ENVE 314

ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Instructor: Doç. Dr. Orhan Sevimoğlu

Gebze Technical University
Department of Environmental Engineering
 Definition of environment
 1: the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which
one is surrounded
 2a: the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic
factors (such as climate, soil, and living things) that act
upon an organism or an ecological community and
ultimately determine its form and survival
 2b: the aggregate of social and cultural conditions
that influence the life of an individual or community
 3: the position or characteristic position of a linguistic
element in a sequence
 impact
 noun
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 im·pact | \ ˈim-ˌpakt \
 plural impacts
 Definition of impact
 (Entry 1 of 2)
 1a: an impinging or striking especially of one body against
another
 b: a forceful contact or onsetalso : the impetus communicated in
or as if in such a contact
 2: the force of impression of one thing on another : a significant
or major effect
 assessment noun
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 as·sess·ment | \ ə-ˈses-mənt , a- \
 Definition of assessment
 1: the action or an instance of making a judgment
about something : the act
of assessing something : APPRAISALassessment of
damagesan assessment of the president's
achievements
 2: the amount assessed : an amount that a person is
officially required to pay especially as a taxthe
tax assessment on property
Course Learning Objectives

At the end of this course, you should be able to

 Define and state the purpose of environmental
impact assessment (EIA)
 Specify the benefits of EIA
 Identify challenges relating to the application
of EIA
 Identify the potential role and applications of
EIA in environmental
Lesson Learning Goals

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to

 In your own words, explain the purpose and benefits of
EIA
 Differentiate among types of environmental
assessment practices in terms of scope and intent
 Explain the underlying principles of EIA
 Discuss the role of EIA in supporting sustainable
environmental management decision making
What is EIA?

 A process which attempts to identify and predict the

impacts of proposals, policies, programs, projects and
operational procedures on the biophysical
environment and on human health and well-being
 It also interprets and communicates information about
those impacts and investigates and proposes means
for their management
 A planning and decision-making tool to protect the
natural environment and, thereby, protect human
societies
Dimensions of Environment
in EIA
 EIA in 1990s is emerged as a multi dimensional
approach and involved application of both
qualitative and quantitative models.

Figure: Dimension of Environment in EIA

 Why do EIA?
 Promotes better planning and leads to more responsible
decision making ensures that renewable and non-renewable
resources are used wisely
 Evaluates the rationale behind proposed projects and
activities are their alternatives to a proposed project or
activity?
 Assists in pursuing sustainable development by evaluating
alternatives means of undertaking proposed projects and
activities
 Assessment outputs facilitate informed decision making
anticipated environmental impacts can be weighed against
economic benefits and other social gains in deciding
whether to approve or reject proposals
 Helps to identify and understand environmental impacts early
in the project cycle predicted impacts can be mitigated
before they occur
 Provides opportunity for input from interested parties
increases likelihood of public acceptance
Why is EIA Needed?

 The natural environment is the foundation of the world

economy and our social well-being
 Past development practices have severely degraded
the natural environment and wasted scarce resources
 Increasing development pressures (e.g.,
industrialization, urbanization, and resource use) will
inevitably accelerate environmental degradation
unless sustainable environmental management
practices are adopted
Sustainable Development
 Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs.

Example Sustainability Criteria:

 Maintenance of habitat and ecosystems
 Preservation of native plant and animal species
 Preservation of cultural values
 Reclamation and re-use of wastewater
 Wastewater disposal within assimilative capacity
 Groundwater extraction within sustainable yield
 Productive use of fertile soils
 Prevention of erosion
 Application of clean technology
 Waste recycling or use
 Material utilization allowing recycling or re-use
 Energy efficiency/Use of renewable energy sources
 Public acceptability/Involvement of the community
 Full cost recovery for goods or services
 Equitable cost-benefit distribution
Evolution of EIA
 Pre-1970s Introduction of some pollution control regulations
 Early 1970s Initial EIA development, focus on the biophysical environment (e.g.,
air, water, flora, fauna, climate)
 1970 US NEPA called for
 Environmental review of all government actions
 Public input into project formulation
 Informed decision making
 This process became known as EIA
 1970s to 1980s Expanded scope for EIA beyond just biophysical to include
integrated assessment of social, health, and economic issues
 Mid to late 1980s Cumulative effects increasingly examined in support of policy
and planning
 Mid 1990s Towards sustainability (e.g., strategic environmental assessment,
biodiversity)
 Over the last 30 years the EIA process has become increasingly more holistic
assessments have broadened to consider all aspects of proposed projects and
activities
 Assessments routinely examine
 Biophysical Social
 Health Economic
 Risk and uncertainty
Types of EIA

