BENG.

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

MODULE 4: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

An environmental impact assessment (EIA) is commonly described as an assessment

of the impact of planned activities on the environment, including impacts on biodiversity,
vegetation and ecology, water, and air. An EIA can be seen as a process of identifying,
predicting, and evaluating the likely environmental, socioeconomic, cultural, and other
impacts of a proposed project or development to define mitigation actions-not only to
reduce negative impacts but also provide positive contributions to the natural environment
and well-being.

The Uganda National Environment (Environment and Social Assessment)

Regulations act, 2020 defines EIA as a procedure that ensures that the environmental and
social impact, risks or concerns of a given project are taken into account in approving a
project for implementation. The National regulation recently adopted the social
component as part of the EIA, referring to the combined process as the Environmental
and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).

EIA is more than just obtaining an environmental operating license, It should aim at
minimizing environmental and social impact, and if done properly should even enhance
sustainability development in areas were large-scale infrastructure projects are being
implemented.

Essentially, an EIA is designed to identify the potential risks of a project (e.g.,

infrastructure development such as a dam) to environmental and human well-being and
identify measures to eliminate and /or mitigate these risks. This can be done by replacing
and/or modifying planned activities to reduce impacts. In this context, an EIA can be seen
as an information-gathering activity by the project proponent to outline (and if possible,
quantify) the risks, impacts and mitigation actions built into the project's whole lifecycle
from design to closure so that decision makers are fully informed when approving the
project.

EIAs are carried out in a wide variety of sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing,
tourism, mining, and forestry. Projects requiring an EIA can be large, such as a hydroelectric
dam, or small, such as a new hotel on a beach.
 However, the level of impact on human and environmental health- rather than the
size of the project is the most important aspect of decision-making on the need for an
EIA.

1.0 Why conduct an EIA/ESIA?

Human well-being is closely connected to environmental sustainability. As a result, all

forms of human development such as building infrastructure (i.e., roads and pipelines, mines,
and tourism facilities etc.) have an impact on

the surrounding natural environment and vice versa. This is evident when we consider
the results of large-scale development like open-pit mines, hotels for thousands of people and
large hydroelectric dams that often have irreversible impacts on the environment and the
livelihoods of people because of large-scale deforestation, excessive water use, habitat
destruction and resettlement. Because of the complex relationship between the natural and
human environments, it is very important to try to predict the environmental and social
impacts of programs, projects and planned developments that may alter the quality of the
environment and impact well-being. As the human population continues to increase and
natural resources become more limited, the importance of improving the sustainability of
development and identifying mitigation measures and thus the importance of creating high-
quality EIAs- becomes greater.

2.0 Functions of EIA

i) The primary function of EIA is to avail to both the developer and the authorities such as
NEMA and the Town Planners, the opportunity to choose projects with full knowledge of
their impact on the environment. It also enables the relevant authorities to decide whether to
allow the project to proceed or not. This will save the developer time and costs that would
have been incurred and enables him to develop plans and policies for the mitigation of such
impacts.

ii) EIA enables developers and decision makers to predict and assess the potential impacts
of the project on the well-being of the natural environment and also helps them identify
alternatives through recommending the implementation of appropriate modifications /
 actions that integrate economic, social and environmental concerns.
iii) EIA can help improve the credibility and also portrays a good corporate image for an
organization as an environmentally responsible organization to the general public including
government agencies and employees. For instance, the City Pharmacy uses recycled paper
for its packaging.

iv) The EIA process is also of great benefit to banks and other financial institutions that
extend credit to their clients. It is a means by which the institution can protect its investment
by ensuring that the project fulfils all planning and legal requirements, particularly with
regard to environmental concerns.
v) An EIA is designed to enable the environmental effects of a project to be weighed on a
common yardstick with economic costs and benefits. EIA is good for planners as it enables
them to make environmentally and economically viable decisions during planning and to
choose whether to continue or discontinue with such projects that are likely to have an
impact on the environment.

vi) It is a legal requirement for any project that is likely to have adverse effects on the
environment to carry out an EIA. Hence any developer found to contravene the law will
have legal action taken against him or her.

3.0 Key contents of an EIA/ESIA

• Clear identification of all the potential impacts to human health and the
environment, both positive and negative.

• Potential alternatives developed along with a mitigation plan to decrease the

severity of the impacts.

• Improvements to the environmental design and social considerations relevant to a

proposal.

• Clear information for decision makers to include terms and conditions for
environmental sustainability of the project.

• Explanation how irreversible changes or damage to the environment will be

 avoided.

• Clear indication of protection of important resources, ecosystems, cultural heritage

sites and areas of providing environmental services.

