Environmental Impact Assessment

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a sustainability tool used to assess the environmental impact of a project to the environment. EIA is deemed sustainable because the present generation and future generation would benefit from it. It usually assesses the impact on air, water, land and human beings and are used by Clients, Contractors, Consultants and the Community.

All projects have positive and negative impacts but the negative impacts are the target of EIA. Some of the impacts are air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, loss of flora and fauna etc.

Brief history of EIA

After the second world war, a pressure group discovered that industrialization cause negative effect on the environment. They worked to protect the environment and made policies towards that. Their policies were codified into EIA principles. The EIA was readily accepted by industrialized nations but developing nations hesitated to accept it because:

1. They see it as means the colonial masters wants to use to subject them to further underdevelopment.
2. They conceive it as an idea.

Over the years, several conventions have been held by the United Nations (UN) on Environmental Protection and EIA is more widely accepted.

Processes of EIA

EIA processes are codified into a flow chart as shown below

There should be proposal for the project at hand. The proposal would be screened (examined) to know whether the EIA would be carried out or not. If it would be carried out, the level of detail the EIA should be taken to would also be examined. There should be an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) which is a written output of screening that shows whether or not EIA should be done. Scoping involves the public /host community and interest group to determine the depth and scope of EIA. Impact analysis is done to analyse the impact of the project on the environment and determine the components of the environment affected by the project. Mitigation factors for the impact would be determined, examined and documented as well.

Finally, the EIA report is documented as the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) and presented to decision makers who reviews it and makes decision to approve it or not….

Qualities of EIA 

1. It should be comprehensive.
2. It should be objective in its approach.
3. It should be sufficient for a reasonable and intelligent mind to examine it.
4. It should have information that should alert the government, the host community and others to know the consequences of the project.
5. It should explore possible alternatives to the project that will maximize profits and minimize costs and impacts.

Shortcomings of EIA

1. Some EIA are not easy to report because some terms are technical.
2. Sometimes, they are scantly made lacking information for quality decision making.
3. There could be lack of transparency on officers involved.
4. It is sometimes inconsistent in quality.
5. Some are excessively long.

Advantages of EIA report

1. Improve project design and siting.
2. More decision making.
3. It increases accountability and transparency in the project.
4. It improves the integration of the project into the environment and social setting.
5. It tries to reduce environmental damage.
6. Provide positive contribution towards achieving sustainability, which is the aim of EIA.

Weaknesses of EIA

1. Sometimes EIA does not involve public participation.
2. There is no consistency in ensuring quality EIA.
3. It is difficult to establish the scope of the EIA.
4. Poor integration of socio-economic and health effects.
5. Poor link between EIA processes and the monitoring (difficulty in implementing EIA by decision makers).

Methods of EIA

These methods are usually implemented at the scoping stage of EIA flow process. They include:

1. ADHOC
2. Checklist
3. Overlay map
4. Matrix
5. Network
6. Consultation method