Question

List and describe the challenges in environmental regulation.
Please provide with your own words (150-300 words)

Answer 1

Environmental regulations are made by the scientific committee on health, environmental and emerging risk (SCHEER),whichprovides advice on issues relating to health, environmental and emerging risks.

Environmental regulation refers to the imposition of limitations or responsibilities on individuals, corporation and other entities for the purpose of preventing environmental damage or improving degraded environment.

Some of the challenges in environment regulation are mentioned below:-

1) lack of political will and stakeholder support- Only by creating policies it is not necessary that it will work. The political and public support is also very essential. The political support at higher level is very crucial for setting strategies, serving planning resources, championing environmental requirements with stakeholders and enforcing implementation. But at the implementation stage the policy came across with various political realities which is the main concern for the environmental regulation.

2) Insufficient resources and capacity- Implementation of the policies cannot be done without sufficient resources and capacity to carry it out. Conducting a thorough assessment and developing operational rules for environmental regulation at even a single dam or river reach requires significant technical and institutional capacity. Compounding the challenge,few begin with adequate financial resources to build and maintain effective environmental management program.

3) Institutional barriers and conflict of interest- The act is inherently interdisciplinary and intersectoral. The institutional framework is considered as a leading challenge to environmental regulation. Agencies that plan and manage hydropower, agriculture land use, urban and industrial development and natural resources all operate under different legal authorities. All agencies have their own interest and they only want to grow themselves or save money. That's why there is a conflict of interest among them.

4) Poor implementation- There is a lack of independence given to the central and the state board who still have to depend on the state and the central government for the appointment. There is a bureaucracy in work which results in Delay in decisions and poor implementation of policies. Also due to excessive interference by the government on the governance of ministry there is a poor implementation of the policies.