Role of Environment and Emerging Development Issues

India - a soft State??

It has excellent environmental laws, but politics and/or corruption prevent their effective implementation. The result has been disastrous for our environment and hence for the economy too, as we are now seeing.

Indias environmental laws span more than a century

1865 1927 1974 1981 1986 1991

British take forest lands from princes Forest Act, amended 1980 Water Act Air Act Environment Protection Act Coastal Regulation Zones

New Laws are moving from the general to Specifics

This has been made possible under the 1986 Environment Protection Act 1989 Hazardous Waste Rules 1998 Biomedical Waste Rules 1999 Rules for Recycled Plastics, Fly Ash Notification 2000 Municipal Solid Waste Rules 2000 Battery Mgt & Handling Rules

In 1972 a conference was held for the first time ever to discuss an issue like environment pollution control under UNITED NATIONS. The conference was know as STOCKHOLMES CONFERENCE . 473 countries meet internationally to discuss environment pollution problems. Lt. Mrs. Indira Gandhi represented India in this conference and voiced strongly before and after conference

The Water Act 1974

Salient features of the Act (Water Act)objectives To prevent and control water pollution To maintain wholesomeness of water To establish control on State Boards for prevention and control of pollution To empower the Boards for prevention/control of pollution To provide penalties for contravention of the provisions of the Act To establish control on state water testing laboratories.

The Air(Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981

The air act deals with the control of emission of noxious substances from industries and automobiles. Basically, air act is applied only to specified industrial processes in notified areas called the air pollution control areas (APCA) . The functions under the act are entrusted to the central and state boards created under the water act. The state government declares an area as air pollution control area only after consulting with state board . The specified industries in the APCA have to seek the permission of the board to emit noxious substances.

BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY

BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY, 1984

The

case is about a company UNION CARBIDE. There was a leakage of toxic gas methane isocynade in the Bhopal plant of Union Carbide. Death of more than 2000 people and environmental hazard. Negotiation with Supreme court of India by Union Carbide for giving compensation of 750 crore to the victims.

ENVIROMENT PROTECTION ACT 1986

To provide the protection and improvement of environment. In EPA, article 48A, specify that the State shall protect and improve the environment. Also to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country. Acc. to sec 51(A) every citizen shall protect the environment EPA is applicable to whole India, including J&K. With all these objectives the basic objective for the formation of EPA Was SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT - Need of the hour

-For any development resource are needed. -it will be available if we manage it efficiently. -this is the main focus of sustainable development. -it means that fulfilling the needs of present generation in such a way that resources are there for the future needs and aspiration of upcoming generations.

Major environmental issues

Tragedy of commons Global warming

Ozone depletion Carbon emission

Tragedy of commons

Commons" means the resource is owned by:

No one OR Owned by a group=all who have access to the resource.

It can include the atmosphere, oceans, rivers, fish stocks, national parks, advertising, and even parking meters.

Tragedy of commons
an

economics theory by Garrett Hardin the depletion of a shared resource by individuals or group , acting independently and rationally for the group's long-term best interests by depleting the common resource The concept is often cited in connection with sustainable development and environmental protection.

GLOBAL WARMING
Increase

in the average earth temperature. Its increased by 0.8 degree celcius after 1980 Major reason is due to industry and automobile pollutants, green house gases, aerosol and soot. Result in melting down of glacier and can resulted in 0.59cm of rise in the sea level.

CARBON EMISSION
Earth

atmosphere consists of green house gases like carbon dioxide, ozone, methane which performs the greenhouse effect cycle. Increase in green house gases in last 20 years by 1.57% Resulting in increasing in the global warming.

OZONE DEPLETION
Ozone

is the gas which resides on the top level of our earth. Protects earth from harmful U.V rays. Acts as a shield. Due to increase in green house gases and cfc i.e chloroflouro carbon ozone layer is being depleted which further adding into global warming.

KYOTO PROTOCOL
Convention

on climate change Negotiated in 1997 Opened for signature in 1998 Came into force in February 16, 2005

Highlights

Agreement under which industrialized countries will reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2% compared to the year 1990 Compared to the emissions levels that would be expected by 2010 without the Protocol, this target represents a 29% cut. The goal is to lower overall emissions from six greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, HFCs, and PFCs. National targets range from 8% reductions for the European Union and some others to 7% for the US, 6% for Japan, 0% for Russia, and permitted increases of 8% for Australia and 10% for Iceland.

RIO SUMMIT
An

Earth Summit officially known as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, was held in June 1992 at Rio de Janeiro Participated by over 170 states worldwide (114 of whom were represented by Heads of States of Governments)

Rio Declaration on Environment and Development

Principle 1 Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature. Principle 3 The right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations. Principle 5 All States and all people shall cooperate in the essential task of eradicating poverty as an indispensable requirement for sustainable development,in order to decrease the disparities in standards of living and better meet the needs of the majority of the people of the world. (27 in all)

Copenhagen Summit
Report

on Copenhagen is events that transpired in December 2009 at the UNFCCC conference of the Parties (COP15), including the drafting of the Copenhagen Accord and subsequent public discourse.

COP15

The most recent Conference of the parties was COP15 in Copenhagen, Denmark It was significant due to an increasing international push for new binding climate change legislature. The focus was on attempting to draft new legislation and deciding if goals set by the Kyoto Protocol should continue post-2012. Time was also spent on improving the clean development mechanism and drafting decisions on adaptation, technology and capacity building.

Thank You!
Anjana Viswanathan Sandarbh Goswami Sarmistha Bhanja Shruti Jain Vishal Nawalgaria