Environmental

legislation authorities
& systems: water
ALFEU ANTUNES CAVIMBI
Environmental legislation authorities & systems: water

• Environmental legislation is the collection of laws and regulations pertaining to

air quality, water quality, the wilderness, endangered wildlife and other
environmental factors. The umbrella of environmental legislation covers many
laws and regulations, yet they all work together toward a common goal, which is
regulating the interaction between man and the natural world to reduce threats
to the environment and increase public health.
• As you might imagine, environmental legislation is a broad topic, mainly because
the natural environment encompasses so many different aspects. So,
environmental laws need to consider everything, from the air we breathe to the
natural resources we rely on to the plants and animals that share this world with
you.
 Water Prevention and control of pollution

• The government formulated this act to prevent the pollution of water by industrial,
agricultural and household waste water that contaminate our water resources .
• Waste water with high levels of pollutants that enter rivers , lakes ,well as well as the sea are
serious health hazards
• controlling the point source by monitoring the levels of different pollutants is one loag to
prevent pollution by punishing polluter.
• The main objective of this act to provide wages to control water pollution and to restore water
resources .the central government and have set up pollution central boars to monitor water
pollution .
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
Key points of water Act

• Water Act aims to prevent and control water pollution.

• Under water Act , pollution control boards were created , who are responsible for
implementation of its provisions .
• One of the important provision of this water act is to maintain and restore the ’’wholesomeness’’
our aquatic resources.
• Under water act , sewage or pollutants cannot be discharged into water bodies including lakes
an it is the dry of the state pollution control board to intervene and stop such activate.
• anyone failing to abide by the laws of under is liable for imprisonment under section 24 and
section 43 ranging from not less than one year and six months to six years along with MO
nectars fines.
Water class

• Depending on the pollution of water ,water is demarked under various water

classes in accordance with the water act.
• Class A – drinking water source founds without conventional treatment but after
disinfection.
• Class B– water designated for outdoor bathing.
• Class C– Any water resource conventionally treated.
• Class D-- water used for propagation of wildlife and fisheries .
• Class E– water used for irrigation and industrial cooling with waste disposal.
 central and state pollution central boards ae set up under this act

• functions of central board:

• Subject to provisions of this act , the main function of the central board shall be to promote
cleanness of streams and wells in different areas of the states .
• Advice the central government on any matter concerning with prevention of water pollution.
• Collect , compile and publish technical and statistical data relating to Water pollution
• Plan and organizing training of persons engaged or to be engaged in programs for prevention
of water pollution.
• The board may establish laboratories or recognize a laboratory to enable the board to perform
its functions efficiently.
Functions of state board

• To advice the state government on any matter concerning the prevention ,control
of water pollution
• To collect and disseminate information relating to water pollution and the
prevention of water pollution .
• To inspect sewage , plants for the treatment of sewage , to review plants .
• To lay down various standards for the sewage . To review plants.
• To board may establish or recognize a laboratory to enable the to perform its functions
efficiently.
What is ‘water for the environment’?

• Water for the environment is the portion of total water resources in a given system that sustains the water
dependent ecosystem assets and the ecological processes that define the health of that system.

• For surface water systems, water for the environment is not simply a matter of quantity; it is a regime
defined by ‘the quantity, timing and quality of water required to sustain freshwater and estuarine
ecosystems and the human livelihoods and well-being that depend on these ecosystems’ (Brisbane
Declaration 2007). In groundwater systems, water for the environment is generally less well understood.
However, it is similarly recognized that the health of groundwater systems depends not just on water
quantity but also on the timing, quality and location of water (Murray et al 2003). Consideration should also
be given to surface water-groundwater relationships in hydraulically connected systems.
Importance of water for the environment

• Most of the world’s surface and groundwater systems have been

modified from their natural state. Water abstractions of any volume
have an impact on the health of a system and so have the potential to
compromise natural assets and ecosystem processes. Acknowledging
that human influence is so pervasive and has had such significant
impacts on rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries and aquifers on every
continent, what then do we mean by ‘water for the environment’ and
why is it important?
What Is Water Pollution?

water pollution is defined as the presence in groundwater of toxic

chemicals and biological agents that exceed what is naturally found in
the water and may pose a threat to human health and/or the
environment. Additionally, water pollution may consist of chemicals
introduced into the water bodies as a result of various human activities.
Any amount of those chemicals pollutes the water, regardless of the
harm they may pose to human health and the environment.
How does managing water for the environment deliver benefit?

• When water for the environment is effectively and adaptively planned

and delivered, it can contribute
• to realization of the wide range of environmental, social and
economic benefits described above.
• When water for the environment is not managed or is poorly
managed, the impacts on system health can impose additional
consequences on all other users of the affected water bodies
Types of Water Pollution

• I) Chemical – when various chemicals are the water pollution causes.

