Precautionary approach to land use planning
| In 2007, the ECO undertook an extensive analysis of the environmental implications of various land use policies and allocation decisions in Ontario’s northern boreal landscape. The following articles are included: | |
The precautionary principle is a fundamental tenet of modern natural resources and environmental management. As such, it has a direct bearing on any discussion of land use planning in northern Ontario. Ideally, governments apply the precautionary principle as a core component in their decision-making processes.
This concept was arguably born at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio Earth Summit) in 1992. The Government of Canada, along with 178 other countries, adopted Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. This declaration was a milestone of global importance and it called for a re-thinking of current approaches to environmental issues.
The declaration was intended to set a new path for conserving the environment, while planning for development. It recognized that “in order to achieve sustainable development, environmental protection shall constitute an integral part of the development process and cannot be considered in isolation from it.” It also called for governments to use the precautionary principle. The precautionary principle is also mentioned in the international Convention on Biological Diversity, which states “where there is a threat of significant reduction or loss of biological diversity, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to avoid or minimize such a threat.”
The precautionary principle is based on several axioms: accepting the limitations of human knowledge and the limits of our capacity to manage the planet; in the face of uncertainty, we must think deeply and act thoughtfully; and, we must not make irreversible changes. Unfortunately, concepts such as the precautionary principle are often reduced to rhetoric. Indeed, only two laws in Ontario explicitly make mention of it. It is not a consideration in the current approach – or lack thereof – to land use planning in northern Ontario.
The need for a precautionary approach was the crux of several EBR applications dealing with northern Ontario, all of which were denied by the various ministries referenced. In some respects, what is being called for is a change in the course of history: by adopting the precautionary principle we have the opportunity to view the north as a ‘clean slate’. It is the opportunity to learn from past mistakes and to cast a new vision in which environmental concerns are the priority, rather than an afterthought.
| This is an article from the 2006/07 Annual Report to the Legislature from the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. |
Citing This Article:
Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. 2007. "Developing Priorities: The Challenge of Creating a Sustainable Planning System in Northern Ontario." Reconciling our Priorities, ECO Annual Report, 2006-07. Toronto, ON : Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. 72.
