Environmental Impact Assessment

EIA
Fisseha Meseret (PhD. Can.)
Addis Ababa University
 Thought of the Day

The Living in the

Moment Concept

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 DOMAINS OF ENVIRONMENT

Physical
• Air
• Water
• Land
Ecological
• Flora
• Fauna
Socio-economic
• Social
• Economic
• Cultural

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 Environmental Impact Assessment
EIA

WHAT IS EIA?

An important procedure for

ensuring that the likely
effects of new development
on the environment are
fully understood and taken
into account before the
development is allowed to
go ahead
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 What EIA can do?
• Modify and improve design
• Ensure efficient resource use
• Enhance social aspects
• Identify measures for monitoring and managing impacts
• Inform decision-making
• Provide justification for a proposal
• The findings of EIA should be focused on the significant and
essential issues.
• It is also required to provide a sufficient explanation on why
they are important, and study its validity in order to facilitate a
basis for policy decisions.

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 Significance of
EIA
• Environmental impact assessment is not a procedure for
preventing actions with significant environmental impacts
from being implemented.
• Rather the intention is that project actions are authorized in
the full knowledge of their environmental impacts.
• There are some cases that EIA takes place in a political
context. It is inevitable that economic, social or political factors
will outweigh environmental factors in many instances.
• This is why the mitigation measures are so central to EIA.
Decisions on proposals in which the adverse environmental
effects have been mitigated are much easier to make and
justify than those in which mitigation has not been achieved.

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The significance of EIA is:
• 1) EIA is more than technical reports, it is a means to a larger intention – the
protection and improvement of the environmental quality of life.
• 2) EIA is a procedure to identify and evaluate the effects of activities (mainly
human) on the environment - natural and social. It is not a single specific
analytical method or technique, but uses many approaches as appropriate to
the problem.
• 3) EIA is not a science but uses many sciences in an integrated inter-
disciplinary manner, evaluating phenomenon and relationships as they occur
in the real world.
• 4) EIA should not be treated as an appendage, or add-on, to a project, but be
regarded as an integral part of project planning. Its costs should be calculated
as an adequate part of planning and not regarded as something extra.
• 5) EIA does not give decisions but its findings should be considered in policy
and decision-making and should be reflected in final choices. Thus it should
be part of the decision-making process.

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 List of Projects Requiring IEE/EIA
• Agriculture, livestock and fisheries, etc.
• Energy
• Manufacturing and processing
• Mining and mineral processing
• Transport
• Water management, dams, irrigation and flood protection
• Waste Disposal
• Urban development and tourism
• Environmentally sensitive areas

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FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF EIA

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 Description of a Project
• Type of project

• Need for project

• Location (use maps showing general location, specific location, project boundary and project
site layout)

• Size or magnitude of operation including any associated activities required by or for the
project

• Proposed schedule for approval and implementation

• Description of the project including drawings showing project layout, components of project,
etc. This information should be of the same type and extent as is included in feasibility
reports for proposed projects, in order to give a clear picture of the project and its
operations.

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 EIA processes in sequences of application

• Project Screening
• Scoping
• Baseline Data Collection
• Identification of Environmental
Impacts
• Impact Prediction Comparison
of Alternatives
• Comparison of Alternatives
• Mitigation Measures
• Public Consultation and
Participation
• Environmental Monitoring
• Environmental Auditing
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 Screening
• important to establish
mechanisms by
identifying projects
which requires EIA, and
this process of selection
of project is referred to
as "Screening“

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 Project Scoping
• Scoping is to determine
what should be the
coverage or scope of the
EIA study for a project
proposal as having
potentially significant
environmental impacts.

