Ecological Impact Assessment for Prediction and Assessment of

Impacts on the Biological Environment with respect to the Indian

Scenerio*

VIJAYAN GURUMURTHY IYER

Principal

Prince Dr.K.Vasudevan College of Engineering and

Technology,

9 B, Block-II, Ammaiappar Apartments ,

Virugambakkam, Chennai-600 092, Tamilnadu, India.

Mobile: 09444812401

Email: vijayaniyergurumurthy@rediffmail.com

vijayan_iw_2002@sify.com

NIKOS E. MASTORAKIS

WSEAS European Office

Agiou Ioannou Theologou 17-13,

15773, Zografou, Athens,

GREECE

mastor@wseas.org

http://www.wseas.org/mastorakis

Abstract: - Global emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning warm the earth ,

threatening the ecology and putting human welfare at long-term risk. In 2009, the combustion of

fossil fuels and production of cement sent more than 30 billion tonnes of carbon poured in to the

atmosphere. The combustion of coal itself representing 66% of the growth in emissions. About

51% of the carbon dioxide emissions only coming from China. Most of the energy intensive

manufacturing industrial goods are being imported by rich countries. It is necessary to conduct

ecological impact assessment studies for the World Projects of power plants and cement plants

and to design and develop greener energy systems .

“Ecological Impact Assessment” (EIA) can be defined as the systematic identification and

evaluation of the potential impacts (effects) of proposed projects, plans, programs, or legislative

actions relative to the biological components of the total environment. The purpose of the EIA

process is to encourage the consideration of the ecosystem in planning and decision making and

to ultimately arrive at actions which are ecologically compatible. Prediction and assessment of

impacts on the biological environment entail a number of technical and professional

considerations related to both the predictive aspects and the interpretation of the significance of

anticipated changes. Many projects ( and activities) can cause undesirable impacts on terrestrial

and / or aquatic ecosystems. Examples of such impacts include habitat degradation through

overgrazing practices; wetland drainage for agricultural , industrial ,or urban development

projects; habitat loss, with attendant consequences on fish and wildlife species due the

construction of hydropower projects; loss of critical habitat for endangered or threatened

species as a result of timber harvesting, recreational developments, and / or military training

activities; multiple aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem effects from acid rain formed as a

consequence of sulphur dioxide emissions from coal fired power plants; and potential toxic

effects to plants and / or animals as a result of air-or water-pollutant discharges or of waste-

disposal activities of industries and municipalities. This paper is structured around a six-step

methodology for biological-impact prediction and assessment with respect to the Indian

Scenario.

Key-Words: biodiversity, ecological impact, methodology, sustainable management

*This research paper entitled “ Ecological Impact Assessment for Prediction and Assessment of

Impacts on the Biological Environment “ Abstract Index number B167/2011 , was presented in

Models and Methods in Applied Sciences

ISBN: 978-1-61804-082-4 61

the 81 st Annual session of The National Academy of Sciences , India (NASI) in the National

Symposium on Sustainable Management of Biodiversity using Science and Technology during

November 24-26, 2011 at University of Kerala (University of Travancore), Thiruvanthapuram.

1 Introduction

“Ecological Impact Assessment” (EIA) can

be defined as the systematic identification

and evaluation of the potential impacts

(effects) of proposed projects, plans,

programs, or legislative actions relative to

the biological components of the total

environment. Ecology can be defined as the

study of the relationships of living things to

one another and to their surroundings.

Environment can be defined as the

surrounding in which a person, animal and

plant lives;

Several activities are required in an

ecological impact assessment study,

including biological impact identification,

preparation of a description of the affected

biological environment, impact prediction,

and assessment of the biological

environment, selection of the proposed

action based on evaluation of alternatives

and from the alternatives evaluated to meet

indentified needs and summarization and

communication of information[1].

For the appropriate conduction of biological

impact studies , it is necessary to keep up-to-

date in this subject area.

2 Problem Formulation Global emissions of carbon dioxide from

fossil fuel burning warm the earth ,

threatening the ecology and putting human

welfare at long-term risk. In 2009, the

combustion of fossil fuels and production of

cement sent more than 30 billion tonnes

carbon poured in to the atmosphere. The

combustion of coal itself representing 66%

of the growth in emissions. About 51% of

the carbon dioxide emissions coming from

China. Most of the energy intensive

manufacturing industrial goods are being

imported by rich countries. It is necessary

to conduct ecological impact assessment

studies for the World Projects of power

plants and cement plants and to design and

develop greener energy systems .

2.1 Ecological impact assessment system

This system develops ecological inventories;

Ecological impact assessment system would

1. Apply to All projects that are

expected to have a significant

environment impact and address

all impacts that are expected to

be significant

2. Compare alternatives to a

proposed projects/ project site,

management technique, and

mitigation measures

3. Result in a clear environmental

impact assessment statement

which conveys the importance

of the likely impacts and their

specific characteristics to non

experts and experts in the field.

