ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING A BRIEF DECRIPTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES IN INDIA.pptx

A brief description of environmental policies in India

1. ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING Presented by Prithvijith Sharon Maria Shehnaz Abdul Gafoor Soosanna Jaxon Theresa Abraham Vishnu A. R

2. The ministry of environment & forests  is the nodal agency in the administrative structure of the central government, for the planning, promotion, co-ordination and overseeing the implementation of environmental and forestry programmes . The principal activities: Conservation & survey of flora, fauna, forests and wildlife, prevention Control of pollution Afforestation & regeneration of degraded areas Protection of environment The main tools utilized: Surveys Impact assessment Control of pollution Regeneration programs Support to organizations, research to solve solutions Training to augment the requisite manpower Collection and dissemination of environmental information and creation of environmental awareness among all sectors of the country’s population.

3. Environmental policies in India Environment protection act, 1986 National conservation strategy and policy statement on environment and development, 1992 Policy statement for the abatement of pollution, 1992 National environment policy, 2006 Vision statement on environment and health

4. Environment protection act, 1986 In the wake of Bhopal tragedy, the Government of India enacted the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (EPA) under article 253 of the constitution.  The purpose of the Act is to provide a frame work for Central government, co-ordination of the activities of various central and state authorities established under previous laws, such as Water Act & Air Act. The potential scope of the Act is broad, with “environment” defined to include water, air and land and the inter-relationships which exist among water, air and land, and human beings and other living creatures, plants, micro-organisms and property. Environment protection rules were also enacted as a corollary to this Act

5. National conservation strategy and policy statement on environment and development, 1992 The National Conservation Strategy and the Policy Statement on Environment and Development are in response to the need for laying down the guidelines that will help to weave environmental considerations into the fabric of our national life and of our development process. It is an expression of India’s commitment for reorienting policies and action in unison with the environmental perspective. It talks about the nature and dimensions of the environmental problems, actions taken in response to the problems and lists out priorities and strategies for action. It also views development policies from environmental perspectives and the support policies and systems required.

6. Policy statement for the abatement of pollution, 1992 The objective of this document is to integrate environmental considerations into decision-making at all levels. To achieve this, the document lays down steps to be taken to prevent pollution at source, encourage, develop and apply the best available practicable technical solutions. The Policy Statement for Abatement of Pollution, adopted in 1992 lays emphasis on pollution prevention in place of the conventional end-of-the-pipe treatment also identified the adoption of best available and practicable technologies as the key element for pollution prevention. The focus of the various programs and schemes of the Ministry and its associated organizations related to pollution prevention and control is, therefore, on such issues such as promotion of clean and low waste technologies, waste minimization, reuse or recycling, improvement of water quality, environment audit, natural resource accounting, development of mass based standards, institutional and human resource development etc. The whole issue of pollution prevention and control is dealt with by a combination of command and control methods as well as voluntary regulations, fiscal measures, promotion of awareness etc.

7. National environment policy, 2006 The present national policies for environmental management are contained in the National Conservation Strategy and Policy Statement on Environment and Development 1992, Policy Statement on Abatement of Pollution 1992, National Agriculture Policy 2000, National Population Policy 2000 and National Water Policy, 2002 have also contributed towards environmental management. All of these policies have recognized the need for sustainable development in their specific contexts and formulated necessary strategies to give effect to such recognition. The National Environment Policy seeks to extend the coverage, and fill in gaps that still exist, in light of present knowledge and accumulated experience. It does not displace, but builds on the earlier policies. The present day consensus reflects three foundational aspirations. First, that human beings should be able to enjoy a decent quality of life; second, that humanity should become capable of respecting the finiteness of the biosphere; and third, that neither the aspiration for the good life, nor the recognition of biophysical limits should preclude the search for greater justice in the world. The National Environment Policy is also a response to India’s   commitment to a clean environment, mandated in the Constitution in Articles 48 A and 51 A (g), strengthened by judicial interpretation of Article 21. It is recognized that maintaining a healthy environment is not the state’s responsibility alone, but also that of every citizen. A spirit of partnership should thus be realized throughout the spectrum of environmental management in the country. While the state must galvanize its efforts, there should also be recognition by each individual – natural or institutional, of its responsibility towards maintaining and enhancing the quality of the environment.

8. Vision statement on environment and health The purpose of vision document was to evolve a strategy of health-risk reduction arising from environment pollution would help the implementing agencies to revise the environmental and industry specific actions. Ministry of Environment and Forests ( MoEF ) had constituted a Committee on Environment and Health in July, 1999 and the report was submitted in May, 2000. The Report of the “Committee on Environment and Health” brought out issues requiring attention of various stakeholders. The “Conference on Environmental Health” organized by Ministry of Environment and Forests in November, 2002 also brought out thrust areas and action points that need to be implemented for protection of public health. The key purpose of this Vision Statement on Environment and Human Health is to evolve a strategy for health risk reduction. It also offers a comprehensive approach to the environmental health management plans, which would be a systematic approach to estimate the burden of disease and injury due to different environmental pollutants. Therefore, the activities and programmes required to be taken up for the protection of the public health due to environmental pollution are also given in this statement in the form of a road map.

