MedPolicies Initiative
Mediterranean Environmental Technical Assistance Program
Social and Economic Aspects of
Air Quality
in the Mediterranean Region:
Selected Case studies
A METAP Project Implemented by the
Harvard Institute for International Development
Cambridge and Beirut
2000
xv
Ó Harvard Institute for International Development
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
xv
Note
The views and interpretations reflected in this document are those of the authors and the individual project teams. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Mediterranean Environmental Technical Assistance Program, the World Bank, the Harvard Institute for International Development, or Harvard University.
Mediterranean Environmental Technical Assistance Program
MedPolicies Initiative
The MedPolicies Initiative assists non-European Union Mediterranean countries gain the skills and understanding needed to develop sustainable environmental and economic policies. The project is funded by the World Bank under the auspices of the Mediterranean Environmental Technical Assistance Program (METAP) and implemented by the Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID) at Harvard University since its inception in 1997.
The MedPolicies Initiative focuses on three pressing issues affecting environmental and economic policy-making in the Mediterranean region:
§ Trade and environment;
§ Privatization and the environment; and the
§ Social and economic aspects of air quality.
MedPolicies addresses these themes through a work program that espouses a cross-sectoral, analytical, and empirical approach to environmental and economic policy-making. Specifically, the themes are examined and discussed through a series of case studies, technical workshops, national roundtables, and regional policy seminars designed to engage both public and private sector stakeholders in the policy development process. The project targets three groups of stakeholders in the beneficiary countries: decision-makers and parliamentarians; the public, private, and financial sectors; and the NGO community.
MedPolicies has conducted its activities within the context of METAP’s operating principles by: (1) giving METAP National Focal Points and local policy groups ownership over the choice and development of case studies; (2) managing the project through country-based lead analysts and a MedPolicies office in Beirut; (3) consulting with public and private stakeholders on case study findings and coordinating project activities with regional organizations focusing on similar themes; (4) organizing regional policy seminars, national roundtables, and technical workshops to discuss case study findings; and (5) conducting site visits and assessments of project effectiveness through meetings with local counterparts. This country-based approach emphasizes both the process and product of identifying sustainable environmental policy measures for the Peoples of the Mediterranean region.
* * * * * * *
The MedPolicies Initiative is a project of the Mediterranean Environmental Technical Assistance Program (METAP). METAP was established in 1990 to assist beneficiary countries (Albania, Algeria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Slovenia, and the West Bank and Gaza) respond to increasingly complicated environmental challenges. The program focuses on capacity building and human development; arresting and controlling emerging pollution hot spots; and integrated water resource management.
In addressing these issues, METAP channels technical assistance and grant funding to the Mediterranean region through a process that seeks country ownership and management decentralization of projects. Consultation with local stakeholders and donors on resource mobilization is integral to the program, as are the monitoring and evaluation of activities to ensure maximum impact on the ground.
METAP is jointly sponsored by the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, the United Nations Development Program Bureau for Arab States, the United Nations Development Program Capacity 21 Unit, the Swiss Development Agency, the World Bank.
For more information on METAP activities, please contact:
Sherif Arif
Regional Environmental Coordinator/METAP Coordinator
Rural Development, Water & Environment Department/Middle East & North Africa Region
The World Bank
1818 H Street NW, Room H8-133
Washington, DC 20433 USA
Tel: (1-202) 473-7315; Fax: (1-202) 477-1374
E-mail:
Table of Contents
Forward……………………………………………………………………………………….. / ixAcknowledgements…………………..………………………………………………………... / xi
Abbreviations……………….…………………………………………….………………….... / xiii
PART I: Introduction
The Social and Economic Aspects of Air Quality: Thematic Introduction to the MedPolicies Case Studies……...….………………………………………………………..………………...
/1
PART II: Industrial Source Air Pollution / 3
Estimate of the Degree of Air Pollution caused by the Ghazaouet Zinc Electrolysis Factory in Algeria: Its Impact and Possible Solutions (English)………….………….…………………. / 3
Estimation du degré de la pollution atmosphérique occasionnée par l’usine d’électrolyse de zinc de Ghazaouet en Algérie: Son impact et des solutions possibles (French)…..………………….. / 11
The Impact of Stone-Crushers on Air Quality: A Case Study on the West Bank – Phase I ...….. / 57
Mitigating the Impact of Stone-Crushers on Air Quality: Capacity Building and Identification of Recommendations – Phase II…………………. ………………………………...………… / 91
PART III: Mobile Source Air Pollution
The Social and Economic Impacts of Mobile Source Pollution on Public Health in Greater Beirut, Lebanon – Phase I…………………………………...…………………………………
/ 103The Social and Economic Impacts of Mobile Source Pollution on Public Health in Greater Beirut, Lebanon: Capacity Building and Identification of Recommendations – Phase II……….
