Environmental Engineering 452

Omgewings Ingenieurswese 452

Lecture 1a
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL 
ENGINEERING

Lecturer(s): 
Prof JA du Plessis
Email: jadup@sun.ac.za

Guests: Mr S Heather‐Clark, Mr J Palm 
and CSIR (Me Lizande Kellerman and team)
 PROGRAM
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
 PROGRAM
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

FM = 0.4 (SM) + 0.6 (A1 – sit down – f2f)

SM = 0.2(Assignment 1 – Environmental Ethics) +
0.8 (Assignment 2 ‐ EIA ‐Scoping ‐ Group work)
Students who achieve a FM < 50 after A1 will be given the opportunity to write
A2.
The highest mark between A1 and A2 will be used in the calculation of the FM
(FM max= 50) after A2 for students with a FM<50 after A1.
NO A3 available.

Read the Study Guide…
 ADMIN & RULES

Teaching assistant: 
Mr Joshua Kibii and J Hoffman

Notes – SunLearn

Videos – Part of Exams

Close book exam

Partially On‐Line – 25, 27 and 31 Aug ‐ f2f

Group work
 ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 452
• Engineer/environment/ International decision making – COP 
(Convention of the Parties)
• Environmental ethics
• Hydrological environment / Pollution
• Integrated environmental management (IEM) and EIA’s
• Environmental legislation 
• EIA ‐ Case Study CSIR
• Public Participation
• Integrated development planning (IDP)
• Water Act and Management
• Environmental and social requirements of financial 
institutions for large‐scale infrastructure projects (Mr S Heather‐Clark)
• Solid waste (Mr J Palm)
 HOW ARE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 
GOVERNED? 
Global Governance

MEAs - Multilateral ( 𝟑𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 Environmental Agreements

Involve global environmental issues such as carbon emissions,
eco-efficiency, land degradation, and energy systems. Legally
binding; mostly produced by the United Nations.

Rio de Janeiro (Earth) Summit (1992)

Agenda 21 – Sustainable development

The U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change

(UNFCCC ) originated from the “Earth Summit”. The UNFCCC
came into effect in March 1994 and over 180 countries have
accepted or ratified it as a general agreement to work towards
measures to reduce the impact of global warming and climate
change.
 HOW ARE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 
GOVERNED? 
Global governance
COP – Convention of the People - meeting of all the parties
of the UNFCCC.

COP 1 – Berlin – Germany (1995)

COP 3 – Japan - Kyoto Protocol (1997)

Reduction in greenhouse gasses

The Kyoto protocol is an international agreement linked to

the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate. It
features binding targets for 37 industrial countries and the
European community for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
on average by 5% of 1990 levels over a period of 2008- 2012.
Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997 and entered into force on
16th February, 2005. 185 countries have ratified the protocol.
No targets were set for developing countries including South
Africa.
 HOW ARE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 
GOVERNED? 
Global governance
COP 8 - World summit on sustainable development (JHB in 2002)
• Support by rich countries
Eradicate poverty
• Public Participation
Primary education for all
• Good governance
Gender equality
• Millennium Development Goals (MDG)
Reduce child mortality
COP 15 - UN Conference on Climate change (Copenhagen,Denmark, 2009)
• Copenhagen Accord.
• Improvements to the clean development mechanism
• Draft decisions on adaptation technology and capacity-building.

COP 17 - Durban – 2011

• Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (DPEA)
• Green Climate Fund (GCF)
• Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA’s)
• Kyoto Protocol Second Commitment Period
• Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
 HOW ARE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 
GOVERNED? 
Global governance
COP 18 Doha - Qatar – 2012
• Parties, under the Durban Platform, focus on negotiations to
reach a new, post-2020 agreement.
• Adopt 2nd commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (2013-
2020).
• Clarifying of the process agreed upon in Durban.
• Continued implementation of agreed outcomes on key issues.