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 Baseline Data Collection
• Baseline information is Baseline data are collected for two
main purposes:
important reference
• to provide a description of the
point for conducting EIA. status and trends of
• The term "baseline" environmental factors (e.g., air
refers to the collection of pollutant concentrations) against
which predicted changes can be
background information compared and evaluated in
on the biophysical, social terms of importance, and
and economic settings • to provide a means of detecting
proposed project area. actual change by monitoring
once a project has been initiated

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Identification of Environmental Impacts

• Biological and Physio-

chemical Impacts
• Social Impact
• demographic impacts, socio-
economic impacts, institutional
impacts, gender impact
• Cultural Impacts
• Health Impact
• Economic Impact
• labor force requirements, size of
investment, likely demographic
changes

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Impact Prediction Comparison of Alternatives

Considerations for Impact

Prediction
• Magnitude of Impact
• Extent of Impact
• Duration of Impact
Uncertainty in Impact
Prediction

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 Comparison of Alternatives
• Qualitative approach
• Quantitative approach
• Ranking, rating or
scaling approach
• Weighting approach
• Weighting-
ranking/rating/scaling
approach

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 ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES
1. No Project Option
2. Location/Alignment
Alternatives
3. Process/Design
Alternatives
4. Demand/Activity
Alternatives
5. Scheduling Alternatives
6. Input Alternatives

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Lahore Sports City

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 Lahore Sports City
(Site Screening Criteria)

• Accessibility
• Land use and Land availability
• Aesthetics
• Water Availability
• Potential of Infrastructure Development
• Environmental and Social Issues

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Site Options

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 Key elements for assessing impact
significance

• Ecological • Social and Economical

• effects on plant and animal • effects on human health and
habitat safety
• rare and endangered species • potential loss of species with
• ecosystem resilience, sensitivity, current or potential value, or
bio-diversity and carrying commercially available
capacity production (farmland)
• viability of local species • recreational or aesthetic value
populations • demands on public resources
such as social service
• demands on transportation and
• Environmental other infrastructures
Standards • demographic effects

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 Mitigation Measures
• recommended actions
to reduce, avoid or
offset the potential
adverse environmental
consequences of
development activities
• maximize project
benefits
• minimize undesirable
impacts
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 Mitigation Measures
• Mitigation measures
requires funding
• Mitigation measures
should be integrated in
the project design
• Mitigation measures is
not limited to one point
in the EIA process
• Link between mitigation
and monitoring
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 Public Consultation and Participation
• Local people
• Project beneficiaries
• NGOs
• Voluntary organizations
• Private sector
• National/local
governments
• Scientist/experts
• Private sector

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 Methods for stakeholder involvement
• Public meetings
• Advisory panels
• Public information
centers
• Interviews
• Questionnaires
• Participatory Appraisal
techniques

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 Environmental Monitoring
• an activity undertaken Environmental monitoring is
to provide specific therefore one of the most
important components of an EIA
information on the • ensuring that impacts do not
characteristics and exceed the legal standards
functions of • checking the implementation
environmental and of mitigation measures in the
social variables in space manner described in the EIA
and time report
• providing early warning of
potential environmental
damages

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 Principles of Monitoring
• Determine the indicators to be used
in monitoring activities
• Collection of meaningful and
relevant information
• Application of measurable criteria in
relation to chosen indicators
• Reviewing objective judgments  on
the information collected
• Draw tangible conclusions based on
the processing of information
• Making rational decision based on the
conclusion drawn
• Recommendation of improved
mitigation measures to be undertaken

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 Types of Monitoring
• Baseline Monitoring
• pre-audit study
• Impact Monitoring
• Compliance Monitoring

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 Environmental Auditing
• an audit assess the actual
environmental impact
• the accuracy of prediction
• the effectiveness of
environmental impact
mitigation
• enhancement measures
• the functioning of
monitoring mechanisms

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 Types of Audit
• Decision Point Audit
• Implementation Audit
• Performance Audit
• Project Impact Audit
• Predictive Technique
Audit
• EIA Procedures Audit

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 Environmental Auditing Plan
• condition of
natural/social/economical
resources prior to project
implementation
• mitigation measures
implemented are effective to
control adverse impact
• degraded landscape have
been restored into original
condition
• effect on the local economy
of project implementation

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 Public Hearing

Public Hearing of Environmental Impact Public Hearing of Zero Point Interchange

Assessment of 225 MW Thermal Power
RFO Fired Power Plant Near Sheikhupura
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 Public Hearing

