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Workshop
on Sustainable Development Indicators
Chung-Li,
Taiwan, 17-19 November 2001
Sustainable
Development Indicators for Taiwan
Jiunn-Rong
Yeh1, Shang-Lien Lo2, Ling-Ling Lee3, Jin-Tan Liu4,
Juju Chin-Shou Wang5, and Shu-Li Huang6
2.
Environmental State Indicators
The
environmental index of Taiwan has been proceeding by Environmental
Protection Administration (EPA) for many years. The most
widely used are air pollutant standard index (PSI), river
pollution index (RPI), Carlson's trophic status index (CTSI),
etc. It was also monitoring the quality of environment state,
such as noise, solid waste treatment, and drinking water
quality. Since each index is not comprehensive enough, the
whole scheme of assessment system should be constructed
to connect the correlation between indicators and assess
the sustainability of national development.
The assessment of environmental quality has been faced the
problem of integrating information while in comprehensive
assessment, because it cannot be accomplished by individual
indicators. The development of information aggregating could
be led the assessment in a big progress. In this research,
the assessment of sustainable development was proceeding
with transferring the raw data into sub-indices (quality
value), classifying each category objectively, and eventually
developing a systematic framework of index assessment.
2.1
Process of Developing Environmental State Indicators
In
the first year, the primary system of indicators has been
completed. It was based on the earlier research, and the
conceptions of residuals, material or energy "left
over" from the various consumptive and productive activities.
During this year, the environmental quality was divided
into 9 categories: climate change, air quality, acid rain,
freshwater quality, coastal areas quality, soil quality,
solid waste management, noise, and nuclear waste. Then 20
domestic experts and scholars were invited to provide their
suggestions of indicators (parameters and items were included)
and these categories.
In the second year, the meaning and availability of indicators
have been reviewed. The completeness of data, availability,
indicator correlation, and the possibility of indicator
combination were taken into consideration. Finally, the
system was combined into 3 categories: air quality, water
quality, and land quality, and the indicators were revised
from 19 to 13 as shown in Table 2.1 and Table 2.2.
The
rational and the information gathering results of indicators
have been examined and revised in the third year. The coordination
of indicators and categories were built (shown as Figure
2.1). Moreover after seeking the recognition of officials,
experts and publics, the calculation of the individual indicators
was studied.
Table
2.1 The amendment and modification of environmental state
categories
Table
2.2 The amendment and modification of environmental state
indicators
| Stage
1 |
Stage
2 |
Stage
3 |
| Concentration
of greenhouse gases |
Climate
change |
The
emission amount of CO2 |
| Climate
change |
| Ratio
of days with PSI over 100 |
Ratio
of days with PSI under 100 |
Percentage
of days with PSI under 100 |
| Air
quality |
| Acid
rain |
Acid
rain |
Acid
rain |
| Light-polluted
streams percentage |
Unpolluted
streams percentage |
Light-polluted
streams percentage |
| Major
rivers quality index |
| Drinking
water failed percentage |
Drinking
water qualified percentage |
Drinking
water qualified percentage |
| Reservoir
quality |
Reservoir
quality |
Reservoir
quality |
| Groundwater
quality |
Cancel |
Groundwater
quality |
| Coastal
areas quality |
Coastal
areas quality |
Coastal
areas quality |
| Concentration
of heavy metal in the coastal sludge |
Concentration
of heavy metal in the coastal sludge |
| Soil
degeneration |
Soil
heavy metal |
Soil
quality |
| Soil
heavy metal |
| Generation
of solid waste |
Generation
of solid waste |
Amount
of unwell-treatment industrial waste |
| Ratio
of well-treatment solid waste |
| Solid
waste recycling and reuse |
Solid
waste recycling and reuse |
Solid
waste recycling and reuse |
| Noise |
Noise
|
Environmental
noise |
| Nuclear
waste management |
Growth
rate of low-level radioactive waste |
Growth
rate of low-level radioactive waste |
Figure
2.1. The causality of environmental state indicators system
2.1
Results of Indicator Calculation
Indicators
information gathers from three sources: 1. Official data,
such as percentage of days with PSI under 100, environmental
noise qualified percentage; 2. Coordinate and aggregate
the relativity of indicators, for example: solid waste recycling
and reuse, the area of soil polluted by heavy metal; 3.
