NATURAL RESOURCES – CONSERVATIONS AND PROTECTION … · projects supported by WaterAid address the issues of water depletion and contamination through appropriate integrated water

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NATURAL RESOURCES – CONSERVATIONS AND

PROTECTION POLICIES

PURPOSE

Access to water is fundamental to human survival, health and productivity. So, it is necessary to

ensure the sustainability of people’s access to water, and to the environment which is dependent

upon it. As pressures and demands on this limited resource increase, the need to find new and

innovative approaches to providing it becomes more apparent, and more urgent.

Water Resource Management (WRM) has emerged as a means to move away from a traditional

sub-sector approach to water provision, to a more holistic or integrated approach to water

management.

The purpose of this policy is to provide practical guidance on global strategic goal of WaterAid in

general and strategy of WaterAid in particular to “ensure all future water supply and sanitation

projects supported by WaterAid address the issues of water depletion and contamination through

appropriate integrated water resource management”.

The purpose of the Natural Resources element is to promote the conservation and protection of

natural resources and guide the acceptable use of resources. The Goals of this element speak to

reducing pollution, protecting important flora and fauna, and protecting wetlands. Protecting

ground and surface water from harmful pollutants is an important theme throughout the policies of

this element. The other important theme is protecting habitat and promoting interconnections

between existing preserved lands in order to provide adequate shelter for plant and animal life. This

element is closely interconnected with the Future Land Use element 2050 Framework and the

goals, objectives and policies that support and implement that framework. The protection of natural

resources is one of the four cornerstones of the Novel’s vision.

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GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES

Resource conservation: an overarching aim of environmental

policy

Resources such as raw materials, soil, water and air enable us to obtain the necessities of life and

keep our society affluent. Resource use and competition for increasingly scarce resources such

as raw materials, land and clean water are growing worldwide owing to a number of factors,

among them unsustainable economic systems, the affluence of industrial nations, and the rapid

economic growth of developing countries. Related to these factors are growing worldwide

environmental problems such as climate change, land degradation and biodiversity loss. The

current production and consumption patterns of industrialized economies will soon reach the

point where, the ecosphere will be overtaxed far beyond its limits.

Moreover, on certain imported raw materials and products, resource stewardship should be seen

in an international context and global aspects need to be factored into the equation; for as raw

materials imports of industrialized nations like our own grow, the consequent environmental

impact is being “exported” to the countries from which these products originate. So, it is also

necessary to avert the increasing resource conflicts that appear to be in the offing and ensure that

raw materials are readily available. Hence reducing resource use and the environmental impact it

provokes along the entire supply chain is one of the pillars of environmental policy.

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Resource stewardship: a multi-disciplinary field of action

Resource stewardship furthers the goal of creating an economy based on natural substance life

cycles and minimum resource use that will be detrimental for neither other nations nor future

generations. Hence resource stewardship can only be achieved holistically from the perspective

of a life cycle comprising raw material production, product design and manufacturing, product

marketing, product use, and recycling or disposal.

The policy goal in this regard is to create conditions that will promote efficient and

environmentally sound resource stewardship, via a carefully constructed policy mix with just

the right instruments for the tasks at hand. To this end, multi-facetted strategies for abiotic and

biotic resources, as well as water, land, and energy need to be integrated into a coherent whole,

and the political, social and economic spheres need to be intermeshed. Hence resource

stewardship is a multi-disciplinary field of action and is one of the major issues facing

environmental policymakers. A reliable social roadmap resulting from a political consensus and

scientifically sound objectives will help to point all concerned in the right direction, particularly

when it comes to decisions involving long term capital investments. We at the Novel lend a

helping hand in all of these domains by developing instruments and strategic concepts, and by

recommending ambitious goals, as well as indicators that will help to keep all concerned on

track.

GOAL 1: POLLUTION CONTROL Protect human and environmental health from the deleterious effects of pollution.

Objective 1.1: Conscientious Stewardship of Earth’s Resources

To promote responsible and conscientious stewardship of Earth’s resources and reduce the carbon

footprint of Country’s development.

