ELECTIVE COURSE:

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ASSESSMENT (EIA)

Course Tutor: Dr. Kishan D. Bhatta

Email: kishandatta@yahoo.com
Mobile: 9841341094
EIA Review

 Review of quality of EIA is a formal step in the

EIA process.

 The purpose of review is to assure the

completeness and quality of the information
gathered in an EIA.

 Final check on the quality of EIA report

submitted to obtain a project authorization
Key objectives of EIA review are to:

 Assess the adequacy and quality of an EIA

report;

 Take account of public comment;

 Determine if the information is sufficient for a

final decision to be made; and

 Identify, as necessary, the deficiencies that

must be addressed before the report can be
submitted.
A comprehensive review of the adequacy and
quality of an EIA report would address many or
all of the following issues:

1) Does the report address the Terms of Reference?

2) Is the necessary information provided for each major

component of the EIA report?

3) Is the information correct and technically sound?

4) Have the views and concerns of affected and

interested parties been taken into account?

5) Is the statement of key findings complete and

satisfactory, e.g. significant impacts, proposed
mitigation measures?
6) Is the information clearly presented and
understandable by decision-makers and the
public?

7) Is the information relevant and sufficient for

the purpose of decision-making and condition
setting? The response to the last question is the
most significant aspect for review conclusions
and will largely determine whether or not an EIA
can be submitted as is or with minor revisions.
The following steps can help to achieve good
practices in the review of reports:

 Set the scale and depth of the review;

 Select reviewers;
 Use input from public involvement
 Identify review criteria and aspects
to be considered;
 Carry out the review;
 Determine how to remove any deficiencies;
and
 Report the findings.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

 Environmental Monitoring is the systematic

measurement of key environmental indicators
over time within a particular geographic area
(World Bank,1999).

Monitoring should focus on the most significant

impacts identified in the EIA
Environmental Monitoring is essential for:

1) Ensuring that impacts do not exceed legal

standards;

2) Checking the implementation of mitigation

measures in the manner described in the EIA
report, and

3) Providing early warning of potential

environmental damage.
Points to be remembered:

Monitoring should be regular and performed

over a long period of duration. Interruptions in
monitoring may result in generating insufficient
data to draw accurate conclusion concerning the
project impact.

The main aim of EIA monitoring is to provide

information required to ensure that project
implementation has the least possible negative
environmental impacts on the people and
environment.
WHAT to AVOID in MONITORING:

 Overestimation of data: This can lead to

drowning in data without information

 Underestimation of time and cost for data

analysis

 Weak coordination between the data collection

with project time schedule and seasonal factors

 Ignoring requirements for baselines

Principles of Monitoring:
Certain principles of EIA monitoring should not be
overlooked. If the EIA monitoring process is to generate
meaningful information and improve the implementation of
mitigation measures, it must:

Determine the indicators to be used in monitoring activities;

Apply measurable criteria to the chosen indicators;

Collect meaningful and relevant information;

Review objective judgments of the information collected;

Draw tangible conclusions based on processing of the information,

Make rational decisions based on the conclusion drawn, and

Recommend improvements in the mitigation measures undertaken

Types of Monitoring:
1) Baseline monitoring:
A survey should be conducted on the basis of environmental
parameters in the area surrounding the proposed project before
construction begins. Subsequent monitoring can assess the
changes in those parameters over time against the baseline.

2) Impact Monitoring:
the bio-physical and socio-economical (including public health)
parameters within the project area, must be measured during the
project construction and operational phases in order to detect
environmental changes, which may have occurred as a result of
project implementation. e.g. air pollution, dust, water pollution
etc.
3) Compliance monitoring:
This form of monitoring employs a periodic sampling method or
continuous recording of specific environmental quality indicators
or pollution levels to ensure project compliance with
recommended environmental protection standards.
http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_ro
mer

CLASS DISCUSSION:
CASE 1: Bagmati Civilization/ River
Improvement Project

CASE 2: Bishnumati Road Widening:

Environmental Auditing:

The term Audit is usually associated with finance and

accounting, however in environmental auditing, it refers to
the examination and assessment of a actual
environmental Impact, the accuracy of prediction, the
effectiveness of environmental impact mitigation and
enhancement measures, and the functioning of monitoring
mechanisms.

An audit should be performed after a project has been in

operation for sometime and is usually performed once or
twice in the entire project cycle.
Types of Audit:
It is recommended that following types of audit be
implemented in different phases of the EIA
process;

1) Decision Point Auditing: examines the

effectiveness of EIA as a decision-making tool.

2) Implementation Auditing: Ensures that the

approved conditions have been met;

3) Performance Auditing: Examines the response

of the agencies concerned with the project
4. Project Impact Auditing: Examines the
environmental changes arising from project implementation

5. Predictive Technique Auditing: Examines the

accuracy and utility of predictive techniques by comparing
actual against predicted environmental effects and EIA
procedures;

6. EIA procedure auditing: critically examines the

methods and approaches used in preparing the EIA report.