Rapid population growth, dramatic changes in
production and consumption patterns and massive rural to urban migration
have all contributed to environmental degradation. The developmental
activities also deteriorate the environment unless otherwise the negative
impacts are mitigated well within the time. Unless environmental degradation
is arrested, the growth rates necessary to reduce poverty will not
be sustained and the millennium development goals will not be achieved.International
development agencies including Asian Development Bank (ADB) have therefore
recognised the need to better integrate environmental considerations
into all operations from the earliest stage, moving upstream toward
a more strategic and comprehensive approach beyond operational policies
targeted only at environmental assessment of individual projects.
Rajasthan Urban Sector Development Investment Program (RUSDIP) will
improve infrastructure through the design and implementation of a
series of subprojects, each providing improvements in a particular
sector (water supply, sewerage, drainage, roads & bridges, solid
waste etc) in 15 towns of the state. ADB's Environment Policy requires
the consideration of environmental issues for all projects. The nature
of the assessment required for a project depends on the significance
of its environmental impacts, which are related to the type and location
of the project, the sensitivity, scale, nature and magnitude of its
potential impacts, and the availability of cost-effective mitigation
measures. Projects are screened for their expected environmental impacts
and are assigned to one of the following categories:
Category A: Projects that could have
significant environmental impacts. An Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) is required
.
Category B: Projects that could have
some adverse environmental impacts, but of less significance than
those for category A. An Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) is
required to determine whether significant impacts warranting an EIA
are likely. If an EIA is not needed, the IEE is regarded as the final
environmental assessment report.
Category C: Projects those are unlikely to have adverse environmental
impacts. No EIA or IEE is required, although environmental implications
are reviewed.
Category FI: Projects that involve a
credit line through a financial intermediary (FI) or an equity investment
in a FI. The FI must apply an environmental management system, unless
all subprojects will result in insignificant impacts.
RUSDIP has been classified by ADB as environmental assessment category
'B' (some negative impacts but less significant than category A).
The Bank has determined that Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)
will be conducted for all sub-projects undertaken under RUSDIP.
The IEE reports discusses the generic environmental impacts and mitigation
measures relating to the location, design, construction and operation
of physical works proposed under the subprojects. The IEE in general
covers description of project, description of the environment, environmental
impacts and mitigation measures during construction, environmental
impacts and mitigation measures during operation & maintenance,
Environmental impact due to location & design and mitigation measures,
Institutional requirements and environmental monitoring, public consultation
and information disclosure, finding & recommendations, conclusions.
The IEE reports also contains tables, figures & photographs.
The RUIDP has prepared IEEs for 36 sub projects.
For details