ENV Policy 1.1.1: Alternative Transportation

Novel shall support alternative means of transportation such as car- pooling, on-demand and fixed

route mass transit programs, bicycle and pedestrian pathways and other forms of low-fuel

consumptive transportation. Support for alternative means of transportation shall be addressed

through the adoption of regulations within one year of the effective date of this comprehensive plan.

The regulations may include such items as requirements for bicycle storage and associated changing

rooms and preferred parking for low- fuel consumptive vehicles.

ENV Policy 1.1.2: Alternative Energy

Novel shall encourage, without detriment to natural resources, the use of clean alternative energy

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sources and technologies, such as active and passive solar technology and wind turbines, to reduce

or eliminate the input of fossil fuel emissions into the atmosphere and conserve energy.

ENV Policy 1.1.3: Green Building Techniques

Novel shall promote

green, sustainable,

building practices

for public and

private buildings by

utilizing and

promoting the

Leadership in

Energy and

Environmental

Design (LEED)

certification and

other similar

programs.

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ENV Policy 1.1.4: Green Landscaping and Low Impact Techniques

Novel shall promote landscaping techniques that reduce water and fertilizer usage, require low

maintenance, and eliminate or reduce the need for herbicide and pesticide usage, such as

encouraged by various plants society and other similar groups. Incorporation of landscaping into

Low Impact Development design of stormwater systems is encouraged.

ENV Policy 1.1.5: Promote Utilization of Local Food Resources

Novel shall support the implementation of a sustainable agriculture program on private and publicly

owned lands. The program may include but shall not be limited to the following:

1. Creating provisions for community gardens and farms as well as farmers’ markets by

coordinating with neighborhood planning efforts, providing comment in site plan reviews,

subdivision reviews, and land use amendments encouraging the provision of adequate land to

support such facilities, or, as an alternative and where appropriate, encouraging the coordination

with and use other public lands for such facilities.

2. Encouraging and supporting local food marketing strategy and institutional purchasing from

local agriculture for breakfast, lunch and dinner programs.

3. Encouraging the expansion of existing agricultural uses and development of new business

involved in agriculture such as new agricultural technologies and infrastructure to allow

operational activities of urban and small-scale agricultural opportunities.

4. Supporting an assessment of the community food system in order to promote profitable small and

large farms and alternative enterprises to sustain economically viable agricultural communities.

ENV Objective 1.2: Pollution Prevention

To promote the reduction of contaminants.

ENV Policy 1.2.1: Pollution Prevention Policy

Novel shall uphold the policies and strategies of the Pollution Prevention.

ENV Policy 1.2.2: Pollution Reduction and Prevention Methods

Novel shall support and promote the prevention of pollution by promoting Pollution Prevention

program, which promotes the following methods to reduce and prevent pollution: resource-efficient

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design, process changes to reduce production waste, material substitutions that reduce hazardous

waste, on- site material re-use, efficient utilization of resources, and improved work practices.

ENV Policy 1.2.3: Intergovernmental Cooperation

Novel shall involve itself in the Development of Regional Impact review process to ensure that

concerns are addressed related to potential point and non-point source pollution generators.

ENV Objective 1.3: Air Quality

To ensure that human health and the natural environment are not damaged by air contamination.

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ENV Policy 1.3.1: Air Quality

Novel shall support the ongoing efforts in monitoring and enforcing air quality standards.

ENV Policy 1.3.2: Air Quality Control Strategy

Novel shall, take appropriate measures to ensure for air pollution are met.

ENV Policy 1.3.3: Air Quality Standards

Novel shall enforce, and improve as necessary, the Industrial Performance Standards and any codes

controlling soil erosion and dust emanation during and after development activities.

ENV Objective 1.4: Water Quality

To ensure that human health and the natural environment are not damaged by water contamination.

ENV Policy 1.4.1: Water Quality Standards

Novel shall not allow the quality of groundwater and surface water resources to be degraded, either

directly or indirectly by human influences, below the minimum criteria for water quality and shall

ensure that it is maintained or, as necessary, improved to ensure the availability of this resource for

present and future generations.

