ENVIRONMENT IMPACT

ASSESSMENT (EIA)
Elective – II, Year V/I

Subject Teacher:
Asso. Prof. Dr. Ashim Bajracharya

May, 2025
 Objectives of the Course
• The objective of the course is to acquaint the students with basic
concept of environmental impact assessment (E.I.A.)

• After completion of this course the student will be able to use the E.I.A.
process and guidelines which have been currently enforced by Govt. for
any developmental project relating planning, Housing, and other
institutional building complex of significant scale.
 Course Overview
1. Introduction :
Definition of E.I.A. benefits introduction to National E.I.A. Guidelines, Environmental system, Types of impacts, E.I.A.
principles and E.I.A. project cycle

2. National E.I.A process Methodology :

Screening initial impact identification, initial Environmental examination I.E.E., scoping, assessment of impact and impact
aggregation, mitigation measure, E.I.A. Report

3. Prediction Evaluation Technique and Tools:

Physical, chemical, Biological and socio-economic impacts, Analysis, prediction and Evaluation of impacts

4. Management of E.I.A. process:

Public participation, E.I.A. Review, Monitoring and Environmental Auditing.

5. Planning and E.I.A. :

Integrating E.I.A. in Developmental planning process and in sustainable Development concept of planning and sustainable
Development interrelationship of Environment, sustainable Development and projects related with infrastructural
Development.

6. Case Studies :
Case studies of some national projects which went through E.I.A. process.
Definition of EIA
• A process which ensures that all environmental matters are taken into
account quite early in the project at planning process itself
• A Planning tool to identify and predict the environmental impacts of a
proposed development project.
• Ensures public consultation and participation of affected community,
helps to judge environmental performance of the proponent;
• Used as a creative/constructive process not a restrictive tool
• Takes into consideration not only technical and economic considerations,
and aspects like impact on local people, bio diversity etc.
EIA
A tool used to:
▪ Identify and predict beneficial and adverse environmental impacts;
▪ Examine and evaluate the significance of impacts;
▪ Assess whether adverse impacts can be mitigated;
▪ Recommend preventive, minimization or compensatory measures;

▪ Assess whether proposal should go ahead, modify and improve the

design and address conflicts;

▪ Inform stakeholders about environmental implication;

▪ Provide adequate information to decision-makers on project
implementation
OBJECTIVES OF EIA
To protect our environment in order to have:
• Healthy and functional ecosystems and preservation of biodiversity;
• Resources on which sustainable economic development is based; appropriate and efficient
use of resources
• A sound socio-cultural structure
• Safe and healthy living conditions for a high quality of life; To encourage productive and
enjoyable harmony between man and his environment
• To safeguard valuable resources, natural areas and ecosystem components.
• To LOOK before you LEAP!

This can be accomplished through:

• Planning development and economic activities;
• Conservation and protection of physical, biological, socio-economic, and cultural
environment;
• Maintenance of environmental health
In Short, EIA:
EIA should identify, describe and access the direct and indirect effects of a
project on the following factors:

• Human beings
• Flora and Fauna
• Soil Water and Air
• Climate and the Landscape
• Material Assets
• Cultural Heritage
• Interaction between all above factors

EIA therefore should have very strong Social Dimension

Key Guiding Principles for EIA
Continuity - as an integral part of planning, designing and implementation cycle of
and development initiative. EIA should run continuously and throughout project
cycle.
Participatory - EIA provides a framework for stakeholders and all interested
parties to participate in decision-making.
Transparency - EIA facilitates dialogue, predictions and responses in a forum
where proponents, decision-makers, experts and the public interact in an open
and accessible way in considering the potential impacts of a project on local
community, natural resources and environmental quality. All assessment decisions
and their basis, should be open and accessible.

Credibility - assessments are undertaken with professionalism and objectivity,

using multidisciplinary skills.
Certainty - the process and timing of assessment must be agreed in advance and
followed by all participants.
Cost-effectiveness - the assessment process and its outcomes will ensure
environmental protection at the least cost to society. It ensures fair and
equitable distribution of project costs and benefit. As a minimum, local
people in a project area must not be worse, than they were before a
project was implemented.
Flexibility - the assessment should be able to adapt to deal efficiently and
effectively with any proposal or decision- making situation.
Practicality - the information and outputs are readily usable for planning,
designing and in decision-making.

Accountability - decision-makers are responsible to all parties for decision

and actions under the assessment process.
GENERAL CONCEPT ABOUT EIA & EIA SYSTEM AROUND THE WORLD
• Originated from USA (1970s)

• Adopted in many Western and European Countries

• It is now practiced in more than 100 countries (Wood, 2003)

• The implementation of mandatory EIA procedure started in the developing countries specifically after the
Rio Earth Summit in 1992

• Although the purpose and objectives of EIA is same across the world; its form varies not only between
developed and developing countries but also within the regions and from one country to another countries

• It is because of difference in resources, political and administrative system, social and cultural systems and
the level and nature of economic development

• The widespread use of EIA in developing countries is delayed due to lack of suitable methodologies for
their social, economic and institutional conditions;

• The major problem created there was how to carry out EIA under limited cost, time and available expertise
Causes of unprecedented Environmental Damage
▪ Population Growth

▪ Natural Resource Pressures

▪ Urbanization

▪ Industrialization

▪ Unrestrained profit motive

 Urbanization Forest Fires

Waste and Chemical Pollution Deforestation

BENEFITS OF EIA
The benefits of EIA can be direct such as improved design or location of a
project or indirect such as better quality EIA work or raised environmental
awareness of the personnel involved in the project
In general, the benefits of EIA include:

i) Better environmental planning and design of a proposal:

• Analysis of alternatives in the design and location of projects.
• A well-designed project can minimize risks and impacts on the environment
and people, thereby avoid associated costs of remedial treatment or
compensation for damage
ii) Ensuring compliance with environmental standards:
• Compliance with environmental standards reduces damage to the
environment and disruption to communities.
• It also avoids the likelihoods of penalties, fines and loss of trust and
credibility

iii) Savings in capital and operating costs:

• EIA can avoid the unnecessary costs of unanticipated impacts. These can
escalate if environmental problems have not been considered from the
start of proposal design, and require rectification later.
• An 'anticipate' and 'avoid' approach is much cheaper than 'react' and
'cure'. Changes made late in the project cycle are the most expensive.
iv) Reduced time and costs of approval of development applications:
If all environmental concerns have been taken into account properly before
submission for project approval, then it is unlikely that delays will occur as
a result of decision-makers asking for additional information or alterations
to mitigation measures

v) Increased Project Acceptance by the Public:

This is achieved by an open and transparent EIA process with provision of
opportunities for public involvement that is appropriate to the people who
are most directly affected by and interested in the proposal.
Overall, the benefits are achieved when the EIA study answers:

1. Is the development really required?

2. Are there relevant alternatives?
3. To what degree is environmental protection required?
4. Whether it has addressed ecological and socio-economic impacts as well
as technical aspects (Political, Financial)
5. Whether it has ensured integration of conservation and management of
natural resources, and reduction of pollution; and
6. Uses environmental data into the project planning and decision-making
NATIONAL AND SECTORAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION GUIDELINES
• In the process of implementing National Conservation Strategy (NCS) in 1990, the Government of
Nepal in collaboration with the World Conservation Union (IUCN) developed a National system for
EIA

• It was a significant contribution towards the preparation of locally suitable environmental

assessment guidelines.

