & social

context

Communities are often essential to monitoring





activity

Be systematic

1 2 3

Now, rule 3 for achieving ESDM. . .


ESDM is systematic

ESDM requires a systematic look at: the possible adverse

environmental impacts of an activity ways to reduce these impacts.

The best way to be systematic: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)!


Defining EIA

Environmentally Impact Assessment is

A formal process for identifying:

• likely effects of activities or projects on the environment, and on human health and welfare.

•means and measures to monitor & mitigate these impacts


Origins of EIA

1960s & 70s: Environmental crisis affects all industrialized economies

EIA is one response:

First national EIA requirements:1970 US National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires EIA for US government projects.

Other responses: regulation of industry, environmental treaties

1952 “Killer fog” kills 4,000 in London

1963 Silent Spring documents the effects of DDT

Etc. . .

Cuyahoga River burns in 1966 (3rd time). Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.


EIA today

Most countries & almost all donors now have EIA requirements

EIA now extends beyond government to Infrastructure and economic development

projects funded by the private sector & donors Analysis of policies, not just projects

In Africa, national environmentalregulation is usually centered on EIA requirements.


EIA: A good idea in many ways

EIA is a tool that helps you to be systematic about all the elements of ESDM.


1 Prevention begins with choice of

means. “Consider alternatives” is a key principle of EIA.

EIA provides a formal process to consider environmental issues and make changes at early stages in project design. Early consideration is key to prevention.


EIA: A good idea in many ways

Apply best development practices to environmental aspects of the activity

2

Technical soundness

Stakeholder commitment

Adaptive management

EIA helps you implement Rule 2 for achieving ESDM:

EIA requires characterizing environmental conditions

Stakeholder consultation is central to EIA

EIA requires a systematic approach to field monitoring


EIA: More than just a good idea

EIA is:

• REQUIRED BY LAW in most countries.

• REQUIRED by almost all donors.

!


Summing up

We commit to ESDM to avoid environmental failure and maximize the long-term benefits of our activities.

ESDM requires design and implementation of activities with an understanding of their environmental impacts, and active efforts to minimize these impacts.

Success requires following 3 basic rules: be prevention-oriented, apply best development practices, and be systematic.

EIA is a tool to make ESDM a reality.

introduction to environmentally sound design & management [date][speakers names]

Documents

encap eaesd course

environmental benefits

environmental damage

sound design2

sound design3

health care facilities

health care facilities

health of patients