9. Environmental Projects

10. National Action Programme to Combat Desertification India is a party to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and MoEF is the National Coordinating Agency for the implementation of the UNCCD in the country. As an affected party, a 20 years comprehensive National Action Programme (NAP) to combat desertification in the country has been prepared . National Afforestation Programme: A Participatory Approach to Sustainable Development of Forests The scheme titled National Afforestation Programme (NAP) has been formulated by merger of four 9th Plan centrally sponsored afforestation schemes of the Ministry of Environment & Forests, namely, Integrated Afforestation and Eco-Development Projects Scheme (IAEPS), Area Oriented Fuel wood and Fodder Projects Scheme (AOFFPS), Conservation and Development of Non-Timber Forest Produce including Medicinal Plants Scheme (NTFP) and Association of Scheduled Tribes and Rural Poor in Regeneration of Degraded Forests (ASTRP), with a view to reducing multiplicity of schemes with similar objectives. National River Conservation Plan Ecomark Scheme of India (ECOMARK) - Ecomark Labelling

11. Startups & Projects That Are Helping The Country Go Green Digital Green – Multimedia solutions for rural education Digital Green is a not-for-profit organization which brings together technology and social organisations to improve agriculture, health and nutrition. They  build innovative platforms to enable rural communities to create and share videos for wider adoption of locally relevant practices.  They partner with local public, private and civil society organizations to share knowledge on improved agricultural practices, livelihoods, health, and nutrition using locally produced videos.  Waste Ventures – Waste management Waste Ventures India averts up to 90% of waste from dumpsites and produces nutrient-rich organic compost. They sign multi-year contracts with local municipalities and employ waste pickers at their processing units to segregate waste. The Delhi-based startup , launched in 2011, has 44 projects lined up this year. Two of these have been kickstarted in Andhra Pradesh villages.

12. EnCashea – Collecting waste in exchange of cash Bengaluru-based   Encashea  collects scrap waste for cash in select areas of the city. They pay you for segregating your recyclable scrap properly, lowering its environmental impact. Encashea has an Android app that makes it easy for users to request for a pickup. EnCashea has the prices for trash listed on the website. While books can go for up to Rs . 6 per kg, e-waste can be sold for upto Rs . 10/kg . Fourth Partner Energy – Making solar energy accessible Founded in 2010 by Vivek Subramanian, Saif Dhorajiwala and Vikas Saluguti , Fourth Partner Energy (4PEL) focuses on financing and building rooftop solar projects for commercial, industrial and residential clients. It recently raised $2mn in funding. 

13. Banyan Nation – Recycling plastic Banyan Nation collects plastic wastes from industries and recycles it for further use in the industry. “We have come a long way on the engineering front and are now adding performance enhancers to the recycled plastic in order to ensure that the recycled plastic has a greater lifecycle,” says Mani Vajipey , co-founder of Banyan Nation which inaugurated its recycling unit at Patancheru in Hyderabad. The company recycles more than 300tons of plastic every month . SayTrees – Tree plantation drives SayTrees is a professionally-run group of people that are determined to protect the environment not just by themselves, but also by sensitising others towards the importance of environment conservation and goading them on to participate in tree-plantation campaigns. The group consists of passionate nature lovers, who juggle corporate jobs during the week with their love for trees over the weekends. Though it started off as a weekend pursuit in 2007 now it does more than 50 tree plantation drives in 4 months of monsoon.

14. Priti International – Ecommerce for products made out of waste Hritesh Lohiya literally found his fortune in a trashcan. His startup Priti International recycles industrial and consumer waste into useful products. This $10million firm designs and manufactures handmade products out of waste materials, like handbags from old gunny bags, cast off military tents and denim pants. They also produce furniture from waste tins, drums, old military jeeps, tractor parts, waste machine parts and lamps from old scooter and bike lights . HelpUsGreen – Recycling waste flowers Kanpur-based  HelpUsGreen  makes “ flowercycled ” natural and certified organic products from flowers. They collect flower waste from places of worship and even the Ganges river and repurpose it into vermicompost , luxury incense and bathing bars through proprietary methods.