• The following chemicals are the most common water pollutants:
• Crude oil and various petroleum products (including gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, motor and lubricating oils, jet fuel).
These compounds are lighter than water and thus always sit on top of water forming sheens of “free product”. However,
part of these compounds dissolve in water and, even in small amounts may be harmful and at the same time may remain
unnoticeable by the eye.
• Fertilizers (including nitrates and phosphates) – while small amounts are useful to life, higher amounts of nitrates and
phosphates in water are only beneficial to algae and harmful microorganisms and are poisonous to human and aquatic life.
Metals and their compounds

• Metals and their compounds – of higher health risk are the organo-metal compounds which may
form when metals from water react with organic compounds from water. Common examples
include Hg, As, and Cr poisoning of water. Thus, if water is polluted with both metals and organic
compounds the health risk is higher. And so is the effect of water pollution on aquatic life.
• Pesticides/insecticides/herbicides – comprise a large number of individual chemicals that get
into water due to agricultural activities directly (by spraying over large areas) or indirectly with
agriculture runoff. The insecticide DDT is a typical example of such type of water pollutant.
• PCBs – in spite of their recent ban, their ubiquitous environmental presence makes these
contaminants usually associated with urban runoffs
Examples of major water pollutants that affect the health of humans are:

• the numerous infectious agents (bacteria, viruses, and parasites) that

contaminate the water through sewage, human waste, and animal
excreta
• radioactive waste that contains highly toxic materials such as
uranium, thorium, and radon. This waste is a major water pollutant
resulted from mining activities, power plants or natural sources 
• the chemical substances that contaminate the water. These chemicals
can be either organic - pesticides, plastic, oil, detergents, etc. - coming
from domestic, industrial or agricultural waste, or inorganic - acids,
metals, salts - domestic and industrial effluents.
Examples of major water pollutants that affect the ecosystem only are the following:

• plant nutrients like phosphates and nitrates that form various

chemical fertilizers, sewage, and manure
• oxygen-demanding manures and agricultural waste resulted from
sewage and agricultural run-offs
• sediments in the soil (silt) following soil erosion, and heated waters
used in several industries and power plants.
How Does Water Pollution Affect Us?

• Water pollution may cause a large variety of diseases and poses a serious problem for human health. This is mainly because 
we may get exposed to polluted water in various ways, including, but not necessarily limited to: 
• Drinking polluted water
• Bathing or showering in polluted water
• Swimming in polluted water
• Breathing the vapors of a polluted water while sitting next to a polluted water source
• Consuming polluted food (meat and/or vegetables) affected by polluted water
• Consuming meat from animals fed with polluted water of food affected by polluted water (e.g. vegetables irrigated with polluted water or
grown in an area with polluted groundwater)
• Diseases
Diseases

• The effects of water pollution may appear immediately after exposure

and be more or less violent in the case of drinking water with a high
amount of pollutants. On the other hand, the effects may appear
some time after repetitive exposure to water contaminated with
lower amounts of pollutants. 
The health effects of drinking contaminated water may range from
simple intoxication and stomach aches to deadly diseases or sudden
death.  
Fundamentals off management of water
Examples
Understand changing water availability and demand over time

• Without an understanding of water availability at the catchment or groundwater system scale,

and the
• way this can change over time, it is impossible to establish the water balances needed to
sustainably
• manage water resources for the full range of current and future needs. The consequences of
changing
• water availability and demand for environmental assets should be carefully assessed. Reliable
data and
• models are essential, though this can be particularly challenging in surface and groundwater
systems
• where hydraulic connection is difficult to determine
Ensure effective water policies and
institutions

Legislative and administrative tools are required to enable and enforce

management of water for the environment at all scales. An appropriate
governance framework for managing water for the environment is one that
supports the agreed vision and objectives of water management and is
understood and implemented by stakeholders at all levels.
 Inputs:
• Strong institutional and political
Benefits: leadership to support reform
Good governance is a prerequisite
for sustainable system management • Legal authority for governments
• Provides clarity for, and enables to design and implement policies,
coordination of, roles and
responsibilities or create institutions,
• Promotes improved stakeholder
understanding of how policies, • to realise vision and objectives for
regulations and other institutions water management
govern water management and
contribute to improved system
health outcomes
The six fundamental elements of improved management of water
for the environment, as expressed in
the framework developed for this report, are:
1. Confirm a vision for water management and the value of water
2. Understand changing water availability and demand over time
3. Determine allocations of water between uses
4. Ensure effective water policies and institutions
5. Plan, deliver and monitor water for the environment
6. Assess and improve system efficiency and effectiveness
 Conclusion

water for the environment does not explicitly include uses

beyond ecological ones, ecological water uses underpin
system health and, by extension, social, cultural and
economic benefits. By effectively protecting or
restoring water for the environment, these values can be
sustained. Conversely, unchecked use of water
will impact on system health and all of the values that depend
on a healthy system
References

• The Nature Conservancy (TNC), 2014. Colorado River, A Pulse of Water for the Delta. Retrieved from

• https://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/areas/coloradoriver/coloradoriver-

• delta-pulse-flow-slideshow.xml

• The World Bank Group, 2003. Initial Project Information Document (PID). AFRICA – Nile Basin Initiative

• Water Resources Management and Planning Project. Retrieved from http://documents.

• worldbank.org/curated/en/299411468002679007/pdf/26865.pdf

• Thomas G.A., 2017. ‘Managing Infrastructure to Maintain Natural Functions in Developed Rivers’, Chapter 21 in

• Water for the Environment from Policy and Science to Implementation and Management. 483-518.

• United Nations, 2014. Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International

• Watercourses 1997. Adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 21 May 1997.

• Entered into force on 17 August 2014.