• The National EIA guidelines for Nepal was drafted, tested, and finalized through a participatory
approach and within two years of continued efforts, the government endorsed the guidelines on
27 September 1992 through an administrative decision (cabinet decision) and gazetted it on 19
July 1993.

• The National EIA guidelines contains objectives, methods of screening projects requiring the level
of environmental assessment (IEE or EIA); scoping; impact identification and prediction; review of
report; monitoring and evaluation; and impact auditing

• The guidelines also contain methods for ensuring public participation during preparation of the EIA
report, including the need of impact mitigation measures in the EIA report.
• It calls for identifying physical, chemical, biological, socio-economic and cultural
impacts and proposing the mitigation measures to avoid or minimize each adverse
impact and to enhance beneficial impacts resulting from the project.

• The guidelines also stresses on the inclusion of monitoring and evaluation, and a
framework for environmental auditing in the EIA report.

• Within the broad framework of National EIA guidelines, two separate EIA guidelines of
Forestry and Industry Sector were prepared and the government endorsed them in
1995.

• In the process for facilitating the environmental consideration in development project,

government of Nepal as a part of the NCS implementation Program has also drafted
sectoral EIA guidelines – Hydropower, Irrigation, Tourism, Solid Waste Management,
Public Infrastructure, Water Resource, Bio Diversity etc.
EIA HISTORY IN NEPAL

• Integrated in major development projects since early 1980s.

• The sixth plan (1980-85), for the first time in the planning history of Nepal,
recognized the need for EIA with the establishment of Environmental
Impact Study Project (EISP) under the department of Soil Conservation in
1982 to develop necessary instruments for integration of EIA in
infrastructure development project.

• EIA was elaborated in Seventh Plan (1985-90), and Eighth Plan (1992-97) as
a policy instrument.
• The EIA guidelines 1993
• Environmental Protection Act 1997, 2019 and Environmental Protection
Rules 1997, 2020
• The Eighth Plan, prepared after Nepal's participation in the Rio Earth
Summit in 1992, emphasized on the need for preparing the EIA guidelines
for large scale development projects such as Hydropower, irrigation,
industry, housing, drinking water and sewerage.

• The Ninth Plan (1997-2002) encouraged participatory EIA system

• The Tenth Plan (2002-2007) has been one step forward and has
recognized the role of SEA in integrating Environmental Aspects in
development Planning.

• The plan has committed to make the EIA process effective and to conduct
environmental monitoring of the project
EIA PROCESS
• The major party involved in EIA is the Proponent who develops the
project, for example: different departments of the government and/or
private sector, The decision maker, The Review Commission (Ministry of
Science & Technology and Environment), Interest Groups (Stakeholders
like users of services, ministries and the Consultancy Firms engaged in
preparation of EIA report).

• The way in which an EIA is carried out is not rigid: it is a process

comprising a series of steps: Screening, Scoping, Prediction and
Mitigation, Management and Monitoring and Audit
 ALL PROJECT PROPOSAL SCREENED

Project Project in Project

Exempt which the Requiring
from EIA need of EIA is EIA
not clear

Initial
Environmental
Examination
(IEE)

Project
EIA Required
Authorization
CONTENTS OF EIA PROCESS
• Project Screening: Determines whether the project needs EIA
• Scoping: Identifies significant impacts, project alternatives and forms
the basis for Terms of Reference (TOR).
• Project Description: Describes project in context of location, scale,
layout and operating conditions.
• Environmental Baseline: Establishes current state of environment and
trends
• Impact Prediction: Impacts are predicted quantitatively, in terms of
magnitude, Extent and Duration
• Impact Evaluation: Significance of impact is determined
• Mitigation Measures: Measures to avoid, reduce and minimize
adverse impacts
CONTENTS OF EIA PROCESS
• Stakeholders: Ensures that stakeholders’ views are adequately addressed in
decision making process
• EIA Report: Contains information obtained, analyzed, interpreted and
compiled
• Monitoring and Auditing: Impacts to be monitored are identified and
auditing requirements are specified
• Review: Report submitted for review in order to assess whether all possible
issues have been adequately addressed
• Decision Making: Based on Report, decision makers make decision
Environmental Impacts Vary in:
Type: Biological, Social, cultural, economic
Nature: Direct or Indirect or Cumulative
Magnitude or Severity: High, Moderate, Low

Extent: Site Specific, Local, Regional, National , Transboundary

Timing: Immediate, medium-term, long term

Duration: Temporary, Permanent

Reversibility: Reversible, Irreversible

Significance: Unimportant, Important
Types of EIA
Project Level EIA - The study of EIA of an individual Project
Strategic EIA (SEA) - A systematic process for evaluating the environmental
consequences of a proposed policy, plan or program.
Social Impact Assessment (SIA) : Analyzing, monitoring and managing the
intended and unintended social consequences, both positive and negative, of
planned interventions and any social change processes invoked by those
interventions.
Health Impact Assessment (HIA): Safeguarding and enhancement of
human health. HIA is usually included under SIA
Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) - Assess accumulation of human-
induced changes in the valued environmental resources across the space
and over time
Sectoral Level Assessment (SeEA) - to identify, predict, and evaluating
impacts of a particular sector on the environment and propose
Environment Management Plan (EMP) at semi-detail level
Regional Level Assessment (REA) - suited to a comparatively larger
geographical area where different types of projects could be implemented
EIA & Project Cycle
• The preliminary aspects of an EIA such as screening, scoping and preparing
ToR are usually carried out during the pre-feasibility stage of the project
cycle.

• An EIA is conducted during the feasibility stage

• Using the recommendations of the EIA, the proponent develops an

Environmental Management Plan (EMP), which includes a plan for the
implementation of mitigation measures, monitoring and auditing schedules
and programs by responsible implementing agencies, the cost of
implementing mitigation measures and monitoring project construction and
operation.
• The directions and recommendations of the EMP and EIA report should
be included in the design stage of the project.

• EIA recommendations to be incorporated during implementation of the

project, along with its Monitoring and Evaluation (M/E) and Auditing.

• Based on M/E and Auditing, if required, the project concept may have to
be revised or changed and the cycle continues. The feedback for similar
projects are developed and used for further projects.
Course Schedule, Assignments and Making Schemes
Internal Marks (60)
S.N. Assignment Description Type Marks Date
1 EIA Report Review Review and assessment of Group 15
existing EIA report of any
building in national or
international context
2 Field based EIA Report Mini- EIA Report of a building Group 25
project
3 Assessment Exam Individual 10
4 Attendance 10
Total 60

Final Examination: 40 Marks

Total: 100
References:
• IUCN Document, 1996
• Environmental Protection Regulation (EPR), 2077 BS
• Environmental Protection Act, 2019
• Sharma, B, IOE, TU; Datta, K.D., FWU, Handouts
• Bhatt, D. P. & Lekhak, B. (2023), A Text Book of Environmental Impact
Assessment; Heritage Publishers and Distributors Pvt. Ltd.