4. Include broad public

participation and stringent

administrative review

procedures.

5. Be timed so as to provide

information for decision making

6. Be enforceable

7. Include monitoring and

feedback procedures

2.2 Important Elements of the Ecological

and Biological Impact Assessment Process

Ecological impact assessment for prediction

and assessment of impacts on the biological

environment shall be undertaken to fulfill

the following needs :

1. Environmental effects with respect to the

ecological and biological aspects shall be

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taken in to account early in the planning

and new projects, programs, and activities.

2. An environmental assessment shall be

carried out before commitments or

irrevocable decisions are made for such of

those projects which have an adverse

effects on environment.

3. The results of the assessments shall be

used in planning and decision making and

implementation.

4. To find the loss of wildlife and habitat

5. To finds the disturbances of aquatic

organisms and habitats

6. To find the destruction of vegetation

7. To find the erosion and sedimentation;

The first step of the EIA process is to

determine whether a project falls within the

relevant act or regulations, and whether the

development is likely to create significant

environmental disruptions[1]. The nature

and magnitude of the environmental

changes that are likely to occur and that

must be estimated and included in the EIS

with respect to the biological class. For

example, vegetation, wildlife; sport and

commercial fish species; and endangered

species. EIS included census of flora and

fauna in the affected area , particularly with

respect to endangered species. The studies

of their life cycles, habitats and food chains

of representative species, with particular

emphasis on processes which control the

behavious of environmental components.

Then an assessment is undertaken, leading

to the preparation of an environmental

impact statement (EIS). The EIS is open to

public scrutiny and may be reviewed at

public hearings. EIA Statements describe the

affected ecological setting without project

[1].

Using good scientific practice,

predictions of biological and ecological

impacts are to be made. This shall be much

more uncertain, this is because living

organisms and communities of organisms

are subject to many natural stresses;

droughts, floods, overgrazing, as well as to

stresses created by society. In addition,

living organisms are adaptive and contain

great genetic variability, so that their

reactions to multiple environmental

stresses are not always predictable.

Eventually, a decision is made at the

political level as to whether to (1) accept the

development, (2) Accept an amended form

of the proposed development, (3) accept an

alternative proposal, or (4) reject the

development.

2.3 Ecological impact assessment system This system develops ecological

inventories.

2.4 Environmental Impact Statements

1. Describe a proposed action, as well as

alternatives (including that of no action)

2. Estimate the nature and magnitude of the

likely environmental effects of all

alternatives.

3. Identify the relevant human concerns.

4. Define criteria to be used in measuring

the significance of environmental changes,

including the relative weights to be assigned

in comparing different kind of changes.

5. Estimate the significance of the predicted

environmental changes (that is estimate the

impacts of the proposed action).

6. Make recommendations for monitoring

procedures to be followed during and after

implementation of the action.

For the appropriate conduction of biological

impact studies , it is necessary to keep up-to-

date in this subject area[2].

2.5 Conceptual approach for study

focused on ecological impact assessment -

Step 1:

Identification of biological quantity and

quality impacts of proposed project

activities

Step 2:

Description of existing biological

environmental conditions:

Preparation of description of existing

biological conditions and consideration of

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endangered or threatened species and

critical habit.

Step 3:

Procurement of relevant laws , regulations

or criteria related to the impacts/or

conditions; biological quality standards;

Step 4:

Impact prediction of the biological

environment ;

Step 5:

Assessment of biological impact

significance

Step 6:

Identification and incorporation of

mitigation measures;

3 Problem Solution

Description of Ecological impact

assessment

Step 1

Identification of biological quantity and

quality impacts of proposed project

activities

Given below the reasons for degradation of

land/loss of terrestrial and or aquatic

ecosystem [3].

1. Land resources used for industrial,

residential, agricultural, transportation

purposes;

2. Timbering including forest based

industrial development

3. Various graze practices;

4. Mining practices

5. Water management practices

6. Military, recreational and other activities;

7. Eco-toxicological effects due to coal fired

power plants/ hazardous industries;

Step II

Preparation of a description of the flora and fauna components . Our Country is in rich of

biological Environment.

A list of the common plants and animals in India

Plants including forest trees ; 50,000

Animals ; 80,000

Flowering plants ; 20,000

Insects ; 67,000

Molluscs ; 1,000

Invertebrates ; 6,500

Fishes ; 1,400

Amphibians ; 140

Reptiles ; 420

Birds ; 1,200

Mammals ; 340

Remote sensing and ecological impact

information system

Computerized database, analysis and

display

Computerized flora and fauna information

system (CFFIS) through structured database

is necessary for describing the affected

environment, in order to predict the potential

impacts of proposed project activities and

also assessing the significance of anticipated

changes.