/ 159
Forward
Understanding the linkages between environmental and economic issues lies at the heart of sustainable development policy making and planning. This report is the last in a three volume series on environmental and economic challenges facing the Mediterranean region. Volume I focuses on trade, environment and international competitiveness; Volume II on privatization and environmental management; and Volume III on the social and economic aspects of air quality.
Rapid urbanization and increased industrialization in Southern Mediterranean countries over the past three decades have adversely impacted air quality in the region. The resulting effects have included threats to human health and losses to economic productivity in terms of labor and agricultural and industrial output. While a strong positive correlation exists between increased air pollution and its social and economic effects, little has been done to quantify the cost of these effects in the Mediterranean region. It is with this objective in mind that the MedPolicies Initiative sought to examine the social and economic aspects of air quality.
Emissions from industrial and mobile sources are the principal causes of air pollution in the Mediterranean region. To address these concerns, the impact of industrial air emissions on neighboring communities was examined in Algeria and the West Bank and the effect of vehicle emissions was assessed in Lebanon. In each case, local lead analysts worked closely with government counterparts, business leaders, health representatives, private stakeholders and Harvard University project staff to assess the air pollution impacts derived from these sources and to estimate the cost they impose on society. The purpose of the exercise was to provide public and private decision-makers with an understanding of the magnitude of the problem and to propose recommendations so as to facilitate dialogue and action in support of air quality.
Assessing the impacts and costs of air pollution is a challenging task. Apart from the inherent difficulty involved in quantifying indicators such as workers' health and the value of life, team members also faced several technical obstacles. These problems included the lack of air quality monitoring equipment and systems in the region, the limited amount of air quality data available, and the ad hoc nature with which health records are compiled. These challenges, together with the empirical findings regarding the cost of air pollution to society, must be part of policy discussions in order to identify integrated solutions for improving air quality.
This volume presents three sets of case studies. Phase I studies were completed in Algeria, the West Bank and Gaza, and Lebanon in order to provide baseline findings and assessments regarding air quality. Phase II activities were subsequently conducted in the West Bank and in Lebanon to follow-up on the findings through workshops that sought to build capacity for air quality policy making, fine tune recommendations, and draft legislation for discussion and implementation. In order to reach local and national audiences, case studies were completed in English or French The chapters of this volume are thus based on the case study reports in their original language, with the main text of the Algerian report also provided in English.
The findings and recommendations provided in this volume are thus a product of new research and dialogue between many stakeholders. As such, they serve as important instruments for improving air quality in countries of the Mediterranean region.
Carol Chouchani Cherfane
Regional Coordinator
METAP III MedPolicies Initiative
Beirut Office
Acknowledgements
This volume, based on case study reports completed during the first and second phases of the MedPolicies Initiative, was made possible by the support and assistance of several committed individuals.
METAP National Focal Points in each beneficiary country served as the project’s government counterparts and helped to identify case study topic to be addressed, as well as review the final reports. The National Focal Points also served as a liaison between projects staff and government officials in ministries involved in environmental and economic affairs. They also helped to coordinate national roundtables organized during the case study development to discuss the case study findings and recommendations with public and private stakeholders. These public and private sector representatives are also thanked for their input in finalizing the case study reports.
MedPolicies Lead Analysts in each beneficiary country, representing non-governmental organizations, universities, and private institutions, comprised national lead analyst teams. Each team consisted of one to three national experts in the field of environmental and/or economic affairs. The lead analyst teams compiled the information for the analysis through in-country consultations with local stakeholders and access to national data sources. They also served as the principle authors of the case studies reports, which form the basis for the chapters presented in this volume.