Public Consultation for Mirani Dam Public Hearing of Benazir Bhutto International
Project Airport

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Transplantation of Trees

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Transplantation of Trees

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 Mangla Dam Raising Project
• A population of about 50,000 persons
is being affected
• About 8000 houses and other
buildings are being affected
• A total of 6,388 hectares of land
(residential, agriculture and barren) is
to be acquired
• 28 brick kilns will be abandoned
• An unprecedented and very attractive
compensation package for the
affectees has been provided
• Pakistan Resettlement Policy is being
followed for the resettlement and
compensation process

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EIA Flow Chart

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Strategic Environment Assessment
SEA
 Strategic Environmental Assessment
SEA

• Social Impact
Assessment (SIA)
• Cumulative Impact
Assessment (CIA)
• Environmental and
Social Impact
Assessment (ESIA)

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 EIA SEA
Applied to specific and relatively short-term (life- Applied to policies, plans and programs with broad,
cycle) projects and their specifications long-term strategic perspective

Takes place at early stage of project planning once Ideally, takes place at an early stage in strategic
parameters are set planning
Considers limited range of project alternatives Considers a broad range of alternative scenarios

Usually prepared and/or funded by the project Conducted independently of any specific project
proponents proponent
Focus on obtaining project permission, and rarely Focus on decision on policy, plan and program
with feedback implications
to policy, plan or program consideration for future lower-level decisions

Well-defined, linear process with clear beginning and Multi-stage, iterative process with feedback loops
end
Preparation of an EIA document with prescribed May not be formally documented
format and contents
is usually mandatory. This document provides a
baseline reference
for monitoring

Limited review of cumulative impacts, often limited Inherently incorporates consideration of cumulative
to phases of a specific project. Does not cover impacts
regional-scale developments
or multiple projects
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Tools for predicting environmental and socio-
economic effects

• Modeling or forecasting of
direct environmental effects
• Matrices and network
analysis
• Participatory or consultative
techniques
• Geographical information
systems as a tool to analyze,
organize and present
information

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Tools for analyzing and comparing options

• Scenario analysis and

multi-criteria analysis
• Risk analysis or
assessment
• Cost benefit analysis
• Opinion surveys to
identify priorities

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A continuum of SEA application

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 SEA benefits at a glance
1. Supporting the integration of
environment and development
2. Providing environmental-based
evidence to support informed
decisions
3. Improving the identification of
new opportunities
4. Preventing costly mistakes
5. Building public engagement in
decision making for improved
governance
6. Facilitating transboundary co-
operation

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 Thermal Power Generation Policy, Pakistan:
an early SEA would have helped
• In the mid 1990s, rapidly expanding industrial activity,
increasing population
• Pakistan’s Government decided to stimulate increased power
Key costs
generation
• Independent Power Plants Policy (IPPs) provided incentives
• Increased pollution
for investments in thermal power generation
• No SEA was made; instead investors had to submit an EIA
without considering potential cumulative effects
• Relocation of plants –
• Investors given freedom to choose the site, technology and
the fuel
following public
• plants were installed with little or no pollution control
devices pressure and lobbying –
• Leading energy experts and the WAPDA raised objections to
the policy but were ignored at considerable cost
• EIA used down-stream decision making approach
• individual projects, especially after deciding the site,
technology and fuel
• Delayed delivery of
• thermal power stations using high-sulphur furnace oil
became clustered in one city and added to the already
energy
polluted air
• Alternatively, they were developed in a scattered way in
remote places, which made it difficult to connect them with
the national grid system

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 The Circular Debt of Pakistan
• According to USAID report on the
Causes and Impacts of Power Sector
Circular Debt in Pakistan
• in 2008, the circular debt was Rs
161.21 billion
• increased to Rs 235.65 billion in 2009
• circular debt in 2010 increased to Rs
365.66 billion
• in 2011, this amount swelled to Rs
537.53 billion
• During the current fiscal year circular
debt increased to Rs 872.41 billion

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Policy SEA Process Steps

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Conceptual Model of SEA

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Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and
Degradation (REDD+)

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Thank You

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