ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ASSESSMENT
(ENVIROMENT IMPACT
IDENTIFICATION , PREDICTION
AND EVALUATION)
Dr. M. Farhad Howladar,
Dept. of Petroleum & Mining Engineering,
SUST, Sylhet
PURPOSES OF ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT ASSESSMENT
• ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ASSESSMENT OR
EIA CAN BE DEFINED AS THE STUDY TO
PREDICT THE EFFECT OF A PROPOSED
ACTIVITY/PROJECT ON THE
ENVIRONMENT.
• A DECISION MAKING TOOL, EIA
COMPARES VARIOUS ALTERNATIVES FOR
A PROJECT AND SEEKS TO IDENTIFY THE
ONE WHICH REPRESENTS THE BEST
COMBINATION OF ECONOMIC AND
ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS AND BENEFITS.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ASSESSMENT
IS INTENDED AS AN INSTRUMENT
OF PREVENTIVE
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT.
IT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK AND
AN INFORMATION BASIS FOR
DECISION MAKING ON
ACTIVITIES AFFECTING THE
ENVIRONMENT.
EIA – THREE CORE VALUES
1. INTEGRITY: THE EIA PROCESS
SHOULD BE FAIR, OBJECTIVE,
UNBIASED AND BALANCED
2. UTILITY: THE EIA PROCESS SHOULD
PROVIDE BALANCED, CREDIBLE
INFORMATION FOR DECISION MAKING
3. SUSTAINABILITY: THE EIA PROCESS
SHOULD RESULT IN ENVIRONMENTAL
SAFEGUARDS
“TO SAY THAT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT HAS IMPACT
IS TO STATE THE OBVIOUS. NO INDUSTRIAL COUNTRY HAS
ADVANCED TO SUCH STATUS WITHOUT DEVELOPING SOLID
INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES. AND NO LOW-INCOME COUNTRY
HAS MANAGED TO ESCAPE POVERTY IN THE ABSENCE OF
INFRASTRUCTURE.
IN ADDITION TO ECONOMIC GROWTH, INFRASTRUCTURE
DEVELOPMENT HAS A VERY TANGIBLE IMPACT ON PEOPLE'S
DAILY LIVES, AND ESPECIALLY ON THE LIVES OF POOR PEOPLE
”
- LIQUN JIN
VICE PRESIDENT, ADB
EIA
APPLIES TO THE ASSESSMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF THOSE
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROJECTS WHICH ARE LIKELY TO HAVE
SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
EIA
PROJECT MEANS:
• THE EXECUTION OF CONSTRUCTION WORKS OR OF OTHER
INSTALLATIONS OR SCHEMES
• OTHER INTERVENTIONS IN THE NATURAL SURROUNDINGS AND
LANDSCAPE INCLUDING THOSE INVOLVING THE EXTRACTION OF
MINERALS.
EIA
DEVELOPMENT CONSENT MEANS:
• THE DECISION OF THE COMPETENT AUTHORITIES WHICH ENTITLES THE
DEVELOPER TO PROCEED WITH THE PROJECT.
EIA
….. HAVE SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT BY VIRTUE INTER
ALIA,
OF THEIR:
NATURE, SIZE, LOCATION.
EIA
… DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS OF A PROJECT ON THE FOLLOWING FACTORS:
• HUMAN BEINGS, FAUNA AND FLORA
• SOIL, WATER, AIR, CLIMATE AND THE
LANDSCAPE
• THE INTER-ACTION BETWEEN THE FACTORS
MENTIONED IN THE FIRST AND SECOND
INDENTS
• MATERIAL ASSETS AND THE CULTURAL
HERITAGE.
EIA METHODOLOGY:-
METHODOLOGY MEANS THE STRUCTURAL APPROACHES
FOR DOING ONE OR MORE ACTIVITIES OF EIA.
THERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTIC WHICH AN EIA
METHODOLOGY SHOULD DEPICT.
THESE ARE:-(1)IT SHOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO THE
NECESSARY TASK OF EIA PROCESS SUCH AS IMPACT
IDENTIFICATION/COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES.
(2)IT SHOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY FREE FROM ASSESSORS
BIAS
(3)IT SHOULD BE ECONOMICAL IN TERMS OF COSTS, AND ITS
REQUIREMENT OF DATA ,INVESTIGATING TIME ,
PERSONNEL, EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES.