HIID Theme Leaders served as the coordinators for case studies completed within each project theme. Bruce Larson served as the Theme Leader for Trade and Environment, Randy Bluffstone was the Theme Leader for Privatization and Environmental Management; and Peter Rogers served as the Theme Leader for the Social and Economic Aspects of Air Quality. The theme leaders provided National Focal Points and Lead Analysts with the methodological framework and analytical tools needed to complete the case studies. They also provided technical assistance to the lead analyst teams and provided critical reviews the draft and final reports. Their experience and expertise were invaluable components of the case study development process.
The MedPolicies Project Team based at HIID allowed to this regional, multi-disciplinary project to work. Theodore Panayatou served as Project Director providing guidance and technical insight during case study development and regional policy seminars. Jordan Kimball’s tireless efforts during the first phase of the project facilitated the administrative and logistical aspects of coordinating studies and roundtables in thirteen countries, as well as regional policy seminars in Slovenia and Tunisia. The effective organizational and administrative support of Leticia Orti and Catherine Tims subsequently helped to wrap-up the case study reports and prepare for follow-up activities. The HIID Contracts and Finance Offices are also thanked for their assistance.
It must be recognized that the MedPolicies Initiative would not have been made possible without the assistance and financial support of the World Bank and METAP. The guidance and advise of Sherif Arif throughout the case study development process helped to direct the project towards objectives that would best serve the Mediterranean region and to keep the project focused on METAP goals. J.B. Collier’s assistance in coordinating activities in the region via the World Bank METAP Secretariat also served as an ever-helpful resource for the HIID Project Team.
Finally, the completion of this volume was facilitated by the expert translation services of Marie Goubran Chouchani and the publication expertise of Fady Jabre & M.A.P. Modern Age Printing 961 3 875898 / 961 3 267867 who greatly assisted the process of finalizing the book.
English Abbreviations
ACGIH / American Conference of Governmental Industrial HygienistsARIJ / Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem
ASHRAE / American Society for Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers
ATS / American Thoracic Society
AUB / American University of Beirut
CDC / Center for Disease Control and Prevention
CI / Confidence interval
COH / Coefficient of haze
COPD / Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
CPRS / Center for Palestine Research and Studies
CVD / Cardiovascular disease
DEH / Department of Environmental Health
dl / Deciliter
EIA / Environmental Impact Assessment
ERPA / Environmental Resource Planning and Assessment Unit
ERV / Emergency room visits
FEV1 / Forced Expiratory Volume at one second
FVC / Forced Vital Capacity
g / Gram
GBA / Greater Beirut Area
GIS / Geographic Information System
GTZ / German Institute of Technical Cooperation
HC / Hydrocarbon
Hgb / Hemoglobin
HIID / Harvard Institute for International Development
ICD / International Classification of Diseases
I/M / Inspection and maintenance
IQ / Intelligent quotient
km / Kilometer
l / Liter
LCPS / Lebanese Center for Policy Studies
LRI / Lower respiratory illness
m / Meter
METAP / Mediterranean Environmental Technical Assistance Program
mg / Milligram
ml / Milliliter
mm / Millimeter
MOE / Ministry of Environment
MOPH / Ministry of Public Health
Mygb / Myoglobin
NAAQS / National ambient air quality standards
NO / Nitrous oxide
NOs / Nitrogen dioxide
NOx / Nitrogen oxides
O3 / Ozone
OECD / Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
OSHA / United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration
PEnA / Palestinian Environmental Authority
PFT / Pulmonary function tests
PM10 / Particulate matter of 10 microns or less
PM2.5 / Particulate matter of 2.5 microns or less
PMN / Poly-morphonuclear cells
ppb / Parts per billion
ppm / Parts per million
PSI / Palestinian Standards Institute
RAD / Restricted activity days
RHA / Respiratory hospital admissions
RS / Respiratory symptoms
SE / Standard error
SOx / Sulfur oxides
TEL / Tetraethyl lead
TSP / Total Suspended Particulates
TWC / Three-way catalytic converters
USEPA / United States Environmental Protection Agency
m /
Micron
mg / MicrogramUNDP / United Nations Development Programme
US$ / United States dollars
VOC / Volatile organic compound
VOSL / Value of a Statistical Life
WRAP / Water Resources Action Program
WESC / Water and Environmental Studies Center
WHO / World Health Organization
FRENCH ABBREVIATIONS – ABREVIATIONS FRANÇAISE