Transcript Slide 1

National Seminar “The Challenges of Building a
Disaster Resilient India”
Retrospect and Prospect of Sustainable
Development in Promoting Resilience
Concept of Carrying Capacity Based Planning Process
National Civil Defense College, Nagpur November 13, 2013
Dr. Tapan Chakrabarti
Emeritus Scientist
National Environmental Engineering Research Institute
Nehru Marg, Nagpur–440 020
Disaster Resilience calls for
Adopting the spirit of sustainable development
in all ventures having environmental
consequences
The planning process should be carrying
capacity based
Preparedness for disaster mitigation and
management
Public awareness programmes for
stakeholders and their roles in disaster
management
Preamble
 A growing wave of global environmentalism is forcing
technology companies to produce greener products
through greener processes.
 Sustainable growth demands that tech companies should
take steps both to expand the number of green-oriented
products they produce and to reduce heavy environmental
footprint.
 For the technology industries at large, going green
requires transformation along virtually every step of
every value chain.
Synonyms
 Environmental technology (abbreviated as envirotech)
or green technology (abbreviated as greentech) or
clean technology (abbreviated as cleantech) is the
application of the environmental science and green
chemistry to conserve the natural environment and
resources, and to curb the negative impacts of human
involvement.
 Sustainable development is the core of environmental
technologies.
Background/ History…
1987 The Brundtland Commission…
Sustainable Development = Development that meets the needs
of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their needs.
Sustainable growth is a subset of sustainable development.
1992 The Rio Earth Summit…
Agenda 21 - Action Plan/ “Blueprint for Sustainable Development”
(40 chapters, 300 pages)
Chapter 36: Promoting Education, Public Awareness and Training
The Sustainability “Stool”
Education for Sustainable
Development
Global Sustainability
Resource / Energy
consumption
One
Billion
Consumes 80%
Five
Billion
Consumes 20%
Unsustainable
level
Carrying capacity
Sustainable
level
Quality of Life
 The green technology must also encompass certain sound
ecological principles:

Protection of ecosystem

Biodiversity conservation

Carbon capture and sequestration

Environment and health security.
Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) in Coal Mining
The reasons for corporate environmental and social reporting are rooted
in Agenda 21, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development at Rio in 1992. This calls for a number of actions by
industry to work towards sustainable development. For example,
principle 10 promotes the disclosure of environmental performance
information by industry.
Increased and concerted global efforts have been underway since 1998
beginning with the formation of Global Mining Initiative (GMI) and the
subsequent design of Mines, Minerals and Sustainable Development
Project supported by nine major mining companies.
It can be generally assumed that Corporate Social Responsibility can be
a part of long-term strategy of an enterprise in which high profits and
ethical business conduct, as well as high safety standards and wellbeing
of the employees can be reconciled. The concept of Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) includes elements pertaining to both environmental
and social issues as well as those connected to employees’ health safety
and life.
In India, which is the third biggest producer of hard coal in the world
(after China and the USA), the environmental situation is very bad. Mining
has caused displacement, pollution, forest degradation and social unrest.
Additionally, the number of people is growing.
The increasing economic development and a rapidly growing population
that has taken the country from 300 million people in 1947 to more than
1.2 billion people today is putting a strain.
In 2011, India has been ranked as seventh most environmentally
hazardous country in the world (Brazil was the worst on environmental
indicators, United States second worst, China – third)
(http://www.gits4u.com/envo).
Hence the Union government in India is considering to make it
mandatory for coal mining companies to spend a part of their net profit
on the welfare of local people affected by the activities. It is possible that
government will make spending on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
by companies mandatory in the bidding policy (www.businessstandard.com, 2012).
Some of the core issues, which the company should deal with, are:
(a) Rehabilitation and Compensation issues should be dealt with
equitably. The company should provide all infrastructure facilities
to the rehabilitation colony. They should also take into
consideration the plight of landless households.
(b) Proper care of environmental quality. Concerns about air
pollution, water pollution and degradation, lands and forests should
be given proper emphasis.
(c) The company should invest in improving human and physical
capital of the region. Education, basic amenities, health care,
training opportunities should be provided not only to the employee’s
family but for the community as a whole.