4.0 Key components of an EIA/ESIA in Uganda

a) Terms of Reference (ToR) for Environmental Impact Assessment and other related
matters. An environmental impact study is conducted in accordance with the ToRs
prepared by the developer in consultation with the Lead Agencies and the Authority.
The ToRs must include all matters as provided for in the ESIA regulations.
All Environmental Impact Statements are conducted in accordance with the guidelines
adopted by NEMA in consultation with the Lead agencies. For purposes of quality
control, the Executive Director approves the persons or firms who will undertake the
studies (reg 11).

A code of conduct shall be established to regulate the conduct of those persons who will
carry out the studies.

b) Public Participation in preparing the study.

Modern environmental operations require the involvement of the public in all activities
since the environment is a public good. The public demands that all activities be in
accordance with good environmental practices.

Public involvement is critical in identifying a project's potential environmental impacts

and possible mitigation measures. As users of potentially affected resources, local
people are quite knowledgeable regarding their sustainable use. They often present
evidence about potential consequences of a project and can make suggestions to
scientists or decision-makers on ways to minimize the adverse impacts and how to
capture potential benefits.

Public involvement gives those who will be affected by a project an opportunity to shape
its construction and operation, thereby ensuring a more harmonious long-term
relationship between the project and the surrounding community.
Involving the public may increase the time and resources required to perform and review
an EIA. Failure to involve the public in impact assessment can however result in
increased costs to the developers. Public participation should also be critical at the
scoping process to ensure that issues concerning the community are addressed in EIA.

While seeking the views of the people, the developer shall;

- publicise the intended project, its anticipated effects and benefits through the media
in a language that the affected communities understand
- hold meetings with the affected communities to explain the project and its effects in
places convenient to the affected people and agreed by the local leaders

c) Environment Impact Statement

An environment impact statement is a report made when an environmental impact study
has been conducted.
In making an environmental impact statement, the developer is required to pay attention
to;
i) ecological considerations with emphasis on biological diversity, sustainable
use, ecosystem maintenance;
ii) social considerations with emphasis on immigration and emigration effects,
social disruption, effect of culture and objects of cultural value, and effects on
human health
iii) Land use
iv) Landscape and such other issues as laid down in Annex 3 to these Guidelines
and in the First schedule to the EIA regulations.

In addition to the terms of reference, an environmental impact statement provides a

description of the project and the activities likely to be undertaken among other things
laid down in Regulation 14 and such matters as the Executive Director may deem
necessary.
 d) Contents of the Environment Impact Statement
In addition to the terms of reference, an environmental impact statement must provide
the following;
- a description of the project and of the activities it is likely to generate,
- the proposed site and reasons for rejecting the alternative sites,
- the material in-puts into the project and their potential environmental effects,
- the technology and processes that shall be used and a description of the alternative
technologies and processes and reasons for selecting them,
- an economic analysis of the project.

5.0 Steps of conducting EIA/ESIA

The EIA process aims at an assessment to inform development decisions by mandating a

consideration of project alternatives and ways to prevent, mitigate, and control potential
negative environmental and social impacts. This generally involves several steps, including
project screening, scoping, assessment, impact management, EIA report development, public
participation, review, decision, and monitoring.

5.1 SCREENING

Screening is the first stage of the EIA process which results in a key EIA decision, namely
to either conduct the assessment (based on the likely significant impacts) or not conduct it (in
the anticipated absence of such impacts). Screening needs to follow specific procedures often
described in the legislation, so all the projects follow the same process. In some cases,
particularly if the possible impacts of a project are not known, a preliminary environmental
assessment will be prepared to determine whether the project warrants an EIA.

Key contributions of screening to a good EIA:

• Facilitates informed decision making by providing clear, well-structured, factual

analysis of the effects and consequences of proposed actions.

• Influences both project selection and policy design by screening out environmentally
and /or socially unsound proposals, as well as modifying feasible action.
 An essential aspect of conducting an EIA is to determine the level of impact of the
proposed project, development or initiative. When we look at major development pro jects-
especially those involving natural resources, such as mining, hydroelectric dams, oil
extraction, or tourism-we can say for certain that they will require an environmental and social
impacts assessment. On the other hand, the development of a tourism project may seem a
low-risk at first, but a second look could reveal that the project requires the removal of
endangered flora or fauna from the development site, large amounts of drinking water, energy
and extensive sewage production. It will also lead to increased road and air traffic to deliver
supplies, visitors and workers. Finally, the impacts of project can change over time, thus us
during screening and the whole EIA impacts are considered over the lifetime of the project,
from its construction through to operations and after closing.

