04-10-2016, 11:13 AM
1457613167-environmentalimpactsfulltext.docx (Size: 20 KB / Downloads: 7)
Abstract:
Maritime transport emerges world trade projects include port and harbor projects associated with different activities as terminals, berthing structures and basins. Due to the advancement technology in maritime transport, complexity of port and harbor development has become increasing dramatically. Port development includes three phases as location of a port, construction and operation of a port. Port development usually facing unpredictable environmental challenges in both landside and waterside facilities. The objectives of this study corporate with consideration of environmental problems in port activities through the field survey with expert professionals. Environmental impacts may be direct impact as well as indirect impacts from natural resources and anthropogenic activities. Finally concludes that proposed mitigation measures to control the impacts and assess an EIA procedures to minimize these adverse effects.
Introduction:
Maritime transport is useful for people to transport the goods through the ship and the water routes. Due to these transporting facilities, environmental conditions may be impacted. The source of pollutants from both point and non point sources due to the port activity that transport of goods from one ship to another ship. Increasing globalization of trade and high complexity of project cause a environmental problems. In this paper mentioned the summary of the environmental issues in ports and harbors and give some mitigation measures to minimize the adverse effect on the environment, as a part of the issue provide some measures to enhance the safety for port activities.
Objectives of the Study:
To monitor the environmental changes due to the construction and operation of a port.
To minimize the adverse effects created by the port activities.
To promote general awareness within the public about the potential impacts on environment.
Identification of Impacts:
Port and harbors are located in both marine and terrestrial areas. Port development includes three phases
Location of a port
Construction of a port
Operation of a port
Port location deals with the location of a site, geotechnical investigations and existing structures and landfills. During port construction implies activities on sea and land, includes dredging and transportation. Operation phase includes ship related factors and cargo related factors. Port and harbor activities involves dredging operations, material disposal, shorezone development, vehicular traffic, vehicular collision, maritime traffic can result in the release of natural and man made contaminants to the environments can be identified by some methods as Ad-hoc, checklists, matrices and networks. In these methods checklist is a popular method to provide systemized means of identifying impacts. There are three key elements for assessing the significance of impact as ecological, social, economic and environmental impacts. This paper describes the impact on environmental parameter in port development.
Factors Considered for Environmental Impacts:
Water quality
Coastal hydrology
Bottom contamination
Marine and coastal ecology
Air quality
Noise and vibration
Waste management
Visual quality
Socio cultural impacts
Impact on water quality:
Water quality includes temperature, salinity, PH, color, BOD, COD, turbidity etc. Construction of man-made structures can lead to impacts of water body. Impacts on water quality on both construction and operation phases. Breakwaters and landfills may change current patterns and causes water stagnant may detiorate through a sudden increase of phytoplankton. Dredging operation and disposal activity which leads to the degradation of marine sources. The effects due to water quality are
• Depletion of dissolved oxygen in surface water bodies.
• Toxic substances render water unfit for downstream use.
• Pathogens cause transmission of water borne diseases.
• Thermal effluents from power plants.
• Accident leakage of oil and chemical substances in loading and unloading of products.
Impacts on air quality:
Air quality in a port area can be affected by dust and particulate from traffic, dredging operation, rock excavation. Emissions from ships can lead to pollution. Sulphur dioxide is the main source of emissions from ships in port and harbor areas and normally mix with air. Increased number of peoples and vehicular traffic also affects the air quality.
Impacts on marine ecology and bottom contamination:
Aquatic flora and fauna can be affected by port operations as dredging, vehicular emission. Mainly bottom habitat and fishery resources can be lost because of dredging. More number of species are available in marine areas as bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton, coral, seaweed etc. Pile foundation affects the bottom habitat. Increase of organic matter, hydrogen sulphide results from eutrophication also changes the characteristics of bottom sediments and condition of dead plankton.
Impacts on coastal hydrology:
Coastal hydrology deals with waves, currents, winds, sea and swell, littoral drift and current patterns. Waves are related with transformation as diffraction, refraction and reflection may damage due to construct structures near by shore areas. Construction of seawalls, jetties, piers, breakwaters, wharves may cause erosion and accretion in northern and southern area.
Summary of the Environmental Impacts:
• Potentials impacts on water movement and coastal processes such as erosion, deposition in both long term and short term.
• Dredging operations in port can result in release of contaminants to the environment.
• Disposal of dredged materials leads to the degradation of marine resources as coral reefs, estuaries.
• Shoreline changes contribute stress to the aquatic system through release of sewage and discharges of oil spills.
• Due to the port development activities could result in undesirable socio and cultural impacts as relocation of villages, formation of slum.
• Handling of hazardous materials cause damage to the human health, property and environment.
• Noise can be generated by road traffic, cargo operations and other port activities cause damage to the people.
• Release of gases as petroleum, oil and gas and toxicity waste which cause damage to the marine habitat as flora and fauna.
• Landscape may be changed into an artificial scene of industrialization may give an unpleasant impression to the people.
• NO2 and SO2 are the pollutants generated by ships while berthing and affect air pollution in the hinterland.
• Discharges and spills of these wastes cause problem of oil pollution, unsanitary conditions, floating garbage, odor and other degradation of water quality.
• Lightning from night operations may cause nuisance to the nearby community people.
• Oil wastes discharged from ships spoil the recreational activities as eco tourism.
Recommendations:
Careful site selection and port design should be carefully carried out.
Monitoring the degree of turbidity in water level.
Undertake physical and chemical analyzing process.
Typical measures against beach erosion are construction of sea walls, jetties, offshore breakwaters and beach nourishment.
Planting of green plants around a port may be an effective means to mitigate adverse effects on terrestrial habitat.
Proper disposal of dredged materials plays a important part in preserving the environment.