Environmental Control and Economic Development
Abdelhameed M El-Shaarawi National Water Research Institute
and McMaster UniversityBurlington, Ontario, Canada L7R
1. What is an environmental problem? Evolving issues Recognition, understanding, judging, action Measurements, mathematics and statistics If mathematics is the language of nature then statistics is its
dialects
2. Classification of environmental problems Extent: Global, regional, local; duration Type: Natural or anthropogenic Effects: Lethal or chronic, significant or insignificant, social,
political, ecological risks
3. Some Typical Examples Water Pollution Risks
4. Needs Collaboration among stakeholders Ecological and environmental indicators Improved predictive, tools for risk analysis
Goals
Environment
Human
Economy
Land, Water, Air
Natural Resources
Labor Force
Capital
Innovation
Production Consummation
Waste Pollution
EnvironmentalQuality
Quality of Human Life
Balance between Growth and Environmental HealthBalance between the Present and the Future
Fish biomass in 1900
(t/km2)
Christensen et al. (Fish & Fisheries, 2003).
And in 2000….
Christensen et al. (Fish & Fisheries, 2003).
U.S. Bureau of the census, Watson and Pauly (2002)
Living resources: food security
Sources of Pollution
atmosphericdepos ition
upw ellingreturn
land-baseddischarge
The Hunt for Oil in Canada
Canada with and Without the Oil Sand Production
The Spatial Extent
The Production Process
Environmental Concerns
INTERPRETATIONOF RISK TERMS Risk: undesirable outcomes which
differ from the beneficial ones Analysis in isolation is difficult due to
inextricable association with the beneficial ones.
They are not mutually exclusive! Decision-making is based on the level of
disbenefits and risk we may choose to tolerate, compared to the benefits of the outcomes.
PRINCIPAL CONCEPT OF RISK
encompasses a number of concepts and methods directed towards gaining qualitative and quantitative understanding of risks.
focuses on the knowledge about the nature and burden of risks involved in an activity and placing it in some framework of relationships to express its significance.
concerns with arrangements to deal with the assessed burden of risk by
- eliminating causes of risk where practicable;
- reducing the probability of occurrences and the magnitude of consequences;
- seeking acceptable compensations and redistributions in relation to the residual risk (i.e., Don’t keep all the eggs in one basket!).
RISK ASSESSMENT
RISK MANAGEMENT
Interactive and Complementary
Components of Risk Communication
Setting Regulations
Risk & Benefit (Health & Economy)
Objectives of Environmental Effects Monitoring Program:
1. Does effluent cause an effect in the environment?
2. Is effect persistent over time?
3. Does effect warrant correction?
4. What are the causative stressors?
5. From 1992, all new effluent regulations require sites to do EEM.
6. Pulp and Paper Pilot program
Example: Pulp and Paper Industry “Environmental Effects Monitoring”
Field and Experimental Assessment of Risk
Environmental Effects Monitoring: Canadian Pulp and Paper Industry
Structure Data and Objective
survivalgrowthalAsurvivalgrowthLarvalonreproductiSurvival
SelanastumnowFatheaddubiaiaCeriodaphn
MillMillMillMill
Tests
IndustryPaperandPulp
Cycles
Ii
Ii
lg
.3min.2.1
321
321
21
21
Example of data (daphnia survival and reproduction)
No. of neonates produced per replicates and total female adult mortality
100000000000100
9000101000050
12642222510
525
210
13
610
13
10
611
10
012.5
016
12
11
15
915
12
14
10
10
6.25
023
14
16
22
10
22
11
13
15
28
3.13
1020
19
16
13
16
17
14
14
28
1.56
045
44
40
41
38
46
49
35
39
50
0
Mortality
10
987654321%Effluent
Example of reproduction data (one cycle)
0 20 40 60 80 100
Dilut ion Factor
01
02
03
04
05
0
Co
un
ts
Exp1Exp2Exp3All