What is an impact?

The impact of an activity is a

deviation (a change) from The baseline
the baseline situation that is situation is the
existing
caused by the activity. environmental
situation or
condition in the
absence of the
To measure an impact, you activity.
must know what the
The baseline
baseline situation is. situation is a key
More…
concept in EIA.
 The baseline situation
Water Quantity, quality, reliability,
In characterizing the accessibility
baseline situation,
Soils Erosion, crop productivity,
many environmental fallow periods, salinity,
components MAY be nutrient concentrations
of interest Fauna Populations, habitat

Env Health Disease vectors, pathogens

Flora Composition and density of

natural vegetation,
productivity, key species

Special Key species

ecosystems
 Types of impacts & their attributes
Direct & indirect impacts
The EIA process is
Short-term & long-term
concerned with
impacts
all types of impacts and
Adverse & beneficial impacts
may describe them in a
number of ways Cumulative impacts

 Intensity
 Direction But all impacts
 Spatial extent are NOT treated
 Duration
 Frequency
equally
 Reversibility
 Probability
International and National Aspects of EIA

• International Conventions &Treaty

• Country legal issues, Bangladesh
 EIA in the context of international
environmental law
• Key Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) have influenced review and
improvements in
• EIA legal, policy and institutional arrangements. The key agreements are discussed below.
(a) Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Trans-boundary Context (Espoo,
1991)
(b) Principle 17 of Rio Declaration on Environment and Development of 1992
c) UN Convention on Climate Change and Biological Diversity (1992) cited EIA as an
• implementing mechanism of these conventions (article 4 and 14, respectively).
d) Doha Ministerial Declaration encourages countries to share expertise and experience
with
• members wishing to perform environmental reviews at the national level (November,
2001).
e) UNECE (Aarhus) Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision
• Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (1998) covers the decisions at the
level of
• projects and plans, programs and policies and by extension, applies to EIA and SEA.
f) United Nations Conference on the Environment in Stockholm 1972.
EIA in Multilateral and bilateral financial institutions
environmental and social safeguards

Development Financing Institutions (DFIs) like:

• African Development Bank (AfDB),
• Asian Development Bank (ADB),
• European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD),
• European Investment Bank (EIB),
• Japanese Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC),
• AfD of France,
• KfW of Germany,
• World Bank (WB)
have environmental and social safeguards to ensure that financing of
projects is not only based on the precautionary principle, preventative action
rather than curative treatment but sustainable development (WBCSD, 2005).
UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMME
Goals and Principles of EIA
Goals
1. To establish that before decisions are taken by the competent
authority or authorities to undertake or to authorize activities that
are likely to significantly affect the environment, the
environmental effects of those activities should be taken fully into
account.
2. To promote the implementation of appropriate procedures in all
countries consistent with national laws and decision-making
processes, through which the foregoing goal may be realized.
3. To encourage the development of reciprocal procedures for
information exchange, notification and consultation between States
when proposed activities are likely to have significant
transboundary effects on the environment of those States.
 Principles

Principle 1
• States (including their competent authorities) should not undertake or authorize
activities without prior consideration, at an early stage of their environmental
effects. Where the extent, nature or location of a proposed activity is such that
it is likely to significantly affect the environment, a comprehensive
environmental impact assessment should be undertaken in accordance with the
following principles.
Principle 2
• The criteria and procedures for determining whether an activity is likely to
significantly affect the environment and is therefore subject to an EIA, should be
defined clearly by Legislation, regulation, or other means, so that subject
activities can be quickly and surely identified, and EIA can be applied as the
activity is being planned.
Principle 3
• In the EIA process the relevant significant environmental issues should be
identified and studied. Where appropriate, all efforts should be made to identify
these issues at an early stage in the process.
Principle
Principle 4
An EIA should include, at a minimum:
(a) A description of the proposed activity;
(b) A description of the potentially affected environment, including specific information
necessary for identifying and assessing the environmental effects of the proposed
activity;
(c) A description of practical alternatives, as appropriate;
(d) An assessment of the likely or potential environmental impacts of the proposed
activity and alternatives, including the direct, indirect, cumulative, short-term and
long-term effects;
(e) An identification and description of measures available to mitigate adverse
environmental impacts of the proposed activity and alternatives, and an assessment
of those measures;
(f) An indication of gaps in knowledge and uncertainties which may be encountered in
compiling the required information;
(g) An indication of whether the environment of any other State or areas beyond national
jurisdiction is likely to be affected by the proposed activity or alternatives;
• (h) A brief, non-technical summary of the information provided under the above
headings.
 Principle

Principle 5
• The environmental effects in an EIA should be assessed with a
degree of detail commensurate with their likely environmental
significance.
Principle 6
• The information provided as part of EIA should be examined
impartially prior to the decision.
Principle 7
• Before a decision is made on an activity, government agencies,
members of the public, experts in relevant disciplines and
interested groups should be allowed appropriate opportunity to
comment on the EIA.
 Principle
•Principle 8
•A decision as to whether a proposed activity should be authorized or
undertaken should not be taken until an appropriate period has elapsed to
•consider comments pursuant to principles 7 and 12.
•Principle 9
•The decision on any proposed activity subject to an EIA should be in
writing, state the reasons therefore, and include the provisions, if any, to
•prevent, reduce or mitigate damage to the environment.
•This decision should be made available to interested persons or groups.
•Principle 10
•Where it is justified, following a decision on an activity which has been
subject to an EIA, the activity and its effects on the environment or the
•provisions (pursuant to Principle 9) of the decision on this activity should
be subject to appropriate supervision.
 Principle