COP 19 Warsaw - Poland – 2013

• Close the "ambition gap" – what has been pledged to date and
what is required to keep the world below a max average 2
degrees Celsius temperature rise.
• Established the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and
Damage. For long-term climate change impacts in developing
countries.
• Green Climate Fund is open for business - middle of 2014
• Results-based payments if developing countries can
demonstrate the protection of forests
 HOW ARE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 
GOVERNED? 
Global governance

COP 20 Lima - Peru – 2014

• Ad hoc Working group on DURBAN PLATFORM
for enhanced action – refers to intended
nationally determined contributions” (INDCs).
• Multilateral assessment of mitigation efforts by
developed countries.
• Adopted an initial two-year work plan outlining a
detailed set of activities to better understand
unavoidable climate impacts and to identify and
promote risk management strategies
 HOW ARE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 
GOVERNED? 
Global governance

COP 21 Paris - France – 2015

Paris Agreement

• Ends strict differentiation between developed and developing countries -

all countries to put forward their best efforts.
• Report regularly on their emissions and implementation efforts - undergo
international review.
• Limiting global temperature increase well below 2 degrees Celsius, aim
for 1.5 degrees;
• Make “nationally determined contributions” (NDCs), and domestic
measures aimed at achieving them;
• Submit new NDCs every five years, represent progress
• Developing countries encouraging voluntary contributions
• Enabling emission reductions in one country to be counted toward
another country’s NDC
 HOW ARE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 
GOVERNED? 
Global governance
COP 23, Sustainable Innovation Forum –
Bonn, Germany Nov’17 BUT: Donald Trump
(USA) wants to pull out!
• Coal phase-out is needed no later than by 2030 in the
member states, and no later than by 2050 in the rest of
the world” to meet the Paris Agreement.
• The Gender Action Plan, which highlights the role of
women in climate action and promotes gender equality
in the process.
• Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform,
which aims to support the exchange of experience and
sharing of best practices on mitigation and adaptation.
• Developing the Paris “rulebook”. This will establish the
more technical rules and processes needed to fulfil the
Paris Agreement’s ambition.
 HOW ARE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 
GOVERNED? 
Global governance
COP 25, Market Solutions – Madrid, Spain Dec’19
• Needs to bringing the 2015 Paris Agreement (COP21) into
force (aim for less than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-
industrial times) and paving the way for more ambitious
carbon reduction commitments from governments at
COP26.
• Aim to develop guidelines on how international carbon
markets will work (Article 6 of the Paris Agreement).
• But disagreement on the robustness of rules for setting up
an international carbon market (Article 6).

Next conference
(COP 26 to be held in Glasgow, UK & Italy - 2021).
 HOW ARE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 
GOVERNED in SA?
National Governance/Legislation

•The Constitution
•National Environmental Management Act (No. 107 of
1998) (NEMA)
•Biodiversity Act (No. 10 of 2004)
•Protected Areas Act (No. 57 of 2003)
•Climate Change Response Strategy
•Air Quality Act (No. 39 of 2004)
•NEM: Integrated Coastal Management Act (24 of 2008)
•Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations –
amended 2013
•The National Water Resource Strategy
•Energy Efficiency Strategy
 Responsibility as Engineers

• Be familiar with environmental governance frameworks.

• Be in compliance with regulatory frameworks at all levels.

• Consider technologies that would fulfill the requirements of these

frameworks. (Consider the energy options, waste management
options, chemicals used in engineering activities, and
environmental impacts.)

• Develop skill in collection of the necessary data, analysis of the

data, interpretation and reporting.

• Be Innovative: the implementation of the Kyoto protocol could be

seen as a business opportunity that would boost innovative clean
technologies for carbon trading.

• Think, plan, design, build, operate sustainably!

 PLANNING IN PERSPECTIVE

Levels of engagement

• A – Institutional policy

• B ‐ Feasibility studies

• C ‐ Project implementation
 A ‐ Policy

• Private or public enterprises
– Common goal
– Structure of authority and responsibility
– Resources (money/people, etc.)
– Interaction with sub‐systems
– Vision, mission, direction
• E.g.: Aurecon, Sasol, DWS, etc.
 B ‐ Feasibility study

Integrated planning to involve all sectors of society

• Broad policy, e.g. National Water Resources

Strategy (water-scarce areas – should a project be
permitted?)
• Economic factors – Capital / Running / Cost:Benefit /
e.g. Flood mitigation
• Social factors – e.g. People settlement / job creation
• Engineering aspects – Materials, Access, Resources
• Environmental aspects – Engineering projects have
an impact on the environment

Team effort
 C‐ Project implementation

• Communication

• Ensuring compliance with conditions

• Budget (all phases, e.g. noise reduction)

• Responsible actions
 C‐ Project implementation
Project design framework

Also very
NB!

