Social Impact Assessment(SIA)- Guidelines and Principles

Introduction
n By "social impacts" we mean the consequences to human populations
due to any public or private actions that alter the ways in which
people
n live,
n work,
n play,
n relate to one another,
n organize to meet their needs and generally cope(survive) as members
of society.
n Also includes cultural impacts that guide and rationalize their cognition of
themselves and their society e.g.
n changes to the norms, values, and beliefs.
SIA is also defined as “ processes of analysing, monitoring and
managing the intended and unintended social consequences, both
positive and negative, of planned interventions (policies, programs,
plans, projects) and any social change processes invoked by those
interventions. Its primary purpose is to bring about a more sustainable
and equitable biophysical and human environment.
2. Legal Mandates and Administrative Procedures for SIA

n Section 12 of PEPA, 1997

➢ the proponents must first prepare an EIA or IEE

containing a section prepared by using the social
sciences Techniques

n The SA components of EIAs/IEE s are called social or

socioeconomic impact assessments, or simply SIA's.
n The EIA's/IEES are thus intended to provide a kind of full-
disclosure procedure for federal decision-makers, for
consideration of the negative as well as the positive
implications of potential courses of proposed action, and
the unintended as well as the intended consequences,
before they proceed.
n All international Financial Imitations, WB, ADB etc require
public consultation as an integral part EIA studies.
n After promulgation of PEPA , 1997 and Rules and Regulation
made thereunder, like many other parts of the world, EIA &
IEE has become the key component of environmental
planning and decision making in Pakistan.
n Planners and decision makers have recognized a need for
better under-standing the social consequences of projects,
programs and policies.
n In response to these need, guiding principles to involve public,
a major stakeholder, have also been notified under name of
“Guidelines for Public Consultation,
n The purpose is to provide working guidelines and principles
that will assist EPAs, Public and private bodies in fulfilling their
obligations under Act, 1997.
Table- 1 Chronology Listing Statutes & Regulations That Directly Or
Indirectly mandate the Conduct of SIA in Pakistan.

Date Law Provisions

1997 The Pakistan Environmental Under section 12 Calls for Submission
Protection Act, 1997 of EIA/IEE
1997 Guidelines for Public Calls for the integrated use of the social
Consultation sciences in assessing impacts "on the
human environment". Also requires the
identification of methods and
procedures…which insure that
presently un-quantified environmental
amenities and values be given
appropriate consideration.
2005 National Environmental
Policy, 2005
3. Link between EIA &SIA
n Social and biophysical impacts can vary in desirability, ranging from the
desirable to the adverse.
n They also vary in scale-the question of whether a facility will create 50
or 1000 jobs, for example, or will have the potential to spill 50 or 1000
gallons of toxic waste.
n Important consideration involves the extent of duration of impacts in
time and space. Like bio-physical impacts, some social impacts can be
of short duration, while others can last a lifetime; and some
communities "return to normal" quite quickly once a source of
disruption is removed, while other do not.
n Social impacts can also vary in intensity or severity, a dimension that
is defined differently in different project settings, just as an objective
biophysical impact (e.g., a predicted loss of 75 sea otters) might have a
minor effect on populations in one location (e.g., off the coast of
Alaska), while amounting to significant fraction of the remaining
population in another location (e.g., off the cost of California).
n Similarly, there are differences in the degree to which both type of
impacts are likely to be cumulative, at one extreme, or mutually
counter-balancing, at the other.
4. SIA at various Stages in Project/Policy Development
n All projects and policies go through a series of steps or stages:
n starting with initial planning, then
n implementation and construction,
n carrying through to operation and maintenance
n At abandoning or decommissioning, or
n official policy could change.
n Social impacts will be different for each stage.
n All social impacts will not occur at each stage.
n Scoping of issues prior to analysis may facilitate to focus only on
one stage.e.g.
n One community might be concerned about public reaction
resulting from initial siting of a Haz. Waste disposal facility;
n Other with the construction aspects of reservoirs; and
n a third might be faced with a change in the designation of
adjacent public land from timber production to wilderness use.
n Hence, The specific stage in life of the project or policy is an
important factor in determining effects.
 SIA at various Stages in Project/Policy Development
Various Stages of project / policy development requiring SIA are given below:
4.1 Planning/Policy Development