Principle 11
• States should endeavor to conclude bilateral, regional or multilateral arrangements, as
appropriate, so as to provide, on the basis of reciprocity, notification, exchange of
information, and agreed-upon consultation on the potential environmental effects of
activities under their control or jurisdiction which are likely to significantly affect other
States or areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Principle 12
• When information provided as part of an EIA indicates that the environment within
another State is likely to be significantly affected by a proposed activity, the State in
which the activity is being planned should, to the extent possible:
• a) notify the potentially affected State of the proposed activity;
• b) transmit to the potentially affected State any relevant information from the EIA, the
transmission of which is not prohibited by national laws or regulations; and
• c) when it is agreed between the States concerned, enter into timely consultations.
Principle 13
• Appropriate measures should be established to ensure implementation of EIA
procedures.
 Background/History of EIA

• In the early and mid 1980s, EIA in Bangladesh was mainly donor driven. In the
time, environmental issues started to be seen as much more linked to broader
development issues and became institutionalized in 1989 with the establishment of
the present Ministry of Environment and Forestry.
• In line with the general recommendations of the Rio Earth Summit, The National
Environmental Policy was framed in 1992. This policy required EIA for all new
public and private projects.
• In 1993, the National Environmental Committee headed by the Prime Minister was
formed to address environmental issues at the central level.
• Several guidelines were prepared in 1990s. Key of these guidelines included:
Guidelines on Environmental Issues Related to Physical planning in 1992 and
Guidelines for Physical Planning of Rural Areas in Bangladesh in1995.
• These are said to have had little influence on EIA thus ultimately, the Environmental
Conservation Act (1995) and the Environmental Conservation Rules (1997) gave
formal status to EIA in Bangladesh.
• Thereafter, the EIA system had been further developed through amendments of
the Act and the Rules and the issuance of the Environmental Court Act in 2000.
 Legal Framework on EIA, Bangladesh

TERMINOLOGY ENVIRONMEN DECISIO DEFINITION OF TYPES OF EIA SCREENING SCOPING TERMS OF

TAL N- EIA INSTRUMENTS REFERENCE
AUTHORITIES MAKIN
G
RESPON
SIBILITY
DoE: DoE (which is Director Although the Green Category The DoE undertakes The IEE is used The DoE
Department of part of the General ECA provides screening for scoping develops
Environment MoEF) of the the definition of procedure. Rule 7 of Orange B and guidelines for
ECA: DoE key Orange A the ECR has Red category preparation
Environment terminology, no Category classified industries projects as per of the EIA
Conservation definition of EIA and projects into the DoE list. and EMP for
Act is provided in Orange B four categories The DoE some typical
ECR: legal Category based on their site reviews the IEE types of
Environment instruments. conditions and report and projects.
Conservation An SCC is Red Category impacts on determines the
Rule required before environment: Green, need for
ECC: beginning any Orange A, Orange B, additional
Environmental physical and Red. The DoE information.
Clearance activities, authority reserves The DoE also
Certificate works, or the right to request decides the
MoEF: Ministry projects, except additional scope of the
of Environment for Green information, EIA for Red
and Forests Category supporting category
SCC: Site projects. documents, or other projects.
Clearance Proponents also additional materials
Certificate need clearance for the proposed
on location project.
from the local
administration
 Legal Framework on EIA, Bangladesh
REQUIREMENTS ALTERNATIVES INSTITUTIONAL DISSEMINATION CITIZEN ENVIRONM MONITORING AND EIA
COORDINATION PARTICIPATION ENTAL REPORTING REGULATIONS
MANAGEM
ENT PLAN

The EIA shall The EIA should The proponent No legal No legal The IEE and The DoE is Environment
analyze impacts include an is required to provision for the provision EIA must responsible for Conservation
of projects on alternative obtain local EIA public requires include an monitoring Act (1995) and
physical, analysis to government and disclosure. consultation EMP with environmental its
chemical, select the district with the possible conditions, as well amendments;
biological, preferred administration project- mitigation as effectiveness of Environment
social, and option. clearance for affected people measures mitigation Conservation
cultural the proposed or other and cost for measures. Regulations
conditions and site. A site stakeholders. mitigation of (1997) and their
environments. clearance Participation is anticipated amendments;
application to determined at environmen EIA Guidelines
the DoE the discretion tal impacts. for Industries
requires local of the (1997).
clearance. proponent or www.doe-
the director bd.org
general of the
DoE
EIA procedures in Bangladesh (DoE)
EIA procedures in Bangladesh
EIA procedures in Bangladesh
Screening
DoE
DoE
Procedures of Environmental clearance