The threshold requirements for conducting or not conducting an EIA vary from country
to country. In some countries regulations and laws provide a list of the types of activities- i.e.,
certain types of significant environmental and social impacts such as resettlements, large-
scale deforestation, land-cover change and extensive water use or waste production or projects
above certain monetary values. Most proposals can be screened very quickly and often the
majority of them may have few impacts and will be screened out of the EIA process. Only a
limited number of proposals, usually major projects, will need a full EIA because they likely
have major irreversible impacts on environmental resources such as biodiversity, water, air,
fragile ecosystems, on people through health impacts or their livelihood, needs for
resettlement and on cultural heritage sites. We can thus identify three types of pro jects:

1. For high-impact projects: Projects that are likely to have significant

serious adverse environmental impacts (i.e., irreversible, affect
vulnerable ethnic minorities, involve involuntary resettlement, or affect
cultural heritage sites) and thus likely a full EIA is required:
▪ Dams and reservoirs forestry and production projects.
▪ Industrial plants (large-scale).
▪ Irrigation, drainage, and flood control (large-scale).
▪ Mining and mineral development (including oil and gas). Port and
harbour development.
▪ Reclamation, resettlement and new land development.
 ▪ Thermal and hydropower development; manufacture,
transportation, and use of pesticides; and other hazardous and /or
toxic materials.

2. For projects likely to have adverse environmental impacts that are less significant
than those of in the previous category: These projects likely won't have
irreversible impacts, and mitigation measures can be designed more readily than
for high-impact projects. Normally, a limited EIA will be undertaken to identify
suitable mitigation and management measures and incorporate them into the
project.

▪ Agro-industries

▪ Electrical transmission; rural electrification Aquaculture, irrigation

and drainage (small-scale) Renewable energy
▪ Tourism

▪ Rural water supply and sanitation

3. For projects that are likely to have minimal or no adverse environmental impacts:
No EIA is required.

5.1.1 Approach to screening

Screening is done by the project developers often using a set of criteria determined
by the responsible agency. It is important that screening be done as early as possible in
the development of the proposal in order for the proponent and other stakeholders to be
aware of possible EIA obligations. It is also important that screening be applied
systematically and consistently, so that the same decision would be reached if others did
the screening. There are some specific methods applied to screening, which reflect
prescriptive and /or discretionary approaches.

Overall, we can distinguish two different types of screening (United Nations

University [UNU], UNEP, RMIT, 2007):

Prescriptive or standardized approaches in which development proposals that either

require or are exempt from EIA are listed in legislation and regulations, and proponents
can often decide based on these standardized approaches; this could include:
 - Legal (or policy) definition of proposals to which EIA does or does not
apply.

- Inclusion list of projects (with or without thresholds) for which an EIA is

automatically required.

- Exclusion list of activities which do not require EIA because they are
insignificant or are exempt by law (e.g. national security or emergency
activities).

Customized approaches in which proposals are screened on an individual or case-by-

case base, using indicative guidance with categories.

Different countries and international agencies combine these types of screening

procedures. Most often, a simple categorization (such as A - C or 1 - 3) is used. These
categories help proponents and licensing agencies decide when a whole EIA is needed.
The need for an EIA can be estimated based on planned projects whose impacts extend
beyond the project site, such those as using water that cannot be produced (or producing
sewage and waste that cannot be processed) the on the project site. Specifically, the European
Union suggests a set of questions to quickly assess project proposals. These questions are
designed so that a “Yes” answer will generally point toward the need for EIA and a “No”
answer to one not being required (European Commission [EC], 2001).

1. Will there be a large change in environmental conditions?

2. Will new features be out-of-scale with the existing environment?

3. Will the effect be unusual in the area or particularly complex?

4. Will the effect extend over a large area?

5. Will there be any potential for transboundary impact?

6. Will many people be affected?

7. Will many receptors of other types (fauna and flora, businesses, facilities) be affected?

8. Will valuable or scarce features or resources be affected?

9. Is there a risk that environmental standards will be breached?

 10. Is there a risk that protected sites, areas, and features will be affected?

11. Is there a high probability of the effect occurring?

12. Will the effect continue for a long time?

13. Will the effect be permanent rather than temporary?

14. Will the impact be continuous rather than intermittent?

15. If it is intermittent, will it be frequent rather than rare?

16. Will the impact be irreversible?

17. Will it be difficult to avoid, or reduce or repair or compensate for the effect?

In these cases, proposals are screened based on preliminary assessments of the potential
impacts (or on the type and magnitude of activities) that the project is planning to undertake.
These may include such planned activities as amount of land cleared or water use, sewage and
air emissions produced over certain thresholds. Here it is important that thresholds are set
across the potential areas of impacts such as the extent of water withdrawal, air emission
release to the air, destruction of soils or changes to land cover.

