Environmental Policy Overview

Environmental Policy

• Environmental policy is defined as any action deliberately taken to manage human activities to prevent, reduce, or mitigate harmful effects on nature and natural resources, ensuring man-made changes do not harm humans or the environment. (McCormick 2001)
• Key elements of environmental policy include continuous improvement, pollution prevention, resource recycling, compliance with regulations, energy conservation, and waste reduction.
• Environmental policy includes air and water pollution, waste management, ecosystem management, protection of biodiversity and natural resources, wildlife and endangered species, and regulation of toxic substances such as pesticides and industrial wastes.
• The National Environment Policy has objectives related to current environmental challenges such as conservation of critical environmental resources, intra-generational equity (livelihood security for the poor), inter-generational equity, integration of environmental concerns in economic and social development, efficiency in environmental resource use, environmental governance, and enhancement of resources for environmental conservation.

Environmental Laws

• Environment Protection Act, 1986
• The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
• The Forest Conservation Act, 1980
• The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
• The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

Ozone Layer Depletion

• Ozone layer depletion, or ozone hole, is the gradual thinning of Earth's ozone layer in the upper atmosphere caused by the release of chemical compounds containing bromine or chlorine from industries or human activities.
• Chlorofluorocarbons are the most abundant ozone-depleting substances. Chlorine reacts with other molecules but not ozone.

Montreal Protocol

• The Montreal Protocol (1987) is a global agreement to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS).
• ODS were commonly used in products like refrigerators, air conditioners, fire extinguishers, and aerosols.

Greenhouse Effect

• Sunlight is partially reflected back into space and some is absorbed by Earth, becoming heat.
• Greenhouse gases absorb and redirect heat radiated by Earth, preventing heat loss to space, which maintains Earth's temperature.
• Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons.
• The greenhouse effect leads to global warming.

Kyoto Protocol

• The Kyoto Protocol (1997) is an international treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• The Kyoto Protocol focuses on carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.
• India is currently the world's third largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the US..

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

• The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was negotiated and signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 5, 1992.
• It is a key document regarding sustainable development under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Earth Summit/Rio Summit

• The Earth Summit led to the Rio Declaration, Agenda 21, and Forest Principles, concerning sustainable development.
• The Rio Declaration contains 27 principles supposed to guide countries in future sustainable development.
• Agenda 21 is an action plan; it's non-binding.
• The Forest Principles are non-binding recommendations concerning forest management, conservation, and sustainable development.

Rights of Tribals

• Article 46 of the Indian Constitution promotes the educational and economic interests of weaker sections, especially Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, protecting them from social injustice and exploitation.
• The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act (2006), or Forest Rights Act (FRA), recognizes the rights of forest-dwelling tribal communities to forest resources.

Rights for Forest Dwellers

• Approximately 300 million people in India depend on forests.
• Rights include tenurial security for forestland occupied before December 13, 2005, and recognition of community rights over forest and forest products.
• Other rights include protection and conservation of community forest resources, conversion of forest villages to revenue villages, in situ rehabilitation of displaced persons evicted before December 13, 2005, and recognition of ancestral domain rights.

Human-Wildlife Conflict

• Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) happens when animals pose a direct and recurring threat to people's livelihoods or safety.
• Conflicts arise due to competition for resources like food and space as well as deforestation and encroachments.
• Much of the conflict occurs in human settlements near areas of deforestation and encroachment.