• Websites
EIA METHODOLOGY

By:
Ashim R. Bajracharya
CONTENTS OF EIA PROCESS
1. Project Screening
2. Scoping and TOR
3. Project Description
4. Environmental Baseline
5. Impact Prediction
6. Impact Evaluation
7. Mitigation Measures
8. EIA Report
9. Review
10. Monitoring and Auditing
EIA METHODOLOGY
SCREENING AND INITIAL IMPACT IDENTIFICATION:
• Screening is the first stage of the EIA process
• Often results in a categorization of the project and from this a decision
is made on whether or not a full EIA is to be carried out
• The conduct of screening thus involves making a preliminary
determination of the expected impact of a proposal on the environment
and of its relative significance.
SCREENING
• Many projects are considered by the government for
implementation every year.
• EIA needs only to be applied for those actions which may significantly
affect the environment.
• It is therefore important to establish mechanism for identifying
projects requiring “EIA", this process of selection is referred as
screening.
• EPR 2020 establishes the criteria for all projects either government or
private projects, construction works or activities to go through formal
screening process, before its execution
SCREENING
Screening Classifies Project Proposals into the following three Categories
(EPR 2020):

• Project requiring an BEA

• Project requiring an IEE
• Project requiring an EIA
• Project not requiring an EIA
• Project, which may or may not require an EIA and should consider conducting an
IEE to see if an EIA is required.

Benefits of Screening
• Saves money
• Saves time (avoids unnecessary delays)
• Immediately identifies the major environmental impacts that are likely and
• Establish a conception that an EIA study needs to be conducted.
Screening Criteria in Nepal
All projects in Nepal are screened based on three categories:

1. Nature of the Project (Type Criteria) - Road, Hydropower, Mining, Building - Residential Health, Education,
Industries etc.

2. Threshold Criteria
• A project that exceeds a predetermined threshold may require an EIA. Threshold can relate to project size, capital
expenditure, raw materials needed, emissions or outputs, and an area of land required.
• Threshold for environmental parameters , Financial Threshold

3. Sensitive Area Criteria

• Types of project and its location
• Historical, cultural, and archaeological sites, environmentally sensitive areas and wetlands
• National Parks, Wildlife Reserve and Conservation areas
• Semi-arid, Mountainous and Himalayan regions
• Flood prone and other dangerous areas
• Residential, School and Hospital Areas
• Areas with main sources of public water supply
Brief Environmental Study (BES)
• Brief Study to identify the measures to be adopted for avoiding or
mitigating the adverse effects on the environment as the result of
implementation of any project proposal.

• Small scale projects or where impacts are not severe.

Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)
• Projects for which requirements of an EIA could not be easily ascertained,
is subject to an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE).

• IEE follows relatively simple procedures than EIA and use low cost analysis
using use of information already available.

• Involves identifying, describing, and evaluating potential environmental

impacts of the projects using rapid and often qualitative techniques.

• It uses simple methods for impact identification and mitigation measures.

How IEE should be conducted?

In order to carry out IEE, it is necessary to understand the following

components of the project activities and the surrounding environment:
• Project activities to be implemented;
• Resources and environment are likely to be impacted,
• Setting of project, resources demands and the waste produced
• Existing Policies, regulations and guidelines on Environmental Protection
The use of information obtained in IEE:

• The appropriate time to carry out IEE is at the pre feasibility stage.

• This has a benefit because if the environmental issues are properly

addressed, at this stage, there is no need to carry out an EIA
during the feasibility stage.

• However, if there remain some residual problems, even after IEE,

there should be a recommendation for carrying out a full-scale
EIA, focusing only on particular key issues.
SCOPING
• Scoping is the heart of the EIA
• It is the process of determining which are the most critical issues to study
and will involve community participation to some degree. It is at this early
stage that EIA can most strongly influence the outline proposal.
• The next important step, following the screening procedure is to determine
the coverage or scope of the EIA study of a project proposal identified as
potentially significant with environmental impacts.
• Scoping helps in developing and selecting alternatives to the proposed
action and in identifying the issues to be considered in an EIA.
• It is also a procedure designed to establish the terms of reference (TOR) for
an EIA study.
Outline of Scoping Procedure:

1. Identify the environmental issues to be considered in an EIA

2. Scoping helps in:
• Reaching agreement on specific issues; Identifying alternatives;
• TOR Preparation;
• Public Participation;
• Identifying methods to be used in the EIA; and Achieving cost-
effectiveness
3. Mechanism:
Open Scoping: Public meetings, workshops, Seminars
Closed scoping: Letters, interviews, Discussions
AIMS of SCOPING
Scoping is required in order to help:
• identify concerns and issues for consideration in an EIA·
• enable those responsible for an EIA study to properly brief the study team
on the alternatives and on impacts to be considered at different levels of
analysis;
• determine the assessment methods to be used;
• identify all affected interests;
• provide an opportunity to the public involved in determining the factors
to be assessed;
• facilitate an early agreement on contentious/controversial issues;
• save time and money; and establish Terms of Reference (ToR) for EIA study
TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR):
Terms of Reference are prepared following Scoping to provide specific
guidelines for the EIA study.

TOR assists in :
• Identifying and describing the impacts/issues to be investigated;
• Synthesizing the working procedure;
• Delineating the specific activities to be implemented,
• Fitting the EIA study into the context of existing policies, rules, and
administrative procedures;
• Accomplishing the work within a specified time frame.
Main TOR Components: TOR should specify the following content
1. Introduction: Background and purpose of the proposal, study boundary,
responsible party for preparing the EA report, policy and legal
requirements, and EA-related guidelines.

2. Scope of the work to be considered during the study.

3. Alternatives

4. Institutional and Public Involvement: How they should be involved?

5. Required Information: Major Tasks, Study schedule, reviews, study team,

costs, data and information
6. Analysis of Impacts: Positive and negative impacts; identification ,
prediction and evaluation of impacts using necessary methods and
techniques

7. Impact mitigation and monitoring: Environmental Management plan,

monitoring plan and monitoring costs and environmental auditing

8. Conclusions and recommendations

9. References

10. Annexes

11. Need for executive summary (both in English and Nepali)

CONTENTS OF EIA PROCESS
1. Project Screening
2. Scoping and TOR
3. Project Description
4. Environmental Baseline
5. Impact Prediction
6. Impact Evaluation
7. Mitigation Measures
8. EIA Report
9. Review
10. Monitoring and Auditing
11. Decision Making
Project Description: Describes project in context of location,
scale, layout and operating conditions.
CONTENTS OF EIA PROCESS
1. Project Screening
2. Scoping and TOR
3. Project Description
4. Environmental Baseline
5. Impact Prediction
6. Impact Evaluation
7. Mitigation Measures
8. EIA Report
9. Review
10. Monitoring and Auditing
BASELINE DATA:

• Baseline refers to the collection of background information on the

biophysical, social, and economic settings of the proposed area.