Don’t start here!

 OUR ENVIRONMENT

The dilemma:
• Increasing population
• Natural resources, however, unchanged
• Therefore, without good management, 
environment will deteriorate
‐ Resources will become depleted
‐ Life‐sustaining processes (ecological 
system) are destroyed – will eventually 
lead to complete extinction and collapse
 (SOME) PROBLEM AREAS

• Erosion
• Pollution of rivers
• Over‐utilisation of rivers
• Air pollution (e.g. acid rain: e.g. Milnerton)
• Ozone layer (greenhouse gases →)
– Temperature increase (global warming)
– Sea‐level rise, etc. (climate change)
• Genetically manipulated products (e.g. grain)
• Cloning (1st: Dolly the sheep)
• Medical advances cause increased life expectancy –
larger population
 OUR ENVIRONMENT

• Urban environment (different perspectives)
– Layout of city/town – Planner

– Buildings – Architect

– Services (water, sewerage, roads) – Municipal engineer

– Living conditions – Health officer

– Parks and gardens – Horticulturist

• Rural environment – e.g. farms
• Natural environment
– Plants and animals, along with the habitat and ecosystems in which 
they occur, prior to human impacts/ interference
Env. Probs.: Disruption / impacts on natural environment
 CLASSIFICATION OF 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

• Degradable waste

• Non‐degradable waste

• Reversible biological and geophysical 
consequences

• Irreversible biological and geophysical 
consequences
 CLASSIFICATION OF 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

1 Degradable waste

• Water pollution through organic material
• Air pollution
• Thermal pollution
• Noise pollution

These problems are well understood and can be addressed
through correct technologies, such as dilution and 
dispersion.
 CLASSIFICATION OF
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

2  Non‐degradable waste (often synthetic)

• Heavy metals, such as lead/cadmium/mercury
• Chemical compound (DDT), plastics
• Nuclear waste

Accumulation/build‐up of substances usually occurs in 
system, and often has toxic result.
Sometimes slowly degradable (100‐1 000 years). No 
technological solutions (e.g. dilution X)
→ control release.
 CLASSIFICATION OF 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

3. Reversible consequences (re biological & geophysical 
components)

• Agriculture /mining or road construction activities in ecologically 
sensitive area

• Diamond‐digging: West Coast (?)

Communities are deprived of environmental assets. 
Given enough time, these may possibly be restored.
This problem occurs in a fragmented fashion across Earth, but its impact 
is cumulative.
 CLASSIFICATION OF 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

4. Irreversible consequences (re biological & geophysical 
components)

• Fossil fuels (e.g. combustion engine –cars); climate change
• Extinction of plant and animal species
• Destruction of ecosystems

Lack of sufficient understanding. (→ difficult to dis nguish)

Large‐scale changes in way we do things are required, which 
necessitate international cooperation.

Leads to drastic social and political changes when /if materialised.
 PENALTY MEASURES

1. Degradable waste:
Fines / criminal prosecution / compensation for damages / confiscation 
/ levy on effluent

2. Non‐degradable waste:
Complete prohibition preferred, but major fine essential due to long‐
term impact

3. Reversible and irreversible biological/geophysical consequences:
Unique problems → require different approaches
Alternative plans to minimise damage, such as artificial recharge
Amount of waste can be small relative to shock/impact
 CLIMATE CHANGE VIDEO

Watch the video on CLIMATE CHANGE 
and answer/discuss the following:
1. What is climate change and what accelerates it?
2. What are the activities that leads to climate change?
3. The consequences of climate change?
4. The solutions that should be taken to combat climate 
change?
Thank you!
Bleeding heart
bunny/tree hugger?
- no, but…

Be a smart
engineer:
believe, plan,
design, build,
manage/operate
sustainably.

Its better for

you/me/people, the
environment and
business!