Environmental Impact Assessment

Principles and Process, Criteria, Planning

and Assessment
 Introduction
• Depletion of natural resources induced by human activities and
subsequent environmental degradation attracted steadily growing
interests in the last few decades. Such concerns make it evident the
necessity for the planning authorities to count on sound information
about the possible environmental consequences of development
actions.
• One of the tools available to satisfy this need is represented by the
procedure of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This
procedure involves the systematic identification and evaluation of
the impacts on the environment caused by a proposed project. EIA
is now applied worldwide in various forms.

• Its potential role in attaining the objective of sustainable

development was explicitly recognized during the Earth Summit
1992 held in Rio de Janeiro (United Nations 1992).
Effective environmental management will achieve
desired levels of production with minimum waste of
resources and the least harm to the environment or
human health. Principle 17 of Agenda 21 calls for
countries to apply environmental impact assessment
(EIA) as an instrument for decision-making.
EIA has been in use for over 30 years in many
developed countries. More than 100 countries now
have national EIA requirements (Sadler, 1995).
72 EIA Approved August 2007-MoEST. 92 EIA- 2009
 Why do EIA?

• Promotes better planning and leads to more

responsible decision making; ensures that
renewable and non-renewable resources are used
wisely
• Evaluates the rationale behind proposed projects
and activities; are there alternatives to a proposed
project or activity?
• Assists in pursuing sustainable development by
evaluating alternatives means of undertaking
proposed projects and activities

EIA Procedures and Decision Making 4

 Why do EIA? (Cont’d)

• Assessment outputs facilitate informed decision

making; anticipated environmental impacts can be
weighed against economic benefits and other social
gains in deciding whether to approve or reject
proposals
• Helps to identify and understand environmental
impacts early in the project cycle; predicted impacts
can be mitigated before they occur
• Provides opportunity for input from interested parties;
increases likelihood of public acceptance

EIA Procedures and Decision Making 5

 Why is EIA Needed?
• The natural environment is the foundation of the
world economy and our social well-being
• Past development practices have severely degraded
the natural environment and wasted scarce
resources
• Increasing development pressures (e.g.,
industrialization, urbanization, and resource use)
will inevitably accelerate environmental
degradation unless sustainable environmental
management practices are adopted

EIA Procedures and Decision Making 6

 Sustainable Development

“Sustainable development is
development that meets the needs
of the present without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own
needs.”
(Brundtland Commission)

EIA Procedures and Decision Making 7

Example Sustainability Criteria
• Maintenance of habitat and ecosystems
• Preservation of native plant and animal species
• Preservation of cultural values
• Reclamation and re-use of waste water
• Wastewater disposal within assimilative capacity
• Groundwater extraction within sustainable yield
• Productive use of fertile soils
• Prevention of erosion

EIA Procedures and Decision Making 8

 Sustainability Criteria (Cont’d)
• Application of clean technology
• Waste recycling or use
• Material utilization allowing recycling or re-use
• Energy efficiency/Use of renewable energy sources
• Public acceptability/Involvement of the community
• Full cost recovery for goods or services
• Equitable cost-benefit distribution

EIA Procedures and Decision Making 9

 Ecosystem
Ecological Air
Referring to ecosystem Activities/Humans
Components (structure) and Plants Animals
Their Interactions (Functions) Water
Soil Substrate
Microbes
Rock

Impact Natural
•Hydropower
An Effect or DistrubanceT
The effect of the Project Dev. Activities •Road
Impact errestrial
activity on ecosystem •Infrastructure
Aquatic
•Industry
Ecosystem

Projects Evaluation of Impacts

Analysis
Assessment of
Impacts
• Determination of the significance or worth
Analysis and of likely effects to the affected parties

Evaluation of Impacts Identification of actions Measurement

Prediction
of Likely
and possible effects of Possible
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Impacts 10 EIA
Impacts
 How EIA and SEA Evolved?