5.2 SCOPING

Scoping is a critical step in the preparation of an EIA, as it identifies the issues that
are likely to be of most importance during the EIA and eliminates those that are of little
concern. Scoping is a systematic exercise that establishes the boundaries of your EIA and
sets the basis of the analyses you will conduct at each stage. A quality scoping study
reduces the risk of including inappropriate components or excluding components that
should be addressed.

• Identifying all relevant issues and factors, including cumulative effects, social
impacts, and health risks.

• Facilitating meaningful public engagement and review in at least two stages of the
process: once when scoping the impacts and issues to be considered, and again
during the presentation of initial findings of the EIA, including a non-technical
summary.
 • Determining the appropriate time and space boundaries of the EIA.

• Identifying the important issues to be considered in an EIA, such

as setting the baseline and included alternatives.

Scoping is critical as it sets up the boundaries of the EIA, including the project area,
what to include in the EIA, and how to put the EIA together guided by the terms of
reference (TOR). An EIA is an intensive process in terms of costs, cross-sectoral
expertise and assessments that must be completed, and types and extent of the
consultations that must be conducted. Thus, scoping helps to select what is needed and
what is not relevant, and thus it serves as a work plan for the entire EIA process. During
the scoping phase the area of the focus of the EIA, baseline data and the type of
information needed, project alternative considered are determined and then used in the
next steps of the EIA.

5.2.1 Approaches to scoping

The environmental information provided to competent authorities must focus on

those issues that are important for decision making on the particular project. It should
not be burdened with irrelevant details or insignificant issues.

Determining the key aspects and criteria for evaluating the significance of
environmental and socioeconomic impacts. This first approach includes creating a list
of environmental, biological, and socioeconomic resources and issues that are important
to consider, such as water, soil and land use, biodiversity and people’s access to water,
land and food and energy. At this stage it is also important to identify the criteria based
on which impacts will be assessed, such as the amount of water extracted, waste produced,
or agricultural land lost, and forest cover cut /replanted. The selected environmental and
social resources and issues and the set of criteria will then be analyzed in detail in the next
phases.

Public consultation. This is a critical part of the EIA, and in many LAC countries it
is mandated by legislation. The key groups involved in the consultations include
project-affected people, host communities and local NGOs, as appropriate. It is
critical to provide these stakeholder groups with opportunities to participate in the
planning, implementation, and monitoring of the planned project/investment.

Selecting appropriate baseline – baseline surveys and investigations should be

carried out on the issues that have significant environmental effects order to:

- Provide an understanding of existing conditions linked to a specific year e.g.,

base year or period.
- Decide about a timeline that will allow for predictions of how the project may
change the key environmental component e.g., number of years of project
operations.
- Allow for predictions of how adverse effects can be mitigated and beneficial
effects enhanced e.g., years needed until the mitigation responses are
implemented and start making impacts.
- Provide a sound basis for the design and evaluation of post-EIA studies e.g. early
monitoring.

Defining alternatives. At this stage alternatives for project construction, implementation

and closure can be developed that will then be further assessed in the next phase. The
consideration of alternatives to a

proposal is a requirement of many EIA systems. During the scoping process, alternatives to a
proposal can be generated or refined, either directly or by reference to the key issues
identified. A comparison of alternatives will help determine the best method of achieving
project objectives while minimizing environmental impacts or proposing the least harmful
and the most environmentally and socially friendly solutions. Often, however, the
consideration of alternatives is a superficial rather than a meaningful exercise. This happens
for example when the EIA is developed when all the project planning is nearly completed and
thus the alternatives are only added for the sake of the EIA, but the proponent is not serious
about them. Depending on timing, the type and range of alternatives open to consideration
might include UNEP, RMIT, 2007):

- Demand alternatives to improve efficiency and reduce resource use (e.g. using
energy more efficiently rather than building more generating capacity).
 - Inputs or supplies alternatives (e.g., where a mix of energy sources permits).

- Considering different actions to achieve the same/similar outcomes (e.g.

providing public transport rather than increasing road capacity).

- Relocating activities or the entire planned project (e.g. the location of a dam
and/or irrigation channels).

- Changing processes and technologies (e.g., use of waste-minimizing or energy-

efficient technology).

- Changing the timing of planning activities (e.g., for airport and transport
operations, reservoir drawdown).