• Normally, information is obtained from secondary sources, or the

acquisition of new information through field samplings, interviews surveys,
and consultations.

• Baseline information is required for all types of EIAs to facilitate

identification, prediction and evaluation of the environmental impacts so as
to avoid, mitigate or compensate adverse impacts on the resources of the
project and its surrounding areas.
Base line data is collected for two main purposes:

• To provide a description of the status and trends of

environmental factors of the host area against which
predicted changes can be compared and evaluated in terms of
significance

• To provide means of detecting actual change, once a project is

initiated.
• Impact predictions are made against a ‘baseline’ established by the existing
environment (or by its future state).
• Known as baseline studies, the collection of data on relevant biophysical,
social, and economic aspects provides a reference point against which the
characteristics and parameters of impact-related changes are analyzed and
evaluated.
• The description of the affected environment includes the characteristics of
the area in which the proposed project activities during construction and
operation will take place.
• It should cover the study area (area within all effects and impacts would
occur, and potential compensations and rehabilitation efforts would be
made)
Environmental Aspects:
Physical environment:
Topography, geology, meteorology and hydrology, air quality, noise

Biological environment:
Terrestrial biotic communities, aquatic biotic communities

Socio-economic and cultural environment:

Social Setting, gender issues, infrastructure, institution, education, community
resources, economic characteristics, health, sanitation, cultural resources and
practices, agricultural practices.
CONTENTS OF EIA PROCESS
1. Project Screening
2. Scoping and TOR
3. Project Description
4. Environmental Baseline
5. Impact Prediction
6. Impact Evaluation
7. Mitigation Measures
8. EIA Report
9. Review
10. Monitoring and Auditing
Environmental Impacts Vary in:
Type: Biological, Social, cultural, economic
Nature: Direct or Indirect or Cumulative
Magnitude or Severity: High, Moderate, Low

Extent: Site Specific, Local, Regional, National , Transboundary

Timing: Immediate, medium-term, long term

Duration: Temporary, Permanent

Reversibility: Reversible, Irreversible

Significance: Unimportant, Important
Biological Impacts:
Those impacts relate to the effects on biological resources such as
vegetation, wildlife, and crops and aquatic life.

Physical Impacts:
Impacts affecting soil and landforms: soil erosion, floods and sedimentation

Chemical Impacts:
Impacts that causes chemical change in air/water/soil quality. Smoke
.
emitted from a brick factory, for example, may change the amount of
sulphur dioxide (SO2) content of ambient air, whereas untreated effluent
discharged directly into a river by a paper factory may change the chemical
characteristics of the water.
Health Impacts:
Effects of a proposal on individuals’ mental and physiological wellbeing
(their health status and trends)

Economic Impacts:
• Estimate the likely changes in economic variables caused by Project
construction and operation
• Employment and investment opportunities, incomes and expenditures
Social Impact:
Examines project action that alters the existing social and economical conditions of communities within or
around the project location

• Demographic Impacts: Displacement and relocation effects and changes in population characteristics

• Economic Impacts: Including income and income multiplier effects, employment rate and patterns, prices
of local goods and services and taxation effects

• Cultural Impacts: Traditional patterns of life and work, family structures and authority, religious and tribal
factors, archaeological features, social networks and community cohesion

• Institutional Impacts: Including demands on the government for social services, NGOs, housing, schools,
criminal justice, health welfare and recreation

• Gender Impacts: Implications of the project for the role of women in society, income generation and
employment opportunities, access to resources and equity
Direct impacts
• Direct Impact occur through direct interaction of an activity with an environmental, social, or
economic component.
• For example, a discharge of any industry or an effluent from the Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) from
the industrial estates into a river may lead to a decline in water quality in terms of high biological
oxygen demand (BOD) or dissolved oxygen (DO) or rise of water toxins.

Indirect Impacts:
• Indirect impacts on the environment are these which are not a direct result of the project, often
produced away from or as a result of a complex impact pathway. The indirect impacts are also known
as secondary or even third level impacts.
• For example, ambient air SO2 rise due to stack emissions may deposit on land as SO4 and cause acidic
soils and water. This may, in turn, lead to a secondary indirect impact on aquatic flora in that water
body and may further cause reduction in fish population. Reduction in fishing harvests, affecting the
income of fishermen is a third level impact.

Cumulative Impacts:
• These impacts occur when the incremental impact of the project is combined with the cumulative
effects of other past, present and reasonably foreseeable future projects (extended duration).
ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS AND IMPACT AGGREGATION:

Method of Impact Identification

• Ad hoc Method
• Checklist Method
• The Matrix method
• The Network methodology
• Task Specific Computer Models:
The Overlay Method, Geographic Information System, Expert System
Adhoc Method
• Ad hoc methods are for rough assessment of total impact giving the broad areas of
possible impacts and the general nature of these possible impacts

• The ad hoc method involves assembling a team of specialist to identify impacts in

their area expertise i.e. expert opinion, opinion pools, Delphi method etc

• The advantage of expert opinion data gathering techniques is its speed and
inexpensiveness

• This method serves as a preliminary assessment, when there is time constraint and
lack of information.

• It helps in identifying more important areas like - Wildlife, Endangered species,

Natural vegetation, Health and safety, Open space, Social characteristics , Public
facilities, Natural drainage, Groundwater, Noise, Air Quality, Economic values etc.

• When more scientific methods are available, Adhoc methods is not recommended.
Checklist Method:
• Combines a list of potential impact areas that needs to be considered in
the EIA process with an assessment of the individual impacts
• Adopted by number of public agencies since it ensures that a prescribed
list of areas is considered in the assessment process.
• Useful to assess the nature of impacts like beneficial, adverse, no effect,
short-term, long-term, significant, reversible, non-reversible etc.
• However, this method does not provide the establishment of direct and
indirect impacts and also not show cause-effect relationship.
• It is simple to understand and use and often used for site selection and
priority setting.
The Matrix Method
• Identifies interactions between various project action and environmental
parameters/ components
• Considers impact of a each aspect of a proposed project for a range of
environmental concerns (considers magnitude and importance of impacts)
• Combining the list (project activities and environmental components) as
horizontal and vertical axes for a matrix allows the identification of cause-
effect relationships between specific activities and impacts
• The entries in the cell of the matrix can be either qualitative estimates or
quantitative estimates of these cause-effect relationship.
• Still cannot identify direct and indirect impacts
Matrix Table
The Network Methodology
• A network of possible impacts that may be triggered by project activities
and that require the analyst to trace out project actions and direct and
indirect consequences.

• Network displays direct, secondary, tertiary and other higher order

impacts of action.

• Identification of site-specific factors and conditions necessary for the

establishment of a: proposed cause-effect relationship
The Overlaying Method:
• Overlaying of different maps related to social and physical attributes of the project
area.
• Spatial Method, GIS is the ultimate tool for overlaying of maps.

