ENVIRONMENTAL

IMPACT ASSESSMENT
(EIA)

Tanveer Ahmed
tanveer.polito@gmail.com
 Course Assessment
First Part until Mid-Term: Tanveer Ahmed
Second Part: Ms. Uzma Imran

Assessment
Pre-Assignments (First Part): 12 Marks
EIA Reviews, Case studies, Short Birefs, Exercises, Field visit report,
Assesment tool and Verbal viva
Mid Term Exam: 25 Marks

Second Part
Post Assignment (Second Part): 13 Marks
Final Exam: 50 Marks
TBD and communicated by Ms. Uzma Imran
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Referred Books

• Introduction to EIA, 5th Edition by Johan Glasson & Riki Therivel

• EIA by R. R. Barthwal; 2nd edition
• EIA Methodologies by Y. Anjaneyulu BS Publications

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Lesson- 1 INTRODUCTION TO EIA

At the end of this lesson you should be able to:

• Explain the concept, purpose and benefits of EIA
• Brief the core EIA components
• Describe the principles of EIA
• Brief the role of EIA in decision making and support on
sustainable environmental management decision making
• Distinguish types of environmental assessment practices
in terms of scope and intent

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 Environmen Impact Assessment
t -Physical and socio- - Process
economic
- Physical - Methods
-Adverse & Benificial
- Scoial - Measures
-Direct & Indirect
- Analyses
-Economic -Short term & long-term
- Evaluation
-Aesthatic -Reversible or
-Tools
irreversible

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Definition of EIA (FINNIDA, 1989)
defined as a planning tool which is used, together with
the project feasibility, to ensure that the project plan is
the optimal economic-cum-environmental plan, that
the plan is environmentally as well as economically
sound and thus represents the best approach to
planning for development projects in order that
continuing economic development will be sustainable.
 What is EIA?
• Process which attempts to identify and predict the impacts of
proposals, policies, programs, projects and operational procedures
on the biophysical environment and on human health and well-
being

• also interprets and communicates information on potential impacts

and investigates and proposes means for their management

• A planning and decision-making tool to protect the natural

environment and, thereby, protect human societies

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 EIA Definition ………..

• Method of detailed survey that include a baseline study to measure

environmental conditions, potential areas, species of conservation
before project start and planned development

• Detailed report produced out of EIA is known as an environmental

impact statement (EIS) as a communication document for decision
 EIA Defination...........

• EIA is an early Warning process

• Multifaceted Decision Process

• Development actions formulation process

• Instrument for Sustainable development

• Vehicle for Stakeholder consultation & Participation

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 EIA Core Components
Environment
The conditions under which any individuals or thing exists, live
or develop.

• Abiotic Components
- Land, Air, water, Soil atmosphere, climate, Energy.
• Biotic Components
- Fauna (animal life of a region or geological period)
- Flora (the plants of a particular region or geological period)
Ecology, bacteria and viruses
• Other Bio-cultural
- Nature, Culture, People, Aesthetic, Life quality and access
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 Environmental Components……..

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 Types of Impacts on Environment

• Physical and socio-economic

• Adverse & Benificial
• Direct & Indirect
• Short term & long-term
• Local & Strategic
• Reversible or irreversible
• Quantitative & qualitative

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07/27/2020 EIA Introduction 13
 Development projects Examples
• A Mega treatment/Processing facility
• Solar/Wind Projects
• Coastal developments
• Road construction
• A hydroelectric power plant
• A dam on a river
• An airport
• An extension of a city for housing
• A mine
• An extension in the existing infrastructure
What kind of projects?

Mandatory
• Annex I projects
EIA
“Screening”
by Competent authorities to
decide if
• Annex II projects EIA needed or not
 Warm up and recalls!
 EIA?
EIS?
How could EIA support to Decision Makers?
Core analyses components of EIA?
Does a construction of Dam needs EIA?
Does a construction of Fly over/small
Bridge need EIA?
Does a construction of Hotel need an EIA?
Which to proiritize Enviornment or
Economic Development?

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 Basic principles of EIA?
1. Procedural principle
EIA establishes a systematic method for incorporating environmental considerations into
decision-making;

2. Informational principle
EIA provides the necessary elements to make an informed decision;

3. Preventive principle
EIA should be applied at the earliest opportunity within the decision-making process to
allow the anticipation and avoidance of environmental impacts wherever possible; and

4. Iterative principle
the information generated by EIA is made available to interested parties to elicit a
response which in turn should be fed back into EIA process.

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EIA Process Flow-Chart

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 Project Screening
•Screening is the process used to
determine whether a proposed project
or activity requires an EIA and, if so,
what level of environmental review is
necessary
•Why Screening before initiating EIA?