ENV Policy 1.4.2: Water Quality Monitoring

Novel shall support and encourage continued water quality monitoring by individual volunteers that

will help identify and formulate plans to address point and non-point source pollution.

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ENV Policy 1.4.3: Protection Guidelines

Novel shall implement of the following standards and guidelines to protect its surface waters:

1. The discharge of runoff, wastewater, or other potential sources of contamination into surface

waters resulting in a degradation of the quality is prohibited and shall be enforced.

2. The most current best management practices which control erosion and limit the amount of

sediment reaching surface waters shall be applied to all activities.

3. Removal or control of submerged, emergent, or floating vegetation through non-chemical

means shall be prioritized. Removal shall be limited to that necessary to allow reasonable

access to water resources except for the removal of invasive, exotic species such as hydrilla,

water hyacinth, or water lettuce.

4. Non-chemical means, where feasible, and best management practices shall be used as

alternatives to insecticides and herbicides for the control of mosquitoes.

ENV Policy 1.4.4: Groundwater - Waste Disposal & Discharge

Novel shall monitor permit compliance for waste disposal and discharge facilities and activities, and

take appropriate action when necessary. Appropriate action shall include notification of the

permitting agency, intervention in agency proceedings, or legal action by Novel.

ENV Policy 1.4.5: Groundwater - Mandatory Connection to Water and Sewer

Novel shall continue to require connection to central water and to sewer service when such service is

available in order to reduce the direct demand on groundwater for domestic use and reduce the

potential for contamination from septic tank leachate per the Potable Water and Sanitary Sewer sub

element of the Infrastructure element.

ENV Policy 1.4.6: Emergency Water Conservation Plan

Novel shall continue to conduct water conservation programs and maintain and implement the

County’s emergency water conservation plan.

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ENV GOAL 2: PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES

Protect, conserve, enhance and manage native habitats and natural communities to ensure viable

use continues for present and future generations of terrestrial and aquatic floral and faunal

species and the enjoyment of the public.

ENV Objective 2.1: Regional Conservation Strategy

To protect plant and animal diversity and distribution by protecting listed and imperiled plant

and wildlife habitats, providing for habitat corridors, and preventing habitat degradation,

isolation or fragmentation through a regional conservation strategy.

ENV Policy 2.2: Environmental Education

Novel shall support efforts to increase the public’s understanding and stewardship of wildlife,

natural communities, and other natural resources through partnerships with non-profit

organizations.

ENV Objective 2.4: Soil Conservation

To protect and conserve native soils as an essential natural resource. Novel shall encourage the

use of bona fide agricultural practices that optimize the use of soils for the long-term,

sustainable production of food and fiber for society.

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ENV Policy 2.5: Soil Stabilization

Best management practices, including sodding, seeding, mulching, and preservation and

maintenance of vegetation, shall be utilized throughout and following development activities in

order to reduce the erosion of soil by wind and water and to conserve the functions of natural

systems.

ENV Policy 2.4.45: Maintain Natural Systems

In order to protect native soils and the functions of natural systems, Novel shall encourage the

use of stem walls or pilings as alternatives to the use of fill material to achieve elevation of

buildings necessary for flood protection and other design criteria.

ENV GOAL 3: WETLANDS

Avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts to wetlands by restoration, enhancement, creation or

local wetland mitigation banking, when available.

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ENV Objective 3.1: Wetland Protections

To protect wetlands and the natural functions and values of wetlands.

WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

WaterAid is addressing some of the issues of WRM through and approach termed as CWRM,

but in an uncoordinated fashion. However, in order for the organisation to be effective and

have a direct impact in this area and to ensure its work is really sustainable, much more needs

to be done on understanding and applying the WRM approach successfully.

Organisationally, WaterAid in general and WaterAid in particular requires a better

understanding of how WRM can be applied successfully.

WaterAid ‘s work prioritises the provision of safe drinking water to poor people. No strategy

for poverty reduction can be effective unless greater efficiency (quality and quantity) in water

uses, shared water resources management, the protection of water resources and the

development of sustainable water management strategies at the local, regional and national

levels to promote both equitable access and adequate supplies as designed in all their

dimensions, are brought within its compass.

