Environmental Impact Assessment

(EES 441)

Lectures – 5 & 6

Dr Somil Swarnkar
EES, IISER Bhopal

Office – 208 AB4 Budling

Email – [email protected]
 Basics of EIA

(a) Purpose and Definition: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a

process used to evaluate the environmental effects of a proposed project
or development before it begins. The main purpose of EIA is to ensure that
decision-makers consider environmental impacts before approving
projects, helping to minimize or mitigate negative effects on the
environment.

(b) Steps in EIA Process: The EIA process typically involves several key
steps: (1) screening (determining if a project requires an EIA), (2) scoping
(identifying which potential impacts are relevant), (3) impact assessment
(predicting and evaluating the potential impacts), (4) public consultation
(involving the community in the assessment process), and (5) reporting
(documenting the findings in an Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS).
 Basics of EIA

(c) Key Considerations: EIA considers various environmental factors,

including air and water quality, biodiversity, land use, human health,
and cultural heritage. It also takes into account the potential
cumulative effects of a project when combined with other existing or
planned developments.

(d) Legislation and Regulation: EIAs are often required by law in many
countries, especially for large or potentially harmful projects.
Regulations vary by country but generally require that the EIA report is
reviewed by government agencies and made available for public
comment before a project can proceed.
 Basics of EIA

(1) Strategic environmental assessment

(2) Regional environmental assessment

(3) A sectoral environmental assessment

(4) An environmental impact assessment

 Strategic environmental assessment

• Broader Scope: Unlike project-level Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), SEA

evaluates the environmental effects of policies, plans, and programs (PPPs). It
considers the long-term, cumulative, and indirect impacts of these higher-level
decisions.

• Integration with Policy-Making: SEA is integrated into the early stages of decision-
making processes, helping to ensure that environmental considerations are
incorporated at the strategic level, before specific projects are developed.

• Public Participation: SEA emphasizes stakeholder and public participation, allowing

communities and other interested parties to have a say in the strategic decisions that
could affect the environment.

• Sustainability Focus: The goal of SEA is to promote sustainable development by

ensuring that environmental and sustainability issues are considered alongside
economic and social factors in planning and policy-making.
 Regional environmental assessment

• Geographical Focus: Regional Environmental Assessment (REA) evaluates the

environmental impacts of multiple projects or activities within a specific geographic
region. It considers the cumulative effects of all proposed and existing developments
in that area.

• Cumulative Impact Analysis: REA assesses the cumulative impacts on the

environment, which may not be apparent in individual project assessments. This
approach helps identify broader environmental trends and potential conflicts among
various projects within the region.

• Integration with Regional Planning: REA is often linked with regional planning
processes, ensuring that environmental considerations are aligned with regional
development goals. It helps guide sustainable land use, resource management, and
infrastructure development.

• Stakeholder Involvement: REA involves consultation with a wide range of

stakeholders, including local communities, governments, and environmental groups,
to ensure that diverse perspectives are considered in the assessment of regional
environmental impacts.
 Sectoral environmental assessment

• Sector-Specific Focus: Sectoral Environmental Assessment (SEA) evaluates the

environmental impacts of policies, plans, or programs within a specific economic
sector, such as agriculture, energy, or transportation. It identifies potential
environmental risks and opportunities unique to that sector.

• Guidance for Sustainable Development: SEA provides strategic guidance for

integrating environmental considerations into sectoral planning and decision-
making. It aims to ensure that sectoral development aligns with environmental
sustainability goals and reduces potential adverse impacts.

• Cumulative and Synergistic Effects: SEA assesses the cumulative and synergistic
effects of multiple activities within the sector, helping to identify interactions
between different projects or policies that might amplify environmental impacts.

• Support for Policy Formulation: By identifying environmental challenges and

opportunities early in the planning process, SEA helps policymakers and planners
develop sector-specific strategies that mitigate negative impacts and promote
positive environmental outcomes.
 Principles of EIA
Barrette and Therivel (1991) suggested that an ideal EIA system
would:

• Apply to all the projects which have the potential to cause

significant environmental impacts, and address all the
significant environmental impacts

• Compare alternatives to a proposed project, management

techniques, and mitigation measures

• Result in a clear environmental impact statement (EIS) which

conveys the importance of the likely impacts and their specific
characteristics to the non-experts as well as experts in the field

• Involve broad public participation and undergo stringent

administrative review procedures
 Principles of EIA
Barrette and Therivel (1991)

