what to measure with indicators: environmental impacts of...

Final conference of COST 356 – EST“Towards the definition of a measurable environmentally

sustainable transport”

WHAT TO MEASURE WITH INDICATORS: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF

TRANSPORT

Prof. Gerassimos [email protected]

Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Sciences Agricultural University of Athens, Greece

Final Conference of COST Action 356-EST Paris, 15 March 2010

Is the environment under threat?

Transport can have a negative effect on:

• The non-biotic parts of the environment (air, soil, water…), including human monuments/dwellings

• The biotic parts of the environment (humans, fauna, flora, microbes…)

• The interactions between biotic and non-biotic (biological functions, ecosystem services…)



We need to measure in an accurate way the negatif effects of transport on the environment

This is a complicate task, because we must evaluate:

• All possible effects on the elements of interest• The degree of exposure of these elements to the

threats due to transport• The uncertainty of methodology used



What needs to be done?

Risk assessment principle

IER = Impact = ?Exposure

Compare IER < > = Uncertainty

If IER > = Uncertainty (low risk)

If IER < Uncertainty (high risk and consider further)

• Through the use of DPSIR-approach

• On Cost 356 we focus on the “Impacts”

• We also need to consider “Pressures”and “State”



How can we do this?

Pathology, Immunodeficiencyand Physiological Disturbance

Population Decline,Loss of Biodiversity,Habitat Destruction

EcosystemPollutant or Stressor

Molecular& Cellular

Tissue Organs IndividualAnimal

Long TermShort Term

Uncertainty

Biological Complexity, Time

Ecological Significance

Impacts at what level ?

Why it is important?



With the measurement of the Impacts (often taking into account the Pressures and the State ofthe environment) and the application of different alternatives or countermeasures (as Responses),we help to protect and/or to improve not only the environment but also broader sustainability andhuman welfare


COST 356, Final Conference and Final MC Meeting Paris, 15-16 March , 2010Typology of the targets of the impacts on the

environmentTargets Pseudo-target

Nature

Resources

Earth:

Covers all the targets: the three previous targets

(ecosystems, humans and man

made heritage) and physical

environments such as the atmosphere

and the oceans

Ecosystems:

Nature understood as ecosystems, i.e. the association between a

physicochemical and abiotic (the biotope) environment and a living community characteristic of the

latter (the biocenosis)

Humans:

Humankind which we extract from nature and focus on its health as

defined by the WHO

Human health:

In a restricted meaning

Human well-being

Man-made heritage:

With a distinction is made between common and historic buildings

• A clear distinction has to be made between impacts, on the one hand, and indicators on the other hand

• Impacts are criteria to be considered • An environmental impact indicator is a variable based on

measurements, representing an impact of human activity on the environment, as accurately as possible and necessary

• Therefore an indicator is the tool for measuring an impact

The tool “environmental impact indicators”



The concept of chain of causalities• The aim was to use a systemic approach to environmental

issues, encompassing all the environmental impacts and all the potential objectives of an environmental policy

• In order to do this, the “pressure-state-impact” structure has been enlarged to the concept of chain of causalities

• 49 chains are distinguished when taking into account differentiation in the last steps of the process corresponding to the different final targets (nature, humans, man made heritage, earth)



Hierarchy of the chains of causalities

• Noise and vibrations

• Accidents

• Air pollution

• Soil and water pollution

• Impacts on land

• Non-renewable resource use and waste handling

• Greenhouse effect

• Other impacts



Noise and vibrations

• Disappearance of quiet areas • Annoyance and sleep disturbance to people • Effects on human health of noise • Noise and wildlife • Vibrations



Accidents

• Effect of traffic accidents on human health • Animal collision: Animal fatalities



Air pollution (1)Sensitive air pollution• Odours • Soiling • Visibility

Direct toxicity of air pollutants• Direct restricted effects on human health • Direct ecotoxicity on fauna and flora

Photochemical pollution• Health effects of photochemical pollution • Loss of crop productivity due to photochemical pollution • Ecotoxicity on fauna and flora • Loss of cultural heritage


Air pollution (2)Acidification• Decrease of ecosystem health, loss of biodiversity • Deterioration of historical buildings and other cultural

assets • Eutrophication • Dimming

Ozone depletion• Health effects of stratospheric ozone depletion • Ecotoxicity on fauna and flora



Soil and water pollution – Hydrolic risks

Pollution of soil, surface waters, groundwater and seas

• Effects on ecosystem health of pollution • Health effects of pollution • Recreational areas forbidden due to the pollution

Hydraulic changes and risks• Hydraulic changes • Hydraulic risk


Impacts on land and habitats

Land take• Loss of natural habitats due to land take• Degradation of ecosystems due to land take• Modification of outdoor recreation areas, due to land

take • Loss of cultural heritage due to land take

Habitat fragmentation• Loss of ecosystem health, loss of biodiversity, due to

habitat fragmentation • Reduction of living areas of people, due to

fragmentation


Soil-Landscape degradation• Soil erosion • Visual qualities of landscape / townscape

Non-renewable resource use and waste handling• Non-renewable resource use• Non-recyclable waste• Direct waste from vehicles

Climate change• Greenhouse effect



Other impactsElectromagnetic - light pollution• Health effects of electromagnetic pollution • Effects on ecosystem health of electromagnetic pollution • Light pollution

Hazards• Introduction of invasive alien species • Introduction of illnesses • Fire risk • Technological hazards



Agregation of chains of causalities

Due to the complexity, agregation is needed

Various ways of agregation are possible:• Hierarchy of chains• Top – down description of environmental pilar of

sustainability (resources use, quality of life, present and future generations)

• Geographical scale (local, global) and time scale (short / long-term)

• Reversible – ireversible character



Example chains and indicators

• Direct toxicity of air pollutantsNatural habitat fragmentation

• Non-renewable resource UseLoss of cultural heritage due to land takeNoise – annoyance to humansGreenhouse effect

• Waste



Conclusions• The most important environmental impacts are

taken into account• Various indicators have being evaluated and/or

created trough the example chains of causalities• The concept of chains of causalities is a useful

methodology and gives us new tools in order to evaluate the impacts of transport on the natural environment, on humans (heath and well being), on man made heritage and more globaly on the climate change of the Earth



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