(d) Issues of post-mine closure like unemployment, income potential,
migration, environmental clean up should be discussed much in advance.
(e) Effective administration, rule enforcement and accountability should be
keywords in the process of rehabilitation as well the functioning of the
mines.
Environmental Clearance
Out of 239 mines in CIL, which existed prior to 1994, including 48 open
cast mines, 170 underground mines and 21 combined mines were
found to be working without environmental clearance," the CAG said in
a report on corporate social responsibility of the company.
In order to arrest depletion of ground water level as a result of coal
mining, subsidiaries may take up rainwater harvesting. Independent
safety audit of every mine should invariably be conducted at a
frequency of two years as suggested by the safety committee of CIL. All
subsidiaries may maintain computerized database of medical history of
employees.
Initiatives should be undertaken in areas impacting environment.
However, activities like backfilling, land reclamation, preservation of
top soil and plantation of trees and other environmental issues need to
be identified to meet the challenge of increasing coal production from
324 million tonnes in 2004-05 to 782 million tonnes .
Currently, CSR practices are dictated by guidelines notified by the ministry
of corporate affairs in December 2009. These are, however, voluntary. Under
these, business entities formulate their own CSR Policy, approved by the
company’s board. The guidelines state that companies “should” allocate
specific amounts in their budgets for CSR activities. “This amount may be
related to profits after tax, cost of planned CSR activities or any other
suitable parameter,” the guidelines state. Issues involved are:
•Extending safety initiatives to an expanded portfolio of mines, with the
goal of achieving a perfect record at every one of mines each and every
year
•Supporting initiatives that promise to enhance further the science of land
reclamation and water protection
•Investing in advanced coal technologies that can help make coal use
cleaner and more climate friendly
•Continuing to search out new ways to make the communities around coal
mines stronger, more successful and better prepared for the future.
The biggest advantage with coal mining is the possibility of
practicing development of ecological capital.
Possibility also exists in
Generation of quality natural resources (timber/biomass/fuel)
Protection of loose soil generated during mining operation from
erosion vis-à-vis soil conservation
Protection and improvement in biodiversity through
phytoremediation vis-à-vis biodiversity conservation
Remediation of contaminated site
Carbon capture and storage.
PLANT SPECIES FOR PHYTOREMEDIATION
To identify plant populations with the ability to accumulate heavy
metals, 300 accessions of 30 plant species were tested in
hydroponics for 4 weeks, having moderate levels of Cd, Cu and Zn.
The results indicate that many Brasssica spp. such as B. juncea L.,
B. juncea L. Czern, B. napus L. and B. rapa L. exhibited moderately
enhanced Zn and Cd accumulation. They were also found to be
most effective in removing Zn from the contaminated soils.
To date, more than 400 plant species have been identified as metal
hyperaccumulators, representing less than 0.2% of all angiosperms.
The plant species that have been identified for remediation of soil
include either high biomass plants such as willow or those that
have low biomass but high hyperaccumulating characteristics such
as Thlaspi and Arabidopsis species. On worldwide basis, the
number of species identified to have ability to accumulate one or
more metals >1000 mg/kg dry weight has been listed.
Protection of Ecosystem
Concept of Carrying Capacity
In 1798, an English clergyman named Thomas Malthus made a dire
prediction: He said the earth could not indefinitely support an everincreasing human population. The planet, he said, would check
population growth through famine if humans didn't check themselves.
The maximum number of individuals that can be supported sustainably
by a given environment is known as its ‘carrying capacity’. For most nonhuman species, the concept is quite simple. If carrying capacity is
exceeded, the population declines because its environment can no longer
support the excess numbers.
Another case where a human community is believed to have exceeded its
carrying capacity is that of the Mayans. It appears that population
pressure forced them to cultivate more and more marginal land, leading
to a reduction of carrying capacity in their ecosystem. The forest land
was not amenable to long-term intense cultivation, leading to topsoil
erosion on a large scale. This in turn led to conflict between Mayan cities
to compete for land which inevitably could not support the rising
populations; conflict and gradual collapse of their society ensued.