Geographic Information System (GIS):

• Map-based database/Computerized maps,
• GIS provides information how local resource will be affected by the project activities.
• It is considered a powerful management tool for resource managers and planners
• GIS application is limited on the coverage of data that are fed into system
• Project Layout maps
• Landuse / Land cover maps
• Vegetation maps
• Habitat maps
• Watershed maps
• Risk prone area mapping etc…
 Vegetation Maps (KGKHEP)
Intake

– Forest & other

vegetation types
Fish Habitat Maps (KGKHEP)
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Impact Identification Methods
Methods Advantages Disadvantages
Checklists Simple to understand & use ▪ Do not distinguish between direct & indirect
impacts
▪ Do not link action and impact
Interaction Links action to impact and a good ▪ Distinguishing direct and indirect impacts is
matrices method of displaying EIA results difficult
▪ Potential for double counting of impacts
Overlays Easy to understand & a good ▪ Address only direct impact: Do not address
display method the duration or probability of impacts
Impact networks Link action to impact ▪ Can be too complex
Handle direct and indirect impacts
Predict impacts ▪ Heavy reliance on data:
Task specific ▪ Generally complex and expensive
computer models
End of Lecture…
IMPACT PREDICTION AND
EVALUATION TECHNIQUES
AND TOOLS, MITIGATIONS

Prepared by:
Ashim Ratna Bajracharya
Associate Professor, Ph.D.
CONTENTS OF EIA PROCESS
1. Project Screening
2. Scoping and TOR
3. Project Description
4. Environmental Baseline
5. Impact Prediction
6. Impact Evaluation
7. Mitigation Measures
8. EIA Report
9. Review
10. Monitoring and Auditing
PREDICTION AND EVALUATION TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS
The object of prediction is to identify the magnitude and other dimensions of
identified change in the environment with a project or action, in comparison
with the situation without that project or action.
▪ How any project component may give rise to an impact
▪ Probability of impacts occurring
▪ Magnitude of each impact
▪ Spatial and temporal dimension of each impact
Important Considerations for Impact Prediction
1. Baseline condition
2. Uncertainty
3. Spatial limits
4. Temporal boundaries
5. Incremental condition
Impact prediction is a technical exercise
• It utilizes physical, biological, socio-economic and cultural data
to estimate the likely characteristics and parameters of impacts
(e.g. magnitude, spatial occurrence etc.) .
• Prediction helps to know what will happen on the
environmental resources during and after the project
implementation provides opportunities to select and design
cost effective and appropriate mitigation measures and cause
least damage to environmental resources.
Qualitative prediction is based on expert judgment while the
quantitative rely on mathematical models and other techniques.
Impact prediction considers the following aspects:

1. Nature (positive, negative, direct, indirect, cumulative)

2. Magnitude of the Impacts (severe, moderate, low)
3. Extent/Location of the Impacts (area/volume covered,
distribution)
4. Duration of the Impacts (short term, long term, intermittent,
continuous)
Uncertainty in Impact
Prediction
• There always exists some sort of uncertainty in prediction. So issue of
probability and confidence limit of impact prediction has to be
addressed.
PREDICTION AND EVALUATION TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS
METHODS OF IMPACT PREDICTION
1. Extrapolative methods
2. Normative methods

OTHER METHODS FOR IMPACT PREDICTION

1. Mathematical model
2. Statistical models
3. Geography information system
4. Field and laboratory experimental methods
5. Physical models
6. Expert judgments
7. Biological methods
8. Socio-economic methods
9. Case studies
PREDICTION AND EVALUATION TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS

1. EXTRAPOLATIVE METHODS
It tries to predict future data based on historical data. For example,
estimating the size of a population after a few years based on the current
population size and its rate of growth.

2. NORMATIVE METHODS
Set desired target in future to be achieved.
For example, if in one industry sets a target to employ 25% of the local
population within 5 years, it develops project accordingly to meet this target.
PREDICTION AND EVALUATION TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS
1. MATHEMATICAL MODEL
These are based on cause-and-effect relationship usually expressed in the form of
mathematical functions. These include simple input output as well as complex dynamic
models

2. STATISTICAL MODELS
Statistical models such as regression and component analysis are sometimes used to
indicate the relationship between the data and test hypothesis. For example, Statistical
model may be used in predicting flood frequencies.
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS)
Satellite images, physical maps and aerial photographs provide information on existing
resources. GIS techniques can be used to predict the impacts of a development project as
they allow for analyzing the effects of project activities on the resources present in the
project area.

PHYSICAL MODELS
Small-scale models of the environmental system under investigation on which experiments
can be carried out to predict future changes.

EXPERT JUDGMENTS
The experience of one place could very well be utilized for similar places elsewhere where
the environmental
FIELD AND LABORATORY EXPERIMENTAL METHODS
BIOLOGIAL METHODS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC METHODS

CASE STUDIES
Use of knowledge based on similar other case studies.
CONTENTS OF EIA PROCESS
1. Project Screening
2. Scoping and TOR
3. Project Description
4. Environmental Baseline
5. Impact Prediction
6. Impact Evaluation
7. Mitigation Measures
8. EIA Report
9. Review
10. Monitoring and Auditing
Impact Evaluation :
• Impact evaluation provides useful information to decision makers for
selecting appropriate choice. Once impact is identified and predicted, it is
necessary to evaluate them in terms of their significance, or non-
significance and comparing the values against set standards.
• Impact evaluation should duly consider the national policies, acts and
rules, strategies, standards, guidelines, international commitments and so
on.
• It should also consider public concerns, negative social impacts and
scientific and professional evidences such as on resource use, ecological
damage, etc.
Impact Evaluation :
The purpose of impact evaluation is to assign relative significance to
predicted impacts associated with the project, and to determine the order
in which impacts are to be avoided, mitigated or compensated.
• Impact assessment involves valuating the significance of the impacts
identified
• Significance can be determined through professional judgment,
reference to regulations etc.
• Potential for bias in determining what is significant
• The conclusions of the impact assessment can ultimately be used by
decision-makers when determining the fate of the project application
Impact Evaluation :
The key elements for assessing the significance of impacts include:
• Scientific and professional judgments;
• Level of public concern;
• Measure of disturbance to ecological systems;
• Impacts on social values and quality of life;
• Existence of environmental standards, that is, international, national,
• Provincial or local agreements; and
• Availability of mitigation practice and technology to ameliorate impacts.
Significant criteria should be used throughout the different stages of EIA process. Some
criteria to determine adverse impacts include:

• Loss of rare, endangered and/or endemic species;