Financial resources are needed to address several additional costs, including capital costs to

establish construction standards; operation and maintenance costs at the community level; the

costs of creating a positive enabling environment, and for providing capacity building; and the

costs of creating and sustaining the required institutional support mechanisms at intermediate

levels which can provide indefinite back-up support to communities.

WRM also offers WaterAid and its partners the opportunity to move away from the traditional

sectoral and fragmented approach to water supply towards a greater holistic vision of

sustainable development through shared, equitable and sustainable access to water resources.

WaterAid will play a more significant role in ensuring that water resources for poor households

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and communities, are more sustainable. This policy paper has mapped the direction the

organisation must take in order to achieve this.

It provides WaterAid and its partners with a sustainable method of abstracting ground and

surface water. It supports the development of water management strategies at national and local

levels. It offers tools for the promotion of the re-use as well as conservation of water resources.

These strategies promote both equitable accesses, safe and adequate water supplies for the

benefit of poor people.

Strategies and programs

Novel represents a major step toward implementation of our national sustainable-development

strategy, which sets the goal of delinking resource use and economic growth and doubling raw

material productivity by 2020. The overarching goal is for resource use to become sustainable

so as to substantially reduce the environmental degradation provoked by such use.

Novel promotes the implementation of various resource stewardship strategies and works to

optimize them. For in point of fact, doubling raw material productivity will not be enough in

and of itself to counter the risks and threats entailed by resource use worldwide. What is also

needed is to cut resource consumption by 90 percent at a minimum.

Falling water tables, ground water pollution, serious problems of water quality

(microbiological and arsenic) and growing and competing demands for drinking water and

sanitation, agriculture, natural ecosystems, industries and hydropower will pose a challenge to

effectively provide drinking water and sanitation services to poor people in urban and rural

parts. A better understanding of CWRM (Community Water Resource Management) approach

is necessary, and WaterAid will therefore place an increased emphasis on the concept, tools

and techniques of CWRM while designing water, sanitation and hygiene projects to ensure:

Minimum requirements

� That all project proposals include an assessment of the sustainability of the water

sources and either a description of the actions to be taken to safeguard or enhance that

sustainability or reasons why no actions are required.

� That water quality policies are enacted in country programme and that all sanitation

project proposals include as assessment of the risk of pollution of drinking water sources

and actions to prevent the same, if necessary.

1. Three measures

WaterAid will undertake technical, institutional and capacity building measures as follows:

1.1 Technical

The technical intervention is required for ensuring sustainability of water sources (such as

ponds and catchments) by conserving and protecting them for increasing ground water

recharge, reduction of surface runoff and pollution control.

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Rain water management: Proper management of rainfall is crucial in CWRM approach as

two-third of rainwater enters into the water cycle of rainfall – evaporation – runoff. This will

be done

by promoting rain water harvesting, soil management and water reuse technologies at the

household, community and catchments level.

Pollution control: Reducing water pollution essentially means increasing available water

resources. Some measures include: formulation of water quality policy for testing and

mitigation measures, promotion of Eco-friendly toilets and water treatment units to reduce

ground water pollution, fixing water points and constructing proper apron to avoid water

contamination from infiltration, carrying sanitary surveillance to prevent contamination

during planning, implementation and afterwards.

1.2 Institutional collaboration and linkages

Water resources can be managed better only by involving all the sectors. WaterAid will play a

crucial role for coordinating and promoting collaborative program/ project amongst its partners

and other relevant sectors stakeholders for holistic program planning and implementation.

It will also support and encourage partners to establish linkage with other support agencies

including private sector to help implement activities identified in the plan.

1.3 Capacity building

Capacity gaps exist at various levels surrounding CWRM. WaterAid will therefore enhance the

capacity on CWRM through training, exposure visits and other appropriate ways on: CWRM

approach, preparation of participatory water and environmental sanitation plan, training of

trainers on different CWRM tools and techniques (rain water harvesting, value based education,

ground water recharge, source protection, water bodies rehabilitation, sanitary surveillance, liquid

waste management and treatment technologies etc.).