1960-Felt Need
Formally Introduced-1996
1970-Formally introduced-US-NEPA Process in Practice 1986

1972-Stockholm Conference- Formation Stage (1970-1989)-Under

EIA Framework
• Article 17-multidiclipinary
environment management tool for Formalization Stage (1990-200)-Spread
the sustainability of the over the Countries
development project
• Introduced at the program level to
Extension Stage (2001-0nwards)-
assess, predict and evaluate the
Widespread adaption
environmental impact of the
sectoral project • EU Directive
• 121 Countries has adopted EIA as • Protocol UNCED
effective tool since 1970
SEA was introduced to make strong EIA system and
concrete solution at the plan, policy and program for
environmental management for sustainable decision
making process
EIA Process-Decision Support System
Communication & EIA Report Preparation
Action Definition Participation –Site Specific Scoping
–Consideration of need and
–Assessing the Existing Env.
alternative
–Impact Prediction
–Is an assessment needed?
–Evaluation of Significance
–Scoping the Coverage
–Draft Report
Review &

Communication &
Mitigation
Communication &

Participation
Participation

Review &
Decision
Implementation Mitigation –Review of Report
–Construction and – Formal Consultation
Commissioning
–Planning Decision
–Monitoring: Compliance
and impacts –Decisions on Relevant
Communication &
Participation Permits
-Performance Auditing
 Current Trend of EIA Practices
Developed Countries Country Experiences
Screening

Scoping
Scoping

Examination of Alternatives
Environmental Assessment
Impactanalysis

Mitigation and Impact Management

EIA Report preparation
Evaluation of Significance

Preparation of EIS Report Project Implementation

Review of EIS
Monitoring and Auditing of Some
Decision Making projects only

Follow up
13
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EIA concept and eight guiding principles
 The eight guiding principles...
• Participation: An appropriate and timely access to the process for all interested parties.

• Transparency: All assessment decisions and their basis should be open and accessible.

• Certainty: The process and timing of the assessment should be agreed in advanced and
followed by all participants.

• Accountability: The decision-makers are responsible to all parties for their action and
decisions under the assessment process.

• Credibility: Assessment is undertaken with professionalism and objectivity.

• Cost-effectiveness: The assessment process and its outcomes will ensure environmental
protection at the least cost to the society.

• Flexibility: The assessment process should be able to adapt to deal efficiently with any
proposal and decision making situation.

• Practicality: The information and outputs provided by the assessment process are readily
usable in decision making and planning.
Applying EIA...
• identify potential environmental impacts,
• examine the significance of environmental implications,
• assess whether impacts can be mitigated,
• recommend preventive and corrective mitigating
measures,
• inform decision makers and concerned parties about
the environmental implications, and
• advise whether development should go ahead.
 EIA Process...
• Project screening: Not all development projects require EIA. Project
screening will help identify the ones that actually do. Here in this section
describes the various screening criteria.

• Scoping: The process of scoping helps determine the coverage or 'scope' of

the EIA. The methods of scoping is elaborated in this section.

• Baseline data collection: A brief explanation on the concept of baseline

data collection and its purposes.

• Identification of environmental impacts: Described here are the various

types of environmental impacts of development projects both beneficial
and adverse.

• Impact prediction comparison of alternatives and determination of

significance: This sections covers the considerations for impact prediction,
uncertainties in impact prediction and comparison of alternatives for
impact prediction.
Mitigation measures
Described briefly under this section are the concept and
objectives, types and interesting points, of mitigation
measures.

Public consultation and participation

Public participation is a necessary component of the EIA.
"Who are the public?", "How to involve them?", and "What
are the benefits/disbenefits?" The answers can be found
under this section.
Environmental monitoring
As one of the most important aspects of EIA,
"Environmental Monitoring" is defined here along with
explanations on monitoring principles, types and
institutional aspects.
Environmental auditing
You will find under this section, the various types of
Environmental Auditing and when it should be carried out
during the EIA.
1. EIA PROCESS

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 Project proposal

Screening What Env. Ass.

types of Required
Ass.
Define Issue
Scoping
Baseline study
Do not know
Identify impacts
Environmental
Full Predict impacts
IEE
Scale
Assessment EIA Assess impacts

Mitigation impacts
Further
Monitoring plan investigation Project
needed rejected

Report preparation

Review

Project Approved

M&E
Project Implementation
Auditing
EIA Benefits and Flaws

• EIA generates huge benefits in selection of project

location, process, design, development actions, and
decision-making, however, in the current practice of
EIA there are a number of flaws, shortcomings and
deficiencies. The table below, summarizes apparent
benefits and flaws of the EIA.
 EIA benefits and flaws
Benefits Flaws

Provides systematic methods of Time-consuming

impact assessment

Estimates the cost/benefit trade- Costly

off of alternative actions

Facilitates the public participation Little public participation in actual

implementation

Provides an effective mechanism Unavailability for reliable data (mostly

for in developing countries)
 coordination
 environmental integration
 negotiations
 feed back
Top-level decision making Too focused on scientific analysis
(sometimes)

Triggers an institutional building Poor presentation of EIA report (bulky

volumes, scientific explanation,
difficult to understand)
Achieve a balance between the Compliance monitoring after EIA is
impact of developmental and seldom carried out
environmental concern
Education and training...
One significant factor that could help improve the EIA process is
good education and training.