List of threatened and endangered animal

and plant species

1. Endangered species information

system (ESIS);

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This database must include all kinds

of threatened or endangered animals

and plants

Computerized Fish and wild life information

System (CFWIS)

Step-III;

Professional judgment must be done in

applying the qualitative requirements for the

biological environment on the basis of

relevant legislation, regulations, criteria, and

guidelines to the biological environment.

Step-IV:

Impact Prediction on the Basis of Bio-

diversity and Sustainable Development :

Quantitative and qualitative impacts

description for potential ecological impacts

(or effects);

Habitat based methods and models

Habitat based system and models

Habitat based approaches (HBA) refer to the

habitat evaluation system and procedure

(HESP) ;

Mathematical modeling approach

Physical modeling approach

Sustainable development

It is the development that meets the needs

(World’s poor) of the present without

compromising the ability of future

generations to meet their own needs

(World’s poor);

Step-V:

Assessment of Ecological Impact

Significance:

Interpretation of the anticipated impacts of a

proposed activity (or project) should be

considered in terms of individual species,

habitats, and ecosystems.

The following programs concerned to public

interest factors

1. Conservation

2. Aesthetics

3. Wetlands

4. Fish and wild life

5. Navigation

6. Recreation

7. Water quality

8. Food and fiber production

9. Mineral needs

10. Economics

Who are the EIA Professionals?

1. Biologists

2. Engineers

3. Planners

4. Geographers

5. Landscape architects

6. Archaeologists

Who are associated with the EIA

process? Central, and State government Professionals,

Scientific, Engineering , planning and

environmental consulting firms, Consultants

and Private companies concerned to EIA

What is the Need for the National

Ecological Policy Act ?

1. Ecological policy act concerned

to project planning and

evaluation,

2. Ecological assessment and

policies

3. Declaration of a national

ecological policies

Proposals are to be made for the

following legislations:

1. Rare, threatened or endangered

species act

Because endangered plants get

extinct by inundation (flooded)

caused by hydroelectric dams.

2. To determine whether any

endangered , threatened , rare or

protected species is within the

project activities;

3. Surface mining control and

reclamation act ;-

Since surface mining activities can

cause undesirable impact on the

biological environment

4. Natural resource management

plans

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5. Wild life protection plans,

6. Wet land management plans

4 Conclusion

Ecological impact assessment can be

systematically approached in terms of

impact prediction and assessment. In this

paper, biological environmental settings

such as energy flow diagrams, habitat

evaluation system and species list with

respect to qualitative description, have been

presented. Considering ecological impacts

are the dynamic systems and based on the

approach of various project activities, a six

step methodological frame work for

planning and conducting impact studies

focused on only biological environment has

been presented . Technical tools have been

formulated and provided for problem

solving so as to assess the potential

ecological impacts such as , structured data

presentation, biological and ecological

indices, mathematical models, physical

models, remote sensing and computerized

ecological information system (RSEIS).

There is a scope for the biologists to study

the habitat based methods for the impact

prediction and assessment for the biological

environment including habitat quality index

and habitat suitability index.

References:

1. Vijayan G.Iyer, “Environmental Science

and Sustainable Development are The

Basis of Environmental Education for

the 21 St Century”, Abstracts Book of

the IV National Teacher’s Science

Conference 2007 (NTSC-2007), Theme

entitled” Environmental Education for

Better Life” ID number 1/Tamilnadu/17

organized by NCSTC-Network , New

Delhi , Hosted by Pahal, Uttanchal ,

Rajeev Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaaya ,

Dehradun, www.ncstc-network.org, 22-

25 September 2007,pp.69-70.

2. Vijayan G.Iyer,“ Monitoring and

Measurement Opportunities of Food

Contaminants through Process

Approach”, Abstract Book in the VI

National Teachers’ Science Congress

2011, November 8-11, 2011, Venue;

Benares Hindu University, Uttar

Pradesh, pp.227.

3. Vijayan G.Iyer,“ Some Case Studies of

Environmental Impact Assessment of the

Hazardous Industries and Need of Clean

Technology Applications in these

Process Industries”, Abstracts Book of

the 5 th National Teachers’ Science

Congress-2009 , Focal Theme:

Understanding Planet Earth, Venue:

Regional Institute of Education,

Bhubaneswar, Orissa 1-4 October, 2009

, pp. 208. Reference Number;

Tamilnadu/17/III, www.ncstc-

network.org.

Dr.Vijayan Gurumurthy Iyer, Ph.D., D.Sc.,

LL.D. has been serving as Professor far the past

ten years. He has published more than 130

research publications and three books. His

publications have been cited more than 190

citation database.

Models and Methods in Applied Sciences

ISBN: 978-1-61804-082-4 66