2. Guidelines for meeting minimum requirements

Project proposals are expected to address adequately for ensuring conservation of and control of

water resources contamination. There are different water sources such as kuwas (springs), stream,

ponds at community level.

This guideline of WaterAid provides following measures for ensuring conservation/protection of

water sources from contamination and their thoughtless exploitation and for controlling water

pollution.

2.1 Conservation of water sources

� Separate surface run-off drainage and its safe disposal.

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� Avoid run-off along the road to control erosion, construct drainage appropriately.

� Collect the water draining in community ponds. Many small ponds are better than a single

pond in a community.

However, one or two ponds could also do a good job when there is not sufficient space.

� Construction of small ponds along the grassland would enhance soil moisture content.

� Conserve drinking water sources by plantation around the water sources.

� Cover the drinking water pipeline with sufficient soil in order to protect it under-cutting.

� Collect waste water from water points in a cattle-trough.

� Promote porous surface pavement (brick instead of stone) to allow rain water percolation.

� Do not tap spring source and ground water more than required. This will help to conserve

groundwater and surface water sources.

� Promote waste water treatment technologies for reuse.

2.2 Pollution control

� Avoid direct sewerage discharging into the pond or any water body.

� Keep the water sources and its surrounding clean

� Washing clothes, bathing, defecation along the water sources should be controlled

� Fence the water sources in order to avoid animal and human encroachment

� Keep the contamination source within safe distance from water points

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� Promote Ecological toilets to prevent ground water pollution

� Solid waste disposal sites / compost pit should be constructed at safe distance considering

contamination from leachate flow

2.3 Other measures

� Apart from that there are other measures which contribute to water conservation

indirectly and should be considered.

� Use of appropriate technology such as Drip irrigation

� Construction of micro-hydro power projects at the community level would provide simple

and easy fuel for household use. This would lessen the community to depend on

traditional sources of fuel-wood thus conserving forests consequently it will help

conserve water.

� Use of biogas can also help to protect and conserve water sources in many ways. It will

reduce the fuel wood consumption for cooking, economise water for cleaning utensils and

avoids ground water pollution from human and animal excreta.

Guiding measures for managing/conserving water resources at different levels

Water resources can be managed / conserved at different levels such as household level,

community level/village and watershed level.

2.4 WRM at household level

Water management always starts from household level. Wise use of water for household

purpose helps to minimise the problem of water scarcity. There are four ways to manage

/conserve water at household level.

a. Behavioral change:

� Use water as per necessity only; do not waste it.

� Turn off the tap while brushing, washing clothes and dishes and bathing.

� Maintain the leakage in the taps if there is any

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� Collect rainwater during rainfall. It can be used in kitchen, bathroom, and toilets and to

wash clothes.

b. Reuse:

Larger amount of water is used for washing, bathing and gardening. According to a data, only

5% of total supply is used for drinking and cooking, 52% is used for sanitation and hygienic

activities such as bathing, washing clothes and dishes and remaining 43% is used in toilet

flushing, gardening and other sanitation activities. In this way, more than 40% of water is

used for activities other than drinking and cooking. Such activities need not have to have high

quality water. Grey water from kitchen and bathroom could be treated and reused.

c. Rainwater harvesting:

90% rainfall occurs during monsoon. This is the time to conserve and prevent water induced

damages caused by rainfall.

Following activities could be done.

� Firstly, allow maximum seepage of rainwater in kitchen garden. For this;

Plant trees and shrubs along the slopes

� Small ponds in order to minimise the velocity of surface run-off.

� Pond of diameter 1 to 2 meters in order to collect surface run off wherever appropriate.

� Level the land. This will help in maximum recharge and controls soil erosion.

� Construct proper storm water drainage around the houses. This will help to minimise the

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damages caused by surface run off.

� Do not stay confident that flooding never occurs in my land; take precautionary measures.

