Environmental Impact Assessment (Overview of Purpose, Process and Methods) Day 1.30 hour What is the purpose of EIA ? EIA, in short, is a formal study process used to predict the environmental consequences of a proposed major developmental project z EIA concentrates on problems, conflicts or natural resource constraints that could affect the viability of a project z EIA also examines how the project might cause harm to people, their homeland or their livelihoods, or to other nearby developments z EIA outlines ways to improve the project’s suitability for its proposed environment EIA aims to ensure that potential problems are foreseen and addressed at an early stage in the project’s planning and design z EIA : A systems perspective on sustainable development IPAT, Impact = population × affluence × technology (adapted from Sadler and Jacobs (1989) and Sadler (1995) Connections Between Root Causes and Problems (The Three Factor Model) Number of people P × Number of units of resources used per person A × Environmental degradation and pollution per unit of resource used T = Environmental impact of population Impact (I) = population × affluence × technology (PAT) (adapted from Sadler and Jacobs (1989) and Sadler (1995) Environmental Impact of Less Developed Countries (top) and More Developed Countries (bottom) Definitions z z z Munn (1979) defines EIA as a need “to identify and predict the impact on the environment and on man’s health and well being of legislative proposals, policies, programs, projects and operational procedures and to interpret and communicate information about the impact” Wathern (1988) defines EIA as “a process having the ultimate objective of providing the decision-makers with an indication of the likely consequences of their actions” Canter (1996) defines EIA as “the physical-chemical, biological, cultural and socio-economic components of the total environment” Meaning of EIA z EIA stands for Environmental Impact Assessment z ENVIRONMENT- Biophysical, Socioeconomic, and cultural z z IMPACT- Negative or Positive, Cumulative (Spatial and Temporal), Direct or Indirect, Short or Medium or Long Term, Environment on Project or Project on Environment, Reversible or Irreversible ASSESSMENT- Quantification, Prediction, Evaluation, Monitoring, Auditing EIA - a tool or a process !!! As a tool: EIA satisfies the search for normative approaches to decision making As a process: Concerns and interests of different parties and the contextual aspects of the decision are addressed EIA is therefore an important phase in the process of deciding about the final shape of a proposed project It helps officials make decisions about a project and it helps the project’s proponents achieve their aims more successfully EIA is a management tool ! EIA is a management tool (Following questions need to be asked about any major projects) z z z z z z z z Can it operate safely, without serious risk of dangerous accidents or long term health effects ? Can the local environment cope with the additional waste and pollution it will produce ? Will its proposed location conflict with nearby land uses, or preclude later developments in the surrounding area? How will it affect local fisheries, farms or industry ? Is there sufficient infrastructure, such as roads and sewers, to support it ? How much water, energy and other resources will it consume, and are these in adequate supply ? What human resources will it require or replace, and social effects may this have on the community ? What damage may it inadvertently cause to national assets ? The EIA decision support system •(Adapted from Petts and Edulijee, 1994) Who is involved in the EIA process ? The developer needs to know where to site a project and how to reduce adverse environmental impacts The investor needs to know how the impacts will affect the viability of the project, and what liabilities are incurred The competent authority uses the EIA’s results to decide on a response to the permit application Other government authorities will want to know the implications of the projects they may wish to promote The regulator needs to know the extent of environmental impacts and weather they are acceptable The regional planner needs to know how the impacts will interfere with adjacent developments and land uses The local community or its representatives will need to know how the project’s impacts will affect their quality of life The politicians need to know who is affected and in what way, and what issues should be of concern What methods are used in EIA process ? Screening : Measuring against simple criteria such as size or location, comparing the proposal with lists of project types rarely needing an EIA (e.g , schools) or definitely needing one (e.g , coal mines), Estimating general impacts (e.g Increased infrastructure needed) and comparing these impacts against set thresholds, doing complex analyses, but using readily available data Preliminary Assessment: Identify the project’s key impacts on the local environment, generally describe and predict the extent of the impacts, and briefly evaluate their importance to decision makers Organization: Commissioning, Identifying, researching laws and regulations, making contact with decision makers, and determining how and when the EIA’s findings will be communicated z Scoping: Ensure that the study addresses all the issues of public concerns z The EIA study: z What will happen as a result of the project (Identification) ? z What will be the extent of the changes (Prediction) ? Do the changes matter (Evaluation) ? What can be done about them (Mitigation) ? How can decision-makers be informed of what needs to be done (Documentation)? z Important principles in managing an EIA z Principle : Focus on the main issue z Principle 2: Involve the appropriate persons and groups z Principle 3: Link information to decisions about the project z z Principle 4: Present clear options for the mitigation of impacts and for sound environmental management Principle 5: Provide information in a form useful to the decision makers