n It refers to all activity that takes place from the time a project or policy
is conceived to the point of construction activity or policy
implementation. Examples include project design, revision, public
comment, licensing, the evaluating of alternatives, and the decision
to go ahead.
n SIs begin the day when project is proposed
n Often assume that no impacts will take place until construction phase
n However, real, measurable, and often significant effects in society take
place as soon as there are changes in social or economic conditions.
n From the time of the earliest announcement of a pending policy change or
rumor about a project, both hopes and hostilities can begin to mount;
n Speculators (investors)can lock up potentially important properties,
n politicians can maneuver for position, and interest groups can form or
redirect their energies.
n These changes occur by merely introducing new information into a
community or region.
4.2 Construction/Implementation
n This phase when decision to proceed is made
n A permit is issued or a law or regulation takes place.
n For typical construction projects, this involves
n clearing land,
n building access roads,
n developing utilities, etc.
n Displacement and relocation of people,
n Camping site for work force (migrant) also may occur.
n Significant in-migration exerts strain on local community infrastructure,
creating social stresses due to changing patterns of social interaction.
n Communities may have difficulties in responding to the increased
demands on school, health facilities, housing and other social services.
n Further stresses due to resentments between newcomers and long-
time residents, by sudden increases in the prices for housing and local
services, and
n even by increased uncertainty about the future.
n When new policies are implemented, local economies and organizations
may change, and old behaviors are replaced with new ways of relating to
the environment and its resources.
4.3 Operation/Maintenance

n This phase starts after the construction is complete or the policy is fully
operational.
n In many cases, this stage will require fewer workers than the
construction/implementation phase.
n If operations continue at a relatively stable level for an extended period
of time, effects during this stage can often be the most beneficial of
those at any stage.
n Communities seeking industrial development will often focus on this
stage because of the long-term economic benefits that may follow from
a development.
n During this phase, communities can adapt to new social and economic
conditions, accommodation can take place, and the expectations of
positive effects-such as stable population, a quality infrastructure, and
employment opportunities-can be realized.
 4.4 Abandonment/Decommissioning

n This phase begins when the proposal that project or policy (allied)
activities will cease at some time.
n Community or region must again adapt, but this time to the loss of the
project or an adjustment to a policy change. Some-times this means
n the loss of the economics due to business closes.
n The disruptions to the local community may be lessened or at least
altered e.g. one type of worker is replaced by another,(as in a case such
as the Hanford Facility in Washington State, where nuclear production
facilities was closed down, but employment has actually increased as
environmental cleanup specialists have been hired to help deal with the
contamination at the facility.)
n Impact can be worsened due to lost of capacity of community to return
to former economic base. e.g. Morgan City, Louisiana which had been
the self-pro-claimed "shrimp capital of the world" in the 1950's is a good
example of a community that lost its capacity to return to a former
economic base. During the 1960's and 1970's the employment shifted to
offshore oil development. When oil prices collapsed in the 1980's, the
community could not return to the shrimp industry (shrimp-processing
facilities had closed down and shrimp boats had been decayed or left
the area.
 5. Projects Requiring Social Impact Assessment

n Each project /policy has special characteristics that can

affect social impacts
n Projects / policy decisions which require and benefit from SIA
range
n from prison and plant sitings, to highway,
n From reservoir and power plant construction, to managing
old growth forests to maintain a biologically diverse region.
n From isolated wilderness areas to urban neighborhoods,.
n Social impacts (as well as economic and physical changes)
will vary depending upon the type of development.
n In Pakistan, under PEPA, 1997 (Review of IEAA and EIA)
Regulations, 2000, following require submission of IEE/EIA
which require carrying out SIA and public consultation (in
case of EIA)
 Table-1 List of projects requiring an IEE

A. Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries

1 Poultry, livestock, stud and fish farms with total cost more than Rs.10 million
2 Projects involving repacking, formulation or warehousing of agricultural products
B. Energy
1 Hydroelectric power generation less than 50 MW
2 Thermal power generation less than 200 KW
3 Transmission lines less than 11 KV, and large distribution projects
4 Oil and gas transmission systems
5 Oil and gas extraction projects including exploration, production, gathering
systems, separation and storage
6 Waste-to-energy generation projects
C. Manufacturing and processing
1 Ceramics and glass units with total cost more than Rs.50 million
2 Food processing industries including sugar mills, beverages, milk and dairy
products, with total cost less than Rs.100 million
3 Man-made fibers and resin projects with total cost less than Rs.100 million
4 Manufacturing of apparel, including dyeing and printing, cost more than Rs.25 m
5 Wood products with total cost more than Rs.25 million
 Table-1 List of projects requiring an IEE
D. Mining and mineral processing G. Water supply and treatment
1 Commercial extraction of sand, gravel, limestone, 1 Water supply schemes and treatment plants
clay, sulphur and other minerals not included in with total cost less than Rs.25 million
Schedule II with total cost less than Rs.100 million H. Waste disposal
2 Crushing, grinding and separation processes 1 Waste disposal facility for domestic or
3 3. Smelting plants with total cost less than Rs.50 industrial wastes, with annual capacity less
million than 10,000 cubic meters
E. Transport I. Urban development and tourism
1 Federal or Provincial highways (except maintenance, 1 Housing schemes
rebuilding or reconstruction of existing metalled 2 Public facilities with significant off-site
roads) with total cost less than Rs.50 million impacts (e.g. hospital wastes)
2 Ports and harbor development for ships less than 3 Urban development projects
500 gross tons J. Other projects
F. Water management, dams, irrigation and flood 4 Requiring filing of an IEE is required under
protection sub-regulation (2) of Regulation 5
1 Dams and reservoirs with storage volume less than
50 million cubic meters of surface area less than 8
square kilometers
2 Irrigation and drainage projects serving less than
15,000 hectares
3 Small-scale irrigation systems with total cost less
than Rs.50 million Source: Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency
(Review of IEAA and EIA) Regulations, 2000, Schedule II
 Table-2 List of projects requiring an EIA
A. Energy
1. Hydroelectric power generation over 50 MW
2. Thermal power generation over 200 MW
3. Transmission lines (11 KV and above) and grid stations
4. Nuclear power plans
5. Petroleum refineries
B. Manufacturing and processing
1. Cement plants
2. Chemicals projects
3 Fertilizer plants
4. Food processing industries including sugar mills, beverages, milk and dairy
products, with total cost of Rs.100 million and above
5. Industrial estates (including export processing zones)
6 Man-made fibers and resin projects with total cost of Rs.100 M and above
7.. Pesticides (manufacture or formulation)
8. Petrochemicals complex
9. total cost more than Rs.10 million
10 Tanning and leather finishing projects
C. Mining and mineral processing
1. Mining and processing of coal, gold, copper, sulphur and precious stones
2. Mining and processing of major non-ferrous metals, iron and steel rolling
3. Smelting plants with total cost of Rs.50 million and above
 D. Transport G. Waste Disposal
1. Airports 1. Waste disposal and/or storage of hazardous
2. Federal or Provincial highways or major or toxic wastes (including landfill sites,
roads (except maintenance, rebuilding or incineration of hospital toxic waste)
reconstruction of existing roads) with total 2. Waste disposal facilities for domestic or
cost of Rs.50 million and above industrial wastes, with annual capacity more
3. Ports and harbor development for ships of than 10,000 cubic meters
500 gross tons and above H. Urban development and tourism
4. Railway works 1. Land use studies and urban plans (large
E. Water management, dams, irrigation cities)
and flood protection 2. Large-scale tourism development projects
1. Dams and reservoirs with storage volume of with total cost more than Rs.50 million
50 million cubic meters and above or surface I. Environmentally Sensitive Areas
area of 8 square kilometers and above All projects situated in environmentally
2. Irrigation and drainage projects serving sensitive areas
15,000 hectares and above J. Other projects
F. Water supply and treatment 1 Any other project for which filing of an EIA is
Water supply schemes and treatment plants required by the Federal Agency under sub-
with total cost of Rs.25 million and above regulation (2) of Regulation 5.
2 Any other project likely to cause an adverse
environmental effect
6. Identification of Social Impact Assessment Variables

▪ Social Impact Assessment (SIA) variables point out

measurable change in human population, communities, and
social relationships resulting from a development project.

▪ List of variables based on research on impacts of various

projects including industrialization, reservoir and highway
development, natural resource development on local community
change is given below:

6.1 Population Characteristics

6.2 Community and Institutional Structures
6.3 Political and Social Resources
6.4 Individual and Family Changes
6.5 Community Resources
6.1 Population Characteristics

▪ Mean present population and expected change,

▪ ethnic and racial diversity,
▪ influxes and outflows of temporary residents
▪ Arrival of seasonal or leisure residents.

6.2 Community and Institutional Structures

▪ Mean size, structure, and level of organization of local

government Linkages of Organization to the larger political
systems.
▪ Historical and present patterns of employment
▪ Industrial diversification,
▪ Size and level of activity of voluntary associations,
▪ Religious organizations and interests groups, and
▪ Inter-relationship of these institutions to each other.
6.3 Political and Social Resources

It refers to factors which may include but not limited to followings:

▪ Distribution of power authority,

▪ the interested and affected publics, and
▪ the leadership capability and capacity within the
community or region.

6.4 Individual and Family Changes

It refers to factors which influence the daily life of the

individuals and families,

▪ Attitudes towards project

▪ Perceptions (Risk, Health and Safety)
▪ Family characteristics and friend-ship networks. (Alteration)
6.5 Community Resources

▪ Patterns of natural resource

▪ Pattern of land use;

▪ Availability of housing

▪ Availability of community services

( health, police, fire protection and sanitation facilities )

▪ Historical and cultural resources

➢ Historical and cultural resources are indicator or a key to
the continuity and survival of human communities.
➢ Under this collection of variables we also consider
possible Changes for indigenous people and religious
sub-cultures.
 Implemen- Decomm-
Planning/ Operation/
Social Impact Assessment Variable tation/ issioning/
Development Maintenance
Construction Abandonment
Population Characteristics
Population Change
Ethnic and racial distribution
Relocated populations
Influx or outflows of temporary workers
Seasonal residents
Community &Institutional Structures
Voluntary associations
Interest group activity
Size & structure of local government
Historical experience with change
Employment/income characteristics
Employment equity of minority groups
Local/regional/national linkages
Industrial/commercial diversity
Presence of planning & zoning activity
Political and Social Resources
Distribution of power and authority
Identifications of stakeholders
Interested and affected publics
Leadership capability & characteristics
 Implemen-
Decomm-
Planning/ tation/ Operation/
Table-3
Social Matrix Relating
Impact Assessment VariableProject Stage to Social Impact Assessment Variables
issioning/
Development Construc- Maintenance
Abandonment
tion
Individual and Family Changes
Perceptions of risk, health, and safety
Displacement/relocation concerns
Trust in political and social institutions
Residential stability
Density of acquaintanceship
Attitudes toward policy/project
Family and friendship networks
Concerns about social well-being
Community Resources
Change in community infrastructure
Native American tribes
Land use patterns
Effects on cultural, historical, and
archaeological resources

