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Importance of Public Participation in Air Quality Management

Importance of Public Participation in Air Quality Management. Jitendra (Jitu) Shah, Nagaraja Harshadeep, Tanvi Nagpal, Jane Nishida, Paul Procee, Sarath Guttikunda The World Bank, 1818 H. St. NW. Washington, DC USA 20433. Outline: Why and When?. Why is Public Participation Important?

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Importance of Public Participation in Air Quality Management

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  1. Importance of Public Participation in Air Quality Management Jitendra (Jitu) Shah, Nagaraja Harshadeep, Tanvi Nagpal, Jane Nishida, Paul Procee, Sarath Guttikunda The World Bank, 1818 H. St. NW.Washington, DC USA 20433

  2. Outline: Why and When? • Why is Public Participation Important? • Developing Countries: Trends and Limitations • Decisions Requiring Public Participation • Examples of Unintended Consequences • Tools for Improving Public Involvement • Lessons Learned

  3. Why is Participation important in the developing world? • Create political awareness and will for change with local concerns and perspectives • Complement institutions (governments and private sector) and improve accountability • Provide information to assist in decision-making • Create public ownership of problem and solutions

  4. Theory: What they teach you • Management Options • Policy, Economic, Technical • Institutional • Environmental & Social • Analysis • Knowledge Development • Models & Support Systems in Economic Framework • Consultative Process • The Problem • Increasing consumption • Health and other impacts of air pollution • Unsustainable use of natural resources • Actions • AQM Strategy & Action Plans • Rule of law (enforcement & compliance) • Studies and Investments • Institutional Arrangements

  5. Clean Air: A Public Good in State Hands • A public good is defined as an economic good which possesses two properties: • Each person can benefit from it without diminishing anyone else's enjoyment • It is impossible to prevent people from gaining access (e.g. clean air) • Clean Air: Privatization not feasible, so by default, State is the provider

  6. Reality: What do you Encounter?(especially in the developing world) • Multiple stakeholders - opinions & different and limited levels of information • Institutional problems (interest, capacity, interaction, fragmentation, shared vision, legal system) • Alternatives unclear and implementation uncertain • Ad-hoc crisis-driven decisions; processes (short-term, unclear, political economy) • Limited resources (technical, financial)

  7. Levels of Decision-Making National Increasing level of complexity More impact on individuals More need for public participation State/Provincial District Local Government Community Households

  8. The “Blame Game”…

  9. Public Feedback (e.g. to newspaper ads, websites, public documents, etc.) Public consultation Public participation in decision making Joint decision-making Public decision-making Types of Public Interaction Information Disclosure Opposers Continuum of Public Response Observers Supporters

  10. Examples of Unintended consequences • Too advanced technology – beyond capability to maintain – parts supply • I & M for personal vehicles without proper public education • Capital investment without operation and maintenance funds • Emissions Inventory is wrong leading to wrong solutions • Over-emphasis on Transport • Oxygenated fuel – introduction of heavy aldehyde, subsidies, instead of oxygen sensors in vehicles • “Better lead than dead”– arguing for leaded gasoline by scaring people about benzene and other VOCs from unleaded gasoline

  11. Where Public Participation changed the outcome… • Dhaka Two Stroke Three Wheeler phaseout, Kathmandu Three wheeler phaseout • CNG for All Buses in Delhi • Unleaded gasoline in Asia • I&M vs Particulate Standards in developed countries • Area sources becoming important as point sources come under control (where changes needed in public behaviour)

  12. PM2.5 concentrations declines in Dhaka after two-stroke phase-out 350 300 250 200 PM2.5 microgram/m3 - 41% reduction 150 Average 100 50 0 1/2/2003 1/4/2003 1/6/2003 12/25/2002 12/27/2002 12/29/2002 12/31/2002

  13. 4,500 Current scenario 4,000 3,500 3,000 Benefits 2,500 Annual PM Emissions (tpy) 2,000 1,500 Acted sooner 1,000 500 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 1983 1987 1991 1995 Timing is important!!!Why not making a decision is a decision...

  14. Trends in developing countries • Environmental awareness and networking is on the rise • Judicial activism growing • Capacity of Environmental agencies increasing • Local/Municipal government increasingly recognizing that Better Air Quality is good Politics! • Easy, “low-hanging fruits” are giving way to harder options requiring behavioural change

  15. Lessons learned • Socially difficult environmental decisions can be executed if there is strong public support which creates the required political will • Successful public participation requires better use of information and appropriate tools, planning processes, transparent implementation and feedback • Enforcement agencies need to better recognize and use public as their ally – e.g. Bogota

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