• Extent of habitat destruction, depletion or fragmentation ;
• Reduction in diversity of species, and importance of ecological functions such as
distribution of food chains;
• Loss of critical or productive habitats;
• Severe disturbance to pristine ecosystem and its ecological sustainability;
• Change in land use and natural landscapes and loss of current use of land;
• Displacement of families affected by the project activities
• Pressure on social service facilities and loss of valued ( prime land) areas;
• Toxicity impacts on human health;
• Reduction in the capacity of renewable resources to meet the needs of present and future
generations.
In case of beneficial impacts, the following criteria could also be used
during the evaluation of their significance:
• Impacts that generate socio-economic benefits such as
employment, income and reduce poverty without depleting the
natural resource base;
• Impacts that address women, disadvantage group, marginalized.
people or special target group
CONTENTS OF EIA PROCESS
1. Project Screening
2. Scoping and TOR
3. Project Description
4. Environmental Baseline
5. Impact Prediction
6. Impact Evaluation
7. Mitigation Measures
8. EIA Report
9. Review
10. Monitoring and Auditing
11. Decision Making
Mitigation
• The implementation of measures designed to reduce the
undesirable effects of a proposed action on the environment.
• Mitigation aims to maximize positive impacts and (particularly)
minimize significant negative impacts.
• This step is the core part of an EIA.
• Impacts remaining after mitigation are known as residual impacts
Mitigation in EIA Practice:
• Aim is the identification of likely adverse effects associated with
development, and their mitigation.
• ‘Adverse effect’ can be defined as an effect perceived by the developer
or by stakeholders to cause destruction or deterioration to an
environmental parameter affected by the development, either directly
or indirectly.
• Consideration of Alternatives, which involves examination of
alternative ways of achieving objectives of the project. The aim is to
arrive at the development option that maximizes the benefit and
minimizes the unwanted impacts.
• Some of the ways to derive alternatives may be by varying scale,
technology, location, raw materials, design, time schedule etc.
MITIGATION
Types of Mitigation In EIA :

1. The source of the effect (for instance, noise emitting equipment, a toxicant, a
tall structure);
2. The receptor (that is, the environmental entity likely to be adversely affected)
3. The pathway (the route by which a receptor could be exposed to the effect)
Mitigation Hierarchy

Source: [Link]
Step One: Impact avoidance. This step is most effective when applied at an early stage of
project planning. It can be achieved by:
• not undertaking certain projects or elements that could result in adverse impacts;
• avoiding areas that are environmentally sensitive; and
• putting in place preventative measures to stop adverse impacts from occurring

Step Two: Impact minimization. This step is usually taken during impact identification
and prediction to limit or reduce the degree, extent, magnitude, or duration of adverse
impacts. It can be achieved by:
• scaling down or relocating the proposal;
• redesigning elements of the project; and
• taking supplementary measures to manage the impacts.

Step Three: Impact compensation. This step is usually applied to remedy unavoidable
residual adverse impacts. It can be achieved by:
• rehabilitation of the affected site or environment, for example, by habitat enhancement and restocking fish;
• restoration of the affected site or environment to its previous state or better, eg for mining sites after extraction of raw materials.
• replacement of the same resource values at another location, for example, by planting trees of same species at another location as
per the prescribed ratio like 1:5, 1:10 etc.
CONTENTS OF EIA PROCESS
1. Project Screening
2. Scoping and TOR
3. Project Description
4. Environmental Baseline
5. Impact Prediction
6. Impact Evaluation
7. Mitigation Measures
8. EIA Report
9. Review
10. Monitoring and Auditing
11. Decision Making
 EIA Report Format General

• Executive Summary
• Introduction: Background, Rational, etc.
• Project Description
• Study Methodology or Techniques
• Baseline or Existing Environmental Settings
• Identification of Impacts
• Prediction of Impacts
• Evaluation of Impacts
• Alternative Analysis
• Mitigation Measures and Augmentation Measures
 EIA Report Format General

• Review of Policy and Legal Framework

• Environmental Management Plan including Monitoring and
Auditing
• Conclusions and Recommendations
• References
• Appendices

EIA reports should be understandable by the project proponent, decision makers

and other stakeholders or interested groups
EIA REVIEW, MONITORING
AND AUDITING

Prepared by:
Dr. Ashim Ratna Bajracharya
CONTENTS OF EIA PROCESS
1. Project Screening
2. Scoping and TOR
3. Project Description
4. Environmental Baseline
5. Impact Prediction
6. Impact Evaluation
7. Mitigation Measures
8. EIA Report
9. Review
10. Monitoring and Auditing
EIA Review
• Review of quality of EIA is a formal step in the EIA process.

• The purpose of review is to assure the completeness and quality

of the information gathered in an EIA.

• Final check on the adequacy and quality of EIA report

submitted to obtain a project authorization.

• Failure to meet the requirement may lead to revision or

rejection of the report.
A comprehensive review of the adequacy and quality of an EIA
report would address many or all of the following issues:

1. Does the report address the Terms of Reference?

2. Is the necessary information provided for each major
component of the EIA report?
3. Is the information correct and technically sound?
4. Have the views and concerns of affected and interested
parties been taken into account?
5. Is the statement of key findings complete and satisfactory,
e.g. significant impacts, proposed mitigation measures?
6. Is the information clearly presented and understandable by
decision-makers and the public?
7. Is the information relevant and sufficient for the purpose of
decision-making and condition setting? The response to the
last question is the most significant aspect for review
conclusions and will largely determine whether or not an EIA
can be submitted as is or with minor revisions.
The following steps can help to achieve good practices in the
review of reports:

• Set the scale and depth of the review;

• Select reviewers;
• Use input from public involvement
• Identify review criteria and aspects to be considered;
• Carry out the review;
• Determine how to remove any deficiencies;
• Report the findings.
CONTENTS OF EIA PROCESS
1. Project Screening
2. Scoping and TOR
3. Project Description
4. Environmental Baseline
5. Impact Prediction
6. Impact Evaluation
7. Mitigation Measures
8. EIA Report
9. Review
10. Monitoring and Auditing
11. Decision Making
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING
• The final step of the Environmental Impact Assessment is the longest
one, and continues during (constructional phase) and after
(operational phase) the completion of the project, after EIA report is
accepted and project gets acceptance for ‘Go Ahead’

• Monitoring should focus on the most significant impacts identified in

the EIA.

• The purpose of monitoring is to compare pre- and post project

conditions in the development site. It also compares the predicted and
actual impacts. This is especially important in key impacts like water
quality, air quality, soil fertility, endangered species, etc.

(Source: [Link]
Points to be remembered:
• Monitoring should be regular and performed over a long period of
duration. Interruptions in monitoring may result in generating insufficient
data to draw accurate conclusion concerning the project impact.

• The main aim of EIA monitoring is to provide information required to ensure

that project implementation has the least possible negative environmental
impacts on the people and environment.

• Environment Management Unit (EMU) with experts and trained manpower

is established by the project proponent for monitoring.
Monitoring is put in place to achieve the following:
• Verify impact predictions
• Check success of mitigation measures
• Compliance with conditions of approval and action plan
• Check the success of the environmental management plan in meeting
environmental needs and standards
• Enable corrective action to be taken promptly if there is a major
unpredictable environmental impact
• Ensuring that impacts do not exceed legal standards.
• Check trends in environmental parameters for use in decision making.
• To provide a data base against which short and long term
environmental impacts of the project can be determined
• Provide an early indication should any environmental control
measures or practices fail to achieve the acceptable standards
• To provide data to enable environmental audit to be undertaken
Types of Monitoring:
Monitoring activities include the following types

1) Baseline monitoring:
• A survey should be conducted on the basis of environmental parameters in the area
surrounding the proposed project before construction begins.
• Subsequent monitoring can assess the changes in those parameters over time against
the baseline.