These variables are suggestive and illustrative and are only intended to provide a beginning point for
the social assessor. Taylor et al., 1990 (and the U.S. Forest Service manual and handbook) use the
four major categories of: population change; life style; attitudes, beliefs and values; and social
organization. Brudge, 1994, uses the five categories of population impacts; community and
institutional arrangements; conflicts between local residents and newcomers; individual family level
impacts and community infrastructure needs. Branch, et al., 1984, use four categories of social
impact assessment variables in their social organization model: direct project inputs; community
resources; community social organization; and indicators of individual community well-being.
 Table-4. Social Impact Assessment Variables,
by Project/Policy Setting (type) and Stage

Project/Policy Stage
Project/Policy Planning/Policy Construction/ Operation/ Decommission/
Settings (type) Development Implementation Maintenance Abandonment
Trust in
Perceptions of Influx of Alteration in size
Hazardous political
risk, temporary of local
Waste Site and social
health and safety workers government
institutions
Chang in Change in
Formation of Change in
Industrial employment/ employment
attitudes towards community
Plant income equity of
the project infrastructure
characteristics minority groups
Forest Service Trust in political Influx of
Interested and Distribution of
to Park Service and social recreation
affected publics power/authority
Management institutions users
8. Steps in the Social Impact Assessment Process
8.1 Public Involvement - Develop an effective public plan to involve all
potentially affected publics.
▪ This requires identifying and working with all potentially affected
groups starting from very beginning of planning of proposed action.
These include but not limited to followings:

➢ People living nearby; ➢ People who have interest in a new

➢ Group of people who will hear, project but may not live in proximity.
smell or see a development ➢ People affected by the influx of
➢ People who are forced to seasonal residents who may have to
relocate because of a project; pay higher prices for food or rent, or
➢ Users of the land on which the pay higher taxes to cover the cost of
project is located(e.g.farmers etc.) expanded community services.

▪ After ID, systematic interview of representative from each group should be

conducted to determine potential areas of concern/impact, and ways to
involve each representative in the planning decision process.
▪ Public meetings by alone are inadequate to collect information about public
perceptions.
▪ Survey data can be used to define the potentially affected population. The
public involvement step started from here will last throughout the
environmental and social impact assessment process.
8.2 Identification of Alternatives - Describe the proposed action
or policy change and reasonable alternatives.

In this step , the proposed action is described in enough detail to begin

to identify the data requirements needed from the project proponent to
frame the SIA. At a minimum, this includes:

➢ Locations
➢ Land requirements
➢ Needs for additional facilities
(roads, sewer, water transm.lines,
➢ Construction schedule
➢ Size of the work force
(const. & Oper. by year or month)
➢ Facility size and shape
➢ Need for a local work force
➢ Institutional resources
 8.3 Baseline Conditions - Describe the relevant human
environment/area of influence and baseline conditions.

The baseline conditions are the existing conditions and past trends
associated with the human environment in which the proposed activity
is to take place. Parameter of baseline conditions for construction
projects may include but not limited to followings:

a) Geographical Area

It will include identification of a geographical area along with the

distribution of special populations at risk);

b) Relationships with the biophysical

environment,
These include
➢ Ecological setting and environmental resources or problems; e.g.
areas having economic, recreational, aesthetic or symbolic
significance to specific people;
➢ Residential arrangements and living patterns (relationships among
com-munities and social organizations)
➢ Attitudes toward environmental features and patterns of resource use.
c) Historical background
This include
➢ Initial settlement and subsequent shifts in population;
➢ Developmental events and eras,
➢ Discussion of broader employment trends;
➢ Past or ongoing community controversies (particularly those involving
technology or the environment) and
➢ Experiences likely to affect the level of distribution of the impacts on
local receptivity to the proposed action.
d) Political and social resources
This include
➢ Distribution of power and authority;
➢ The capacities of relevant systems or institutions (e.g., the school system);
➢ Friendship networks and
➢ Patterns of cooperation among potentially affected groups;
➢ levels of residential stability;
➢ Distributions of socio-demographic characteristics such as age and ethnicity;
➢ Presence of distinctive or potentially vulnerable groups (e.g., low income) &
➢ linkages among geo-political units (federal, state, county, local & inter-local).
Culture, attitudes and social- Population characteristics
psychological conditions,

