Telangana TSBIE TS Inter 1st Year Environmental Education Study Material 2nd Lesson Environmental Stakeholders Textbook Questions and Answers.
TS Inter 1st Year Environmental Education Study Material 2nd Lesson Environmental Stakeholders
Essay Questions
Question 1.
Write about Environmental stakeholders.
Answer:
Stakeholders are defined as the people and organizations who are likely to be affected, either directly or indirectly, by an action or policy of the government or by the action of an industry or organization. Stakeholders have a vested interest in something and are likely to gain or loss on account of any changes initiated by others or by their own intervention.
In the environmental context all citizens are stakeholders as they are directly or indirectly affected by developmental activities which alter the water, air and soil around them. When industries are setup in a town, the economy picks up, jobs are created and infrastructure improves. Many residents reap the benefits. These people derive some advantages and are affected favourably by the environmental decision. At the same time, however, the residents may suffer from ill effects of industrialization. The factories may discharge pollutants into the air and water, thereby harming the health of the people. The pollutants released may cause water bodies to become a breeding place for vectors like mosquitoes which spread diseases. The water bodies may also emit a foul odour due to the release of gases like hydrogen sulphide and ammonia. The residents, therefore, may also suffer adversely as a consequence of the environmental decision.
Similarly, when a dam is constructed, hydro – electricity is generated, providing clean energy to thousands of homes. Vast areas get irrigated, bringing cheer to farmers. But the same dam may submerge scores of villages, forcing the displacement of thousands of villagers. Thus, while some are benefitted by the project, others are adversely affected.
The stakeholders in projects affecting the environment include government representatives, businesses, scientists, land owners, and local communities who are traditionally dependent on the nearby natural resources. The objectives of each of the groups vary and it is difficult to evolve a common agenda and uniformity while implementation of developmental projects. The United Nations Environment Programme identifies nine specific major stakeholder groups for sustainable development: Farmers, women, scientific and technological community, children and youth, indigenous peoples and their communities, workers and trade unions, business and industry, non-govern-mental organizations, and local authorities (UNEP 2015).
Question 2.
Describe the categories of stakeholders.
Answer:
Environment stakeholders can be broadly categorised into the following categories based on the cause-effect relationship and the management systems :
I. Affected parties :
The proposed projects, such as the setting up of an industry or a multipurpose project like a dam, may induce changes in the surrounding environment thereby affecting the health and socio-economic conditions of the residents in those areas. There may also be a cultural invasion (especially, impacting tribes who have a distinct culture of their own). The parties may be affected directly or indirectly.
a) Directly Affected Parties :
It involves a direct cause and effect due to the proposed changes in the surrounding. The effect may be a positive or negative one, leading to gain or loss on account of the proposed change.
i) Positive Affect :
This may be due to appreciation of the property or sub constracting and employment opportunities as a result of the proposed changes. The people who stand to gain are called Risk Gainers.
ii) Negative Affect :
The proposed project may lead to damage of the property, displacement leading to migration. The people who stand to lose are called Risk Losers.
b) Indirectly Affected Parties :
It involves an indirect effect due to the modifications induced into the surrounding environment. For instance, even people who reside in distant places may be indirectly affected by the discharge of pollutants and depletion of natural resources.
II. Project Proponents / Risk Perpetrators :
The proponents of a project or Risk Perpetrators are one of the major stakeholders. The proponent may be the government or an entrepreneur (firm / organization / private / public limited company / Individual) who is in the process of setting up an industry.
III. Regulatory Authorities or Committees / Risk Managers :
These are the statutory authorities who are connected with regulating and monitoring the implementation of the guidelines / rules. These authorities include regulatory bodies from central, state, and local govemments. The committees constituted by the government and the non – governmental organizations (NGO) and other civic bodies also play a vital role in representing the advocacy of the community to highlight issues and their redressal.
Of course, these categories are not mutually exclusive For example, a risk gainer might also be a risk loser. An affected person may benefit in some ways and lose in other ways. (e.g. : a person gets employment in a factory but is exposed to dust and smoke); a risk perpetrator is likely to be a gainer as well and may also be expected to be a risk manager, (an industrialist is interested in economic profits but also convinces the local community about the benefits of the project and tries to allay their apprehensions).
