Methods Used to Assess

Environmental Impacts
Training Workshop on Environmental Assessment-Tool to
Achieve Sustainability

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 Definition

 Impact
Deviations from a baseline situation

 Assessment
The exercise of identifying impacts likely to
arise from an activity or project, quantifying
them, and assessing their significance

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 Scope of the Presentation

 “Steps” in Impact Assessment

 Conduct baseline study
 Identify and evaluate alternatives
 Identify potential impacts
 Predict impacts
 Determine impact significance
 Consider mitigation options
 Determine residual impacts and environmental
risks
 Prepare environmental management plan

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 Impact Identification Methods

 Briefing, consultation and workshops

 Index approaches (matrices and checklists)

 Overlays

 Networks

 Other

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 Briefing, Consultation, Workshops

 Briefing/brainstorming approaches to scoping

frequently used - relies on experience and
knowledge of the assessment team.

 Consultation with interested groups and statutory

bodies

 Public participation

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 Checklists

 A variety of methods varying in complexity and

characteristics.

 All share the common basis of an index of

environmental factors or development activities:
 Simple checklists
 Descriptive checklists
 Questionnaire checklists
 Weighting-scaling checklists

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 Simple Checklists

 Provide assessor with a list of factors to be

considered.

 Used as a memory aid to identify impacts.

 Can provide structure to initial part of scoping stage.

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 Example of Checklist

Disease vectors
(a) Are there known disease problems in
the project area transmitted through
vector species such as mosquitoes,
flies, snails etc. ? yes no not known
(b) Are these vector species associated with:
– aquatic habitats ? yes no not known
– forest habitats ? yes no not known
– agricultural habitats ? yes no not known

(f) Will the project provide opportunities

for vector control through improved
standards of living ? yes no not known
Estimated impact on disease vectors ?
high adverse insignificant high benefit

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 Advantages and Disadvantages
of Checklists

 Advantages
 Comparatively simple method
 Not necessarily project specific
 Once established, can be used in many different situations

 Disadvantages
 Can never be considered as definite or complete
 Do not help to identify secondary/higher order impacts
 Tend to ‘compartmentalise

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 Interaction Matrices

 Consist of two checklists - development actions on

one axis, environmental parameters on the other.

 Sometime magnitude or importance of impacts is

included in numerical terms.

 Presents a clear summary.

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Example of Matrix

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 Advantages and
Disadvantages of Matrices

 Advantages
 Easily modified, so many varieties have been developed
and used
 Relationships between development and environment
made explicit
 Can present a summary of anticipated impacts in an
easily understood format

 Disadvantages
 Fail to identify potential secondary or tertiary impacts
 May not provide an objective method for comparing
impact magnitudes or importance
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 Overlays

 Excellent for identifying indirect impacts.

 Manual or computer (GIS) based.

 Layers of information overlain to form a composite

 Overlays can show:

 spatial extent/intensity of impact over geographical area
 different land uses or designations
 different location constraints of proposals
 identification of alternative sites or routes

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Overlays

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 Advantage and Disadvantage
of Overlays

 Advantages
 Conceptually simple; Provide clear presentation
 Highly versatile
 Appropriate for describing and assessing impacts
occurring over a wide spatial area
 Can predict geographical location of impacts

 Disadvantages
 Number of layers limited (6 - 8)
 Needs weighting of parameters
 Setting boundaries may induce inaccuracies

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 Selecting the Right Tool

 Considerations in Impact Identification

 Direct and Indirect Impact
 Impact of Secondary Development
 Long-term Impacts
 Cumulative Impacts

 Tool is selected on the bases of:

 Available resources
 Nature of project

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 Prediction of Impact

 Quantitative analysis (simulation models, statistical

analysis, etc).

 Qualitative analysis (professional judgment, intuitive

reasoning, etc)

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 Examples of Prediction Methods

 Models
 Air dispersion models
 Stream water quality model
 Groundwater models

 Standard Data
 Noise emission data

 Technical Literature
 Research articles on wildlife behavior

 Risk Assessment

 Community participation
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 Significance Criteria

 Law, regulation, policy

 Acceptable industry standard

 Public health and safety risk (high or unknown)

 Public concern or acceptable social or cultural values

 Precedent-setting and unique characteristics (protected

areas, wilderness, aesthetics)

 Expert opinion and value judgment

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 Output of Impact Assessment

 All potential impacts identified.

 Impacts predicted, qualitatively or quantitatively.

 Impacts characterized:
 Magnitude
 Extent
 Risk (Probability and severity)
 Duration
 Reversibility

 Significance determined (acceptable or not).

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