Include Include
➢ Demographics of relevant groups
(including all significant stakeholders
➢ Attitudes toward the proposed action; and sensitive populations and groups);
➢ Trust in political and social ➢ Major economic activities;
institutions, ➢ Future prospects;
➢ Perceptions or risks; ➢ The labor markets and available work
force;
➢ Relevant psychological coping and
➢ Unemployment and
adjustment capacity;
underemployment;
➢ cultural thought of society and ➢ Population and expected changes;
environment;
➢ Availability of housing,
➢ Assessed quality of life; and ➢ Availability of infrastructure
➢ Improvement values that may be ➢ Availability of services;
relevant to or affected by the ➢ Size and age structure of households;
proposed action. and
➢ Seasonal migration patterns.
8.4 Scoping

g After obtaining a technical understanding of the proposal, identify the

full range of probable social impacts that will be addressed based on
discussion or interviews with numbers of all potentially affected.

g The SIA variables for further assessment situations are selected.

Effects perceived by both by acting agency and by affected groups and
communities be given consideration.
g Principal methods: The principal methods include reviews existing
documents which may include but not limited to followings:
➢ Existing social science literature,
➢ Public scoping,
➢ Public surveys, and
➢ Public participation techniques.
g Ideally, all affected people or groups to should be involved contribute to
the selection of the variables for assessment through either a
participatory process or by review.

g Affected people must comment on the decision made by developers as

well as Government authority.
8.5 Projection of Estimated Effects - Investigate the probable
impacts.
▪ The probable social impacts will be formulated in terms of predicted
conditions without the actions (baseline projection); predicted
conditions with the actions; and predicted impacts which can be
interpreted as the differences between the future with and without the
proposed action.
▪ Investigation of the probable impacts involves five major sources of
information:
a) Data from project proponents;
b) Records of previous experience (RPE)with similar actions. Such
information is available in reference literature, other EIS's; in case
reports and studies and the experience of experts.
▪
▪ Variations in the patterns of impacts and responses in these cases also
should be registered.
▪ Expert knowledge is used to enlarge this knowledge and to judge how
the study case is likely to deviate from the typical patterns.
▪ The documents and secondary sources provide information on existing
conditions, plans, reported attitudes and opinions; and contribute to the
case record.
c) Census and vital statistics;
d) Documents and secondary sources;
e) Field research, including informant interviews, hearings, group
meeting, and surveys of the general population.
The field research involves
i) interviews with persons who have different interests, different
perspectives, and different kinds of expertise.
ii) Wherever feasible, involve a search through a wide range of
documentation that is often available (in forms that range from
official statistics and the minutes of meeting, and letters to the
editors).
iii) The opinions of various individuals and groups toward the
proposed change should also be part of the record.
Surveys are valuable to assess public opinion properly, because
spokes-persons for groups do not always represent the real views.
Statements at public meeting and by spokespersons should not be
used as projections, but as possible impacts to be evaluated through
other means.
8.6 Predicting Responses to Impacts - Determine the
significance to the identified social impacts.

▪ This is a difficult assessment task often avoided, but the

responses of affected parties frequently will have significant
subsequent impacts.

▪ After direct impacts have been estimated, responses of affected

people in terms of attitude and actions must be evaluated.
▪ Attitudes of affected people before implementation predicts their
attitudes afterwards., Sometimes fears are often magnified and
that expected (often promised) benefits fail to meet .

▪ Generally comparable cases and interviews with affected

people are used to estimate the reaction of affected people
(local leadership develops or not)
▪ This assessment step often is highly uncertain, but at least
policy makers will be notified of potential problems and
unexpected results.
Methods of projecting the future is the heart of social assessment, and much
of the process of analysis is tied up in this endeavor. In spite of the long lists of
methods available, most fall into the following categories:
Comparative method;

1) Straight-line trend mehtod. It projects by taking an existing trend and simply

projecting the same rage of change into the future;
2) Population multiplier methods. In this methods each specified increase in
population indicate designated multiples of some other variable, e.g. jobs,
housing units);
3) Scenarios This is done by
i. logical-imaginations based on hypothetical futures and
ii. fitted empirical-similar past cases used to analyze the present case by
experts;
4) Expert testimony. Experts can be asked to present scenarios and assess
their implications.
5) Computer modeling. It involve the mathematical formulation for quantitative
weighing of variables
6) Calculation of "future foregone" to determine what options would be given
up permanently as a result of a plan or project, e.g., river recreation and
agricultural land use after the building of a dam).
8.7 Indirect and Cumulative Impacts - Estimate
subsequent impacts and cumulative impacts.

Indirect impacts

▪ Indirect impacts are those caused by the direct impacts; they

often occur later than the direct impact, or farther away.

Cumulative impacts

▪ Cumulative impacts are those impacts which result from the

incremental impacts of an action added to other past,
present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions
regardless of which agency or person undertakes them.

▪ They are more difficult to estimate precisely than direct and

cumulative impacts, however these must be clearly identified
in the SIA.
8.8 Changes in Alternatives - Recommended new or
changed alternatives and estimate or project their
consequences.