 Protection of ecosystem can be ensured through:
 Adoption of carrying capacity based planning process
 Avoidance of activities which may lead to irreversible
ecological damage
 Maintaining environmental flow in rivers
 Ensuring health security
Protection of ecosystem
Carrying capacity based planning process
 The concept of carrying capacity implies that
improvement of the quality of life is possible only when the
pattern and level of production-consumption activities are
compatible with the capacities of the natural environment
as well as with social preference
 The carrying capacity based planning process thus
involves the integration of social expectations and
ecological capabilities and aims not only at environment
harmony but also at long term sustainability of the natural
resource base and economic efficiency in resource
utilization vital for ensuring sustainable development.
Concept of Carrying Capacity
 For human society, carrying capacity can be defined as
the maximum rate of resource consumption and waste
discharge that can be sustained indefinitely in a defined
planning region without progressively impairing the bioproductivity and ecological integrity.
 Carrying capacity is ultimately determined by the single
vital resource or function in least supply. Working within
the limits of carrying capacity does not, however,
preclude some unavoidable environmental damage in the
course of development.
Contd...
Concept of Carrying Capacity
 The carrying capacity based planning process involves the
integration of societal expectations and ecological
capabilities by minimizing differentials between realized
and desired supply/demand patterns, infrastructure
congestion patterns, resource availability/ resource use
patterns, and assimilative capacity/residual patterns.
 Given certain flow of resources, the carrying capacity
based planning process uses various modeling and
analytical techniques to estimate changes in carrying
capacity indicators, and makes trade offs like changes in
technology and pricing pattern, changes in environmental
system structures, changes in socially acceptable capacity
levels, and control of exogenous forcing functions.
Elements of Carrying Capacity
Economic Progress
Quality of Life
Targets for Minimum
Basic needs
Maximum Benefits
Output
Activities
Strategies for Meeting
Targets
Optimum
Exploitation
Inputs
Wastes Residuals
Resources
Environment
Available Fiscal
Resources
Available Resources
Supportive
Capacity
Assimilative
Capacity
Natural resources
Transformational resources
Infrastructural resources
Socio-cultural resources
Carrying Capacity
A : Top-down Planning Process
B: Concept of Regional Carrying Capacity
C: Bottom-up Planning Process
Assimilative Capacity of Air Environment
Meteorology (Met)
Emission Inventory (EI)
Air Quality Modeling
Calibration
Ambient Air Quality (AAQ)
of model
Estimation of Assimilative Capacity (All Study Regions)
Development of Assimilative Capacity
Estimation Methodology
Development of Assimilative Capacity
Based Standards
National Environmental
Assimilative Capacity
Information System
Assimilative Capacity of Water Environment
Hydrography (Hydro)
Wastewater Pollution Loads (WWPL)
Water Quality Modeling
Calibration
of model
Water Quality (WQ)
Estimation of Assimilative Capacity (All Study Regions)
Development of Assimilative Capacity
Estimation Methodology
Development of Assimilative Capacity
Based Standards
National Environmental
Assimilative Capacity
Information System
Linking Carrying Capacity Based
Planning Process with CSR
The following is a rationale for establish a link
between carrying capacity and CSR to illustrate the
cause and effect nature of the various stages. These
issues should be addressed one step at a time.
• Growth is inevitable and market forces are already
at work.
• Growth will require /generate water, wastewater, and
transportation infrastructure.
• Adequate / suitable infrastructure that is adaptable
to sustained growth will require advanced facility
planning.
Advanced facility planning requires advanced
regional planning and growth projections
• Regional land use planning and growth
projections must meet the needs and desires
of the public
• Broad public support is essential to the
success of regional planning efforts. Support
from property owners, cities, and states will
be crucial.
• In order to address the needs and desires of the public,
there must be an extensive public involvement process that
establishes a vision and appropriate goals.
• In order to execute an extensive public involvement
process, all relevant data, including previous
studies, economic and demographic data, environmental
features, and other base conditions must be gathered and
analyzed.
The final study report will provide comprehensive analysis,
recommendations, and a suitable implementation plan to
carry out the recommendations that arise throughout the
study process.