• Be timed in such a way that it provides the required

information for decision-making

• Enforceable

• Incorporate monitoring and feedback procedures

 Principles of EIA
• Principle 1- Review and Categorization

• Principle 2- Environmental and Social Assessment

• Principle 3- Applicable Environmental and Social Standards

• Principle 4- Environmental and Social Management System

• Principle 5- Stakeholder Engagement

• Principle 6- Grievance Mechanism

• Principle 7- Independent Review

• Principle 8- Covenants

• Principle 9- Independent Monitoring and Reporting

• Principle 10- Reporting and Transparency

 Important Principles of EIA
• Precautionary Principle: This principle emphasizes the need to take preventive
action in the face of uncertainty. It advocates for caution when there is a lack of
scientific certainty regarding the potential environmental impacts of a project,
ensuring that protective measures are taken to avoid harm to the environment.

• Sustainability Principle: EIA aims to promote sustainable development by ensuring

that projects are environmentally sound, socially acceptable, and economically
viable. The principle emphasizes balancing environmental protection with economic
and social needs to ensure long-term sustainability.

• Participation Principle: EIA encourages the involvement of all stakeholders, including

the public, in the assessment process. This principle ensures transparency,
accountability, and inclusivity, allowing communities and interested parties to
express their views and concerns about potential environmental impacts.

• Integration Principle: This principle advocates for the integration of environmental

considerations into the decision-making process at all stages of a project. It ensures
that environmental factors are considered alongside economic and social factors,
leading to more informed and balanced decisions.
Environment-interaction of components
 Scopes of EIA
• Short-term

Inform the process of decision-making by identifying the

potentially significant environmental effects and risks

• Long-term

Promote sustainable development by ensuring that the

proposed development project does not undermine critical
resource and ecological functions or the well-being, lifestyle,
and livelihood of the communities and people who depend
on them.

• Spatial Coverage

Areal coverage by proposed project

 Immediate Objectives of EIA

a. improve the environmental design of the project

b. ensure that resources are used appropriately and

effectively

c. identify appropriate measures for mitigating potential

impacts of the project

d. facilitate informed decision-making, including setting the

environmental terms and conditions for implementing the
project
 Ultimate Objectives of EIA

a. protecting human health and safety

b. avoiding irreversible changes and serious damage to the

environment

c. safeguarding valued resources, natural areas, and

ecosystem components

d. enhancing the social aspects of the project

 Shortcomings of EIA

•Poor availability and reliability of data

•Insufficient training/education in EIA methodologies and in the

establishment of appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks and
institutional arrangement

•Negligence of beneficial impacts in EIA reports

•Lack of consideration of alternative sites, technologies, designs and

strategies
 Shortcomings of EIA

•Insufficient involvement and participation of all interested and

affected parties

•Insufficient emphasis on required cost effectiveness of EIA

•Lack of follow up monitoring and evaluation

•Inappropriate recommendations – mitigation/adaptation measures

which are not affordable or feasible in terms of maintenance.

•Poor presentation of EIA results.

 Overall Scopes of Improving EIA

•Independent body of EIA

•Sector-wise EIA

•Strong Policies

•Public Participations
 Four Major Scopes of Improving EIA

(1) Enhancing Predictive Accuracy: Improving the accuracy of

predictions regarding environmental impacts is essential. This can be
achieved through better data collection, advanced modeling
techniques, and the use of more sophisticated environmental
assessment tools to reduce uncertainties and provide more reliable
forecasts of potential impacts.

(2) Strengthening Public Participation: Ensuring broader and more

meaningful public involvement in the EIA process is key. This includes
improving access to information, extending consultation periods, and
actively engaging marginalized communities. Enhancing participation
can lead to better decision-making and greater public trust in the EIA
process.
(3) Integrating Cumulative Impact Assessment: EIAs often focus on
the impacts of individual projects without considering the cumulative
effects of multiple projects within a region. Incorporating cumulative
impact assessments would provide a more holistic view of potential
environmental changes and help in better managing regional and long-
term impacts.

(4) Expanding Scope to Include Climate Change: The scope of EIA

should be expanded to include comprehensive assessments of climate
change impacts and mitigation measures. This would involve
evaluating how proposed projects contribute to or are affected by
climate change and ensuring that climate resilience and adaptation
strategies are integrated into project planning.
What is Environment Impact Statement (EIS)?
What is Environment Impact Statement (EIS)?

• The environmental impact statement (EIS) is a

government document that outlines the impact of a
proposed project on its surrounding environment.

• Environmental impact statements are meant to

inform the work and decisions of policymakers and
community leaders.
What is Environment Impact Statement (EIS)?