Terms of Reference. In concluding the scoping process, the preparation of Terms of

Reference (TOR) for an EIA is an important task. Alternatively, or as a supplement to TOR, a
formal scoping report may be issued (especially useful if the issues and/or process are
controversial). In some EIA systems, the project proponents prepare their own ToRs guided
by legislation; in other countries the TOR is prescribed in the legislation.

The main steps for carrying out a scoping activity are:

- Set up the team of experts that will conduct the EIA. Describe the project area and the
area of the project influence.
- Outline project alternatives for preparation, implementation and closure.

- Conduct public meetings and stakeholder consultations; integrate comments and

collected feedback into project planning and the alternatives.

- Outline a set of environmental, biological and socioeconomic resources and issues that
will be addressed in the assessment.

- Define a set of criteria to assess the planned project/development.

- Identify the project impacts, during its all stages, list the significant and non-significant
impacts and explain why.

- Identify a set of data for baseline descriptions and potential additional data collection
needs. Start inserting this information in the appropriate section of the TOR.
 Project area, construction area and area of influence: The area of construction is
the number of square meters to be developed. The area of the land on which the project
corresponds is called the “net project area,” which is part of the “total project area.” The
total project area is likely to be affected by impacts generated by the project e.g., during
construction by the negative environmental impacts (such as noise, emissions, vibrations,
visual effects, etc.). The “area of influence” is defined as the project environment that
located outside the area of the overall project and extends from its boundaries to a distance
of 500metres.

This area should be included in the environmental analysis and maps should be made
for the EIA. The “area of indirect influence” corresponds to the area outside the direct
influence yet where the effects of the activity, work or project are detectable. Its extent
depends on the specific environmental effects, and thus in turn the environmental and
social impacts of the project.

Applicable legal considerations and environmental regulations: In order to determine

its legal feasibility, a project must be considered to be in compliance with all legal
provisions applicable to the project’s local, national, and/or regional area. It is important
to identify and collect the legislation and regulations so they can be used during the
scoping phase.

Description Environmental Physical Environment: Description of the relief and

topography of the site where the project will be implemented. This includes the pattern
of natural surface drainage, soil type, class capacity and land use, geological situation of
the land to be developed and its geomorphological situation . Determination if there is an
aquifer under the area, and if there is vulnerability to natural hazards and threats, such as
landslides, faults, floods, volcanic eruptions, among others. Supporting information is
provided with maps, profiles and other figures.
Biological Environment Environmental Description: Description of the existing plant
cover that will be affected for project implementation, including a tree inventory and
description of species and indication whether any are found on lists of endangered species.

Description of Socioeconomic environment: Description of the characteristics of the

population in the project area according to the baseline statistical data. Description of the
public services available in the area of influence (Water, roads, electricity,
telecommunications, education, health, emergencies). Summary of existing
archaeological data for the project area.

Consultation summary: Outcomes of public consultations in the vicinity of the project areas
to get affected stakeholders ‘ opinions and feedback on project activities.

Overview of the alternatives. Provide an overview of the alternatives considered in the

project and their major characteristics, differences and why they were chosen.

5.3 IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION

Impact assessment is the core part of the EIA. At this step, a detailed assessment of the
planned project and selected alternatives compared to the baseline conditions is
performed. This is done by using both qualitative descriptions, such as high, medium and
low impacts, and by quantitative descriptions, such as indicating the cubic meters of water
withdrawn, sewage produced, and pollutants released. This is done for the planned project
and the identified alternatives allowing the comparison of these alternative for their
impacts on the local and regional environmental, and socioeconomic and cultural
characteristics. Once the detailed assessment is completed, mitigation measures to reduce
impacts are identified.

Mitigation actions are a critical part of the EIA process, as these actions aim to
prevent adverse impacts from the planned project on the environment and people, making
sure that those that are unavoidable are maintained within acceptable levels. At this step,
the focus is on incorporating mitigation measures into the project design (and the
alternatives) as well as on providing guidance for the monitoring of the impacts during
the whole duration of the project.

An essential aspect of conducting an EIA is determining the level of impact of both

the proposed project and the identified alternatives. This is important because the
outcomes of the assessment will indicate if the impacts are low, medium, moderate or
high, and /or provide specific quantitative data using the baseline data identified in the
scoping section. This includes a systematic assessment of types of impacts across selected
environmental, social and cultural characteristics of the area that the project influences.
Finally, the impacts of the project and its alternatives can change over time; thus, during
the assessment and the whole EIA the impacts are considered over the lifetime of the project
from its construction through to operations and after the closing.