IMPACT ANALYSIS:-
THIS STAGE OF EIA IDENTIFIES
AND PREDICTS THE LIKELY
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL
IMPACT OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT
AND EVALUATES THE
SIGNIFICANCE
METHODS FOR IMPACT ANALYSIS:-
1. IMPACT IDENTIFICATION
2. IMPACT PREDICTION
3. IMPACT EVALUATION
Proposal
identification
EIA required Screening No EIA
Initial
Scoping environmental
examination
Impact analysis
Mitigation
and impact
management
*Public involvement
Resubmit EIA report
*Public involvement typically
occurs at these points.
It may also occur at any
Redesign Review other stage of the EIA Process
Not approved Decision-making
Approved
Information from this process
contributes to effective EIA in the future
Implementation
and post-EIA
monitoring
1. IMPACT IDENTIFICATION:-
IMPACT IDENTIFICATION ATTEMPTS TO ANSWER THE
QUESTION, “WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN A PROJECT
ENTERS ITS OPERATIONAL STAGE?”
A LIST OF IMPORTANT IMPACTS SUCH AS CHANGES IN
AMBIENT AIR QUALITY, CHANGES IN WATER AND SOIL
QUALITIES, NOISE LEVELS, WILDLIFE HABITATS,
SPECIES DIVERSITY, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL SYSTEMS,
EMPLOYMENT LEVELS ETC MAY BE PREPARED.
THE IMPORTANT SOURCES OF IMPACT LIKE SMOKE
EMISSION, CONSUMPTION OF WATER, DISCHARGE OF
EFFLUENTS ETC ARE IDENTIFIED.
METHODS OF
ENVRONMENT IMPACT IDENTIFICATION:-
WARNER,1973
AD HOC METHOD
CHECKLISTS
MATRICES
OVERLAYS
NETWORKS
AD HOC METHOD:-
SIMPLEMETHOD BASED ON SUBJECTIVE ENVIRONMENT IMPACTS ON
BROAD ASPECTS.
AD HOC METHOD IS USEFUL WHEN TIME CONSTRAINTS AND LACK OF
INFORMATION REQUIRE THAT THE EIA MUST RELY EXCLUSIVELY ON
EXPERT OPINION.
IT PROVIDES MINIMAL GUIDANCE FOR TOTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
WHILE SUGGESTING THE BROAD AREAS OF POSSIBLE IMPACTS AND
THE GENERAL NATURE OF THESE POSSIBLE IMPACTS.
WHEN MORE SCIENTIFIC METHODS ARE AVAILABLE, IT IS NOT
RECOMMENDED.
TYPES OF AD HOC METHOD:-
OPINION POLLS.
EXPERTS OPINION.
DELPHI METHODS ETC.
AD HOC METHOD:-
ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE
IT REQUIRE EXPERT.
SPECIALISTS ON SHORT/LONG TERM
IMPACT ARE MERELY
A PARTICULAR EXAMINED ON GUESS
AREA WILL BASIS.
IDENTIFICATION ,
PROVIDE PREDICTION AND
GUIDANCE. INTERPRETATION OF
IMPACTS ARE QUITE POOR
CHECKLISTS METHOD:-
CHECKLIST MEANS A LISTING OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACTS.
THIS METHOD IS DONE TO ASSESS THE NATURE OF THE IMPACTS
I.E. ITS TYPE SUCH AS ADVERSE /BENEFICIAL , SHORT TERM OR
LONG TERM , NO EFFECT OR SIGNIFICANT IMPACT , REVERSIBLE
OR IRREVERSIBLE ETC
TYPES OF CHECKLISTS METHOD:-
SIMPLE LISTS.
DESCRIPTIVE CHECKLISTS.
SCALING CHECKLISTS.
QUESTIONNAIRE CHECKLISTS.
CHECKLISTS :-
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
SIMPLE TO DO NOT DISTINGUISH
UNDERSTAND BETWEEN DIRECT
AND USE. AND INDIRECT
IMPACTS.
GOOD FOR SITE DO NOT LINK ACTION
SELECTION AND AND IMPACT.
PRIORITY SOMETIME IT IS A
SETTING. CUMBERSOME TASK.
MATRICES:-
MATRIX AND ITS VARIANTS PROVIDE US A FRAMEWORK OF
INTERACTION OF DIFFERENT ACTIONS /ACTIVITIES OF A
PROJECT WITH POTENTIAL EI CAUSED BY THEM.
A SIMPLE INTERACTION MATRIX IS FORMED WHERE PROJECT
ACTIONS ARE LISTED ALONG ONE AXIS I.E. VERTICALLY AND EI
ARE LISTED ALONG THE OTHER SIDE I.E. HORIZONTALLY.
IT WAS PIONEER BY LEOPOLD ET AL(1971).
IT LISTS ABOUT 100 PROJECT ACTIONS AND ABOUT 88
ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTIC AND CONDITION.