 Project-level EIA narrow-perspective examine

potential environmental impacts of a single project or
activity
 Cumulative effects assessment (CEA) broadens
assessment to examine potential impacts of multiple
projects from the viewpoint of valued environmental
components (VECs)
 Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) widest focus
involving systematic evaluation of potential impacts of
policies, plans and programs (PPP)
EIA Core Values
 Sustainability: The EIA process will provide necessary
environmental safeguards
 Integrity: The EIA process will conform with established
standards underlying science is credible and decisions
are justified
 Utility: The EIA process will provide balanced, accurate
information for decision making
EIA Guiding Principles
 Participation Appropriate and timely access by all
interested parties.
 Transparency All decisions should be open and
accessible
 Certainty Process and timing agreed in advance and
followed by all
 Accountability Decision makers and Project proponents
are responsible for their actions
 Credibility Assessments are professional and objective
 Cost-effectiveness Environmental protection is achieved
at the least cost
 Flexibility Process is adaptive and responsive
 Practicality Information and outputs are usable in
decision making and planning
EIA Operational Principles
 EIA should be applied to all development projects
and activities likely to cause significant adverse
impacts or potential cumulative effects EIA should be
undertaken throughout the project cycle, beginning
as early as possible in accordance with established
procedures to provide meaningful public consultation
 EIA should provide the basis for environmentally-sound
decision making in which terms and conditions are
clearly specified and enforced the development of
projects and activities that meet environmental
standards and management objectives an
appropriate follow-up process with requirements for
monitoring, management, audits, and evaluation
EIA Operational Principles
(Cont.)

 EIA should address all related and relevant factors,

including social and health risks and impacts
cumulative and long-term, large-scale effects design,
siting and technological alternatives sustainability
considerations including resource productivity,
assimilative capacity and biological diversity
 EIA should result in accurate information on the
nature, likely magnitude and significance of potential
effects, risks and consequences of proposals and
alternatives a relevant report for decision making
including qualifications on conclusions reached and
prediction of confidence limits on going problem
solving and conflict resolution throughout the process
EIA Operational Principles
(Cont.)
 Integration: of EIA into the Decision-Making Process
Timing EIA conducted early in the project cycle
 Disclosure: EIA results disclosed to all interested parties
 Weight: EIA results are considered by decision makers
 Revisions: Plans revised to include feasible mitigation
measures or a less damaging alternative
 Mitigation: Agreed-upon mitigation measures are
implemented and monitored for effectiveness
 Monitoring: Post-project, follow-up monitoring of
impacts conducted and results acted upon
Characteristics of Effective EIAs

 Completeness all significant impacts considered all

relevant alternatives examined
 Accuracy appropriate forecasting procedures
appropriate evaluation procedures
 Clarity all interested parties can comprehend issues
 Getting it Wrong
 Examples of badly executed EIA include
 Terms of reference are poorly drafted potentially
serious issues are not assessed and adverse
environmental impacts occur
 Delays in project approval and cost increases occur
when EIA is commenced too late in the project cycle
(i.e., must back-track to retrofit equipment or re-design
project)
 EIA report is incomplete or not scientifically-defensible
resulting either in project rejection or extended delays
to address deficiencies
 Concluding Thoughts Important points to remember
are
 EIA is a structured process to anticipate,
analyze and disclose environmental consequences
associated with proposed projects or activities
 EIA seeks to ensure that potential problems are
foreseen and addressed such that project benefits
can be achieved without causing serious
environmental degradation
 Done correctly, EIA can be a powerful
environmental management tool