� Locate flood prone areas

� Construction activities in dry season can block the outlets without knowledge. Sometimes,

blockage of outlets could occur due to small and local land slides. This would enhance

flooding during monsoon.

� Make outlets for excessive water from land

� Presence of boulders in the outlets too, can block water. If it cannot block the bigger floods

then, a pond can be created in order to prevent floods. This does not mean that

all the flowing water should be accumulated in the pond; breaking water velocity for some

time would also control the flood.

� Do not create pond in fragile landscape or in landslide prone zone.

� It is not that water should stay stagnant in the pond all the time. Drying up of pond signifies

that the water has been seeped to the underground, which will help to sustain the water sources

d. Pollution control:

� There might be sufficient water in the wet season but do not misuse this water.

� Generally, lack of sanitation around the house premises pollutes water source. Sanitation

activities not only help to keep the water source safe but also help family to live a healthy life.

� Use sanitary toilet for defecation.

� Construction of toilets should be done considering its distance from the nearest water

sources.

� Compost pit should be constructed considering water sources preventing leached flow

� Create compost pit for kitchen wastes

2.5 WRM at community level

There are different water sources such as kuwas (springs), stream, ponds at community level.

Conservation of these sources and prevention of contamination

from different activities are terms as water resource management at community level.

Water resource management at the community level includes following points:

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e. Conservation of water sources

� Separate surface run-off drainage of the community and its safe disposal.

� Avoid run-off along the road to control erosion, construct drainage appropriately.

� Collect water flow through the drain in community ponds. Many small ponds are better than

a single pond in a community. However, one or two ponds could also do a good job when

there is not sufficient space.

� Construction of small ponds along the grassland would enhance soil moisture content.

Conserve drinking water sources by plantation around the water sources.

� Cover the drinking water pipeline with sufficient soil in order to protect it under-cutting.

� Collect waste water from water points in a cattle-trough.

� Promote porous surface pavement (brick instead of stone) to allow rain water percolation.

� Do not tap spring source and ground water more than required. This will help to conserve

groundwater and surface water sources.

f. Pollution control

� Avoid sewerage discharging into the pond or any water body.

� Keep the water sources and its surrounding clean

� Washing clothes, bathing, defecation along the water sources should be controlled

� Fence the water sources in order to avoid animal and human encroachment

� Keep the contamination source safely away from water points

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� Promote Ecological toilets to prevent ground water pollution

g. Other measures

Apart from that there are other measures which contribute to water conservation indirectly and

should be considered.

� Use of appropriate technology such as Drip irrigation

� Construction of micro-hydro power projects at the community level would provide simple

and easy fuel for household use. This would lessen the community to depend on traditional

sources of fuelwood thus conserving forests consequently it will help conserve water.

� Use of biogas can also help to protect and conserve water sources in many ways. It will

reduce the fuel wood consumption for cooking, economise water for cleaning utensils and

avoids ground water pollution from human and animal excreta.

WRM at watershed level Distribution, conservation, storage and water resource generation

occurs in the watershed during the monsoon. Nature of the watershed ensures the availability

of water. Water scarcity during dry season prevails when watershed area cannot absorb

rainwater. Watershed area that can store enough underground water, can cater water all the

year round.

Characteristic of watershed area is defined by the geographical condition.

Water sources management at the watershed level is more significant in mid- hills and ‘Chure’

the boulder zone area. Following activities are recommended within the watershed area.

� Locate the flood prone area

� Locate land slide prone area and prevent it from floods

� Identify newly formed and permanent gullies and prevent such gullies from floods

� Identify the major water sources in order to conserve it

� Keep record of water sources that has been dried out and newly originated sources. This

would help to understand the movement of underground water.

Construct the rain water harvesting pond to collect water at the large scale.

� Identify the pond that has been dried out since years and investigate its role on flood

control.

� Explore possibility for recharge of water bodies from waste water such as waste water from

stone spouts.

h. Pollution control measures

Following points could be considered for the pollution control at watershed area.

� Prevent water sources from industrial effluent

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� Monitor effects of excessive use of pesticides in water sources