National Environment Policy 2006 (TNPCB AE)

Key Highlights

• The National Environment Policy (NEP) was formulated in 2006 by the Government of India, under the Ministry of Environment & Forests.
• It was approved by the Union Cabinet on May 18, 2006
• The NEP is an outcome of extensive consultations with experts, Central Ministries, Members of Parliament, State Governments, Industry Associations, Academic and Research Institutions, Civil Society, NGOs, and the Public.

Preamble

• It addresses the challenges of poverty alleviation, livelihood security, healthcare, education, empowerment, and gender equality within the context of environmental management.
• It builds upon prior environmental policies like the National Forest Policy (1988) and sector policies such as the National Agriculture Policy (2000).
• The NEP aims to broaden the scope of environmental consideration and bridge existing gaps based on current understanding and knowledge.
• It intends to incorporate environmental concerns into all development activities.

Core Aspirations and Principles

• Aims for a decent quality of life for all human beings.
• Humanity must respect the finite nature of the biosphere.
• Neither the pursuit of a good life nor awareness of biophysical limits should impede the quest for greater justice.
• The NEP is a response to the national commitment to a clean environment, as mandated by the Constitution in Articles 48 A and 51 A (g) and reinforced by interpretations of Article 21.

Key Environmental Challenges

• The NEP addresses the interconnectedness of environmental degradation, poverty, and economic growth.
• Environmental degradation exacerbates poverty, particularly for rural populations, by impacting soil fertility, water quality, air quality, forests, wildlife, and fisheries.
• Women are disproportionately affected by natural resource degradation due to their direct involvement in resource collection and use.
• The loss of environmental resources can lead to destitution for certain populations, even when the overall economy is growing.

Objectives of the National Environment Policy

• Conservation of Critical Environmental Resources: Protecting essential ecological systems, resources, and natural and man-made heritage.
• Intra-generational Equity & Livelihood Security for the Poor: Ensuring fair access to environmental resources and quality for all, especially securing access for poor communities dependent on these resources.
• Inter-generational Equity: Using environmental resources judiciously to meet the needs of present and future generations.
• Integration of Environmental Concerns in Economic and Social Development: Incorporating environmental considerations into all policies, plans, programs, and projects.
• Efficiency in Environmental Resource Use: Minimizing the use of environmental resources per unit of economic output to reduce environmental impacts.
• Environmental Governance: Applying good governance principles, including transparency, rationality, accountability, participation, and regulatory independence, to environmental management.
• Enhancement of Resources for Environmental Conservation: Increasing resource flows, including finance, technology, skills, knowledge, and social capital, through partnerships for environmental conservation.

Principles

• Human beings are central to sustainable development and are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.
• The right to development must fulfill both developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations.
• Environmental protection should be integrated into development processes rather than considered separately.
• Precautionary Approach: Lack of scientific certainty should not delay cost-effective measures to prevent serious environmental damage.
• Economic Efficiency: Environmental resource services should be given economic value in decision-making.
• Polluter Pays principle
• Cost Minimization
• Entities with Incomparable Values: Prioritizing the conservation of entities (like unique historical monuments or charismatic species) that cannot be compensated for in monetary terms.
• Legal Liability: Civil liability for environmental damage is essential to deter harmful actions and compensate victims.

Regulatory Reforms

• The existing regulatory framework comprises a legislative framework and regulatory institutions.
• Actions to be taken include institutionalizing an integrated management approach, identifying areas for new legislation, reviewing existing legislation, and ensuring governmental accountability.
• Process-Related Reforms: Aim to reduce delays in environmental clearances, decentralize environmental functions, and ensure greater transparency.

Substantive Reforms

• Key areas include environment and forest clearances, coastal area regulation, and management of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs).
• There is a focus on Environmentally Sensitive Zones, monitoring of compliance, and the use of economic principles in environmental decision-making.
• Actions include the integration of environmental values into cost-benefit analysis and the possible creation of a National Environment Restoration Fund.

Enhancing and Conserving Environmental Resources

• Actions to combat land degradation include promoting sustainable land use practices, reclaiming wasteland, and implementing thematic action plans with watershed management strategies.
• Specific measures for desert ecosystems include intensive water conservation, expanded green cover with local species, and review of agronomic practices.
• The principal direct cause of forest loss has been the conversion of forests to agriculture, settlements, infrastructure, and industry.

Key Actions

• Granting legal recognition to traditional forest entitlements and formulating strategies for increasing forest and tree cover.
• Formulating methodologies for restoring environmental values of forests diverted for other uses.
• Expanding the Protected Area network, including Conservation and Community Reserves,
• Strengthening regulations against wildlife crime.
• Strengthening the legal arrangements/response measures for chemical accidents, in particular, through the transportation/handling/disposal of hazardous waste, as part of the chemical accidents regime

Freshwater Resources

• Maintaining adequate river flows, particularly for ecological values, and adherence to water quality standards throughout river courses.
• Promoting research in glaciology to evaluate climate change impacts on glaciers and river flows.
• Integrate conservation and wise use of wetlands into river basin management involving all relevant stakeholders

Groundwater

• Combat the fact that the water table has been falling rapidly in many areas in recent decades.
• Increased run-off of precipitation due to impermeable surfaces prevents natural groundwater recharge.
• Take explicit account of impacts on groundwater tables of electricity tariffs and pricing of diesel.

Climate Change

• Adherence to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities of different countries in respect of mitigation/adaptation measures
• Any constraints on the emissions of GHG by India , whether direct or indirect, will reduce growth rates.
• Encourage Indian industry to participate in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) through capacity building.

Review of the Policy

• Undertake consultations every three years with groups of diverse stakeholders and update the National Environment Policy.
• Includes the importance and coordination of review mechanisms in respect to the individual action plans under strategic themes at relevant operational level