It is important to systematically characterize the impacts based on the following

characteristics:

Magnitude and frequency: This refers to the size or amount of an impact, determined on a
quantitative basis if possible (e.g., scale of vegetation removal, water withdrawals, increased
emissions from transportation, operations, energy production etc.).

Duration: This refers to the time over which the impacts lasts, including during
construction, operations and after site closing; the duration of an activity may differ from
the duration of the resulting impact caused by the activity.

Spatial distribution: This refers to the extent of the impacts to both the project site and
beyond.

Reversibility: According to the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental

Management (CIEEM), "An irreversible (permanent) impact is one from which recovery is
not possible within a reasonable timescale or for which there is no reasonable chance of
action being taken to reverse it; and a reversible (temporary) impact is one from which
spontaneous recovery is possible or, for which effective mitigation is both possible and an
enforceable commitment has been made."

Positive/negative effects: According to the Chartered Institute of Ecology and

Environmental Management (CIEEM), "Positive impacts merit just as much
consideration as negative ones, as international, national and local policies increasingly
press for projects to deliver positive ... outcomes" for environmental, social and other
sustainable development impacts.

Likelihood of occurrence: This indicates the risks that the impacts may occur and then
a risk mitigation options can be considered for impacts that are high risks but low
occurrence.

Direct/indirect effects: These are both effects directly related to the development such as
land and soil lost because of a road development, and indirect impacts related to habitat
fragmentation and downstream effects on the hydrological systems.

Cumulative effects. This indicates "changes to the biophysical, social, economic, and
cultural environments caused by the combination of past, present and 'reasonably
foreseeable' future actions" in a specific location (Indigenous and Northern Affairs
Canada).

Impacts are evaluated according to key categories such as those on environmental resources,
social issues and others focus on such things as disaster management.
5.3.1 Approaches to impact assessment and mitigation

Impact assessment is done by a multidisciplinary team of experts who have the skills and
qualification to assess the impacts across the diverse environmental resources and other
areas. At the global level, international agencies and banks often provide a list of categories
that the EIA needs to include (for example the environment it needs to cover, such as air,
water and land).
Cumulative impact assessment: A key part of the impact assessment is the assessment of
cumulative impacts of the already listed impacts. Multiple and successive environmental and
social impacts from existing developments can reinforce each other, leading to more serious
consequences on environment and people than each of the developments separately. This may
result in significant cumulative impacts; such cumulative impacts could include (USAID,
2008):

- Increases in pollutant concentrations in a water body or in the soil or sediments, or

 their bioaccumulation. Reduction of water flow in a watershed due to multiple
withdrawals.
- Increases in sediment loads on a watershed or increased erosion. Interference with
migratory routes or wildlife movement.
- Increased pressure on the carrying capacity or the survival of indicator species in an
ecosystem. Wildlife population reduction caused by increased hunting, road kills, and
forestry operations. Depletion of a forest as a result of multiple logging concessions.
- Secondary or induced social impacts, such as in-migration, or more traffic congestion
and accidents along community roadways owing to increases in transport activity in a
project’s area of influence.

Matrices and interaction diagrams: These are the most commonly used approaches in
the EIA. Matrices take the form of a grid or table that allows the assessment of linkages or
impacts between the issues listed in the rows and columns. This includes, for example, the
impacts at all stages of the project-development, operation and closure- for each of the
elements of the environment and society. The matrices can display quantitative
information by, for example, listing the amount of waste produced, water extracted or
qualitative information such as high, medium, low impacts. Information entered into the
matrices can be based on all of the already discussed methods. The advantage of using
matrices is that they provide an easy-to-understand visual representation across all the
impacts. There are several types of matrices have been used in EIA. Most commonly used
matrix is the so-called Leopold Matrix applied in the paper industry in 1971. This matrix
was designed for the assessment of impacts associated with most types of construction
projects, listing 100 different project actions along one axis and 88 environmental
characteristics and conditions along the other, including aspects of both the biophysical
and socioeconomic environments (FAO, 1996).

Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM)

RIAM is a systematic approach using qualitative data that can be expressed in a semi
quantitative way. The RIAM method uses a multidisciplinary team to organize the analysis
process into an interactive and coherent form that encourages participation throughout the
process (Inter-American Development Bank, 2010). The system makes it possible to create
an impact profile which allows the practitioner to make a rapid comparison to the development
options. There are four aspects of the environment that are analyzed; physical-chemical,
biological, human and economic. The process that RIAM follows is to identify significant
changes (positive and negative) caused by the project, establish a baseline for the monitoring
plan, identify mitigation strategies and design a monitoring and evaluation system to
determine the effectiveness of the mitigation strategies (FAO, 1996).

