Environmental Priorities and Poverty Reduction: A Country Environmental Analysis for Colombia (Directions in Development - Environment and Sustainable Development)

Environmental Priorities and Poverty Reduction: A Country Environmental Analysis for Colombia proposes cost-effective policy and technical interventions aimed at abating the cost of environmental degradation and supporting more equitable and sustainable economic growth. Environmental degradation is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and decreased productivity. Urban and indoor air pollution; inadequate water supply, sanitation, and hygiene; natural disasters (mainly floods and landslides); and land degradation are the environmental problems associated with the highest social and economic costs, falling most heavily on vulnerable people, especially poor children under five years old. Environmental Priorities and Poverty Reduction begins by exploring institutional change and environmental priorities in Colombia over the past 50 years, a time of substantial progress in environmental protection and rapid transition from a largely rural to a highly urbanized economy. Part II assesses the burden of disease rooted in inadequate water supply, sanitation, and hygiene; poor air quality; and natural disasters; and the environmental management practices to reduce that burden. A discussion of the environmental costs of rapid and unplanned urbanization is also included. Part III assesses the sustainable management of Colombia's rich endowment of natural resources. This book provides a wealth of information for policy decision-makers, government officials, and other professionals working in environmental policy and management, poverty reduction strategies, public health, environmental economics, and civil society issues. Executive Summary -- Inadequate Water Supply, Sanitation, And Hygiene -- Urban And Indoor Air Pollution -- Natural Disasters -- Urban Environmental Management -- Water Resources Policies -- Soil Degradation And Deforestation -- Global Environmental Problems -- Institutional Strengthening -- Conclusions -- Institutional Change And Environmental Priorities -- Overview -- Objectives Of The Country Environmental Analysis -- Cea Process And Summary -- A Unique Model For Environmental Management -- Introduction -- Institutional And Legal Foundations: 1952-1974 -- Expansion Of Roles And Legal Frameworks: 1975-1993 -- Consolidating Institutions, Regulations, And Planning: 1994-2005 -- Conclusions -- Actors And Institutions -- Environmental Information Systems -- Sina's Finances -- The Ministry Of Environment -- National Environmental Council And National Technical Advisory Council -- National Planning Department (dnp) -- Institutes Of Investigation -- National Parks System --^ Public Participation -- Control Organizations -- Judiciary -- Conclusions And Recommendations -- Decentralization: A Balancing Act -- Background -- Overall Performance Of Cars -- Allocation Of Car Resources And Priority Setting -- Sources Of Cars' Financial Resources -- Adequacy Of Human And Technical Resources -- Sanitation Infrastructure -- Relationships Between Cars And Other Sina Entities -- Conclusions And Recommendations -- Setting Environmental Priorities: Top Down And Bottom Up -- Introduction -- Annual Cost Of Environmental Damage -- Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene -- Urban Air Pollution -- Indoor Air Pollution -- Agricultural Land Degradation -- Natural Disasters -- Perception On Environmental Priority Problems -- Conclusions -- Reducing The Burden Of Disease Through Better Environmental Management -- Waterborne Diseases Remain Widespread -- Background -- Assessment Of Policy Design, Efficiency, And Effectiveness -- Analysis Of Policy Implementation --^ Analysis Of Alternative Interventions -- Conclusions And Recommendations -- Improving Air Quality -- Introduction -- Air Quality Management -- Performance Of The Air Quality Management System -- Potential Interventions To Control Air Pollution -- Conclusions And Recommendations -- A Silent Killer: Indoor Air Pollution -- Introduction -- Acute Respiratory Illness In Colombia -- Health Effects Of Indoor Air Pollution -- Stove Efficiency -- Fuelwood Consumption -- Cost Of Interventions -- Benefit-cost Analysis -- Sensitivity Analysis -- Effectiveness Of Indoor Air Pollution Control Programs -- Conclusions And Recommendations -- The Environmental Cost Of Accelerated Urban Growth -- Introduction -- Urban Growth And Environment In Colombia -- Housing Policy-main Environmental Difficulties And The Government's Response -- Conclusions And Recommendations-housing And Urban Development -- Waste Management -- Background And Brief History -- Integrated Waste Management Guidelines --^ Clean Production Agreements -- National Development Plan 2002-2006 -- Effectiveness Of The Waste Management System -- Hazardous And Medical Waste Management -- Clean Production Agreements -- Other Selected Issues Related To Waste Management -- Conclusions And Recommendations-waste Management And Urban Development -- Living With Natural Disasters -- Introduction -- Natural Disasters In Colombia -- Occurrence And Impacts Of Natural Disasters -- Effectiveness Of Policy Design -- Assessment Of Natural Disaster Policies -- Evaluation Of Funding Requirements And Arrangements -- Evaluation Of Disaster Planning -- Evaluation Of Land Use Plans And Construction Standards -- Challenges To Disaster Prevention -- Parallels Between Snpad And Sina -- Conclusions And Recommendations -- Toward Sustainable Management Of A Rich Endowment Of Natural Resources -- Water Management In A Water-rich Country -- Introduction -- Water Quantity -- Main Actors In Water Resources Management Policy Design --^ Analysis Of Water Resources Management Policy Design -- Effectiveness Of Policy Implementation -- Watershed Administration And Management -- Degradation Of Water Bodies -- Policy Design -- Policy Implementation -- Water Pollution Control -- The Case Of Bogota's Wastewater Treatment Plant -- Cartagena -- Conclusions -- Recommendations -- Land Degradation And Deforestation -- Introduction -- Soil Erosion And Salinization: Magnitude And Dimensions Of The Problem -- Soil Erosion -- Soil Erosion And Salinization: Policy Design -- Soil Erosion And Salinization: Policy Implementation -- Forests -- Conclusions And Recommendations -- Biodiversity Loss And Other Global Environmental Problems -- Introduction -- Biodiversity -- The National Protected Areas System -- The Policy For Social Participation In Biodiversity Conservation -- Climate Change -- Ozone Depletion -- Conclusions And Recommendations -- Tackling Environmental Priorities -- References -- Tables. Ernesto Sánchez-triana, Kulsum Ahmed, Yewande Awe, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "Environmental Priorities and Poverty Reduction: A Country Environmental Analysis for Colombia proposes cost-effective policy and technical interventions aimed at abating the cost of environmental degradation and supporting more equitable and sustainable economic growth." "Environmental Priorities and Poverty Reduction begins by exploring institutional change and environmental priorities in Colombia over the past 50 years, a time of substantial progress in environmental protection and rapid transition from a largely rural to a highly urbanized economy. Part II assesses the burden of disease rooted in inadequate water supply, sanitation, and hygiene; poor air quality; natural disasters; and environmental management practices to reduce that burden. A discussion of the environmental costs of rapid and unplanned urbanization is included. Part III assesses the sustainable management of Colombia's rich endowment of natural resources." "This book provides a wealth of information for policy decision makers, government officials, and other professionals working in environmental policy and management, poverty reduction strategies, public health, environmental economics, and civil society issues."--BOOK JACKET