▪ Each new alternative or recommended change should be

assessed separately.
▪ The methods used similar to “Impact Estimation” are
applied here but usually on a more modest (simple) scale.
▪ Expert judgment and scenarios are helpful in developing
project and policy alternations.
▪ The number of repetitions here will depend upon time,
funding, and the magnitude of the project or policy
changes.
8.9 Mitigation - Develop a mitigation plan.

Mitigation includes avoiding the impact by not taking or modifying an

action; minimizing, rectifying, or reducing the impacts through the design or
operation of the project or policy; or compensating for the impact by
providing substitute facilities, resources, or opportunities.

Ideally, mitigation measures are built into the selected alternative, but it is
appropriate to identify mitigation measures even if they are not
immediately adopted or if they would be the responsibility of another
person or government unit.

Importance
i) Identify means of Impact Mitigation
A social impact assessment not only forecasts impacts, it should
identify means to mitigate adverse impacts.
ii) Enhancement of project Benefits
By highlighting and addressing the impacts that will occur and making
efforts to avoid or minimize the adverse consequences, or
compensating the residents or the community for the losses, benefits
may be enhanced
iii) Avoidance of conflicts can be managed or minimized.

By highlighting and addressing the impacts that will occur and making
efforts to avoid or minimize the adverse consequences, or
compensating the residents or the community for the losses, avoidable
conflicts can be managed and resolved.

iii) Mitigation Helps to moderate Negative attitudes

Attitudes (particularly negative ones) formed about the project cannot

be eliminated, but might be moderated if the public has complete
information about the proposed development, are included in the
decision making process, or are provided with structural arrangements
that assure safe operations.
Mitigation Implementation strategy
Strategy for Mitigation may include following three sequences

➢ First Sequence

During the first sequence, managers strive to avoid all adverse

impacts.

➢ 2nd Sequence

In the second sequence, managers strive to minimize any adverse

impacts that cannot be avoided.

➢ 3rd Sequence

During the third sequence, managers compensate for adverse

impacts. For example compensation for the loss of property or area,
could be to allocate or acquire a different site, enhance a degraded
site, or allot new site or property etc. The amount of compensation
can be based on the type of property or resource lost, the severity of
the impact, and the location of the mitigation site.
Two steps of sequencing

▪ It include avoiding and minimizing

▪ It can be applied to the project itself or to the host community or the
impacted region. For example, the project may be revised to avoid or
minimize adverse social impacts (e.g., extend the construction period
to minimize in-migration), or the community may be able to take steps
to mitigate, if not avoid, an adverse effects.
▪ Sequencing concept for the mitigation of adverse social impacts
requires assessors
➢ To first rank the level of importance of each significant SIA variable
determined during the estimated effects step.

➢ To determine whether the proponent could modify the project or

proposed policy to avoid the adverse effects. For example, a road
that displaces families could be rerouted.
➢ To minimize adverse social impacts. For example, most citizens are
uncomfortable with the idea of locating an undesirable facility near
their community.
8.10 Monitoring – Develop a monitoring program.
Monitoring programs are particularly necessary for projects
and programs that lack detailed information or that have high
variability or uncertainty. If monitoring procedures cannot be
adequately implemented, then mitigation agreements should
acknowledge the un-certainty faced in implementing the
decision. Only at this stage that the community or affected
group has the influence to "get it in writing."

Objectives of development of a monitoring program include

i. to identify deviations from the proposed action and any

important unanticipated impacts.
ii. to track project and program development
iii. to compare real impacts with projected ones.
iv. to spell out (to the degree possible) the nature and extent
of additional steps that should take place when
unanticipated impacts or impacts larger than the
projections occur.
 Principles for Social Impact Assessment

In general, there is consensus on

a) the types of impacts that need to be considered (social, cultural,

demographic, economic, social-psychological, and often political
impacts);
b) on the need for the SIA to include a discussion of the proposed
action (i.e., the proposed facility, project, development, policy
change, etc.);
c) on the components of the human environment where the impacts
are likely to be felt (affected neighbor-hoods, communities, or
regions);
d) on the likely impacts (generally defined as the difference between
the likely future of the affected human environment with versus
without the proposed policy and project);
e) and on the steps that could be taken to enhance positive impacts
f) and to mitigate any negative ones (by avoiding them, if possible, by
modification and minimization, and by providing compensation for
any negative impacts that cannot be avoided or ameliorated).