Using the RIAM method, public participation is carried out at the data collection and
mitigation stages of the process. Both of these stages are directly followed by quality
control measures during the analysis and program monitoring stages. The
multidisciplinary team allows data from different sectors to be analyzed at the same time
in one common matrix. A rapid and clear evaluation of the most important impacts the project
may have is thus made possible. Such a matrix also allows the team to compare different
development options according to how the four aspects of the environment may react to an
action.
Battelle Environmental Evaluation System

In this method, environmental impacts are split into main categories; ecology, pollution,
aesthetics and human interest. This method is helpful to determine alternatives to the proposed
project plan. Indicators are then chosen to measure specific parameters within each category.
For example: Ecology includes species and populations, habitats and communities and
ecosystems. Indicators used to identify the current state of the environment. Once indicators
are chosen for each category, three steps are carried out (UNEP, 2004; FAO, 1996):

1. Indicators are used to describe the current state of the environment, which is
then rated between 0 to 1, 0 being poor quality and 1 being good quality, so that
environmental deterioration or improvement can be quantified.

2. 1,000 total points (Parameter Importance Units) are shared among all the
indicators to reflect the importance of each parameter.

3. A comparison is then done on the quality of the state of the environment with
and without the project using the following equation:

5.4 IMPACT MANAGEMENT

Impact management is a series of plans and protocols that are part of the EIA process
(and also continue after project implementation) to manage and monitor identified
mitigation measures and other risks such as technology failures and natural disasters that
may occur over the project lifetime.

The analyses of the impacts and mitigation measures (carried out in the previous step)
will likely identify a number of changes in the project design, implementation and closure.
It will also require additional action plans to manage risks and carry out monitoring. The
need for these plans depends on the type of project, the identified impacts,
and the risks associated with the project based on its activities and the natural and social
context where it will take place. Some of the plans are compulsory, such as an environmental
management plan (EMP) which is required as part of an EIA report in most countries. Other
plans are context-specific and /or depend on guidance from national legislation. For example,
if the project takes place in close proximity to a community; a resettlement plan may be
needed, while if there are no communities close by; a resettlement would not be necessary.

5.4.1 Approaches to impact management

A core part of impact management is developing an environmental management plan (EMP)

which is usually prepared as part of EIA reporting. An EMP translates recommended
mitigation measures into specific actions that will be carried out by the proponent. An EMP
also forms the basis for impact management during project construction and operation, and
outlines activities for continuous monitoring. The content of the EMP can be summarized as
follows:
Mitigation: The EMP summarizes all mitigation measure and details about how
they will be implemented; the mitigations are linked to the finding's impact
analyses.

Monitoring: Monitoring of the environmental impacts during project

implementation and also monitoring of the effectiveness of mitigation measures to
address impacts.

Capacity Development: The assessment of capacity-building needs that would

require stakeholders' involvement in managing environmental and social impacts
and monitoring efforts.

Implementation Schedule and Cost Estimates: Costs of the outlined

mitigation activities, capacity- building and monitoring; this will include cost of
implementation and then ongoing monitoring and follow- up capacity
development costs.

Integration of the EMP with the Project: The EMP needs to be developed in a
way that fits with the planned project and the mitigation actions and other
activities are linked to the project activities.

Contingency plan: The EIA must include an assessment of possible risks and external
contingency (natural events and disasters) relevant to the activities developed by the project,
identifying and determining the activities that pose risks or threats to the health of the
population and the structure of ecosystems. Materials or dangerous substances used during
the project lifecycle can lead to serious impacts if accidents happen and thus the plan needs
to specify emergency response actions.

5.5 THE EIA/ESIA REPORT

Once you have completed the assessment, mitigation measures and related management
plans, this step includes pulling the information together into a comprehensive report using
the terms of reference (TOR). Aspects of a good EIA report include:

- Is well-structured and uses non-technical language supported by data

and well-executed analyses.

- Provides information that is helpful and relevant to decision making.

- Results in the satisfactory prediction of the adverse effects of proposed
actions and their mitigation using conventional and customized
techniques.

