Ap - Unit 1 - Lecture 2 Environment 211cen8x01

UNIT 1
ENVIRONMENT AS RELATED TO
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
LECTURE 2: GENERAL PRINCIPLE OF ASSESSMENTS- INFORMAL
AND FORMAL ASSESSMENTS
1
ENVIRONMENT
General Assessment Principle

In this lecture, environmental impact assessment (EIA) is briefly introduced in order to
have an insight to the purpose, perspectives on sustainable development,
importance, aims and objectives, limitations, nature and scope of environmental
issues and impacts of EIA amongst others. It is however, important to note that there
is a general principle of assessment that applies to EIA, and to other assessment
processes. Carefully study the condensed documents on the general assessment
principle: informal and formal assessments.
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ENVIRONMENT
There are numerous processes that relate closely to the review of environmental
impacts that may result from a proposed project. The following are but a few and well
recognized processes:
• Social Impact Assessment
• Risk Assessment
• Occupational/Workplace Assessment
• Life Cycle Analysis
• Energy Analysis
• Health Impact Assessment
• Regulatory Impact Assessment
• Species Impact Assessment
• Technology Assessment
• Economic Assessment
• Cumulative Impact Assessment
• Strategic Environmental Assessment
• Integrated Impact Assessment, etc.

ENVIRONMENT
If the definition of “environment” is taken broadly for an EIA, then the EIA may cover the
issues of the other assessment processes; for example:
• social aspects (such as impacts on employment, community interaction);
• risks (such as threats to native animals, water supplies);
• life cycle (such as the impacts at each stage of the project design through to operation
and closure); and
• energy (such as use of non-renewable energy sources, Greenhouse gas emissions),

etc.

ENVIRONMENT
Principle of Assessment
Considering all the assessment approaches above, they are designed to identify
potential impacts of a development, action or project. To do this the assessor needs
to use personal experience and the experiences of others (including available
knowledge and resources) to think broadly about potential changes, and whether
those impacts will be positively or negatively felt.
Particular approaches emphasis specific types of impacts (i.e., on health, on social

groups, on natural reserves and resources). All have basically the same approach,
although each may have its own individual language and detailed techniques.
Most of the assessment processes also include a second step. After identifying the
impacts, they also consider what may be needed to avoid or reduce adverse
impacts/effects.

ENVIRONMENT
Formal and Informal Assessments
In some situations you will find yourself involved or working on EIA processes that are
required by governments, or by organizations that provides funds for projects such as
the World Bank.
An EIA conducted under these processes can be thought of as a formal EIA, as it is

required by formal legislation or other agreement.
However, in addition there are many possibilities of conducting informal EIAs. This is
especially the case where assessment is incorporated in internal processes of
corporations. Informal EIA, such as the environment assessment associated with an
Environmental Management Systems, requires identification and documentation of
potential impacts, plus the reporting of how those impacts would be managed.
Nevertheless, irrespective of whether the assessment process is formal or informal,

or what terms are used, the same principle (above) is involved.

ENVIRONMENT
Sustainable Development through EIA
Sustainable development is a key concept that has gained increasing international

acceptance during the last two decades.
A milestone in this process was the Brundtland report, which defined sustainable
development as development that meets the needs of today’s generation without
compromising those of future generations.
Five years later, the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), the
Earth Summit, established a number of international agreements, declarations and
commitments.
Agenda 21, the global action plan for sustainable development, emphasises the
importance of integrated environment and development decision-making and
promotes the use of EIA and other policy instruments for this purpose.

ENVIRONMENT
Nature and Scope of Environmental Issues and Impacts
Several reports on the state of the world indicate the environmental problems facing
society. The Global Environmental Outlook (GEO) prepared by UNEP provides an
authoritative statement of the major issues and their regional variations.
In the GEO-2000 report, UNEP advises that full scale emergencies now exist on a
number of issues, including water scarcity, land degradation, tropical forest clearance,
species loss and climate warming.
Some of these issues, such as climate warming and biodiversity loss, are global or so
pervasive that they affect all countries. Other environmental problems are
concentrated regionally and thus affect only certain countries or are more serious for
some than others.

ENVIRONMENT
Principles of EIA Administration and Practice
EIA is one of a number of policy tools that are used to evaluate project proposals.
It is also a relatively recent development when compared to use of economic

appraisal methods. A number of factors led to the introduction of EIA in the US
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, 1969), including public concern about the
quality of the environment and the increasing effects of new technologies and ever-
larger development schemes.
In addition, then available economic appraisal techniques, such as benefit cost

analysis, did not take account of the environmental and social impacts of major
projects.

ENVIRONMENT
Principles of EIA Administration and Practice
Effectiveness Study identified three core values on which the EIA process is based:
• integrity the EIA process should meet internationally accepted requirements and
standards of practice;
• utility the EIA process should provide the information which is sufficient and
relevant for decision-making; and
• sustainability the EIA process should result in the implementation of environmental

safeguards which are sufficient to mitigate serious adverse effects and avoid
irreversible loss of resource and ecosystem functions.

ENVIRONMENT
Key Elements of the EIA Process
EIA systems can be described by reference to three components:
• the legal and institutional framework of regulation, guidance and procedure, which
establishes the requirements for the conduct of EIA;
• the steps and activities of the EIA process, as applied to specific types of
proposals; and
• the practice and performance of EIA, as evidenced by the quality of EIA reports
prepared, the decisions taken and the environmental benefits delivered.

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UNIT 1

General Assessment Principle

Module # - Unit #: Title 2

Module # - Unit #: Title 3

General Assessment Principle

• social aspects (such as impacts on employment, community interaction);

• risks (such as threats to native animals, water supplies);

• energy (such as use of non-renewable energy sources, Greenhouse gas emissions),

Module # - Unit #: Title 4

Particular approaches emphasis specific types of impacts (i.e., on health, on social

Module # - Unit #: Title 5

Formal and Informal Assessments

An EIA conducted under these processes can be thought of as a formal EIA, as it is

Nevertheless, irrespective of whether the assessment process is formal or informal,

Module # - Unit #: Title 6

Sustainable Development through EIA

Sustainable development is a key concept that has gained increasing international

Module # - Unit #: Title 7

Nature and Scope of Environmental Issues and Impacts

Module # - Unit #: Title 8

Principles of EIA Administration and Practice

It is also a relatively recent development when compared to use of economic

In addition, then available economic appraisal techniques, such as benefit cost

Module # - Unit #: Title 9

Principles of EIA Administration and Practice

• sustainability the EIA process should result in the implementation of environmental

Module # - Unit #: Title 10

Key Elements of the EIA Process

EIA systems can be described by reference to three components:

Module # - Unit #: Title 11

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