The involving of multiple stakeholders brings together individuals with different perspectives, interests and positions. The success of any project depends on the mutual co-operation among different stakeholders with clear information flow while imparting mutual trust and fulfilling the assurances. Sometimes this may have the potential to slow the implementation of a project and create conflict. Though, potential overlaps and ambiguities exist, the co-operation and interaction between different stakeholders will bring radically different perspectives and may lead to a better decision making process.
Question 3.
Explain “3 Rs” Approach.
Answer:
It is key for the success of any project / policy to identify and engage all the stakeholders right from the beginning of the project. The most basic stakeholder analysis involves identification of people, groups, and institutions that have some interest in a project or affected by it. The government or project proponents will undertake a stakeholder analysis prior to the planning and development of an environmental project. The objective of stakeholder analysis is to identify and assess the relevant view points of key people, groups or institutions on the proposed activity.
“3 Rs” Approach :
Rights, Risks, Responsibilities before assembling stakeholders, the project planners or meeting facilitators should consider acknowledging each stakeholder’s individual rights, risks, and responsibilities. The ”3 Rs” approach has been championed by the United Nations. In this approach, project planners acknowledge and characterize stakeholder :
- Rights (e.g. : rights to extractable resources, rights of land tenure, human rights).
- Risks associated with a project (e.g. : loss of reputation, economic loss, loss of cultural integrity).
- Responsibilities in planning and executing the project (may be included in a formal agreement or contract).
Facilitating inclusive stakeholder engagement
Following a pre-planning stakeholder analysis, a project proposal is typically announced and stakeholders are invited to participate in the process.
Bringing stakeholders face to face is an important step of the engagement process. Discussion among stakeholders has been shown to help foster collaboration and the willingness to participate. Capacity development is another approach, which involves building the capacity of stakeholders to understand and solve the issue at hand and has been associated with successfully project outcomes. It can include training work-, shops, courses, or professional development for key stakeholder groups to provide them with the necessary knowledge, skills, and tools for more productive engagement.
Question 4.
Explain the benefits of stakeholder consultation process.
Answer:
Project Proponents :
- The project proponent will benefit with the inputs obtained, during consultation process leading to better planning by incorporating the feedback.
- The perspectives of local stakeholders can allow for solutions better suited for the social and cultural context of a region.
- It takes into account a diversity of values and facilitating empowerment, trust and equity by including local communities in the decision making process and consensus can be arrived before a new rule, plan or decision takes effect.
- This can lead to a more harmonious process and avoidance of unnecessary conflict ensuring smooth execution of the projects.
Affected Parties :
- It reduces the marginalization of under-represented groups and provides an opportunity to the most impacted for expressing their concerns.
- The stakeholder will feel the ownership and as a part of the system and can lead to increased support for smooth implementation of the project.
- Another potential benefit of engagement from this perspective is social learning, where stakeholders can learn from each other and develop new relationships along the way.
Corporate Social Responsibility in India :
CSR is a concept, wherein an enterprise is accountable for its impact on all relevant stakeholders and includes the social and environmental considerations into a company’s operations. India is the first country in the world to make Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mandatory, following an amendment to the Company Act, 2013 in April 2014. It mandates the Businesses to invest 2% of its profits in areas such as education, poverty, gender equality and hunger.
Question 5.
Describe some case studies on the issue of stakeholder participation.
Answer:
1) The Singur-Tata Motors controversy is an apt illustration of the turmoil that ensures when the interests of stakeholders are not adequately taken into consideration. In 2006, the Tata group was granted permission by the government of West Bengal to setup their Tata Nano factory on 1000 acres of fertile, agricultural land in Singur. However, the project faced stiff resistance from displaced farmers who felt that they were losing their only source of livelihood and were not being given sufficient compensation in terms of money or jobs at the proposed factory.
The displaced farmers received massive support from the opposition party led by Mamata Banerjee as well as from environmentalists like Medha Patkar and Arundhati Roy. The project was called off in 2008 and was shifted to Gujarat where farmers received four times the market price for the land they gave up.
