Environmental Management

Hazards

• potential source of harm

• potential threats to humans and their welfare (ex: infrastructures, food supplies, economy)

• ex: typhoon, flood, earthquake

Risk

• likelihood that harm from a specific hazard will occur

• probability of occurring and severity of an adverse effect to health, property, or the environment

• risk = hazard * exposure

Exposure

• the people, property, systems, or other elements present in hazard zones that are thereby subject to potential losses

• hazard + exposure = risk

Vulnerability

the inability to resist hazard or respond effectively when a disaster occurs

The Risk Triangle

• D. Crichton, 1999

• if any of these sides increases, then the amount of risk also increased

Disaster

• levels of disruption and lose beyond a community’s ability to cope by themselves (without external assistance)

• ex: 2013 Typhoon Yolanda (6,200 deaths)

#NonNaturalDisaster

• a hazard can only become a disaster once it impacts on society or community that is not adequately protected and whose population is vulnerable as a result of poverty p, social exclusion, or social disadvantages

• hazards may be natural, disasters are not

Increased Occurrence of Disasters

• serious environmental degradation

• lack of planning and foresight

• lack of consciousness

Environmental Management

• orchestration of human activities towards the common goal of balancing

  • environmental, social, and economic objectives

Nature of Environmental Problems

• environmental problems are complex and long term

• environment is a system

• effective environmental management has to be integrative and holistic

• when two species share an ecological niche (they require the same resources), one will outcompete the other, potentially leading to decline or extinction

Competitive Exclusion Theory

• two species competing for the exact same resources cannot stably coexist

• effective environmental management aims to manage ecosystems to prevent competitive exclusion

Ecology

• a key element in integrated environmental management

• there has to be a minimum degree of environmental literacy or basic understanding of ecology

• there is a need to understand, respect, and work with the laws of nature to which all human activities are subjected

1. everything is connected to everything else

• an environmental principle

• organisms and ecosystems are all linked in complex webs of interaction

• human activities have direct and indirect consequences

• short-term and long-term effects on the local fish populations → local economy → regional economy

  • short-term: loss of habitat, disruption of food supply, water quality degradation

  • long-term: decline in fish population, loss of biodiversity, disrupted ecosystem balance, reduced fishery yields

2. everything goes somewhere

• an environmental principle

• “linear thinking”

• unlimited source of raw materials, highly consumptive lifestyle, easy waste disposal, wastes will just disappear

• but… nature’s processes are cyclical

3. nothing is free

• every action in an ecosystem has a cost, often with trade-offs that impact other species or the environment as a whole

• we may choose to ignore these costs but sooner or later we’ll have to pay for them

Economics

• a key element in integrated environmental management

• student of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services

Law of Scarcity

• under economics

• resources are scarce and therefore there is a need to manage them

Full-cost Pricing

• under economics

• pricing strategy that incorporates all direct and indirect costs associated with the production, distribution, and environmental impact of a product or service

• aims to reflect the true cost of a product

  • when water is abundant or free, people tend to waste it

  • price of safe and potable water should reflect the cost of maintaining watersheds and protecting water bodies

• typical price of gasoline

  • extraction, refining, and distribution costs

  • costs related to GHG emissions, air pollution, or health effects

    • full-cost pricing and additional costs would be reflected to encourage a shift toward cleaner energy sources

Economic Incentives and Disincentives

• under economics

• examples:

  • a. a paper company that has imported a water recycling technology from Germany may be exempted from import tax

  • b. selected industries surrounding the Laguna Lake are required to pay a fee for draining their wastewater into the lake

  • c. the greater the volume and the more polluted the wastewater drained = the higher the fee

Law and Policy

• a key element in integrated environmental management

• deals with the protection, conservation and management of natural resources

• while laws are important in environmental management, these are not sufficient to address environmental problems

Forestry Law of 1863

• enacted by the Spanish Colonial Government

• aims to manage and protect the Philippines’ forest resources, which were abundant but increasingly at risk due to exploitation

Philippine Environmental Policy (Presidential Decree 1151)

• signed in 1977; first comprehensive environmental policy in the country landmark legislation that laid the foundation for environmental protection, management and enhancement in the Philippines

• purpose: to protect and improve air quality in the country through comprehensive pollution control measures

• key provisions: sets emission standards for motor vehicles and industries, promotes alternative fuels, and enforces air quality monitoring systems

Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 (Republic Act No. 9275)

• purpose: to protect the country's water bodies from pollution and to ensure sustainable management of water resources

• key provisions: Regulates wastewater discharge, establishes water quality standards, and mandates the development of local water quality management areas

Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (Republic Act No. 9003)

• purpose: to provide a comprehensive and ecological waste management program

• key provisions: promotes waste segregation at the source, mandates recycling and composting programs, and enforces penalties for improper waste disposal

Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act (Republic Act No. 9147)

• purpose: to conserve and protect wildlife species and their habitats

• key provisions: regulates hunting, collection, and trade of wildlife; mandates the creation of wildlife sanctuaries; and imposes penalties for violations

Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (Republic Act No. 9513)

• purpose: to promote the development and use of renewable energy sources in the country

• key provisions: offers incentives for renewable energy projects, establishes Renewable Portfolio Standards, and promotes net metering for small power generators

Climate Change Act of 2009 (Republic Act No. 9729)

• purpose: to address climate change through a framework for adaptation and mitigation

• key provisions: establishes the Climate Change Commission, promotes local climate adaptation plans, and integrates climate change considerations into national and local development plans

Science and Technology

• a key element in integrated environmental management

• science: systematic study of the natural world

• technology: application of scientific knowledge to create tools, systems, and solutions that solve problems or improve processes

• in the past, environmental problems were looked upon as mostly technological problems

  • air pollution industrial emissions → scrubbers, filters vehicular emissions → catalytic converters technological solutions are not enough

• many environmental problems we have today have been brought about by technologies that make production fast and efficient

  • high resource extraction, high waste accumulation

Renewable Energy Development

• under science and technology

• science: scientific foundation on renewable energy sources

• technology: technological advancements in solar panels, wind turbines, and battery storage allow for more efficient and widespread use of renewable energy

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation

• science: climate science informs us about the causes and effects of climate change and potential adaptation strategies

• technology: carbon capture and storage, renewable energy solutions, resilient infrastructure development

Ethics

• a key element in integrated environmental management

• discipline dealing with moral duty and obligation

• science of the ideal human character

• most of the problems we have today can actually be linked to how we view the world and our ethics

• we need an environmental ethic that has roots in:

  • traditional cultures

    • value the environment

    • prescribe practices meant to preserve harmony with the environment

  • social responsibility

    • dictate that all people have the right to benefit equitably from the environment

    • includes intergenerational equity

  • religion

    • respect the environment as the creation of a supreme being