Section 1—Introduces the Proposed Action and its Purpose and

Need

Section 2—Describes the Affected Environment, provides a

baseline for understanding the current environmental situation in
relation to the Proposed Action.

Section 3—Presents a Range of Alternatives to the Proposed

Action—this is considered the “heart” of the EIS. There is always a
No Action Alternative presented. Understanding how the
environment would respond if no action were taken helps to
evaluate the Proposed Action and Alternatives.

Section 4—Analyzes the environmental impact of each of the

Proposed Actions and Range of Alternatives.
What is Environment Impact Statement (EIS)?

Section 4 includes following points:

1. Impacts to threatened or endangered species

2. Air and water quality impacts

3. Impacts to historical and cultural sites, particularly sites

of significance for indigenous peoples

4. Social and economical impacts to local communities

5. Cost and schedule analysis for all of the actions and

alternatives presented
What is Environment Impact Statement (EIS)?

While not required in the EIS

• Financial Plan

• Environmental Mitigation Plan

• Additional documentation comply with state and

environmental policies
Legal provision at different stages of EIA

Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974

• India’s first attempts to comprehensively deal with environmental

issues.

• The Act prohibits the discharge of pollutants into water bodies

beyond a given standard, and lays down penalties for non-
compliance.

• It set up the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) which lays

down standards for the prevention and control of water pollution

• At the State level, the SPCBs (State Pollution Control Board)

function under the direction of the CPCB and the state government.
Legal provision at different stages of EIA

Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981

• To counter the problems associated with air pollution, ambient air

quality standards were established, under the 1981 Act.

• The Act seeks to combat air pollution by prohibiting the use of

polluting fuels and substances, as well as by regulating appliances
that give rise to air pollution.

• National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for major

pollutants were notified by the CPCB in April 1994.

• The boards are also expected to test the air in air pollution control
areas, inspect pollution control equipment, and manufacturing
processes.
Legal provision at different stages of EIA

The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Amendment 1991

• The WPA (Wildlife Protection Act), 1972, provides for protection to

listed species of flora and fauna and establishes a network of
ecologically-important protected areas.

• The WPA empowers the central and state governments to declare

any area a wildlife sanctuary, national park or closed area.

• There is a blanket ban on carrying out any industrial activity inside

these protected areas.

• The near-total prohibition on hunting was made more effective by

the Amendment Act of 1991.
Legal provision at different stages of EIA

The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980

• This Act was adopted to protect and conserve forests.

• The Act restricts the powers of the state in respect of de-reservation

of forests and use of forestland for non-forest purposes

• includes clearing any forestland for cultivation of cash crops,

plantation crops, horticulture or any purpose other than re-
afforestation
Legal provision at different stages of EIA

Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (EPA)

• This Act is an umbrella legislation designed to provide a framework

for the co-ordination of central and state authorities established
under the Water (Prevention and Control) Act, 1974 and Air
(Prevention and Control) Act, 1981.

• Under this Act, the central government is empowered to take

measures necessary to protect and improve the quality of the
environment by setting standards for emissions and discharges
 Legal provision at different stages of EIA

Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (EPA)

• Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989,

which brought out a guide for manufacture, storage and import of
hazardous chemicals and for management of hazardous wastes.

• Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998,

were formulated along parallel lines, for proper disposal,
segregation, transport etc. of infectious wastes.

• Municipal Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000,

whose aim was to enable municipalities to dispose municipal solid
waste in a scientific manner.

• Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Amendment

Rules, 2000, a recent notification issued with the view to providing
guidelines for the import and export of hazardous waste in the
country.
 Legal provision at different stages of EIA

Factories Act, 1948 and its Amendment in 1987

• The primary aim of the 1948 Act has been to ensure the welfare of
workers not only in their working conditions in the factories but also
their employment benefits.

• While ensuring the safety and health of the workers, the Act
contributes to environmental protection.
Legal provision at different stages of EIA

National Environment Tribunal Act, 1995

• The Act provided strict liability for damages arising out of any
accident occurring while handling any hazardous substance

• give relief and compensation for damages to persons, property and

the environment
Legal provision at different stages of EIA

Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer

(to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone
Layer), 1987

• The protocol set targets for reducing the consumption and

production of a range of ozone depleting substances (ODS).

• In a major innovation the Protocol recognized that all nations should

not be treated equally.

• The agreement acknowledges that certain countries have

contributed to ozone depletion more than others.
 References

• Handbook of Environmental Impact

Assessment by Arjun Kumar Rathi

• Environmental Impact Assessment by

NS Raman et al.

• https://moef.gov.in/wp-
content/uploads/wssd/doc2/ch2.html