2) The Sterlite Copper Agitation in Thoothukudi, Tamilnadu, is another instance of the violent clashes that erupt when commercial interests of industrialists override environmental concerns and safety. Sterlite Copper started operations in Thoothukudi in 1997 after being driven out of Ratnagiri, Maharashtra due to environmental concerns. It was dogged by controversy and court cases right from the beginning. Residents complained of noxious gas leaks and poor effluent management for over two decades.
They suffered from chronic respiratory diseases and eye irritation. Environmentalists pointed out that the plant was too close to the ecologically sensitive region of the Gulf of Munnar, it had not created a sufficient green belt around the factory; that public hearings were not held before giving the plant a go-ahead; and pollutants like cadmium, copper, aluminium, lead and arsenic were seeping into the groundwater.
Things took a turn in March 2018 when Sterlite sought approval to build a second copper smelter. There were large scale protests by villagers, politicians and environmentalists. Film actor turned politician, Kamal Hassan, too joined the fray. Several people, including policemen, lost their lives in the agitation. The plant was finally shut down indefinitely in May 2018.
3) Land acquisition for Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train :
India’s ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project costing $ 17 billion, expected to be constructed by August 2022, faced delays due to problems in land acquisition. It faced stiff resistance from farmers and tribal villages, especially in the Palghar district of Maharashtra. The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) then took the initiative of involving women of 73 villages in Palghar district in the project. These women were entrusted with the task of facilitating communication between the village heads and NHSRCL engineers. Ateam of 15 women from various blocks was setup to explain the compensation packages being offered and the exact land requirement.
This method of stakeholder participation paid rich divi-dends. There is a participation change in the villagets. Till a few months ago, the survey teams could not even enter some of these areas! In Dahanu, for instance, where the project team even faced violence, officials have now been able to establish contact with all the 16 villages where land is required and were able to clear misgivings and lack of understanding about the project.
4) ‘Restore or Demolish’ : The Fading Glory of the Taj Mahal :
The Taj Trapezium case :
It is not merely displaced villagers, or farmers and fishermen who lose their source of livelihood, who are affected parties or risk losers. A concerned citizen too is a risk loser in the environmental context if he perceives a threat to his aesthetic enjoyment of a beautiful monument or a scenic place because of “developmental” activities. As a socially responsible citizen, he may be concerned about environmental issues that affect the general population.
In what is popularly referred to as the Taj Trapezium case’, Mr. M.C. Mehta, a casual visitor to the famed monument, was appalled by the damage caused to the structure by surrounding polluting industries. Being a Supreme Court lawyer, he filed a Public Interest Litigation in 1984. The case had far reaching consequences which are being felt to this day.
Located on the banks of the Yamuna in Agra, the Taj Mahal is considered one of the wonders of the modern world. The 17th century mausoleum, made entirely of ivory-white marble, was built, by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan. Thousands of visitors come daily from all parts of the globe to admire the beauty of this monument.
Over the last few decades, however, the Taj Mahal has been getting discoloured and pitted and is losing its pristine beauty. The cause of the yellow discolouration is by the high levels of air pollution in the surrounding areas. The un-checked growth of iron foundries, chemical industries and brick factories, as well as heavy vehicular traffic, have all contributed to the problem. The Mathura oil refinery and the glass factories at Ferozabad too are a major source of pollution. Most of these industries lie within a 10,400 sq km trapezium shaped area around the Taj.
Mr.Mehta’s PIL led to the formation of committees to study the problem in depth. Finally in 1996 the Supreme Court suggested that 292 polluting industries located within the Taj trapezium area be relocated in a phased manner, unless they stopped using coal and started using natural gas, instead. The Court applied the principle of Sustainable Development in this case, observing that there should be a balance between economic development and environmental protection.
The court reaffirmed the “Polluter Pays Principle”, whereby the polluter would be liable to compensate the individual sufferers as well as bear the costs of reversing the damage to the environment.
Unfortunately, however, the implementation of the measures has been tardy. Today Agra is the 5th most polluted city in India and the 27th most polluted city in the world. In anguish and exasperation the Supreme Court reprimanded the U.P. Government in July 2018 and served an ultimatum – restore the Taj Mahal or demolish it. Spurred to action, the government promised to prepare a 100 year vision document for the conservation of the Taj, including closing down of polluting industries and promoting green transport.