The Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD) recently launched ‘Eltezam’ – a new digital system for environmental inspection and compliance assessment. This gives EAD’s inspectors the flexibility to evaluate facilities and projects based on actual site activity and operations.
The new system allows inspectors to comprehensively review any aspect of an organization’s activities for any potential environmental hazards, rather than being limited to activities listed on its environmental permit.
The launch of ‘Eltezam’ is part of EAD’s ongoing efforts to fulfill its regulatory responsibilities by upholding environmental standards in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. By establishing a regulatory framework in the emirate, the agency can reduce environmental hazards and continuously update environmental conditions and standards in line with the pace of development witnessed by the industrial sector or the construction and infrastructure sector and the economic growth of the emirate.
environmental impact
Faisal Al Hammadi, Acting Executive Director, Environmental Quality Division, EAD, said: “The agency has developed modern technical tools and programs to ensure that industrial facilities and developments comply with environmental laws and requirements. We assess and permit developments, infrastructure, Industrial facilities and commercial enterprises to reduce construction-related environmental impacts. This is to ensure that local laws and regulations comply with best global environmental practices and the environmental, economic and social progress of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.”
Al Hammadi added: “EAD’s environmental inspection team conducts regular site visits to ensure that industrial facilities, development projects, infrastructure works and all related activities and operations take into account applicable environmental laws and regulations, comply with the conditions of environmental permits, and apply and Best global practice related to environmental protection.”
Ahmed Al Waheebi, Head of Compliance and Enforcement at EAD, said: “We are well aware of the nature of rapid economic growth, so we employ the latest electronic and information systems to help keep pace with this accelerating pace and achieve sustainable growth. We do so while taking care to reduce the environmental impact at every stage of development, from planning to implementation. The next step is to focus on systems that will rely more on proactive assessment of projects and facilities and self-monitoring, not just to facilitate, but to achieve better environmental outcomes.”
Powerful detection system
Al Waheebi said that by launching this new digital system, EAD seeks to establish a robust and effective inspection system that covers all industrial sectors, infrastructure projects and commercial activities under its jurisdiction, noting that the inspection system is built on connecting industrial sectors Algorithms and production processes and conditions. “Eltezam” will also complement activities on environmental violations and administrative fines and their legal basis.
The Agency conducted a series of training workshops for Agency inspectors to familiarize them with the features of the new system. Notably, the purpose of on-site inspections is to assess the extent to which facilities and developments comply with environmental conditions.
Inspectors investigate environmental incident reports and complaints, identify operational violations that may cause environmental problems, and ensure that licensed facilities and programs are aware of these violations and ways to correct them. They also collect relevant field data for specific sectors, activities, areas, and facilities, enforce environmental compliance, apply administrative fines, and initiate enforcement actions.
Elements of the Environmental Inspection and Compliance System include 93 departments licensed by EAD. It also assesses the environmental impact of 38 operations by monitoring 277 potential environmental violations, with the aim of preventing harm from all environmental pollutants in every activity within the agency’s jurisdiction. —
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