2) Impact Monitoring:
• The bio-physical and socio-economical, including public health parameters within the
project area, must be measured during the project construction and operational phases
• This helps to detect environmental changes, which may have occurred as a result of
project implementation. e.g. air pollution, dust, water pollution etc.
Types of Monitoring:
3) Compliance monitoring:
This form of monitoring employs a periodic sampling method or continuous recording of
specific environmental quality indicators or pollution levels to ensure project compliance
with recommended environmental protection standards.
Environmental Auditing:
• An environmental audit is a systematic, independent internal review to check whether
the results of environmental work tally with the targets.

• It includes examination and assessment of a actual environmental impact, the accuracy

of prediction, the effectiveness of environmental impact mitigation and enhancement
measures, and the functioning of monitoring mechanisms.

• The Audit should be carried out by the agency, which approves the project, with
assistance from other relevant organizations. On behalf of GoN, Ministry of Environment
and other concerned ministries, is responsible for deciding which types of audit are
required for the project.

• An audit should be performed after completion of the project or after 3 to 4 years of

operation.
• Audit is not required in all cases. Environmental auditing is mandatory only
in cases stipulated by law.
• During a typical environmental audit, a team of qualified inspectors
conducts a comprehensive examination of a project being developed, to
determine whether it is complying with environmental laws and
regulations.
Environmental Audits should provide answer to the following
Questions

• What are we doing? In particular, are we in compliance with government

regulations, guidelines, codes of practices, permit conditions?
• Can we do it better? In particular, are there nonregulated areas where
operations can be improved to minimize the impact on the environment?
• Can we do it more cheaply?
• What more should we do ?
EIA – Public Participation
Introduction
• Public participation can be any process that directly engages the
public in decision-making and gives full consideration to public input
in making that decision
• A process, not a single event and consists of a series of activities
and actions
• Public Participation : one of the widely applicable tool of decision making (Since
1970)
• Public participation is necessary for minimizing or avoiding public controversy,
confrontation, and delay, and can make a positive contribution to the EIA process
• Public participation is an essential step in identifying potential Environmental
impacts and designing effective mitigation measures;
• The degree of public involvement in EIA varies between different countries due to
different legal requirements as well as due to tradition;
• Public participation can increase the depth and fairness of the decision-making
process. Better information can be derived by involving those who will be affected
by the Anticipated development and who might contribute to its success or failure.
• Ideally, public involvement should commence during the preparatory stage of the
project development and continue throughout the EIA process.
Levels and Forms of Public Involvement:
• Informing: One way flow of information from the proponent to the public

• Consulting: Two way flow of information between the proponent and the
public with opportunities for the public to express views on the proposal.

• Participating : Interactive exchange between the proponent and the public

encompassing shared analysis and agenda setting and the development of
understood and agreed positions on the proposal and its impacts;

• Negotiating: Face to face discussion between the proponent and key

stakeholders to build consensus and reach a mutually acceptable resolution of
issues.
(Bass et al,1995).
Who are the Stakeholders?
Individuals, communities or organizations (Gov & Non-g) who may be
affected (negatively or positively ) directly or indirectly by a proposed
project

1. Communities in the vicinity of the project and directly affected by it/its

activities (People at risk)
2. National, State and local authorities
3. Communities in the vicinity of the project but not affected
4. Communities not in the vicinity of the project but are affected
Stakeholders to be Considered
1. Local People
Individuals, Traditional Authorities (Eg. Village Leaders), Communities etc.

2. National/Provincial/Local Governments
3. NGOs

4. Private Sector
Trade Societies, Business Interest Groups, Professional Societies etc.

5. Scientists/Experts
6. Project Beneficiaries

7. Voluntary Organizations
Local Community, Labor unions, Ethnic Organizations, Gender Groups, Co-operatives etc..
Understanding Stakeholders
• Language(s) spoken
• Literacy and education level generally
• Ethnicity, ethnic minorities
• Gender issues, representation of women
• Mobility issues
• Socio-economic characteristics
• Potential conflicts between or within groups
• Previous [negative] experiences with similar projects
• Social, customs values or traditions
• Political issues
Stages of Stakeholders Involvement
Involvement may occur at :
• Scoping to prepare TOR for an EIA
• Project Appraisal (while conducting EIA/Feasibility Studies)
either at release of the preliminary/interim EIA report
and/or draft/final EIA report
• Project Implementation (application of EIA
recommendations)
• Project Evaluation (Extent to which project has achieved its
objectives)

Extent of involvement may vary according to phase or stage of involvement process

Public Participation in Project Cycle and EIA Process
Benefits and Drawbacks of Stakeholders involvement

Benefits Drawbacks
• Improved Understanding • Difficult to identify all affected
parties
• Identification of alternatives and • Communication difficulty due to
mitigation measures linguistic and cultural diversities
• Clarification of trade-offs for each • Illiteracy
alternative
• Identification of forum to resolve • Lack of local knowledge on the
issues project
• Induces transparent procedures • Unequal access to consultation
(eg. Women)
• Creation of accountability and • Time/cost implication
sense of local ownership
Method of Stakeholder Involvement
Numerous methods can be used to involve public in EIA process:

S.N. Method Discussion

1 Public Meeting Open with no restrictions as to who may attend
2 Advisory Panel Group of Individuals chosen to represent stakeholders
Meet Periodically to assess work done/ results obtained.
3 Public Information Facility in an accessible location
Centers Contains information on the project
Members of the public can visit, obtain information and
express concerns
4 Interviews Open-ended interviews with selected community
representatives.
5 Questionnaires A written structured series of questions issued to local people
to gather views/concerns/ideas.
5 Participatory A systematic approach to appraisal based on group inquiry
Appraisal Techniques and analysis with multiple and varied inputs
PP TOOLS
PPTOOLS
 EIA FOR
SUSTAINABLE PLANNING AND
DEVELOPMENT
By:
Dr. Ashim Ratna Bajracharya
Scheme of Sustainable Development: at the confluence of three pre-occupations:

The field of sustainable development can be conceptually broken into three constituent parts:
environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, social sustainability
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process in which environmental
factors are integrated into project planning and decision-making so as to
achieve ecologically sustainable development.

• Best-practice EIA identifies environmental risks, lessens conflict by promoting

community participation, minimizes adverse environmental effects, inform
decision makers, and help lay the base for environmental-sound projects.

• EIA has been identified as an important instrument for facilitating sustainability.

However, to do so requires the integration of sustainability into EIA Theory and
practice.

• The sustainability concept is a valid and important Environmental management

perspective. However, many issues and obstacles need to be addressed further
if the concept is to be translated into practical strategies.
• Sustainability can potentially infuse EIA with a clearer sense of direction, an ethical
foundation, a mechanism for establishing priorities and assessing choices, and a
means of linking EIA to other environmental management instruments.