The SIA practitioner

➢ should focus on the more significant impacts,
➢ should provide quantification where feasible and appropriate, and
➢ should present the social impacts in a manner that can be
understood by decision-makers and community leaders.
(Brudge, 1994; Branch et.al., 1984; Finsterbusch, 1980; Freudenburg,
1986; Taylor, et.al., 1990) and U.S. Council on Environmental Quality,
1986)\
9. Principles for Social Impact Assessment

9.1 Involve the Diverse Public – Identify and involve all

potentially affected groups and individuals.

n Public involvement in SIA can help out in developing a conflict

management program.

n A lack of understanding still exists among many decision-makers

as to how public involvement fit within the planning process.

n Public involvement can complement and fit within SIA process by

identifying potentially affected groups, and by interpreting the
meaning of impacts for each group.

n Public involvement plays an important role in recruiting participants

truly representative of affected groups for the planning process.

n Public involvement should be truly interactive and affected groups

must give input and there should be two ways flow of information
among affected groups.
 9.2 Analyze Impact Equity (fairness) – Clearly identify
who will win or who will lose, and emphasize
vulnerability under-represented groups.

n Impacts should be specified differentially affected groups and

not just measured in the aggregate.
n Identification of all groups likely to be affected proposed project
is significant for concept of fair impact identification.
n There can always be winners and losers as the result of a
decision to construct a dam, build a highway or close an area to
timber harvesting, However, no category of persons, particularly
those that might be considered more sensitive or vulnerable
due to age, gender, ethnicity, race, occupation or other factors,
should have to bear the brunt (burden) of adverse social
impacts.
n While most proposed projects or policies are not zero-sum
situations, and there may be varying benefits for almost all
involved, SIA has a special duty to identify those whose
adverse impacts might get lost in the aggregate benefits.
 n The SIA practitioner must be attentive to those groups that lack
political efficacy; such as groups low in political or economic
power which often are not heard, or do not have their interests
strongly represented.
n Consider sensitive, vulnerable, or low in power. Examples
➢ Elderly - category of persons sensitive to involuntary
displacement and relocation.
➢ Children have suffered learning problems resulting from long-
term exposure to various forms of transportation noise and local
pollution (e.g., vehicular traffic, airports).
➢ Minorities and the poor are disproportionately represented in
groups low in power; low-income; (minority neighborhoods
frequently are targeted as sites for road construction and similar
public works projects.)
➢ Persons with some form of disability or impairment constitute
another sensitive category with important needs.
➢ Farmers often are affected by transmission lines, water projects
or developments that take large amounts of land.
n Impacts be highlighted in SIA not lost in Summary Statistics
9.3 Focus the Assessment on Key Issues – Deal with issues
and public concerns that really count, not those that are
just easy to count. Impacts Identified by the Public.
n SIA practitioners must struggle to cope with stringent time and resource
constraints that affect the scope of the assessment.
n Therefore, SIA practitioners must focus on the most significant impacts,
must identify all significant impacts for all impacted groups by using a
variety of rapid investigative techniques and given them priority.
n Many issues will become clear during scoping process or earlier if a
survey is used to identify the potentially-affected populations.
n However, some groups low in power that may be adversely affected do
not necessarily participate in early project stages.
n Therefore, broadly-based public involvement is necessary throughout
the life of the SIA to ensure that the most significant public concerns are
addressed (e.g., key informants, participant observation, and where
possible, surveys) often must be used.
n The SIA practitioners should have the expertise to help prioritize issues
using a review of literature and professional experience. Often they will
suggest the study of issues unrecognized by either the public or the
agencies.
9.4 Identify Methods and Assumptions and Define
Significance – Describe how the SIA is conducted, what
assumptions are used and how significance is
determined.

n The methods and assumptions used in the SIA should be

made available and published prior to a decision in order to
allow decision makers as well the public to evaluate the
assessment of impacts.
n SIA Practitioners will need to consult the prevailing
Regulations to get help in judging significance of Impacts.
n SIA practitioner also needs to consult individual agency
procedures for compliance because agency may consider
consideration of some impacts mandatory even if not always
significant.
9.5 Project Planners – Identify problems that could be solved
with changes to the proposed action or alternatives.

Findings from the SIA should feed back into project design to
mitigate adverse impacts and enhance positive ones.

Therefore, the impact assessment, should be designed as a

dynamic (lively) process involving cycles of project design,
assessment, redesign, and reassessment.

This process is often carried out informally with project

designers prior to publication of the draft assessment for public
comment; public comments on a draft EIS can contribute
importantly to this process of feedback and modification.
9.6 Employee SIA Practitioners – Trained social scientists
employing social science methods will provide the best
results.
n Professionally qualified, competent people with social
science training and experience be engaged to conduct SIA.

n An experienced SIA practitioner will know the data, and be

familiar and conversant with existing social science evidence
pertaining to impacts that have occurred elsewhere.

n A social scientist will be able to identify the full range of

important impacts and then will be able to select the
appropriate measurement procedures.

n Having social scientist as part of the interdisciplinary EIS

team will also reduce the probability that an important social
impact could go unrecognized.

n Importantly, the SIA practitioner be conversant with the

technical and biological perspectives brought to assume with
project, as well as the cultural and procedural context of the
agency they work with.
 9.7 Establish Monitoring and Mitigation Program –
Manage uncertainty by monitoring and mitigation
adverse impacts.

