Browsing by Author "Ambalavanar, J"

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item: Thesis-Abstract
A Tool for initial environmental assessment of road rehabilitation projects
Ambalavanar, J; Bandara, JMSJ; Bandara, NJGJ
The environmental assessment process involves the prediction of changes over time in various environmental aspects as a result of a proposed project. The prediction of the nature, extent, and magnitude of environmental changes likely to result from a proposed project is aided by various tools and techniques, the choice of which depends upon the impacts of concern, data availability or lack thereof, and the appropriate specificity of quantitative models. However, the choice of the appropriate method for conducting an environmental assessment can only be guided by certain criteria, but no single method will meet all the necessary criteria. The environmental assessment is mandatory in Sri Lanka since 1988 only for the projects listed under the category of "prescribed projects" in the National Environmental Act (NEA)The road rehabilitation projects do not fall in to the above category unless it falls within sensitive areas or resettlements of more than hundred families are involved or projects located wholly or partly outside the coastal zone with a road length exceeding 10kms. However, for funding purposes foreign agencies have made this mandatory even though they exempted from the environmental assessment according to the NEA. In practice this study might consume more time depending on the size of the project. As a result we might loose foreign aid allocations and prospective donors. Therefore a quick alternative method for environmental assessment is essential. This study develops a checklist for Initial Environmental Assessment (IEA)of road rehabilitation projects which consumes only a week or so to carry out the IEA. The checklist was generated based on the literature survey, discussions with subject experts, questionnaire surveys and field observations made on road rehabilitation projects. It identifies activities, corresponding environmental impacts and suitable mitigations for each component of the road rehabilitation project. This study is unique because the attempts were made to provide much information as possible on the techniques and methods available for handling different issues in the environmental assessment process and it is specially designed to suit the Sri Lankan conditions. Further, it gives possible mitigatory measures for each impact and also comprehensively covers all relevant impacts identified in presently use checklists in Sri Lanka there by cut down the amount of time required for preparation. The RDA and other road sector organizations could use this checklist in future for their IEA studies. It is hoped fervently that, this study would provide a significant step ahead in improving the process of IEA and hence they may absorb more foreign aid funds and attract prospective donors. Also this study recommends that, the use of checklist by a panel of experts, initiating a search for new cost effective mitigation measures, include the conditions stipulated on environmental clearance in to the project contract document, deploying a strong monitoring team, make available an environmental complain form at the project site, conduct site meetings regularly to discuss the issues ' problems, report the progress to relevant authorities and providing training for the officials.
item: Conference-Abstract
Tool for initial environmental assessment of road rehabilitation projects
(Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa., 2010) Ambalavanar, J; Bandara, NJGJ; Bandara, JMSJ; Pasindu, HR
The environmental assessment process involves the prediction of changes over time in various environmental aspects as a result of a proposed project. The prediction of the nature, extent, and magnitude of environmental changes likely to result from a proposed project is aided by various tools and techniques, the choice of which depends upon the impacts of concern, data availability or lack thereof, and the appropriate specificity of quantitative models. However, the choice of the appropriate method for conducting an environmental assessment can only be guided by certain criteria, but no single method will meet all the necessary criteria. The environmental assessment for development projects are mandatory requirement in Sri Lanka since 1993. The detailed assessments are required only for the projects fall under the category of prescribed projects of the National Environmental Act. The Road rehabilitation projects do not fall in to the above category unless it falls within sensitive areas or resettlements of more than hundred families are involved. However, for funding purposes foreign agencies have made this mandatory even though they exempted from the Environmental Assessment according to the NEA act. Therefore a quick alternative method for environmental assessment is essential for this purpose. For these reasons, the present study was conducted to develop a checklist for initial environmental assessment of road rehabilitation projects which only consumes a week or so to carry out the environmental assessment. The checklist was generated from the information collected from literature survey, questionnaire surveys and field observation of six actual road rehabilitation projects from planning, construction and operational phases. It identifies activities, corresponding environmental impacts, suitable mitigation and the monitoring requirement for each component of road rehabilitation projects. Notwithstanding the lesser time it takes, it will certainly help Sri Lanka to absorb more foreign donors and aids with effective assessments and also to attract prospective donors. The checklist is user friendly as activities and impacts are predetermined and linked to each other and it could be used in any road rehabilitation projects by the subject experts in order to be effective and accurate. Also the study discovered that to avoid opposition from the general public for the proposed development, the compensation should be paid at the planning stage and a strong monitoring system should be implemented during construction and operational phases. A search for new cost effective mitigation measures is recommended and the checklist has to be upgraded accordingly.