Environmental Policy and Law - Volume 50, issue 1-2

Authors: Kurniati, Nia | Hindersah, Reginawanti | Sukarsa, Dadang Epi

Article Type: Review Article

Abstract: Certain lands in the Parigi district of the Pangandaran Regency are dominated by karst (both exokarst and endokarst). The study focuses on the use of land in the karst area of Parigi, a district in the Pangandaran Regency, and how karst areas are used for agriculture and tourism, seeking to identify the synchronisation of the regulations of both. The method of study was the juridical normative method and descriptive qualitative approach. Secondary data was obtained from regulations, while the primary data was obtained from field observation and interviews with the community, local government officials and staff at the West Java …Geological Institute. The study showed that Pangandaran karst lands used for agricultural and tourism purposes are not yet regulated by the law although they generate economic benefits for local government. New regulation is needed, which should also cover the unused karst lands that generate intangible benefits as conservation areas. Show more

Keywords: Pangandaran, karst, agriculture, tourism, regulation

DOI: 10.3233/EPL-200200

Citation: Environmental Policy and Law, vol. 50, no. 1-2, pp. 103-110, 2020

Authors: Kozyrin, Aleksandr Nikolaevich | Yalbulganov, Aleksandr Alibievich

Article Type: Review Article

Abstract: The article discusses the legal protection of the environment from pollution by industrial and consumer waste, focusing on typical problems experienced by the Russian Federation and other post-Soviet States. It builds on the studies of the legal basis for management of industrial and consumer waste, and the economic opportunities of recycling. The authors analyse the effectiveness of administrative mechanisms for preventing pollution; the differences in the relevant powers of federal, regional and local authorities; and the need for authorities to better coordinate their work in this area. With regard to the Russian Federation, it assesses the municipal solid waste …management reform that commenced on 1 January 2019, encompassing the principles and mechanisms for waste collection, sorting, processing and disposal, as well as its efforts to create a new household culture and to improve environmental wellbeing. It notes that the high cost of the reform has thus far mainly been borne by the population, giving rise to serious discontent, and proposes to reduce these negative financial consequences through better organisation of the country’s system of environmental payments as applied to industrial and consumer waste, i.e., by employing the “polluter pays” principle. It also recognises and discusses the need to develop fiscal mechanisms aimed at encouraging the use of waste and secondary resources. Show more

Keywords: Environment, legal protection, production and consumption waste, economic regulation, administrative mechanisms, environmental payments, environmental fees, responsibility

DOI: 10.3233/EPL-200203

Citation: Environmental Policy and Law, vol. 50, no. 1-2, pp. 111-117, 2020

Authors: van Truong, Nguyen | Chu, Beiping

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Marine environmental pollution caused by plastic wastes has been studied for 50 years, although that research has produced limited recommendations regarding reduction, prevention and control of such wastes. The large annual volume of such pollution enters the marine environment in many ways and lasts a long time, causing harm to marine fauna through entanglement and ingestion of toxic components, which can affect their reproductive capacity and the food chain, and negatively impact human health as well. Viet Nam is fourth in the list of the 20 countries discarding the greatest amounts of plastic waste into the sea on an annual …basis. This paper provides an overview of research on the sources of marine plastics pollution, and analyses of its impacts on marine life, marine ecosystems and human health. It briefly reports about the quantity of marine plastic waste that washes up in the coastal region of Viet Nam and offers recommendations to help minimise and manage plastic waste generated by ships. Show more

Keywords: Marine plastic waste, marine debris, MARPOL Annex V, marine pollution

DOI: 10.3233/EPL-200201

Citation: Environmental Policy and Law, vol. 50, no. 1-2, pp. 119-133, 2020

Authors: Hashemolhosseini, Bahar

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Unbalanced exploitation of renewable and non-renewable resources by industrial, agricultural, and other economic sectors are depleting these resources across the world. Environmental pollution and degradation are adversely affecting socio-economic conditions. Thus, an urgent and ambitious action is required to rehabilitate nature by striking a balance between environmental quality and human uses of natural resources. To relieve the unsustainable practices, decoupling nature from growing demands for economic exploitation has been proposed. However, a feasible procedure is required to decouple unsustainable economic practices from the environment. This article illustrates the complexity of applying decoupling in the context of discharging hazardous chemicals in …transboundary water resources, and more specifically in the Great Lakes, between Canada and the United States. Furthermore, the article argues that “environmental impact assessment” should be reinforced in regulatory measures to apply the decoupling idea practically. Show more

Keywords: Decoupling, economic growth, natural resources, transboundary waters, water quality, environmental impact assessment

DOI: 10.3233/EPL-200197

Citation: Environmental Policy and Law, vol. 50, no. 1-2, pp. 135-147, 2020