Others, assessment and integration of parameters, for example:
groundwater quality index, costal areas quality. The indicators
are divided into three grades according to their feasibility
after collecting the related information. Grade A and B
are analyzed indicators, grade C cannot be analyzed currently
but it is indispensable in the system as shown in Table
2.3.
The indicators have been figured through the historical
monitoring data. The tendencies of indicators for past years
were analyzed and the meaning of result was shown in Table
2.4.
Table
2.3 Definition and data feasibility of environmental state
indicators.
| Category
|
State
Indicators |
Calculation
|
Data
feasibility |
| Atmosphere
quality |
SPA1
The emission amount of CO2 |
CO2
total emission amount / capita / year |
A
|
| SPA2
Acid rain |
Annual
pH value average of rain in Taiwan |
A
|
| SPA3
Percentage of days with PSI under 100 |
(Number
of days with PSI<100 /annual total monitoring days)
*100% |
A
|
| SPA4
Environmental noise |
(Noise
monitoring qualified intervals/ total monitoring
intervals) *100% |
A
|
| Water
quality |
SPB1
Light-polluted streams percentage |
(Length
of light polluted streams/ total monitoring length streams)
*100% |
A
|
| SPB2
Reservoir quality |
(Numbers
of reservoirs with Carlson trophic status index less
than 50 /number of total monitoring reservoirs)
*100% |
A
|
| SPB3
Coastal areas quality |
|
B
|
| SPB4
Groundwater quality |
|
B
|
| SPB5
Drinking water qualified percentage |
(Times
of qualified drinking water inspection /annual times
of drinking water inspection) *100% |
A
|
| Land
quality |
SPC1
Soil quality |
Area
of soil polluted by heavy metal above 4th grade /total
investigated area |
C
|
| SPC2
Amount of unwell-treatment industrial waste |
(Amount
of industrial waste
-- amount of well-treatment industrial
waste) |
B
|
| SPC3
Solid waste recycling and reuse |
Audited
and recognized recycling quantity |
B
|
| SPC4
Growth rate of low-level radioactive wastes |
Growth
rate of low-level radioactive solidified waste |
A
|
| *
Feasibility: A : Completed data, could be executed
and analyzed. B : incomplete or poor quality data, but
could be analyzed. C : No or few data record, could
not be analyzed but it is indispensable. |
|
|
*Atmosphere
quality
The
categories of atmosphere quality include four indicators:
The emission amount of CO2, Acid rain, Percentage of days
with PSI under 100, and Environmental noise. "Percentage
of days with PSI under 100", and " Environmental
noise" are tend to sustainable development and the
tendencies of "The emission amount of CO2", "
Acid rain" are unsustainable development. Figure 2.2
presents the tendency and result of analytic data during
the past years.
Figure
2.2 The category of atmosphere quality
-- the indicator
curve
Acid
rain is a by-product from air pollution at the present day.
Sulfur oxides (SOX) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) are produced
when the fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum are used.
After diffusing and permeating process, they would become
sulfate (SO42-) and nitrite (NO3-) via complicated chemical
reaction process, finally acid precipitation are presented.
The emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) is an assessment of
which the quantity of carbon dioxide emitting from traffic,
energetic and other industrial activities. While environmental
quality was paid much attention by publics, the government
precedes the pollution control. As the result, the emphasis
on pollution control was prior than prevention in Taiwan.
Although PSI control and noise quantity retain sustainable,
atmosphere quality could not maintain in an optimum state.
Atmosphere quality stands in sustainable development, only
when the pollution prevention is prior considered.
*
Water quality
The
categories of water quality include five indicators: Light-polluted
streams percentage, Reservoir quality, Coastal areas quality,
Groundwater quality, Drinking water qualified percentage.
"Light-polluted streams percentage", " Reservoir
quality" are tending to unsustainable development and
the tendencies of "Drinking water qualified percentage"
are approximately sustainable development. Figure 2.3 presents
the tendency and result of analytic data during the past
years.
Figure2.3
The category of water quality
-- the indicator curve
The quality of water body and sources have been gradually
decreased, though drinking water qualified percentage, related
of environmental safety and sanitation, have been improved
on the quality. Referring the water quality indicators,
the concept of environmental protection of public and enterprise's
has still stayed at end-of-pipe treatment in current situation
of Taiwan. A comprehensive indicator of Coastal areas quality"
and "Groundwater quality" has not developed yet.
To obtain an extensive indicator, the assessment and integration
of parameters is required.
The groundwater quality presents a stable situation through
the value of pH, chloride, Zn, and As from 1991 to 1999.
It is noticeable that ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) is an important
parameter to assess groundwater quality pollution, but it
has still not been monitoring. This parameter must be added
to the monitoring operation as soon as possible through
the government. The value of coastal areas quality was derived
from a few coastal stations from 1996 to 2000. The pollutant
concentration could affect by ocean current, tides, and
flow, the pollution of coastal. The sediments plays an important
role in coastal quality indicator was suggest by oceanic
experts. The result appeared that the concentration of heavy
metals in coastal sediments was increased, whereas the qualified
percentage was decreased.
*Land
quality
The categories of land quality include four indicators:
Soil quality, Amount of unwell-treatment industrial waste,
Solid waste recycling and reuse and Growth rate of low-level
radioactive wastes. Land quality indicator was once given
up due to uncompleted data. However, soil pollution, solid
waste and nuclear waste are accumulative pollution, which
need treating techniques and costs highly. Land quality
is regarded as an important aspect in the framework of assessment.
Fortunately, the "Environmental quality database"
of EPA was established in 2001 that made land quality indicator
to be running as shown in Figure 2.4.
Figure
2.4 The category of land quality
-- the index curve
The
three indicators of "Growth rate of low-level radioactive
wastes", "Amount of unwell-treatment industrial
waste", and " Solid waste recycling and reuse"
tend to sustainable development. Since the endeavor of officials
and experts, the amount of low-level radioactive nuclear
wastes presents negative growth after 1995. EPA has given
an impetus to "Recycling four in one" in January
1997, to ensure the matters of garbage resources recycling
and reuse or well-treatment. The object included abolished
containers, locomotives and family electric facilities.
The amount of recycles in 1999 was more than in 1998. Executive
Yuan founded "Industrial Waste Control Center"
on October 21, 2000. The center was set up in order to intensify
the management of all the industrial waste. Well-treatment
of the wastes are regarded as a sustainable objective of
the waste management. Government investigated the inspection
of heavy metal from 1983. The heavy metal polluted area
above 4th grade was 39,953 hectare (ha.) and above 5th grade
was 959 hectare from the record till 1997. One set of data
was not enough to assess the whole developing tendency of
soil quality indicator, soil pollution is still an acute
problem. The soil pollution prevention should be proceeded
as soon as possible.
Table
2.4 Summary of trends of environmental state indicators
| Categories
|
State
Indicators |
Sustainability
|
| Air
|
SPA1
The emission amount of CO2 |
↓
|
| SPA2
Acid rain |
↓
|
| SPA3
Percentage of days with PSI under 100 |
↑
|
| SPA4
Environmental noise |
↑
|
| Water
|
SPB1
Light-polluted streams percentage |
↓
|
| SPB2
Reservoir quality |
↓
|
| SPB3
Coastal areas quality |
↓
|
| SPB4
Groundwater quality |
*
|
| SPB5
Drinking water qualified percentage |
↑
|
| Land
|
SPC1
Soil quality |
*
|
| SPC2
Amount of unwell-treatment industrial waste |
↑
|
| SPC3
Solid waste recycling and reuse |
↑
|
| SPC4
Growth rate of low-level radioactive wastes |
↑
|
| Note
Sustainability inclination:
(↑)
go
to sustainability;
(↓)
go
againstsustainability; (=)
no
change; (*)
insufficient data could
not analyzed the sustainability; blank means under
proceeding. |
In
conclusion, the pollution prevention of atmosphere and water
environments has not been developing. The public conceptual
are staying at a restrict view, caused the limitation of
pollution improvement. Moreover, the restrict view lead
the sustainable development situation hardly. At the beginning,
the establishment of foundation and legislation make the
environmental protection in a large progress.
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