• Training is necessary to understand and consider various EIA

methodologies in depth.

• Information on the legal and regulatory frameworks and

institutional arrangements are also necessary.

• Education and training process are important since the

fundamental factors behind all EIA predictions are still the best
professional judgment and/or experiences with similar projects
implemented elsewhere.

• Both short-term and long- term courses are necessary. These

courses however, must be multidisciplinary, and the focus
should be on the practical and operational aspects of EIA based
on theoretical implications.
 1-4 Principles of EIA administration and practice
• EIA is one of a number of policy tools that are used to
evaluate project proposals.

• It is also a relatively recent development when compared

to use of economic appraisal methods. A number of
factors led to the introduction of EIA in the US National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, 1969), including public
concern about the quality of the environment and the
increasing effects of new technologies and ever-larger
development schemes. In addition, then available
economic appraisal techniques, such as benefit cost
analysis, did not take account of the environmental and
social impacts of major projects.
• The architects of NEPA intended the environmental impact
statement to be the action-forcing mechanism, which would
change the way government decisions were made in the USA.
However, they probably did not foresee the extent to which EIA
would be adopted internationally, culminating in Principle 17 of
the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.

• Today, EIA is applied in more than 100 countries, and by all

development banks and most international aid agencies.
• EIA has also evolved significantly, driven by improvements in law,
procedure and methodology.

• Major trends in EIA process development are summarised in

table below. Except for the early pioneers, the phases and
timescales identified in the table below do not necessarily
correspond to the development of EIA in particular countries. In
all countries more strategic, sustainability- based approaches are
still at a relatively early stage.
 Major trends
Phase Timein EIA Key Events
Introduction 1970- Mandate and foundations of EIA established in the USA; then
and early 1975 adopted by a few other countries (e.g. Australia, Canada, New
development Zealand); basic concept, procedure and methodology still apply.

Increasing mid More advanced techniques (e.g. risk assessment); guidance on

scope and
1970s process implementation (e.g. screening and scoping); social
sophistication
to impacts considered; public inquiries and reviews drive
early innovations in leading countries; take up of EIA still limited
1980s but includes developing countries (e.g. China, Thailand and the
Philippines).
Process early Review of EIA practice and experience; scientific and
strengthening
1980s institutional frameworks of EIA updated; coordination of EIA
and
integration to with other processes, (e.g. project appraisal, land use
early planning); ecosystem- level changes and cumulative effects
1990s begin to be addressed; attention given to monitoring and other
follow-up mechanisms. Many more countries adopt EIA; the
European Community and the World Bank respectively
establish supra-national and international lending
requirements.
Strategic and early EIA aspects enshrined in international
sustainability
orientation 1990s agreements (“ Law, policy and institutional
to date arrangements); marked increase in
international training, capacity & building
and networking activities; development of
strategic environmental assessment (SEA)
of policies and plans; inclusion of
sustainability concepts and criteria in EIA
and SEA practice; EIA applied in all
OECD countries and large number of
developing and transitional countries.
 EIA Best Practice.
• Integrity :“ the EIA process should meet internationally
accepted requirements and standards of practice;

• Utility: “ the EIA process should provide the information

which is sufficient and relevant for decision-making; and

• Sustainability: “ the EIA process should result in the

implementation of environmental safeguards which are
sufficient to mitigate serious adverse effects and avoid
irreversible loss of resource and ecosystem functions.

• Recent Practices-IAIA
 Guiding principles of EIA good practice
S.N Principles Principles Practical application
Practical
application
1 Purposive EIA should meet its aims of informing decision
making and ensuring an appropriate level of
environmental protection and human health.
2 Focused EIA should concentrate on significant
environmental effects, taking into account the
issues that matter.
3 Adaptive EIA should be adjusted to the realities, issues
and circumstances of the proposals under
review.