15.   Jhatkaa – Campaigning platform Jhatkaa is a new campaigning organisation committed to campaigning for environmental issues. They collaborate with civil society to engage citizens to hold corporate, cultural and government leaders accountable through digital communication platforms. They came into the limelight after their video  highlightening poisonous mercury levels in Kodaikanal left behind by a Hindustan Unilever factory went viral. Hindustan Unilever recently agreed to compensate the affected workers after Jhatkaa’s efforts . D&D Ecotech – Rainwater harvesting Most cities in India face a water crisis today due to irregular rainfall, a growing population and rapid urban development. Excessive groundwater usage has led to a sharp decline in the groundwater levels across India prompting the government to pass strict regulations against the usage of the same. Enter D&D ecotech , a startup that helps households and organizations adopt rainwater harvesting.  D&D Ecotech also designs its own rainwater harvesting recharge structures based on clients needs and specifications.

16.  The Ugly Indian – Citizen activism platform Ugly Indian is a collective started anonymously by a group of Bangaloreans who came together to do ‘spot fixes’ they carried out in the city and started a Facebook page to highlight the same. Today, they have spawned a whole generation of activists across the country who self organize these spot fixes, which include cleaning up specific areas in the city, and beautifying them with paint and installing plants . Feeding India – Taking leftover food to the poor Feeding India is a social enterprise that tackles two rampant and interconnected problems in India, that of food wastage and hunger. This is done by helping the needy get access to excess cooked food from restaurants and caterers

17. The Living Greens – Rooftop farming Founded by Prateek Tiwari , an agriculture engineer and an MBA from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade,  Living Greens Organics is a Jaipur-based startup that helps to set up rooftop farms and kitchen gardens. Their aim is to grow organic vegetables on every roof and to convert every building into a living green building, thus generating the largest number of urban carbon credits in the world . Green Ventures – Sustainable energy solutions Green Ventures creates green technologies and innovative business models to create sustainable energy solutions. Their solutions include large-scale renewable energy generation projects, improved energy efficiency schemes, and rural social energy initiatives. 

18. Government Schemes/projects related to environment conservation in India Project Tiger Started in:  It is a tiger  conservation programme  launched in  1973  by the Government of India during Prime Minister  Indira Gandhi’s  tenure.The Project Tiger aims to  foster an exclusive  tiger agenda in the core areas of tiger reserves, with an inclusive  people-oriented agenda  in the buffer. Project Elephant Started in:  It was launched in 1992 by the Government of India  Ministry of Environment and Forests   .It aims t o provide financial and  technical support of wildlife management efforts by states for their free ranging populations of  wild Asian Elephants . Indian Rhino Vision 2020 Started in:  Phase 1 of IRV 2020 was conducted from  2005 to 2008. Its goal is to have a wild population of at least  3,000 Greater one- horned rhinos in the Indian state of  Assam  – spread over seven protected areas – by the year 2020.

19. Project Snow Leopard Started in:  This project was launched in   2009 . It aims to safeguard and conserve India’s unique natural heritage of  high-altitude wildlife populations  and their habitats by  promoting conservation  through participatory policies and actions. Sea Turtle Project Started in:  MoEF initiated the Sea Turtle Conservation Project in collaboration of  UNDP  in 1999 with  Wildlife Institute of India , Dehradun as the Implementing Agency.The objective of conservation of  olive ridley turtles  and other endangered marine turtles. Indian Crocodile Conservation Project Started in:  Project Crocodile began in 1975 under the auspices of the Government of India with the aid of the  United Nations Development Fund  and Food and Agriculture Organization.

20. List of Ongoing Projects in RE(environmental research)-Division of the Ministry Environmental Research Programme (ERP) Ecosystem Research Scheme (ERS) Eastern & Western Ghats Programme Policy Research Programme Research Projects Funded by MoEF under NNRMS Programme

21. Global environmental initiatives

22. INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT LAW The evolution of international environmental law can be separated into three distinct periods: from 1900-1972, from 1972-1992; and from 1992-2012. 1900-1972 – Concern for the environment is ancient and embedded in the major religious traditions. For centuries, countries have developed rules for the use of shared watercourses and rights to water. However, before 1900 few international agreements were concerned with international environmental issues. The prevailing rule of international law was that of national sovereignty over natural resources within a country's territory or jurisdiction . These focused primarily on boundary waters, navigation, and fishing rights. With few exceptions, they did not address pollution issues . In the early twentieth century, countries concluded at least four agreements to protect species of commercial value, including migratory birds, birds useful to ag riculture , fur seals, and wild animals, birds and fish in Africa.' During the 1930s and 1940s, countries concluded several agreements aimed at protecting fauna and flora in specific regions, namely the Western Hemisphere and Africa.'

