Introduction to
Environmental Impact
Assessment
Environmental Impact Assessment
• The process of identifying, predicting,
evaluating and mitigating the biophysical,
social, and other relevant effects of
development proposals prior to major
decisions being taken and commitments
made.
Other Definition of EIA
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 2002
• A systematic process to identify, predict and evaluate the
environmental effects of proposed actions and projects. This
process is applied prior to major decisions and
commitments being made. A broad definition of environment
is adopted.
Whenever necessary, social, cultural and health effects are
considered as an integral part of EIA. Particular attention is
given in EIA practice to preventing, mitigating and offsetting
the significant adverse effects of proposed undertakings.
EIA Definition
• International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA)
and Institute of Environmental Assessment (IEA), 1999
• The process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and
mitigating the biophysical, social and other relevant
effects of development proposals prior to major decisions
being taken and commitments made.
Objectives of EIA
• • To ensure that environmental considerations are explicitly
addressed and incorporated into the development decision making
process;
• To anticipate and avoid, minimize or offset the adverse significant
biophysical, social and other relevant effects of development
proposals;
• To protect the productivity and capacity of natural systems and the
ecological processes which maintain their functions; and
• To promote development that is sustainable and optimizes resource
use and management opportunities.
• Long term objectives of EIA are to:
• protect human health and safety;
• avoid irreversible changes and serious
damage to the environment;
• safeguard valued resources, natural
areas and ecosystem components; and
• • enhance the social aspects of the
proposal.
• The EIA process should be applied:
As early as possible in decision making and throughout the life cycle of
the proposed activity;
- apply to all development proposals that may cause potentially
significant effects;
- address biophysical impacts and relevant socio-economic factors,
including health, culture, gender, lifestyle, age, and cumulative effects
consistent with the concept and principles of sustainable development;
- facilitate involvement and input of communities and industries affected
by a proposal, as well as the interested public;
Generalised EIA
Process Flowchart
Proposal
Identification
Screening
Initial No EIA
EIA Required
environmental
examination
Scoping *Public involvement
Impact analysis
*Public involvement typically
occurs at these points. It may
Mitigation
also occur at any other stage
and impact of the EIA Process.
management
EIA Report
Review
*Public involvement
Resubmit
Redesign Decision-making
Information from this process
contributes to effective future EIA
Not approved Approved
Implementation and
follow up
EIA—Three core values
integrity - the EIA process will conform to
agreed standards
utility - the EIA process will provide balanced,
credible information for decision-making
sustainability - the EIA process will result in
environmental safeguards
Benefits of EIA include:
environmentally sound and sustainable design
better compliance with standards
savings in capital and operating costs
reduced time and costs for approvals
increased project acceptance
better protection of the environment and
human health
Delays are caused during EIA when
the EIA is commenced too late in the project
cycle
the terms of reference are poorly drafted
the EIA is not managed to a schedule
the EIA report is inadequate and needs to be
upgraded
there is a lack of technical data
Scientific Basis of EIA
• Not just a administrative procedure but a
scientific method
• Science seeks to reduce the apparent
complexity of our world into general
principles that can be used to solve
problems assuming there is a discoverable
order
Science seeks “truth” in an objective and
rational manner
• Four goals of Scientific Research:
• 1) Exploration: to explore further
• 2) Description: to describe the structure
• and function of a phenomenon (the what)
• 3) Explanation: why and how
• 4) Prediction: what should we expect?
How
• will it effect…? (the so what…)
Scientific research typically starts with a questionor
problem through deductive reasoning and comes
up with theory through inductive reasoning
DEDUCTIVE: conclusion form general to
specific (have a broad generalization and
narrow it to individual cases)
INDUCTIVE: observe a specific case (s) and
draw general conclusions
Scientific Research Characteristics
• 1) Systematic
• 2) Rational – deductive / inductive
• 3) Theory based / Theory oriented
• 4) Disciplined
• 5) Objective –
• not applying your own point of view
• 6) Relies on evidence
• 7) Public
- accessible to public to prove its worth
- way of allowing others to check
- replicate experiment
• 8) Attempts to be Accurate –
Assumption of Science
• 1) Phenomena is observable and testable
• 2) Order – pattern
• 3) Antecedents
• history repeats itself
• notion of cause and effect
Components of the Scientific
Method
a. Question
Based on observation or inquiry
b. Hypothesis
Statement about the relationship between 2 or
more things
c. Testing
Through experimental or observation
d. Results
Confirm or reject hypothesis
EIA – a system approach
• Define the issues
• Identify the objective
• Define the scope ( temporal and spatial boundary and
hierarchy, interdisciplinary, integrative)
• Define the hypothesis
• Assumptions
• Identify the principles/theories involved
• Id inputs, system component involved and
• Outputs
• Prediction of outputs using models or expert judgements
Environmental Impact Assessment Project Cycle and Project Management
• The EIA process should be applied:
• As early as possible in decision making and throughout the life cycle
of the proposed activity;
• To all development proposals that may cause potentially significant
effects;
• To biophysical impacts and relevant socio-economic factors,
including health, culture, gender, lifestyle, age, and cumulative
effects consistent with the concept and principles of sustainable
development;
• To provide for the involvement and input of communities and
industries affected by a proposal, as well as the
interested public;
• In accordance with internationally agreed measures and activities.
Figure 1: EIA concept and eight guiding principles
• The guiding principles...
• There are eight guiding principles that govern
the entire process of EIA and they are as
follows:
• 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.
• Interdisciplinary - the process should ensure that the
appropriate techniques and experts in the relevant
bio-physical and socio-economic disciplines are
employed, including use of traditional knowledge as
relevant.
• Systematic - the process should result in
full consideration of all relevant information
on the affected environment,
of proposed alternatives and their impacts,
and of the measures necessary to monitor
and investigate residualeffects.
• Integrated - the process should address
the interrelationships of social, economic
and biophysical aspects.
Source:
Questions
• With your knowledge of ecosystem ecology/landscape
ecology, how the proposed project could affect the
ecosystem or landscape structure, their functions and
ecosystem services?
• How the ecological processes involved in a proposed
project in the alternative sites would assist in selection of
spatial, temporal and institutional scale?
How the system thinking and system analysis would
improve the quality of the report from am EIA?