4 Participative EIA should provide appropriate opportunities

to inform and involve the interested and
affected publics, and their inputs and concerns
5 Transparent EIA should be a clear, easily understood and
open process, with early notification procedure,
access to documentation, and a public record of
decisions taken and reasons for them.
6 Rigorous EIA should apply the best practicable
methodologies to address the impacts and issues
being investigated.
7 Practical EIA should identify measures for impact
mitigation that work and can be implemented.

8 Credible EIA should be carried out with professionalism,

rigor, fairness, objectivity, impartiality and
balance.
9 Efficient EIA should impose the minimum cost burden on
proponents consistent with meeting process
requirements and objectives.
Source: Sadler, 1996; IAIA and IEMA, 1999
 Environmental Impact Assessment
Criteria
I. Criteria to evaluate whether or not adverse
impacts are significant include:
• environmental loss and deterioration;
• social impacts resulting directly or indirectly from
environmental change;
• non-conformity with environmental standards,
objectives and guidelines; and
• likelihood and acceptability of risk.
II. Criteria to evaluate adverse impacts on natural
resources, ecological functions or designated areas
include:

• reductions in species diversity;

• depletion or fragmentation on plant and animal
habitat;
• loss of threatened, rare or endangered species;
• impairment of ecological integrity, resilience or
health e.g.
• disruption of food chains;
• decline in species population;
• alterations in predator-prey relationships.
III. Criteria to evaluate the significance of adverse
social impacts that result from biophysical changes
include:
• threats to human health and safety e.g. from
release of persistent and/or toxic chemicals;
• decline in commercially valuable or locally
important species or resources e.g. fish, forests and
farmland;
• loss of areas or environmental components that
have cultural, recreational or aesthetic value;
• displacement of people e.g. by dams and reservoirs;
• disruption of communities by influx of a workforce
e.g. during project construction; and
• pressures on services, transportation and
infrastructure.
IV. Environmental standards, objectives and
targets to evaluate significance include:
• prescribed limits on waste/emission discharges and/or
concentrations;
• ambient air and water quality standards established
by law or regulations;
• environmental objectives and targets contained in
policy and strategy; and
• approved or statutory plans that protect areas or
allocate, zone or regulate the use of land and natural
resources.
Environmental impact assessment processes,
Criteria, Planning and Assessment process in Nepal

• The EIA system of Nepal has introduced successfully

after the enforcement of Environment Protection Rules
(EPR) 1997, which made IEE/EIA mandatory for the
governmental as well as the private sector. Prior to this,
IEE/EIA was mandatory only for the governmental
sector, ever since the enforcement of the National
Guidelines (1993). However, the historical establishment
of EIA process began since late 1980s.
 Proposal requiring EIA (Schedule 2 of EPR, 1997

Issuance of 15 days Public Notice in Determination of Scoping

the national newspaper for Scoping Document as proposed or in
(Rule 4.1) the revised form (Rule 4.5)

Preparation of Scoping Document and

TOR, and submission to Concerned Preparation and
Body by the Proponent (Rule 4.3) Submission of TOR (in
the format of Schedule 4)
by the Proponent (Rule
Investigation of Scoping Document, 5.2)
and TOR, and forward to MoEST with
opinions and suggestions (Rule 4.4)
Approval of TOR as
proposed or in the revised
Note: Proponent responsible to prepare and submit form (Rule 5.3)
SD and TOR for approval
 After SD and TOR Approval

Issuance of 30-days public notice in

Drafting of EIA Report in the
daily newspaper for public opinions and
format as indicated in Schedule 6
suggestions (Rule 11.2)
(Rule 7.1)
Approval of EIA Report within 60 or 90
Public Hearing at Project Site days upon receipt (Rule 11.4, 11.5 and
(Rule 7.2) 11.6)

Preparation of Final EIA Report Compliance of EIA Report and other

and Submission of 15 copies to the conditions during proposal
Concerned Body (with proofs of implementation (Rule 12)
Rules 7.2 & 10)
Environmental monitoring and inform
MoEST on directives issued to
Investigation and forward 10 copies
Proponent (Rule 13)
of EIA report to MoEST with
opinions within 21 days from the Environmental Auditing after 2 years
date of its receipt (Rule 11.1) of service commencement (Rule 14)
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