Introduction to Environmentally Sound Design & Management [DATE][SPEAKERS NAMES]

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design2 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

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design3 Why ESD? If ESDM is not a conscious goal, then ENVIRONMENTAL FAILURE is much more likely !

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design4 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 !

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design5 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

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design6 Environmental Failure & Small-Scale Activities 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 by needles & other medical waste (open access to livestock, ~15m from households)

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design7 Environmental Failure & Small-Scale Activities Example: Health care facilities Less than 10m Unscreened simple pit latrines A newly constructed open-air kitchen ! An open invitation to oral-fecal disease transmission

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design8 Environmental Failure & Small-Scale Activities Example: Health care facilities 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 Design issues Site unscreened kitchen near latrines What are the consequences of failing to manage these different waste streams? What constitutes acceptable management? ?

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design9 Environmental Failure & Small-Scale Activities 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... Uncontrolled waste disposal

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design10 Environmental Failure & Small-Scale Activities Example: Water & Sanitation Activities Failure to safeguard water source from runoff Design and operation problems Unsustainable extraction rates Design problems 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

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design11 Environmental Failure & Small-Scale Activities 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? ?

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design12 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. Environmental Failure & Small-Scale Activities Example: Community Reforestation

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design13 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:

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design14 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!

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design15 Common causes of environmental failure #2 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?

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design16 Common causes of environmental failure #3 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!

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design17 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

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design18 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

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design19 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

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design20 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 12 3

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design21 ESDM is prevention-oriented Design Construct/ 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!

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design22 ESDM is prevention-oriented  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?

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design23 ESDM is prevention-oriented In ESDM, the choice of MEANS considers the environmental impacts of each alternative. !

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design24 Be prevention- oriented Apply best development practices to environmental aspects of the activity Be systematic 12 3 Now, rule 2 for achieving ESDM...

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design25 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

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design26 Each of these general best practices has particular application to ESDM. !

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design27 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...

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design28 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

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design29 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 12 3 land & resource rights are often gender-specific! What else? 4

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design30 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?

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design31 General BP #4 Practice 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:

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design32 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 #4 Practice adaptive management !

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design33 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?

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design34 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 the community. TALK to both men & women. !

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design35 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

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design36 Be prevention- oriented Apply best development practices to environmental aspects of the activity Be systematic 12 3 Now, rule 3 for achieving ESDM...

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design37 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)!

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design38 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

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design39 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.

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design40 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 environmental regulation is usually centered on EIA requirements.

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design41 EIA: A good idea in many ways  EIA is a tool that helps you to be systematic about all the elements of ESDM. Be prevention- oriented 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.

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design42 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

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design43 EIA: More than just a good idea EIA is: REQUIRED BY LAW in most countries. REQUIRED by almost all donors. !

ENCAP EA-ESD Course: Intro to Environmentally Sound Design44 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.