Reportes y presentación de los resultados de la campaña

2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content

3.1 Issues of Transport and Environment

3.2 Transport Modes and Environmental Impact

3.3 Factors Determining the Magnitude of Transport Impact 4.0 Conclusion

5.0 Summary

6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 Reverences/Further Reading

2.0 Objectives

At the end of this unit, student should be able to:

i. Categorize the types of transport Environmental Impact ii. Enumerate magnitude of impact by transport mode

iii. Discuss the factors determining the magnitude of transport environmental impact.

3.0 Main Content

3.1 Issues of Transport and Environment

The issue of transportation and the environment is paradoxical in nature. From one side, transportation activities support increasing mobility demands for passengers and freight, on the other side, same transport activities have resulted in growing levels of motorization and congestion. As a result, the transportation sector is becoming increasingly linked to environmental problems; with technology relying heavily on the combustion of hydrocarbons, notably with the internal combustion engine, the impacts of transportation over environmental systems has increased. This has reached a point where

transportation activities are becoming a dominant factor behind the emission of most pollutants in the environment. These impacts, like all environmental impacts, can fall within three categories:

i. Direct impacts, where the immediate consequence of transport activities on the environment (cause and effect relationship) is generally clear and well understood.

ii. Indirect impacts, where the secondary (or tertiary) effects of transport activities on environmental systems are often of higher consequence than direct impacts, but the relationships are often misunderstood and difficult to establish.

iii. Cumulative impacts, where the additive, multiplicative or synergetic consequences of transport activities take into account the varied effects of direct and indirect impacts on an ecosystem, which are often unpredicted.

The relationships between transport and the environment can be complex due to two observations; first, transport activities contribute among other anthropogenic and natural causes, directly, indirectly and cumulatively to environmental problems. In some cases, they may be a dominant factor, while in others their role is marginal and difficult to establish. Secondly, transport activities contribute at different geographical scales to environmental problems, ranging from local (noise and CO emissions) to global (climate change), even to continental / national / regional problems (smog and acid rain).

Establishing environmental policies for transportation thus have to take account of the level of contribution and the geographical scale, otherwise some policies may just move the problems elsewhere and have unintended consequences. A noted example are local / regional policies that have forced the construction of higher chimneys for coal burning facilities (power plants) and induced the continental diffusion of acid rain. Thus, even if an administrative division (municipality, county, state/province) have adequate environmental enforcement policies, the geographical scale of pollutants diffusion (notably air pollutants) obviously goes beyond established jurisdictions. In addition to the environmental impacts of the network, traffic and modes, economic / industrial processes sustaining the transport system must be considered. These include the production of fuels, vehicles and construction materials, some of which are very energy intensive (e.g.

aluminum), and the disposal of vehicles, parts and infrastructure. They all have a life cycle timing their production, utilization and disposal. Thus, the evaluation of the transport-environment link without the consideration of cycles in the environment and in the product life alike is likely to convey a limited overview of the situation and may even lead to incorrect appraisal and policies.

Self-Assessment Exercise

 Identify three categories in which transport impact on the environment can fall into?

3.2 Transport Modes and Environmental Impact

The impact of transport on the environment depends on the transport mode/means and the purpose it was meant for, this is presented in table 8.1below:

Table 8.1 Types of Transport Systems and Their Purposes

Transport Mode/Means Purposes

Aircraft Water Inland Marine (sea) Road Rail Pipeline

Passenger/Freight Passenger/Freight Passenger/Freight Passenger/Freight Passenger/Freight Passenger/Freight Freight

Potentially, infrastructure development associated with any of the above transport systems could result in very large number of changes in the environment locally and at a large scale. The changes could encompass natural and built up components of thephysical environments or impact on the social and economic activities of the local and human population. In keeping with any other type of transport develpments projects, infrastructure development may give rise to environmental impacts in one of three ways.

3.2.1 Ways Transport Infrastructure Development Impacts on The Environment The various ways transport infrastructure could impact on the environment are:

i. Due to its physical (e.g. land-lake, visual intrusion)

ii. Due to its use of resources (e.g. fossil fuel, building materials) iii. Due to its generation of waste (e.g. emission of air pollutants).

Self Assesment Question

 Identify the transport system and their purposes?

 In what ways can transport infrastructure development impacts on the environment?

3.3 Factors Determining The Magnitude of Transport Impact

The factors that will determine the magnitude of transport impact on the environment are related to the following:

a. Type of transport and its associated vehicles

b. The geographical context or characteristics of the area affected by the transport system

c. Characteristics of transport operation, such as volume of traffic, traffic speed, the loads to be carried and other loadingfactors (i.e. how full the vehicle will be)

Self-Assessment Exercise

 Identify some factors that can determine the magnitude f transport environmental impact?

4.0 Conclusion

In conclusion, the planning, construction, operational and abandonment phases of transport all have effects on the environment. Empahsis on this unit is more on the negative one, the objective behind this is to create the neccesary awareness towards appreciating the long term effect, especially if it goes on unchecked for a long time.

5.0 Summary

The relationship between transportation and the environment is paradoxical, on one hand, transport support increasing mobility demands for passengers and freight, on the other side, transport activities have resulted in growing levels of motorization and congestion.

This impact can be direct, indirect and cumulative which can depend on the mode/means and the purpose of the transport system. The various ways transport infrastructure could impact on the environment can be due to its physical land take, its use of resources and generation of wastes. The the magnitude of each of the foregoing impact can be related to: the type of transport and its associated vehicles, the geographical context or characteristics of the area affected by the transport system, as well the the characteristics of transport operation.

6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment

a) Attempt a classification of the impact of transport on the environment?

b) Enumerate the nature of enviromental impacts of transport construction, operational and abandonment?

c) Identify some factors that can determine the magnitude of transport environmental impact?

d) Identify the various transport system and their purposes, in what ways can transport infrastructure development impacts on the environment?

7.0. References and Further Readings

Button, K.J (1982) Transport Economics Heinemann Educational Books Ltd.

Edmund, J. G. (1996) Managing Transport Operation, Kogan page Ltd.

Peter, W. (1995) Public Transport UCL Press.

Stuart, C. (1987) Applied Transport Economics, Kogan Page Ltd.

Unit 3: Types of Transport Environmental Impact