| Author | Piracha, Awais Latif |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no. HS-01-01 |
| Subject(s) | Industrial location--Environmental aspects--Pakistan--Punjab
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| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial ftllfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Dissertation ; no. HS-01-01 |
| Abstract | The issue of where industries should be located has traditionally been studied from two viewpoints; the viewpoint of entrepreneurs and that of governments. About a century ago, when the location of industries started to be scientifically determined, the whole issue was looked at from the point of view of the firms. The main objective of those analyses, and lots of others done since then, has been maximizing profits. More recently issues of market share, strategies of large enterprises and innovations have also entered the industrial location research done for the benefit of the entrepreneurs. Many years after the start of these studies, urban and regional planners began to look at industrial locations, from a public sector viewpoint, for spurring development in backward regions. They have been interested in locating industries for income generation, employment creation and equity among regions.
The way industries are located in a region has profound impact on its environment. Understandably, the economists dealing with the industrial locations from entrepreneurs' viewpoint have neglected the environmental issues altogether. Urban and regional planners have also been mostly concerned with locating industries for economic development. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been their main/only tool for dealing with environmental issues related with industrial locations. EIA is neither strategic nor takes into account environment of whole regions. There now exists a glorified form of EIA called Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). But even SEA is a tool for evaluating policies and plans and not a theoretical approach that could form the basis of policy formulation for industrial locations. This research is an attempt to come up with an environment-based approach for industrial locations and show its applicability in the form of an elaborate case study.
The new approach attempts at determining the types and volumes of industries that may be allowed in different parts of a region without excessively violating the natural environment. It also looks at the social welfare aspect related with industrial locations. As this research involved decision support, it was imperative to look at the computer aids. A thorough discussion on Planning Support Systems (PSS) as innovative combinations of computer tools followed the formulation of the new approach.
A large region in Pakistan, Punjab province was selected for application of the environment-based approach. A detailed description of biophysical, socioeconomic and political conditions of the study region was elaborated. Using the understanding of PSS and the conditions in the study region, the approach was translated into a methodology having four modules. Each of these modules uses a number of scientific methods and computer tools to come up with transparent and objective answers to essential questions related with industrial locations.
The first module was zoning of the province into different categories of industries, based on their compatibility with the biophysical conditions, using GIS as a tool. This exercise was done for the whole province. The chief objective of this exercise was to zone land to safeguard natural environment from industrial pollution. An in depth understanding
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of the natural environment of the region, industrial pollution and the possible interaction between the two were used to come up with zoning.
In second module, a detailed methodology was devised for determination of assimilative capacity of the nature in order to determine the maximum magnitude of industries that can be allowed in different sub regions. It was envisaged that this exercise would be done for the four core divisions of the province on account of them having many more industries than the peripheral divisions. The first step of the methodology was estimation of pollution contribution to natural streams from the industries as well as from domestic sources. This effort led to some unexpected but interesting findings implications of which were discussed in detail. /
The major focus of this study was the environmental aspect of the industrial locations. However, as governments are also responsible for economic welfare and as industries are the most important and most common tool for inducing socioeconomic development, a study of socioeconomic aspect was a must for this research. The third module of the methodology was about the social goal of equity and dealt with the four backward peripheral divisions. The central theme of the third module was; in backward areas of study region, where exactly should government try to get industries so as to maximize benefits to the region.
The fourth and the last module shed light at what are the policy and planning implications of the findings of the three earlier modules of the methodology. As a result of the first three modules of study, a set of policy recommendations were elaborated which link the enviro.nmental problems of demographic and industrial concentration to the socioeconomic and environmental problems of underdevelopment at the periphery. Apart from formulation of new theoretical approach and policy recommendations for industrial locations in Punjab, this research also demonstrates how an innovative combination of computer tools can be used as a Planning Support System (PSS). |
| Year | 2001 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Dissertation ; no. HS-01-01 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Human Settlement (HS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Zimmerman, Willi; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Kammeier, H. D. ;Morishita, H. ;Suphat Vongvisetsomjai ;Thapa, G.B. ;Wegner, Ing. Michael ; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Govermnent of Japan ; |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2001 |