IMPACT IDENTIFICATION MATRIX
(EXAMPLE)
Airports
Projects
Highways
Development
Rapid Transit
Oil/Gas Pipelines
Significant Impact
Ports and Harbours
(VEC)
Component
Valued Env.
Surface Water Quality
Air Quality
Seismology/Geology
Erosion
Land Quality
Fisheries
SECTORAL MATRIX EXAMPLE
Forests
Terrestrial Wildlife
Moderate - Significant Impact
Noise
Land Use
Aesthetics
Industries
Resettlement
Archaeological/Historical
Public Health
Socioeconomic
Insignificant Impact
MATRICES METHOD :-
DISADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES
DIFFICULT TO
DISTINGUISH
DIRECT AND
LINK ACTION INDIRECT IMPACTS
TO IMPACT
SIGNIFICANT
GOOD METHOD POTENTIAL FOR
FOR DISPLAYING DOUBLE-
EIA RESULTS COUNTING OF
IMPACTS
QUALITATIVE
NETWORK METHOD:-
IT USES THE MATRIX APPROACH BY EXTENDING IT
TAKE INTO
ACCOUNT PRIMARY AS WELL THE SECONDARY IMPACTS.
SHOWN IN THE FORM OF TREE CALLED AS RELEVANCE/IMPACT
TREE/SEQUENCE DIAGRAM.
IDENTIFICATION OF DIRECT ,INDIRECT /SHORT AND LONG TERM
ENVIRONMENT IMPACT IS A CRUCIAL AND INTACT BASIC STEP OF
MAKING IMPACT TREE.
USED TO IDENTIFY CAUSE-EFFECT LINKAGES
VISUAL DESCRIPTION OF LINKAGES
EXAMPLE OF A NETWORK ANALYSIS
Salmonoid
populations
Fishing Spawning
Temperature Flow Water Quality
(Suspended Matter)
Access Dredging Clearing
NETWORKS METHOD:-
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
LINK ACTION TO CAN BECOME
IMPACT OVERLY
USEFUL IN COMPLEX IF
SIMPLIFIED FORM USED BEYOND
IN CHECKING FOR SIMPLIFIED
SECOND ORDER VERSION
IMPACTS QUALITATIVE
HANDLES DIRECT
AND INDIRECT
IMPACTS
OVERLAYS:-MC HARG(1968,69)
RELY ON A SET OF MAPS OF A PROJECT AREA’S
ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS COVERING
PHYSICAL , SOCIAL, ECOLOGICAL, AESTHETIC ASPECTS.
SEPARATE MAPPING OF CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL
FEATURES AT THE SAME SCALE AS PROJECT'S SITE PLAN
E.G. WETLANDS, STEEP SLOPES, SOILS, FLOODPLAINS, BEDROCK
OUTCROPS, WILDLIFE HABITATS, VEGETATIVE COMMUNITIES,
AND CULTURAL RESOURCES...
OLDER TECHNIQUE: ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES ARE
MAPPED ON TRANSPARENT PLASTIC IN DIFFERENT
COLORS.
NEWER TECHNIQUE: GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
SYSTEMS (GIS).
OVERLAYS METHOD:-
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGE
EASY TO ADDRESS ONLY
UNDERSTAND DIRECT IMPACTS
AND USE DO NOT
GOOD DISPLAY ADDRESS IMPACT
DURATION OR
METHOD
PROBABILITY
GOOD FOR SITE
SELECTION
SETTING
TYPES OF IMPACTS:-
A. BIOLOGICAL AND PHYSIO -CHEMICAL IMPACTS.
B. SOCIAL IMPACTS.
C. HEALTH IMPACTS.
D. ECONOMIC IMPACTS.
A. BIOLOGICAL AND PHYSIO-CHEMICAL
IMPACTS:-
IT RELATE TO EFFECTS ON BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES SUCH AS
VEGETATION ,WILDLIFE , CROPS AND AQUATIC LIFE.
INTERACTION WITH PHYSICAL ELEMENTS LIKE AIR ,WATER ,
SOIL, ROCKS AND SOLAR RADIATION.
CHEMICAL IMPACTS LIKE CHEMICAL CHANGE IN AIR , WATER ,
SOIL QUALITY ETC.
B. SOCIAL IMPACTS:-
DEMOGRAPHIC
– DISPLACEMENT AND
RELOCATION EFFECTS AND CHANGES IN
POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS.
CULTURAL –
TRADITIONAL PATTERNS , FAMILY
STRUCTURE ,RELIGIOUS, ARCHAEOLOGICAL
FEATURES , SOCIAL NETWORKS.