Overview of Environmental Impact Assessment

 Screening Outcome

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EIA procedure
Only for Annex II
Screening
projects

Upon request of the

Scoping
developer

Environmental information The “Report”-EIS

Consultation on Public, Env.

environmental information Authorities...
Takes account of
Decision env.info and
consultations
Example Sustainability Criteria
• Maintenance of habitat and ecosystems

• Preservation of native plant and animal species

• Preservation of cultural values

• Reclamation and re-use of wastewater

• Wastewater disposal within assimilative capacity

• Groundwater extraction within sustainable yield

• Productive use of fertile soils

• Prevention of erosion

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 Sustainability Criteria (Cont’d)

• Application of clean technology

• Waste recycling or use

• Material utilization allowing recycling or re-use

• Energy efficiency/Use of renewable energy sources

• Public acceptability/Involvement of the community

• Full cost recovery for goods or services

• Equitable cost-benefit distribution

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Participatory Role in EIA Process

• Developers
• Direct and Indirect affecters
• Regulatory Authority (ies)
• Various Intermediates (consultants, advocates,
advisors, NGO)
• General Public

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Who is involved in the EIA process?
• EIA is generally the responsibility of the project proponent and is
often prepared with the help of external consultants or institutions
(eg. EIA practitioners)

• EIA should be carried out by a multidisciplinary team comprising civil

engineers, water supply and sanitation engineers, planners,
chemists, life scientists, and socio-economists

• Why a multidisciplinary team?

When should the EIA be undertaken?

• EIA needs provide information to decision-makers at every stage

of the project planning cycle (project concept, pre-feasibility,
feasibility, design of mitigation measures, implementation,
monitoring and evaluation)

• EIA can be done sequentially, or concurrently, or integrated

 Sequential
• EIA can be done sequentially, i.e. it may be conducted after the
engineering/economic planning stage in the project cycle

• Two teams working sequentially on engineering/economic planning first,

followed by studies on environmental aspects

• EIA report provides the required mitigation measures to implement

project in an environmentally sound manner

Engineering
Environment
/ Economic
 concurrent
• To conduct environmental planning (which includes the EIA study)
and engineering/economic planning concurrently to emerge with
a suitable project alternative together with requisite mitigation
measures for project implementation

• Two teams working concurrently on engineering/economic

planning and environmental aspects with continuous interaction

Environmen
Engineering Economic
t
Integrated
• Two teams working on both engineering/economic planning
simultaneously considering environmental issues
• Integration of EIA into the project cycle would maximize its
effectiveness and minimize delays in project implementation
Types of EIA?

Project-level EIA: narrow-perspective; examine potential environmental

impacts of a single project or activity

Cumulative effects assessment (CEA): broadens assessment to examine

potential impacts of multiple projects from the viewpoint of valued
environmental components (VECs)

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA): widest focus involving systematic

evaluation of potential impacts of policies, plans and programs (PPP)

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Corelative terms

Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)

Environmnetal Impact Statement (EIS)

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Cost Benift Analysis (CBA)

Socio-Impact Assesment (SIA)

Quality of Life (QOL) Index

Environmental Auditing (EA)

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EIA Guiding Principles

Participation: Appropriate and timely access by all interested

parties

Transparency: All decisions should be open and accessible

Certainty: Process and timing agreed in advance and followed

by all

Accountability: Decision makers and project proponents are

responsible for their actions

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 EIA Guiding Principles (Cont’d)

Credibility: Assessments are professional and objective

Cost-effectiveness: Environmental protection achieved at the least cost

Flexibility: Process is adaptive and responsive

Practicality: Information and outputs are usable in decision making and

planning

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EIA Operational Principles
EIA should be applied to:

• all development projects and activities likely to cause significant

adverse impacts or potential cumulative effects

EIA should be undertaken:

• throughout the project cycle, beginning as early as possible

• in accordance with established procedures

• to provide meaningful public consultation

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EIA Operational Principles (Cont’d)

EIA should provide the basis for:

• environmentally-sound decision making in which terms and

conditions are clearly specified and enforced

• the development of projects and activities that meet environmental

standards and management objectives

• an appropriate follow-up process with requirements for monitoring,

management, audits, and evaluation

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 EIA Operational Principles (Cont’d)

EIA should address:

• all related and relevant factors, including social and health risks and impacts

• cumulative and long-term, large-scale effects

• design, siting and technological alternatives

• sustainability considerations including resource productivity, assimilative

capacity and biological diversity

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EIA Operational Principles (Cont’d)
EIA should result in:
• accurate information on the nature, likely magnitude and significance
of potential effects, risks and consequences of proposals and
alternatives
• a relevant report for decision making; including qualifications on
conclusions reached and prediction of confidence limits
• ongoing problem solving and conflict resolution throughout the
process

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Integration of EIA into the
Decision-Making Process

Timing: EIA conducted early in the project cycle

Disclosure: EIA results disclosed to all interested parties
Weight: EIA results are considered by decision makers
Revisions: Plans revised to include feasible mitigation
measures or a less damaging alternative

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Integration of EIA into the Decision-Making
Process (Cont’d)

Mitigation: Agreed-upon mitigation measures are

implemented and monitored for
effectiveness
Monitoring: Post-project, follow-up monitoring of
impacts conducted and results acted upon

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Characteristics of Effective EIAs
Completeness:
• all significant impacts considered
• all relevant alternatives examined
Accuracy:
• appropriate forecasting procedures
• appropriate evaluation procedures
Clarity:
• all interested parties can comprehend issues

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The EIA process
Elaboration of a project Beginning

Request for development consent

Information on env.impact (EIS)

Consultations

Decision

Approval of Project

Information on decision End of

process
Getting it Wrong
Examples of badly executed EIA include:
• Terms of reference are poorly drafted; potentially
serious issues are not assessed and adverse
environmental impacts occur
• Delays in project approval and cost increases occur
when EIA is commenced too late in the project
cycle (i.e., must back-track to retrofit equipment or
re-design project)
• EIA report is incomplete or not scientifically-
defensible resulting either in project rejection or
extended delays to address deficiencies

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 Thanks!

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