23. In the period between 1950 and 1970, States focused on two environmental problems, marine pollution from oil and damage from civilian use of nuclear energy, and negotiated several agreements. By the late 1960s, environmental concerns had broadened. States concluded an African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in 1968 and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1971 . From 1972-1992 : This period begins with the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and includes the many developments that took place up until the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development . 1972: The United Nations Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment The first international intergovernmental conference to focus on environmental problems . The year 1972 was historic, because for the first time countries across the world came together to identify and address environmental problems . Perhaps the most central issue that arose in the preparations for the Stockholm Conference was the need to address the potential conflict between economic development and environmental protection. Developing countries were especially concerned that an international effort to protect the environment would come at the expense of their own development. INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT LAW

24. Before the Conference, a group of experts from governments, academia, and nongovernmental organizations met in Founex , Switzerland, to discuss the conflicts and develop a conceptual framework for reconciling environmental protection and economic development. The Stockholm Conference also resulted in the adoption by governments of the U.N. Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment. As a result of the Stockholm Conference, countries established the first international intergovernmental organization focused on environmental protection: the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya. The decision to locate UNEP in Kenya was especially significant, because the specialized United Nations agencies were all located in developed countries. UNEP's location sent a signal that environmental problems were endemic to all countries . The Stockholm Conference also heralded the emergence of nongovernmental organizations, and to a lesser extent other elements of the private sector, as concerned participants in the discussion of international environmental issues and in the development of international environmental law. INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT LAW

25. Several important multilateral agreements are associated with the Stockholm Conference, namely the 1972 Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, the 1972 Convention for the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES ). These agreements have been early pillars of international environmental law. Most countries are parties to CITES and to the World Heritage Convention, and many to the one on marine pollution by dumping. The developments highlighted above, together with the UN Conference itself, set the stage for the rapid expansion in international environmental law during the next two decades . After the Stockholm Conference In the two decades that followed the Stockholm Conference, international environmental agreements proliferated. By the end of the period, there were more than 1100 international legal instruments that were either fully concerned with the environment or had important provisions relating to the environment. This number includes both binding agreements and nonbinding legal instruments, such as the U.N. Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment. INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT LAW

26. The concept of a framework agreement, supplemented by one or more protocols to address specific problems, also emerged during this period. Soon after UNEP was established, States concluded agreements under UNEP to protect specific regional seas . the period between 1972-1992 witnessed changes in the themes and in the focus of international environmental agreements. The scope expanded from agreements controlling transboundary pollution to ones addressed to global pollution problems, such as depletion of the ozone layer; from a focus on protecting certain kinds of wildlife to conserving ecosystems; from controlling trade across borders to controlling activities within national borders that threatened the environment, as by protecting natural world heritage sites, wetlands, and biologically diverse areas. International environmental law also developed significantly in several other areas. Foremost is the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, which provides unequivocally in Article 192 that states are to protect and preserve the marine environment. INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT LAW

27. some of the agreements during this period were directed to conserving ecosystems, rather than only specific pollutants or sources of pollution. For example, the 1978 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement broadened the focus of the 1972 Agreement from specific kinds of pollution to protection of basin-wide ecosystems in the Great Lakes. From 1992-2012: Maturation and Linkage This period begins with the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and then analyzes developments during the almost two decades following the Conference. 1992 : The United Nations Rio Conference on Environment and Development In June 1992, countries met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. The location of the conference in Brazil sent an important message that environment and development were the concerns of all countries, regardless of their stage of economic development. The Rio Conference became an important milestone in the development of international environmental law and policy. The World Commission on Environment and Development (also called the Brundtland Commission), created by the United Nations General Assembly, prepared a report for the Rio Conference, Our Common Future, which made the concept of sustainable development the leitmotif of international environmental policy. INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT LAW

28. The Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs .“ The Rio Conference produced four important documents for international environmental law: the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, which laid the basis for the rapid development of new principles and rules of international environmental law the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change ; the Convention on Biodiversity the very detailed Agenda 21 , which set forth a comprehensive list of actions that States were to take. INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT LAW

29. After the Rio Conference The field has become more robust and more comprehensive. International intergovernmental organizations, civil society, and industry associations, as well as other groups have become more important participants . International environmental law has developed close links to trade, human rights, and national security. The focus has shifted from a near exclusive concern with negotiating new legal instruments to one concerned with implementing and complying with international agreements. These developments can be grouped as follows: the linkage of international environmental law with other areas of law - namely, international economic law, human rights law, and national security law; the rise of actors other than States in shaping international environmental law, namely the multilateral development banks through their policies and procedures, the private sector through voluntary codes of conduct and green standards, public-private partnerships, and stockholder efforts, and nongovernmental organizations and civil society generally through diverse means ; the development and refinement of new international principles and rules of international environmental law and the increase in non legally binding instruments; and a new emphasis on implementation of and compliance with international environmental agreements. In addition, new concerns with institutional and environmental governance issues have emerged. INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT LAW

30. References International Centre for environment audit and sustainable development The Evolution of International Environmental Law Edith Brown Weiss Georgetown University Law Center, [email protected] http://envfor.nic.in/