EIA In Practice II Flashcards
(34 cards)
What are the next steps after scoping in EIA UNEP process?
Impact analysis: potential impacts and VECs are identified and analyzed at a more in-depth level than done in the scoping and screening. Eg VECs: soil quality, water drinking quality , cultural heritage etc.
Predicting of impacts: after identifying VECs prediction of magnitude and significance occurs . Prediction can be done through surveys,models,experiments.
Evaluating of impacts and their significance: here you compare impacts with environmental goals/standards (national and international) to determine significance.
Mgt of impacts : can be done through avoidance, mitigation,compensation,remediation/rectification.
Monitoring : set up a follow up program to track environmental impacts and their effects. Tidying dose response relationship of indicator species , compare monitored data to predicted data.
Review report and decision: compiling findings into a report , which reviewed by decision makers to decide to approve or reject project.
What methods can be used in indentifying of impacts and evaluate their significance
Matrices
Networks
Overlays and GIS
Check lists
What methods can be used in mgt of impacts
Checklists and matrices
What methods can be used in review process?
Checklists esuring that most of requirements are met
What methods can be used in the predictions and evaluation .
Models/indicators/expert systems.
Professional judgement
LCA
Scenario analysis
Adaptive methods
Steps after scoping : identify of impacts.
Impact identification here is more in-depth than it is done in earlier stages it goes beyond listing potential impacts. This is when you evaluate how the project is likely to interact with the environment and collect detailed information. This information then serves as a reference point to determine which impacts are most significant and to mitigate negative impacts.
Steps after scoping : prediction of impacts
This moves beyond identifying the impacts,and focuses on predicting the magnitude of potential impacts.it is important to identify the cause and effect relationships between project activities and environmental changes, as well not just predicting primary effects but including significant effects .
Accuracy in this stage is important as it is crucial to an efficient impact assessment
True or false: the natural environment conditions fluctuate and this should be considered in the baseline studies.
True
Methodology for predicting environmental impacts: simulation models and indicators.
They help in predicting environmental impacts by turning complex environmental processes in to quantifiable measures and predictions.
Methodology for predicting environmental impacts: simulation models and indicators. What are some of the indicators?
Environmental conditions: eg air quality
Composition of species: tracking of indicator species that are sensitive to environmental changes.eg.algae
Tracking of ecosystems services to determine entire health of the ecosystem eg. Nutrient cycling rate etc.
Changes of changes , check chat gpt. But from this how will you define pressures, effects and impacts
Pressures: are the actions or activities causing change in the environment
Effects : are the immediate Changes caused by the pressures
Impacts : are the long term or bigger consequences of those effects on the environment
What is ecological resilience/ robustness?
This is the ability of an ecosystem to maintain is natural patterns like nutrient cycling and biomass production after being subject to damage cause by a disturbance .
True or false : if a disturbance occurs constantly over a long period of time the rates of disturbance to recovery will be out of balance . Meaning that recovery no longer occurs .
True
What is the ideal scenario to build ecological resilience?
When the ecosystem is disturbed and given time to recover from the damaged caused by the disturbance before another disturbance occurs.
True or false : when soil organic matter is present from the start after disturbance eco very is much quicker.
True
Classification of environmental effects and impacts : there are categories to classify impacts name one and an example
Order of effect or impacts :
Direct : primary effect or impacts eg clearing of a land leads to loss of vegetation
Indirect : secondary effects or impacts . Eg. Clearing said land will lead to increase run off which could impact water quality of a nearby stream
Classification of environmental effects and impacts : there are categories to classify impacts name one and an example
Nature of effect .
Incremental when impacts or effects are small and increase overtime.
Additive : when two or more effects combine to form an overall larger impact. Eg. When two factories emit similar pollutants they combine and affect air quality.
Synergistic: this is when two effects come together to creat a large impact together than they would on their own . Eg if tree are struggling because of air pollution and a drought occurs the damage being caused becomes much worse.
Antagonistic impacts: when two or more impacts offset each othe resulting in a smaller overall impact. Eg. Introduction of a new predator into a system will reduce the population of a pest species reduce the overall effect the pest may have had on the crops.
Interactive or linked : impacts that are interconnected and influence each other. Eg. A change in the water flow of a river might affect fish population , which will then affect availability of food for birds that rely on the said fish population.
Classification of environmental effects and impacts : there are categories to classify impacts name one and an example
Temporal characteristics.
Duration: how long impacts last
Continuity: is it a continuous or intermittent impact.
Immediacy: the time lapse between the project activity and onset of impact .
Frequency: how often impact occurs
Regularity: the predictability pattern of the impact
Classification of environmental effects and impacts : there are categories to classify impacts name one and an example
Magnitude.
Size: the physical extent of impacts.
Degree: the intensity and severity of the change
Concentration: the level or amount of impact in a specific area.
Classification of environmental effects and impacts : there are categories to classify impacts name one and an example
Direction of change .
Increasing /decreasing : refelects changes in quantity of intensity.
Positive /negative
Classification of environmental effects and impacts : there are categories to classify impacts name one and an example
Spatial extent.
On-site: impacts that occur within project boundaries .
Off-site: impacts that extend outside of project boundaries.
Regional: impacts that occur in a much larger geographic area.
Global: impacts that occur on a world wide scale.
Classification of environmental effects and impacts : there are categories to classify impacts name one and an example
Reversibility.
Reversible
Irreversible
Classification of environmental effects and impacts : there are categories to classify impacts name one and an example.
Probability.
Likelihood: the chance of impact occurring
Risk: the chance of risk occurring after combining likelihood and magnitude of impacts.
Why does classifying of impacts matter?
Understanding potential impacts could help with development of better mitigation strategies.
Provides a structured way to analyse a wide range of potential impacts.
Classifying helps to better asses and predict potential impacts helping in prioritization.