n Monitoring of significant social impact variables and

development of a programs to mitigate them are important
processes in SIA.
n Identifications of impacts usually depend on the conditions of
risks/impacts (Possibilities). For example, if the in-migration of
workers during the construction phase work force is 1000, then
the community's housing will be inadequate to meet the need,
but if it is only 500, then the impact can be accommodated by
currently vacant units.
n Identifying a monitoring infrastructure needs a key element of
the local planning process. Two key points:

a) Monitoring and mitigation should be a joint agency and

community responsibility.
b) Both activities should occur on an iterative basis throughout
the project life cycle.
 9.8 Identify Data Source – Published scientific literature,
secondary data, and primary data from the affected area.
Sources for data for SIAs may include but not limited to following
three sources:
i) Published Scientific Literature

n The SIA should focus on relevant existing, previously

reviewed and screened social science literature.
n e.g. journal articles, books, and reports of similar projects
(useful in identifying potential social impacts of proposed
project).
n However, in case of contradictory findings of SIA the reasons
for the differences should be clearly given .

Contd..
 g Secondary Data Sources

These secondary sources can be used in along with key-informant

interviews/field surveys for verification and to be alert for potential
sources of bias in other data. The best known secondary sources include:
n Census,
n vital statistics,
n geographical data,
n relevant agency publications,
n routine data collected by state and federal agencies.
n Agencies /Departments (e.g., mental health centers, social service
agencies and other human service providers, law enforcement
agencies, and insurance and financial regulatory agencies)
n Published and unpublished historical materials (often available in local
libraries, historical societies, and school district files);
n Service organizations (such chambers of commerce, and mosques
groups); and
n Files of local news-papers.
ii) Primary Data from the Affected Area

n Collection of Primary data from affected area is necessary, If

a social assessor concludes that community impacts will
differ from those documented elsewhere.
n These include survey research, oral histories and informant
interviews etc.
9.9 Plan for Gaps in Data

SIA practitioners often have to produce an assessment in the

absence of all the relevant or even the necessary data. In case of
shortages of data sources, followings are three acceptable
procedures to for desired data collection.

i) It is more important to identify likely social impacts than to

precisely quantify the more obvious social impacts.

➢ there are two important differences between impact

identification (what are the general categories or types of
impacts that are likely to occur and impact evaluation
(precisely how significant and those impacts likely to be).
➢ Research has identified experienced SIA practitioner can
identify potentially significant impacts relatively quickly and
efficiently. On the other hand, an accurate evaluation is a
resource-intensive process and deals with the question of
significance.
ii) It is important to be on the "conservative" side in reporting
likely social impacts.

n The reports on SIA's are anticipatory by their nature and have

purpose to provide an even-handed treatment of the potential
impacts with the help of scientifically reasonable assessment
of the probable impacts in advance of the development event.

Questions about the "prooof" of impacts can be asked in an

apparently scientific language, but cannot be answered with the
true confidence in advance of the actions in question.

In assessing social and economic impacts, accordingly, if the

evidence for a potential type of impact is not complete in either
direction, the conservative conclusion is that the impact
cannot be ruled out with confidence, not that the impact is
not proven.
 iii)The less reliable data there are on the effects of the
projects or policy change, the more important it is to
have SIA work performed by competent, professional
social scientists.
The two following situations are ones in which it may be
appropriate to proceed without professional social scientists'
involvement in an SIA.
1) In cases where SIA reports are to be considered by persons
social science training (within agency/Deptt.), and by those in
the potentially affected community, to likely cause only
negligible social impacts
2) In cases where realistic findings is available from the social
science literature, which can be applied fairly directly to the
proposed action in question, and is referenced, summarized,
and cited by the person(s) preparing the SIA section of the EIS.

If one of these two conditions is not present, the absence of

professional social science expertise would be unwise for both the
agency and affected communities; and SIA would be speculative
(hypothetical) and not well grounded.
10. Guidelines for Public Consultation Pakistan

(For further understanding Please download from website of

M/O Environment and Climate Change)
References

1) Branch, Kristi, Douglas A. Hooper, James Thompson and James C.

Creighton. 1983. Guide to Social Impact Assessment. Boulder,
CO:Westview Press, ISBN 0-86531-717-8.
2) Brudge, Rabel J. 1994 A community Guide to Social Impact
Assessment, Middleton, WI (P.O. Box 620863): Social Ecology Press,
210 pages.
3) Freudenburg, William R. 1986. "Social Impact Assessment." Annual
Review of Sociology 12:451-478.
4) Ministry of Environment, 1997. The Pakistan Environmental Protection
Act, Islamabad
5) Ministry of Environment, 1997.Guidelines for Public Participation
6) Taylor, C. Nicholas, C. Hobson Bryan and Colin C. Goodrich. 1990.
Social Assessment: Theory, Process and Techniques. Studies in
Resource Management No. 7, Center for Resource Management, P.O.
Box 56, Lincoln University, New Zealand.
7) U.S. Council of Environment Quality. 1986. Regulation of Implementing
the Procedural Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (40
CFR 1500-1508). Washington: Government Printing Office,
Washington, D.C. 20402.