Principles of EIA Flashcards
What can EIA do?
- modify and improve design
- ensure efficient resource use
- enhance social aspects
- identify key impacts and measures for mitigating them
- inform decision-making and condition-setting
- avoid. serious and irreversible damage to the environment
- protect human health and safety
In terms of integration within EIA, the EIA process addresses the following impacts:
- biophysical and resource use
- social and cultural
- health and safety
- economic and fiscal
- landscape and visual
- indigenous peoples rights and traditional areas
Core Values
Integrity - EIA process should meet local and international and requirements
Utility - EIA process should provide information relevant for decision making
Sustainability - EIA process should aim to mitigate serious adverse effects and avoid irreversible losses.
Guiding Principles of EIA (criteria for a good EIA should tick all these boxes)
- purposive
- rigorous
- practical
- relevant
- cost-effective
- efficient
- focused
- adaptive
- participative
- interdisciplinary
- credible
- integrated
- transparent
- systematic
Purposive
The process should inform decision making and result in appropriate levels of environmental protection and community well-being
Rigorous
the process should apply “best practicable” science, employing methodologies and techniques appropriate to address the problems being investigated.
Practical
The process should result in information and outputs which assist with problem solving and are acceptable to and able to be implemented by proponents.
Relevant
The process should provide sufficient, reliable and usable information for development planning and decision making. (only consider info that is important to the thing you’re looking at)
Cost-effective
The process should achieve the objectives of EIA within the limits of available information, time, resources and methodology
Efficient
The process should impose the minimum cost burdens in terms of time and finance on proponents and participants consistent with meeting accepted requirements and objectives of EIA.
Focused
The process should concentrate on significant environmental effects and key issues; i.e., the matters that need to be taken into account in making decisions
Adaptive
The process should be adjusted to the realities, issues and circumstances of the proposals under review without compromising the integrity of the process, and be iterative, incorporating lessons learned throughout the proposal’s life cycle.
Don’t just use a ready-made approach, circumstances will be different per project.
Participative
The process should provide appropriate opportunities to inform and involve the interested and affected publics, and their inputs and concerns should be addressed explicitly in the documentation and decision making.
Appropriate opportunities for public inputs and concerns to be addressed explicitly in documentation and decision making
Interdisciplinary
The process should ensure that the appropriate techniques and experts in the relevant bio-physical and socio-economic disciplines are employed, including use of traditional knowledge as relevant.
Credible
The process should be carried out with professionalism, rigor, fairness, objectivity, impartiality and balance, and be subject to independent checks and verification.
Integrated
The process should address the interrelationships of social, economic and biophysical aspects.
Transparent
The process should have clear, easily understood requirements for EIA content; ensure public access to information; identify the factors that are to be taken into account in decision making; and acknowledge limitations and difficulties.
Systematic
The process should result in full consideration of all relevant information on the affected environment, of proposed alternatives and their impacts, and of the measures necessary to monitor and investigate residual effects.
EIA Benefits
- Better environmental planning and design of a proposal
- Ensuring compliance with environmental standards
- Reduced time and costs of approvals of development applications
- Savings in capital and operational costs
- increased project acceptance by the public
General Steps in the EIA process
- screening
- scoping
- impact assessment and mitigation
- impact management
- the EIA report
- review and licensing
- monitoring
Screening
The purpose of screening is to determine:
- wether or not a proposal requires an EIA
- what level of EIA is required
Outcomes of screening:
- Full EIA, Limited, or No further EIA required
What are typical projects that might require an EIA
dams and reservoirs, (re)settlement and urban development, infrastructure, industrial facilities, energy and mineral extraction, waste management, energy development.
What. is some useful information for decision makers during screening?
– description of the proposal
– conditions and characteristics of the environment
– applicable policy planning and regulatory objectives
– identification of potential impacts
– degree of public concern and interest
What is EIA Scoping
- lays the foundation of an EIA
- Identifies important issues and factors
- meaningful public engagement
- determining appropriate boundaries (time, space, legal)