Reporting is an important part of the EIA to pull together all the conducted analyses,
mitigation measures, plans and outcomes of the consultation. An EIA report should be
complete, easily understood, objective, factual and internally consistent. These objectives are
difficult to achieve in a process that involves many contributors, different types of impacts
and mitigation measures and a number of specific plans. Therefore, it is very important to
allocate enough time for writing the EIA report so there is opportunity to process the
outcomes of each EIA step and put them together in a way that the outcomes are relevant for
decision making. Once the report is submitted, designated authorities will review the EIA
report to determine how the planned project will address major environmental and social
impacts.
Table 1: EXAMPLES OF TERMS OF REFERENCE BY MAJOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Institution EIA TOR

Inter- • Project title and identification

American • Legal and regulatory framework
Development
• Identified Impacts/Risks
Bank (IDB)
• Disaster risk summary

• Impact Mitigation

• Economic Analysis

• Analysis of Alternatives

• Monitoring Plan

European • Contact Details of the Developer

Union • Characteristics of the Project (incl. boundaries including any land required temporarily
during construction, physical form of the development).
• Location of the Project (maps; land uses, zoning, policies, protected areas).

• Characteristics of the Potential Impact (hydrology, air quality, climate, noise and
vibration, the landscape and visual environment, historic and cultural heritage
resources, and the interactions between t hem).
• Nature of the impacts (i.e. direct, indirect, secondary, cumulative, short, medium-
and long- t erm, permanent and temporary, positive and negative).
• Extent of the impact (area, size of the affected population/habitat).

• Risk analyses.

• Mitigation opt ions.

• Monitoring plan.

World Bank • Project Description

• Project site, its location map

• Project Alternatives (sites, technologies, infrastructure)

• Existing Environment and Baseline Data Collection

• Determination of the Potential Impacts

• Analysis and Evaluation of Risks

• Formulation of Environmental Management Plan

• Mitigation Plan
 • Monitoring Plan

• Resettlement Action Plan (if relevant)

5.6 REVIEW OF THE EIA REPORT AND LICENSING

The review is the final check on the quality of the EIA report submitted to obtain a
project license. Often this process leads to a requirement for additional information on
potential impacts, mitigation measures or other aspects.

The key objectives of EIA review are to:

- Assess the adequacy and quality of an EIA report. Take into account public
comments.
- Determine if the information is sufficient for a final decision to be made.

- Identify, as necessary, the deficiencies that must be addressed before the report
can be submitted.

If the report is accepted, a license is issued to permit the developers to begin project
implementation.

5.6.1 Approaches to EIA reporting and review

This is often a formal procedure in many EIA systems, which may be undertaken by the
responsible authority itself, another government agency or committee or an independent body.
This approach can be based on explicit guidelines and criteria for review, or if these are not
available, draw on EIA principles, objectives and terms of references. Over time, the
approaches to EIA review improved and they are often formalized to a set of criteria or
checklists that the reviewers look for. This also helps proponents, since by knowing the
criteria, they can prepare their reports more efficiently. Specific procedures for EIA review
are in place in different countries. In general, these can be divided into two main types:

Internal review - undertaken by the responsible authority or other government agency, with
or without formal guidelines and procedures; this is a relatively low-cost option however it
lacks transparency.
External review - undertaken by an independent body, separate from and /or outside
government agencies, with an open and transparent procedure for public comment; helps in
ensuring high-quality outcomes. The environmental issues and the technical aspects of the
proposal will determine the expertise required by a review team or individual.
Using input from public comment: Experience with EIA review in a number of countries
has shown that public comment is a critical part of the EIA review process. Input may come
from a public hearing, or from written comments submitted to the proponent or government
department. From a hearing there will often be a summary of issues provided by the panel
or officers responsible for hearing the submissions. With written comments, a summary of
key points will be needed to guide the review of the EIA. In both cases the summary should
focus on information that helps to identify problems with the EIA, contributing to the
assessment of im pacts, and identifying ways to reduce impacts. Read more about public
consultation and participation in section 3.6.

Identifying the review criteria: A systematic review is based on specified criteria. Criteria
can also be formulated as questions and then the reviewer assesses if the EIA meets the criteria
completely, partially or not at all.

Determining remedial options: Three remedial options are available when an EIA report
fails to meet the standards required; these can be listed as follows:

- Acceptable - The EIA has acceptable quality; it identifies and mitigates the impacts
of the development while at the same time identifying and addressing public
participation and social im pacts. Here it is also important that the data and methods
meet national protocols and /or internally accepted relevant standards . At this level,
it is also important that the information is well presented . The EIA is often considered
satisfactory, although there may be some minor omissions and inadequacies of
approach. The reviewing authority often provides a list of modification needed.

- Partially acceptable - The EIA considers the key impacts of the planned project, but
there are significant omissions and inadequacies in the methods used, or some
mitigation actions may be lacking. At this level, substantial modifications or
complements are necessary. The reviewing authority often provides a list of
modification needed.
- Deficient. The background data are unsatisfactory, poorly analyzed and presented
and biased. They are not acceptable.
LIFECYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA) METHODOLOGY OF QUANTIFYING
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT