Environmental Clearances for Industrial & Infrastructure Development in Dubai
As the Emirate of Dubai aims to be a world leader and an example of environmental and sustainability excellence across the globe, it recognises the impacts on the environment brought about by this development and industrial revolution. In support of the initiatives and pursuant to the Federal Law No. (24) of 1999 on the Protection and Development of the Environment (hereafter referred as the Law), the Dubai Municipality – Environmental Sustainability Department (DM-ESD), the Competent Authority in Dubai as per the Law, has developed a Guidance on the Environmental Clearance (EC) Requirements for Development, Infrastructure and Industrial Projects. An EC will be issued for Projects that will successfully complete the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process leading to an approved EIA document. Specifically, an EC will be issued when the DM-ESD is fully satisfied that the potential impacts of a project have been properly analysed and addressed through the provision of appropriate mitigation measures. This Guidance shall in effect supersede the previous Environmental Planning and Studies Section (EPSS) Technical Guideline No. 01 regarding the “Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)”, and Technical Guideline No. 02 on the “EIA Requirements for Land Development and Infrastructure Projects”, both issued in March 2019.
ENVERG is an accredited Environmental Consultant by Dubai Municipality (See list attached) to carry out EIA Summary & EIA Checklist Studies for both Industrial and Infrastructure projects in the Emirate of Dubai.
Environmental Audit (EA)
As indicated by the FAO of the United Nations, Environmental Auditing (or Audit) is a management tool used by industry to evaluate its environmental performance. Contrary to EIA, an EA is only implemented in processing sites. The definition of the EA describes precisely the goals of this environmental tool. As written in the “Environmental Auditing Technical Report of UNEP/IEO”, an EA is: “A management tool comprising a systematic, documented, periodic and objective evaluation of how well environmental organization, management and equipment are performing in the aim of helping to safeguard the environment by:
Facilitating management and control of environmental practices,
Assessing compliance with company policies, which would include meeting regulatory requirements”.
It is also important to note that an EA cannot stand alone and must be integrated in an overall management system and must include dialogue between the plant manager and people living in the vicinity.
Waste Audits (WA)
A waste audit on the other hand is a formal, structured process used to quantify the amount and types of wastes being generated by an organization. Information from audits will help identify current waste practices and how they can be improved. Being waste-wise can mean:
A more efficient and effective organization
Reduced waste management costs
Better use of limited natural resources
A small business waste audit can be conducted and it is first step to finding out cost saving ways of reducing your waste. It will also provide an idea of what sort of material you are using and ways to reduce it through recycling or other methods. The audit's objectives will largely determine the waste types and physical locations to be audited. Some examples of audit objectives could be:
To determine composition and quantities of waste being generated
To measure effectiveness of existing waste management systems
To identify opportunities for improving waste management systems and strategies
To collect baseline data for measuring the effectiveness of waste minimization strategies.
Industrial & Construction Safety Studies & Audits
According to Skybrary, Safety auditing is a core safety management activity, providing a means of identifying potential problems before they have an impact on safety. Safety audits are conducted in order to assess the degree of compliance with the applicable safety regulatory requirements and with the procedural provisions of a Safety Management System if one is in place. They are intended to provide assurance of the safety management functions, including staffing, compliance with applicable regulations, levels of competency and training.
Safety auditing is an element of safety management which subjects the activities of airline operators/service providers to a systematic critical evaluation. An audit may include one or more components of the total system, such as safety policy, change management, SMS as a whole, operating procedures, emergency procedures, etc. The aim is to disclose the strengths and weaknesses, to identify areas of non-tolerable risk and devise rectification measures. The outcome of the audit will be a report, followed by an action plan prepared by the audited organisation and approved by the regulator/supervisory authority. The implementation of the agreed safety improvement measures shall be monitored by the supervisory authority. Safety audits are used to ensure that:
Organisation’s SMS has a sound structure and adequate staffing levels;
Approved procedures and instructions are complied with;
The required level of personnel competency and training to operate equipment and facilities, and to maintain their levels of performance, is achieved;
Equipment performance is adequate for the safety levels of the service provided;
Effective arrangements exist for promoting safety, monitoring safety performance and processing safety issues;
Adequate arrangements exist to handle foreseeable emergencies.
