ABSTRACT
In general, curbing poverty, improving the quality of life, and safeguarding the environment for any country must present mutually supportive objectives (World Bank, 1989). A risk-cost-benefit technique may generally be employed to evaluate the extent to which a new policy can be used to arrive at a balance between economic development and environmental sustainability, and in particular, to improve the overall wellbeing of populations potentially affected by the development programme. Where associated risks exceed established international or relevant local standards, effective corrective action must be taken to reduce these risks to the acceptable levels.