• Conceptually, EIA and sustainability can be integrated, but frameworks should be

refined, adapted to context, and linked to related initiatives.

• Sustainability should be explicitly incorporated into EIA legislation, guidelines, and

institutional arrangements.

Source: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT : TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Bhupendra Soni, Saurabh Kharadiya, Dr. Praveen Mathur, Dr. Sangeeta Loonker
 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
The 17 UN sustainable development goals are a pathway to achieve all of this within 2030.
Here are the 17 UN sustainable development goals (SDGs):
• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global
Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call
to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030
all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

• The 17 SDGs are integrated—they recognize that action in one area

will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance
social, economic and environmental sustainability.

• The SDGs are designed to end poverty, hunger, AIDS, and

discrimination against women and girls.

• Each goal has certain targets and actions

Environmental Sustainability
It is the ability of the environment to continue to function properly indefinitely. This
involves meeting the present needs of humans as without endangering the welfare of
future generations.

The goal of Environmental Sustainability is to minimize Environmental Degradation, and to

halt and reverse the processes they lead to.

Proponents of this thought argue that an "unsustainable situation" occurs when Natural
Capital (the sum total of nature's resources) is used up faster than it can be replenished.

Sustainability requires that human activity only uses nature's resources at a rate at which
they can be replenished naturally.
Concept of EIA in Sustainable Development
• Sustainable development is closely linked to the Carrying Capacity of an ecosystem as
the latter determines the limits to economic development.

• Carrying capacity of a specific ecosystem is the maximum rate of resource

consumption that can be sustained definitely in that specific area and overexploitation
of natural resources above this maximum will lead to depletion and ecological
degradation.

• .
• Carrying capacity of a specific ecosystem is the maximum rate of resource
consumption that can be sustained definitely in that specific area and
overexploitation of natural resources above this maximum will lead to depletion
and ecological degradation.

• It is possible to have development without destroying the environment. This

requires a gradual shift from uncontrolled exploitation to efficient management of
natural resources.

• To ensure sustainable development the depletion of resources should not take

place at a rate faster than their rate of generation.

• Only those technological developments with minimum environmental hazards

should be adopted in order to sustain the environment for future generations.
• Carrying capacity based planning ensures sustainable development,

• Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) could form a major instrument in

decision making and for measurement of sustainability in the context of
regional carrying capacity, provided the conceptual framework is extended
to cumulative assessment of developmental policies, plans and projects on
a regional basis.

• EIA takes into consideration not only technical and economic

considerations but also, traditional aspects like impact on local people,
biodiversity etc.
• A tool used to identify the environmental, social and economic impacts of
a project prior to decision-making.
• EIA assesses viable alternatives for a development project, a combination that
will use natural resources more efficiently and will have the least impacts on the
human environment.

• Target 15.9 of Sustainable Development Goal 15 highlights the integration of

ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning and
development processes.

• From the foregoing international conventions and commitments one can deduce
that a crucial aspect of sustainable development is the incorporation of
environmental considerations, conservation and improvement into the
planning phase of a development project.
Role of EIA in Sustainable Development
• It can help to identify and assess the potential environmental impacts of a
project. This information can then be used to develop mitigation measures to
reduce or eliminate those impacts.

• It can help to ensure that the project is compatible with the principles of
sustainable development. This means that the project should meet the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs.

• It can help to promote public participation in decision-making. EIA requires that

the public be consulted during the assessment process, which can help to ensure
that the project is responsive to the needs and concerns of the community.

• It can help to improve the transparency of decision-making. The EIA process is

typically documented, which can help to ensure that the public is aware of the
environmental impacts of a project and the decisions that were made about it.
Constitution of Nepal
• Article 30 (1) - Guarantees the right to live in a healthy and clean
environment.
• It recognizes the importance of environmental well-being for
individuals in Nepal.
• Article 30 (2)- Grants the right to victims of environmental pollution
and degradation
• Victims have the right to be compensated by the polluters according
to the law.
Environment Protection Act 2076 (2019)

• Article 3 mandates IEE/EIA studies for development projects.

• Article 4 focuses on the implementation of alternative analysis.
• Article 6 mentions standards to be maintained while preparing the report
• Article 7 outlines the approval process for environmental study reports.
• Article 10 includes environmental management plan
• Article 15 prohibits the emission of pollutants beyond prescribed
standards.
• Provisions Relating to Climate Change, Provisions Relating to Protection of
National Heritages and Environment Protection Areas etc.
Environment Protection Rule 2077 (2020)
• Criteria for IEE
• Criteria for EIA
Environment Protection Rule 2077 (2020)
• Criteria for EIA
 EIA for Development and Planning

• EIA has an Important role in resolving

environmental problems through its
ability to contribute to environmentally
sound and sustainable development.

• Development planning takes place at a

number of different scales, and
environmental concerns need to be
considered at each one of them.
EIA for development projects
Often part of a national planning process for large scale developments or project specific
criteria (as per EPR)

Which developments? (Example)

• Major new road network
• Airport and port development
• Building power stations
• Building dams and reservoirs
• Large scale housing project
National The aim of national planning is to set broad economic, environmental, and social development goals for the
Planning country’s continuing development At this level, the employed mechanisms include the formulation of a
national conservation strategy, environment and natural resources management plans, state-of-the-
environment reports, environment and natural resources profiles for developing countries and incorporation
of environmental and natural resources considerations in economic planning and national development
plans. These activities are the important elements of the overall national environmental policy.

Regional planning defines broad land use allocations for a geographic region, normally at the sub-country
Regional level. At the regional level, the approach should integrate environmental concerns into development
Planning planning. Such an approach is referred to as economic-cum-environmental (EcE) development planning
(Asian Development Bank. 1993a). This approach facilitates adequate integration of economic development
with management of renewable natural resources to achieve sustainability. It fulfils the need for macro-
level environmental integration, which the project-oriented EIA is unable to address effectively. Such
regional plans can set the context for project-level EIA. In considering regional plans, the environmental
impacts of alternatives need to be assessed.
Sectoral Sectoral planning focuses on the needs of individual development sectors (for example, energy,
Planning transport, and forestry). At the sectoral level, environmental guidelines and sectoral reviews and
strategies should be formulated and integrated into various sectoral plans. This will help to address
specific environmental problems that may be encountered in planning and implementing sectoral
development projects. Sectoral plans, however, must also consider the relationships between sectors
to avoid land use and infrastructure conflicts.

At the project planning level. EIA is the primary tool for integrating environmental considerations into
Project project design and execution. Project proponents and regulatory agencies should consider the
Planning environmental impacts of a single project. Ideally, EIA at the project level should take place in the
context of regional and sectoral level planning; if this is not feasible, the scope of EIA reports may have
to include the considerations of broad land use issues. In addition, if environmental effects are
considered only at the project level, decision makers will have difficulty taking account of cumulative
environmental effects. These are impacts which at first instant may appear minor for any one project,
but can become significant when groups of related projects are considered together. The absence of
regional and sectoral planning increases the time duration and cost involved in the preparation of the
EIA report and thus project approval becomes costly and time-consuming.
Thank you