Waste Management Technology
Wastewater Treatment
(Physico-Chemical, Biological, Biotechnology, Tertiary
treatment)
Environmental
Materials
Solid Waste Management
(Composting, Biomethanation, Syngas)
Remediation & Restoration
(Bio & Phytoremediation, Active
Oxidation Process)
(Catalysis, Adsorbents,
Sensors, Nano-materials)
Waste
Management
Technology
Separation
Technology
(Solvents & Resins,
Electrochemical &
Phyrochemical, Membrane
Science & Technology)
Hazardous Waste
Management
Waste Minimization
(Cleaner & Greener Technology,
Recycle/Reuse/Recover)
(Thermal destruction,
Containment,
Recycle/Reuse/Recover)
Biomedical Waste Management
(Disinfection & Certification, Waste to Energy)
Waste Reduction Plans Focus on 9 Rs
 Restore
 Reduce
 Renew
 Recover
 Recycle
 Reuse
 Rethink
 Replenish
 Replace
“An ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure”
Benjamin Franklin
Resilience and Environmental
Disaster
The word "resilience" at this conference is the
ability of a community confronted by
environmental disasters to resist damage and to
recover rapidly.
Some types of disasters, like severe floods, and
land slides in hilly areas, can cause profound
and lasting ecological change, particularly when
the underlying ecosystem has been stressed by
other occurrences such as overwhelming of the
carrying capacity of the affected region,
inadequate flood control systems, deforestation,
and a warming climate
Planning for community resilience to environmental
disasters needs to give greater consideration to the
potentials for response and recovery contributions
available through local-level, informal social capital
networks, as well as from the more formal policy
and planning channels.
To demonstrate the potential for mobilizing social
capital resources to aid disaster response and
recovery, a micro level examination of the social
capital mobilization process must be thoroughly
examined.
Uttarakhand Disaster
The National Institute of Disaster Management
(NIDM), in one of its first reports on the Uttarakhand
floods, has blamed “climatic conditions combined
with haphazard human intervention” in the hills for
the disaster. the abnormally high amount of rain
(more than 400 per cent) in the hill state was caused
by the fusion of Westerlies with the monsoonal cloud
system. Heavy precipitation swelled rivers, both in
the upstream as well as downstream areas.
Besides the rain water, a huge quantity of water was
probably released from melting of ice and glaciers due to
high temperatures during the month of May and June. The
water not only filled up the lakes and rivers that
overflowed but also may have caused breaching of
moraine dammed lakes in the upper reaches of the valley,
particularly during the late evening on June 16 and on
June 17 causing the disaster.
The area has been denuded to a great extent due to
deforestation and tree cutting for road construction, and
other activities such as building construction, mining and
hydel projects. It has also resulted in increased surface
flow and rise of river bed due to disposal of debris in the
rivers.
PM Urges Authorities to Improve Disaster
Management System
In view of the recent disaster management operations
in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Prime
Minister of India Manmohan Singh has asked at the
opening of the fifth meeting of the National Disaster
Management Authority (NDMA) held on October
28,2013 that the central and state authorities use the
experience to improve management of disasters in the
future. He said the country’s disaster management
must quickly improve its capabilities and devise
disaster risk reduction strategies, as part of the
country's mainstream developmental programmes
and policies and strengthen and modernize the early
working systems. “
With the increasing frequency of natural and humaninduced disasters and the increasing magnitude of their
consequences, a clear need exists for governments and
communities to become more resilient.
A National Discussion must address the importance of
resilience, discuss different challenges and approaches
for building resilience, and outlined steps for
implementing resilience efforts in communities and
within government.
Launching a National Conversation on Disaster
Resilience appears necessary.
WIHG meteorological observatory at Chorabari Glacier
camp recorded 210 mm rainfall in 12 hours between 15
June (5:00 p.m.) and 16 June (5:00 a.m.). On 16 June
2013 alone (from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), 115 mm
rainfall was recorded, causing 325 mm rain in 24
hours. The Chorabari Lake is a snow melt and rain fed
lake, located about 2 km upstream of Kedarnath town
which is approximately 400 m long, 200 m wide having
a depth of 15–20 m. The bursting of this lake led to its
complete draining within 5–10 min as reported by the
watch and ward staff of the Wadia Institute of
Himalayan Geology (WIHG) who were present in WIHG
camp at Chorabari Glacier on 16 June and early
morning of 17 June 2013. The heavy rainfall together
with melting of snow in the surrounding Chorabari
Lake washed off both the banks of the Mandakini River
causing massive devastation to the Kedarnath town.”