EIA and sustainable development Flashcards
Define: Sustainable development
Brundtland report 1987
Where does EIA fit in sustainability?
- Principle 4 for the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (UN, 1992) states that in order to achieve sustainable development, environmental protection shall constitute an integral part of the development process and cannot be considered in isolation from it.
- This firmly establishes the link between the environment and development. It requires that the potential environmental impacts of developments must be investigated in order to manage them
- To achieve sustainable development existing environmentally harmful developments must be managed as best they can, but now developments must be designed to have the smallest practicable negative impact or even a positive one
> first time on global stage between human and environmental impacts
highlights the need for on-going environmental impacts that needs continuous management.
What are some key quality issues associated with SD?
- Since the outcomes of an EIA hinges on the determination of significance of environmental impacts, significance itself becomes a critical issue
- EIA’S use as an effective tool in contributing to sustainable development depends greatly on what is determines as significant.
What are some key elements of EIA and SD?
- The precautionary principle (better to not go ahead if activity is risky)
- Ecological limits (trying to not bring systems beyond a tipping point)
- Intra and inter-generational equity (Brundtland)
- Partnerships and participation
- Accountability and transparency (Involving stakeholder)
- Strategic issues and cumulative effects
Sets the framework for EIA
- Successful in moving towards SD
Briefly describe the background of Mozambique?
- one of worlds poorest countries
- possibly rich in offshore oil and gas
- extremely low socioeconomic bas
- rich in biodiveristy
- newly formed policies, legislation and institutions with regard to exploitation of mineral resources and environmental protection
- wealth of mineral resource- some of which are already being exploited
Describe the hydrocarbon situation in the hydrocarbon project? (Henriques et al., 2008)?
Its a very valuable resource in a very sensitive area
- the challenges of exploration for hydrocarbon resources in one of the most unspoiled marine environments in the world
- supports extensive subsistence livelihoods
- alternative economic activities such as tourism, which form a cornerstone of the present day economy
What was the agreement made between Mozambique Gov and Sasol Petroleum Sofala ltd?
- An exploration and production concession contract (EPCC) was signed in respect to offshore blocks 16 and 19.
- Sasol appointed Consultec in partnership with Environmental Resource Management Southern Africa (ERM), to undertake EIA for conducting exploration activities.
- Blocks 16 and 19 located adjacent to the Bazaruto Archipelago which forms part of a larger bioregion, the western indian ocean region
How was ecology and fisheries impacted?
- area contains ecologically important coastal and marine habitats: beaches, mud fats, extensive mangrove forests, coral reefs and open waters
- These habitats provide important breeding, nesting and foraging grounds for various species of marine turtles and marine mammals such as whales and dugongs
- Dugongs: the largest remaining viable population in the western indian ocean region is believed to occur in the Bazaruto Archipeligo
- The Bazaruto national park was established in 1972
Semi-industrial and industrial fisheries also frequent shallow and deep waters within the project area.
How was tourism impacted?
- Tourism in and around the park has developed into an important component of the local economy
- the bazaruto area has been identifies as a priority area for tourism investment in Mozambique
- The coastal and marine environment supports the livlihood of impoverished inhabitants
- a large proportion of the local population id either directly or indirectly involved in fishing activitis with many of the inhabitants relying on marine resources as a food source
How did the project assess the oil?
- Seismic surveys followed by exploration drilling and well testing activities in an area totalling approximately 10,000km2
- EIA’s are generally conducted in respect of single activities, either seismic surveys or drilling activities
- Similarly, they are conducted in respect of well defined geographical areas
- EIA combined the assessment of: two different exploration activities- the impacts of which had to be assessed for two different environments (Shallow and deep).
What was Mozambique’s precautionary principle?
During scoping: key gaps in information
- Threatened dugong population
- the sensitive artisanal fishery
- extent and importance of local tourism sector
> EIA recommended to abandon shallow water exploration until further information obtained
Recommendation accepted and before EIA was completed
proponent response:
- undertake extensive effects monitoring (fish catch surveys, noise, coral reef monitoring, tourism surveys etc) during implementation of deep water phase to understand the actual impacts and how these may relate to the impacts of shallow exploration.
- year long study into dugong- distribution, habitat, population dynamics
Results: fish catch and dugong= shallow water critical habitat supporting artisanal fishing and threatened dugong’s
Shallow no longer to be explored.
What were the ecological limits?
- seismic noise limits that would either interfere with marine mammals communication, result in a startle response of mobile fauna or result in physical damage or injury
- Recommendations included spatial migration (buffer zones for coral reefs)
- temporal mitigation: avoidance of peak migration and breeding seasons
- followed up with monitoring activities during the implementation phase, including MARINE MAMMAL OBSERVERS on board seismic vessels during implementation and noise monitoring at sensitive marine sites.
What were the intragenerational equity limits?
Intragenerational equity present
- compensation paid to all stakeholders that lodged claims directly affected by deep water seismic activity
- Misunderstandings: compensation procedures could have been more adequately explained- limited communication during implemenation phase resulted in unhappiness with artisnal fisherman
Difficult to realise direct benefits to local communities- proponent acknowledged the need to ensure benefit from revenues generated if resources are found to the local community
Due to high tech nature and low educational and economic base of the affected communities, EIA recommedned local benefits derived from social investment projects (Health, education and sanitation).
What were the intergenerational equity limits?
FUTURE
- applying the precautionary prinicple associated with the threated dugong population and sensitive artisianal fisheries, potential threats were removed
- allow opportunities of the future generation to see dugongs (and tourism) and to have accessed to sustained food
- also afford FG the option of exploiting possible hydrocarbon resources as new technology may allows less intrusive exploratory techniques
What were the partnerships?
Mozambican and south african countries companies and EIA involved specialists from both countries
- local experts from Eduardo Mondlane univeristy were contacted, together with South African experts, to undertake dugong research (ie good for capacity building).
