EIA

• Planning mechanism to prevent env probs due to an action

• Potential probs can be foreseen – avoid mistakes due to env damage of implementation – modification for the action to be acceptable

Environmental effects and impacts

Effects• Occur naturally• Maybe modified by human activities eg soil

erosion, forest firesImpacts• Net chg of env quality – health social econ etc• E.g emigration and diseases• Should also take account changes in env qualit

happening naturally without human action

Comparison in EIA

• With and without the project: = ‘nett change’• Before and after the project= some effects are naturally occuring• EIA = deal with natural changes• ERA = deal with abnormal occurances

(explosion, accidents etc)

Characteristic of EIA

• Study of a future impact of a particular present-day decision

• Try to make a comparison of all alternatives possible for proposed action

• Based on prediction and involves estimation of changes in environmental quality and future

• Try to make assessment using common basis• Used as decision making tool

EIA Should…

• Describe proposed action and alternatives• Estimate nature and magnitude of likely environmental

changes (with & without proposed action)• Identify relevant human concerns• Estimate impacts of proposed action• Make recommendations for decision maker

– Acceptance of proposed action– Remedial action– Acceptance of one/more alternatives– Rejection

• Recommendation for monitoring - EMP

Factor encouraging need of EIA

• Larger scale, impact of resource development schemes & speed of schemes being promoted

• More public awareness– Silent spring ‘62– The Closing Circle – Barry Commoner

• Recognition that there were inadequacies in coordination by regulating agency of many development activities

Inability of the previous assessment techniques to identify and incorporate env and social trade offs into the overall project assessment

Pre EIA assesment technique

• CBA – cost benefit analysis – give value to everything

• Planning and Programme Budgetry (PPB) – close scrutiny on everything

• Cost-Effectiveness – Economic method

All above are weak – does not include social, environmental tradeoffs (long term, indirect and priceless)

EIA as formal requirement

• Advantages– Provide signficant assessment – everyone does the

same– EIA is integrated into planning, decision making at early

stage – opposed to people who does it just when they feel like doing it

– Comprehensive and systematic appraisal – no part (considered inconvenient) would be left out

– Provide opportunity for public to contribute in planning and decision making process

– External review , scrutiny = stronger assurance

• Disadvantages– Delay in implementation (risk)– Introduction of EIA might disrupt current planning

and decision process.– Security & commercial risks in context of certain

types of actions– Resource requirements are high– Accurate assesments for impact may not be

possible • Gaps in knowledge and database in certain aspects

Alternatives to EIA

• Direct Control– Rules, regulations (Law)

• Economic approach– Fines, pay for pollution (as a priviledge)

Issues• Dependence / Reliability• Permanence

– Law Enforcement – seasonal• Incentives for maximum effort

– Only in EA – payment exemption for pollution reduction. < pollution = < payment

• Interference with private decisions– Law – failure to meet standard is crime.

• Operations must be stopped, factory closed• Penalties must commensurate the crime (or not? Injustice)

– EA – Just have to pay more. Operation continues, albeit at a > cost• Payment must be structured (ladder) to DISCOURAGE polluting• Metering – Establish how much is consumed, then pay yourself. Easier

Cost of EIA

• Direct– Planning– Carrying out studies

• Indirect– Cost due to delay– Litigation– R&D

Ways to pay for Env damages

• As consumer– You pay for your pollution for the cost of treatment

• As Taxpayer– Govt uses national revenue (tax money) for env

efforts– ‘group responsibility’

• As victims– Not responsible for it, but have to pay e.g flood– No benefits

5 basic characteristics of developing countries related to EIA

• Basic needs largely unfulfilled– ‘maintain status quo’/’do nothing’ approach inappropriate

• Projects are revolutionary, and large– Developed nations have ‘evolutionary’ instead– Revo – totally chgs current ecosystem– Evo – on the existing eco

• Lack of trained personnel to conduct EIA• Unavailability of data appropriate to EIA (this, on the other

hand, favours EMP instead)• Social factors & Structures in some nations may affect

public participation

Scales of EIA

• Temporal Scales (Time)– During construction– During operation– Abandonment

• Spatial scales– Within project area– Immediate surroundings– Regional surroundings (national, global –

economic projects)