EIA: A PROCESS

o EIA is a process, a systematic process that

examines the environmental consequences of
development actions, in advance.
o The emphasis, compared with many other
mechanisms for environmental protection, is
on prevention.
o EIA should be a cyclical activity, with
feedback and interaction between the various
steps.
o Practice can and does vary considerably from
the process stated.
o The order of the steps in the process may also
vary.
 Project screening – narrows the application of EIA to those projects
that may have significant environmental impacts. May be partly
determined by the EIA regulations.

 Scoping – seeks to identify at an early stage, from all of a project’s

possible impacts and from all the alternatives that could be
addressed, those that are the crucial, significant issues.

 Consideration of alternatives – seeks to ensure that the proponent

has considered other feasible approaches, including alternative
project locations, scales, processes, layouts, operating conditions and
the “no action” option.
 Description of the environment baseline – the establishment of both the
present and future state of the environment, in the absence of the project,
taking into account changes resulting from natural events and from other
human activities.

 Identification of key impacts – brings together the previous steps with the
aims of ensuring that all potentially significant environmental impacts are
identified and taken into account in the process.

 Prediction of impacts – to identify the magnitude and other dimensions

of identified change in the environment with a project/action, by
comparison with the situation without that project/action.
 Evaluation and assessment of significance of impacts – assesses the
relative significance of the predicted impacts to allow a focus on the main
adverse impacts.

 Mitigation – involves the introduction of measures to avoid, reduce,

remedy or compensate for any significant adverse impacts.

 Public consultation and participation – aim to ensure the quality,

comprehensiveness and effectiveness of the EIA.

 EIS presentation – is a vital step in the process. If done badly, much good
work in th EIA may be negated.

 Review – involves a systematic appraisal of the quality of the EIS, as a

contribution to the decision-making process.
 Decision-making – involves a consideration by the relevant authority of the
EIS (including consultation responses) together with other material
considerations.

 Post-decision monitoring – involves the recording of outcomes associated

with development impacts, after a decision to proceed. It can contribute to
the effective project management.

 Auditing – follows from monitoring. It can involve comparing actual

outcomes with predicted outcomes, and can be used to assess the quality of
predictions and the effectiveness of mitigation. It provides a vital step in the
EIA learning process.