UNIT-4

Environmental impact
assessment
1

PRESENTED BY: DR. DEBARPITA GHOSAL

ASST. PROF, DEPT. OF CHEMICAL ENGG, CGU-
ODISHA,
MENTOR, FACT CENTRE, CGU, ODISHA

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 2
To conduct a successful Integrated
Environmental Assessment and reporting
(IEA), it is very important to understand
the different types of assessments and how
they differ or relate to IEA.

This module discusses the different

assessments and sets the overall context of
IEA.

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 OBJECTIVES OF THE MODULE
3
 To highlight the different types of
environmental assessment and the evolution
of IEA.

 To give the background to IEA and how it

informs decision making.

 To provide an overview of the different

approaches for the different assessments.

 To identify some opportunities for synergy

among the different assessment approaches.

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 The different types of Environmental
Assessments
4
 State of the Environment (SOE)

 Integrated Environmental Assessment and Reporting

(IEA)

 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

 Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

 Corporate Environmental Assessment and Reporting

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 State of the Environment (SOE)
5
Main focus is on the biophysical aspect of the
environment

Usually undertaken by a government agency in

fulfillment of a statutory requirement

Typically has no outlook component

Provides the basis for IEA

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 Answer the question
6

 Choose the right answer. There is only one

correct answer. (2 pts e/o)
The impact prediction is a
a. difficult exercise
b. technical exercise
c. very long exercise
d. easy exercise

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 7

 Is a way to minimize impacts

a. Scale reduction or re-location of the proposal
b. Change the EIA team
c. Talk with the authorities
d. To obtain a construction permit to start

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 8

 The purpose of mitigation is

a. Find a way to do things in a better way
b. Restore social and environmental benefits
c. Prevent, minimize and remediate the negative
impacts
d. To warrantee that residual impacts are under the
acceptable limits
e. All of the above

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 Traditional SOE Reports
Early environmental assessment
9 reports focussed on
reporting the SOE as it existed at the time of reporting.
These are now referred to as “traditional SOE Reports”
Traditional SOE Reports have been useful:
 in pointing out existing environmental trends and conditions.
 in providing key leverage points to decision-makers.
 in giving us an inventory of resources which can be used as a
starting point for planning sustainable development.

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 Traditional SOE Reports (cont’d)
10
 They are narrative syntheses of the state of the environment, not
analyses intended to plan sustainable development
 Are not integrated with the assessment of key driving forces and
policies that cause or influence the environmental trends that have
been identified.
 Are not analytically linked to the potential future outcomes of the
current state of the environment

To overcome these, SOE must be transformed into IEA

with backward and forward linkages to what is
continuously happening to the environment.

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 The evolution of IEA
11
Need for broad-based assessment

 If we are to respond to interconnected issues. we require:

 Realistic assessment and reporting practices that
communicate problems and solutions to decision-makers
and the public.
 A broader assessment and reporting process that takes into
account the links among ecological, socioeconomic and
policy issues more systematically.

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING (IEA)
12

Integrated Environmental Assessment and

reporting (EA) is a process of producing and
communicating policy-relevant information on
key interactions between the natural
environment and human society.

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 IEA
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Integrates social, economic and environmental

issues in the analysis

Strives to show cause-effect linkages of human and

natural action on the environment and the
implications on livelihoods

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 IEA needs to incorporate policy
assessment for the whole system
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The intentional or unintentional consequences of

policies are often dispersed over space, sectors of the
economy or environmental media.
The effects of policy are delayed in time.

The consequences of policies can be incremental and

cumulative, they may also represent root causes of
environmental problems.
Human well-being and vulnerability are affected by
the system as a whole and the policies used to manage
it.
Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal
Elective)
 IEA: Human well-being

 Human and
natural driving
forces and
pressures are
impacting the
environment

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open 15 Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 IEA: Human well-being and vulnerability
 Environmental services and human well-being
affected, widening gap between the haves and
have-nots, and increasing vulnerability for the
latter.

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open 16 Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 IEA: Human… (cont’d)

 Achieving human well-being is a

balancing act.

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open 17 Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 The methodoloty used to predict impacts
depends on
:
a. The type and size of the EIA team
b. Nature of the potential impact
c. The experience of the authorities
d. Time to do the EIA and EMP

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open 18 Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 IEA multidimensional and incorporates other
elements not in the traditional SOE reporting
 Environmental media (state-and-trends of
land, water, atmosphere and biodiversity)

 Functional (provision of environmental

goods-and-services)

 Resource sectors (e.g. links with energy use,

tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, mining
and trade)

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open 19 Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 IEA multidimensional… (cont’d)

 Crosscutting issues (relating to production,

consumption, gender, poverty, human wellbeing
and vulnerability)

 Environmental issues (land degradation, air and

water pollution, disasters, overexploitation of
resources)

 Inter linkages within and between all of the

above Policy responses and analyses

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open 20 Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 IEA
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links environmental state-and-trends with policy
responses
integrates environmental analysis with social
and economic trends and policies
incorporates global and sub-global perspectives
incorporates historical and future perspectives
involves diverse environment-socioeconomic
expertise

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 IEA
IEA answers five consecutive questions in sequence, as
shown below, from which we can get information to
relate socioeconomic activities, environment and
policy

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open 22 Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
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A tool used to determine the social, economic, and
environmental impact of major developments, and
proposes measures to mitigate impacts.

Is project and site specific

In the context of IEA, it is a policy response

Demands for public participation

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
 Deals with the effects of a24 proposed strategic action
(policy, programme and plan) and identifies best
practicable environmental option
 A decision-support tool
 Helps to incorporate sustainability principals in policy
making process
 Provides a context for assessing cumulative effects of
different projects or initiatives
 Provides context for screening projects for EIA (fully
fledged EIA or Reviews)
 In the IEA context, SEA are policy responses.

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 Corporate environmental assessment and
reporting
25

Management support tool (ISO certification)

Response to statutory obligation or corporate social

responsibility

In the context of IEA, it is both an action and

policy response

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 CASE Study

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 An important mining company has been operating for about 4 yrs in a

coastal region. The mining activity of this company is very intense. This
company has effectively implemented its EMP with great success,
mitigating the environmental impacts caused by this activity. Up to
date the results of the environmental auditory show up that this
company completely fulfil all the legal requirements, laws and
environmental standards established by the authorities. Since 1 yr this
company is part of a trial against the community, which argues that
after the company has started its mining activity in the zone, the quality
of the water has been significantly deteriorated and that this company
is operating in a protected area. The Company argues that it has
relevant proofs in order to demonstrate that they have not polluted

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 Case studies continued..
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the environment but the others industries located in

the zone. The mining company emphasizes that
when they began the activities the environment was
already polluted specially the water and that the
quality standards of the water were not good at all.

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 Assignment on case study
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 a. What document the mining company must present in the trial in

order to demonstrate its argument that the environmental quality was
already deteriorate before their activities began in the zone. Why is this
document so important?
 b. What document the mining company should have obtained in order
to get its environmental license demonstrating that they are not located
in a protected area. What is the name of the institution that emit this
document in Ecuador.
 c. Mention 2environmental impacts this company might cause into the
environment and 2 ways to mitigate this impacts that should be
included in its EMP.

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)
 29

THANK YOU

Environmental and Energy Engineering ( Open Dr. Debarpita Ghosal

Elective)