GENDER
– IMPLICATION OF PROJECTS ON
ROLES OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY , EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITY AND EQUITY
INSTITUTIONAL –
HOUSING , SCHOOLS,
CRIMINAL JUSTICE , HEALTH, WELFARE
C.of health
Examples HEALTH impacts IMPACTS:-
by sector
Communicable Non Nutrition Injury Psychosocial
disease communicable disorder and
disease loss of well-
being
Mining Tuberculosis Dust induced Crushing Labour migration
lung disease
Agriculture Parasitic Pesticide Loss of
infections poisoning subsistence
Industry Poisoning by Occupational Disempowerment
pollutants injury
Forestry Loss of food Occupational
production injury
Dams and Water borne Poisoning by Increased food Drowning Involuntary
irrigation diseases pollutants production displacement
schemes
Transportation HIV/Aids Heart disease Traffic injury Noise and
induced stress
Energy Indoor air Electromagnetic Community
pollution radiation displacement
D. ECONOMIC IMPACTS:-
DURATION OF CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION
WORKFORCE REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH PERIOD
SKILL REQUIREMENTS (LOCAL AVAILABILITY)
EARNING
RAW MATERIAL AND OTHER INPUT PURCHASES
CAPITAL INVESTMENT
OUTPUTS
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY
2. IMPACT PREDICTION:-
THE ACCUMULATED KNOWLEDGE OF THE FINDINGS OF THE
ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS FORM THE BASIS FOR THE
PREDICTION OF IMPACTS.
ONCE A POTENTIAL IMPACT HAS BEEN DETERMINED DURING
SCOPING PROCESS ,IT IS NECESSARY TO IDENTIFY WHICH
PROJECT ACTIVITY WILL CAUSE IMPACT , AND ITS MAGNITUDE
AND EXTENT.
METHODS OF IMPACT PREDICTION:-
BEST ESTIMATE PROFESSIONAL
JUDGEMENT .
QUANTITATIVE MATHEMATICAL
MODELS .
EXPERIMENTS AND PHYSICAL MODELS .
CASE STUDIES AS ANALOGUES OR
REFERENCES .
POINTS TO CONSIDER FOR IMPACT
PREDICTIONS:-
1. BASELINE CONDITION
2. UN CERTAINTY
3. SPATIAL LIMITS
4. TEMPORARY BOUNDARIES
5. INCREMENTAL CONDITION
6. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE METHODS
3. IMPACTS EVALUATION:-
ITS PURPOSE IS TO ASSIGN RELATIVE SIGNIFICANCE TO
PREDICTED IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECTS AND TO
DETERMINE THE ORDER IN WHICH IMPACTS ARE TO BE
AVOIDED , MITIGATED OR COMPENSATED
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING
POTENTIAL EFFECTS:-
IMPORTANCE OF AFFECTED RESOURCE
MAGNITUDE AND EXTENT OF DISTURBANCE
DURATION AND FREQUENCY
RISK/LIKELIHOOD OF OCCURRENCE
REVERSIBILITY
CONTRIBUTION TO CUMULATIVE IMPACTS
EVALUATION OF EIA SYSTEM
EFFECTIVENESS:-
BE CONSIDERED EFFECTIVE IF
• INFORMATION GENERATED IN THE EIA CONTRIBUTED TO DECISION
MAKING.
• PREDICTIONS WERE ACCURATE
• PROPOSED MITIGATORY AND COMPENSATORY MEASURE ACHIEVED
APPROVED MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES
EFFICIENCY CRITERIA ARE SATISFIED IF
• EIA DECISIONS ARE TIMELY RELATIVE TO ECONOMIC AND OTHER
FACTORS DETERMINE PROJECT DECISIONS
• COSTS OF CONDUCTING EIA CAN BE DETERMINED AND ARE
REASONABLE.
42
FIVE STEP PROCESS FOR EVALUATION
OF CUMULATIVE EFFECTS :-
The area in which the effects of the proposed action will
occur
The impacts that are expected in that area from the
proposed action
Other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable actions
that have or are expected to have impacts in the area
The impacts or expected impacts from those other
actions
The overall impact that can be expected if the individual
impacts are allowed to accumulate
IMPACT MITIGATION
Review Applicable
Evaluate Environmental
Standards
Impacts
Design Environmental
Protection Measures
MITIGATION DEVELOPMENT
Develop Alternative
Environmental Protection
Measures
Evaluate Assess Environmental
Implementation Effectiveness
Costs
Select Final Environmental
Protection Measures
THANK
YOU
