EIA Procedure

2nd August, 2017

 EIA Procedure

Three sequential elements: EIA process

 Identifying of all positive and negative impacts on Nature and Human
Environment resulting from the proposed project.
 Evaluation or assessment which includes quantification of the identified
impacts with respect to a common base and with respect to impacts from
other project actions.
 Preparation of a mitigation plan which upon implementation will reduce or
offset the potentially significant negative impacts of the project to acceptable
levels.

2
 Three overlapping stages of Impact Analysis

Identification-


identifying impacts associated with each phase of the project and the activities
undertaken

Prediction-


forecasting the nature, magnitude and extent and duration of the main impacts

Evaluation-


determining the significance of the residual impact i.e., after taking into account
how mitigation will reduce the significant impacts.
 Introduction to Impact Analysis

Information required to establish baseline conditions

 current conditions (baseline)

 current and expected trends
 effects of proposals already being implemented
 effects of other proposals yet to be implemented

5
 Introduction to Impact Analysis

Impact characteristics can vary in:

 nature (positive/negative, direct/indirect)
 magnitude (severe, moderate, low)
 extent/location (area/volume covered, distribution)
 timing (during construction, operation etc., immediate, delayed)
 duration (short term/long term, intermittent/continuous)
 reversibility/irreversibility
 likelihood (probability, uncertainty)
 significance (local, regional, global)

6
 EIA Procedure: Steps
Step 1: Preparatory Works
 Study the IEE report carefully
 Identifying the area of influence by the project
 Delineate the major environmental parameters required in-depth study
 Identifying the criteria for measurement of environmental alterations.
Step 2: Data Collection
 Collect information related to the project from all possible secondary sources
 Conduct field survey to collect primary data regarding existing physical, ecological
and socio-economic conditions
 Collect opinion of well informed local people and beneficiaries
 Develop questionnaires to acquire necessary field data.
Step 3: Data Analysis
 Convert qualitative and quantitative field assessment to values indicating
magnitude of environmental changes
 Make independent quantification, if EIA team consists of more than on member
and then make the average value.
7
EIA Procedure: Steps

8
9
Relative
importance of
environmental
parameter

10
EIA Methods
 Approach developed to identify, predict and value changes of an action
 Mechanisms by which information is collected and organized, evaluated and
presented
 Concerned with predicting the future states of environmental parameters and
may involve mathematical modeling.

11
EIA Methods
Some common methods are:
 Checklists
 Matrices
 Networks/Flowcharts
 Cost Benefit Analysis
 EES (Environmental Evaluation System)
 Overlays/GIS

12
Choice of a particular EIA method depends on:
 Type and size of proposed project; e.g. methods developed for a local housing
project can not be used for a large infrastructure project
 Types of alternatives being assessed
 Nature of the likely impacts
 Experience in using the EIA method
 Time and resource availability for an individual EIA
 Nature of public involvement
 Experience of the proponent
 Procedural/administrative requirements
 Size, type and environmental structure of the area.

13
Checklists
 Standard lists of the types of impacts associated with a particular type of project
 Primarily organizing information to ensure that no potential impact is overlooked.
 Should enable identification of impacts on
– Soil
– Water
– Air
– Flora
– Fauna
– Resources
– Recreation
– Cultural
14
Example of a checklist

16
Questionnaire checklists:
Based on a series of questions to be answered related to the potential impacts of the
project. They may provide a scale for classifying the estimated impacts from highly
negative to highly beneficial. There are no guidelines or information on how the various
factors are to be measured.
Example of a questionnaire checklist
Disease vectors
–
Are there known disease problems in the project area transmitted through
vector species such as mosquitoes, flies, snails, etc.? (yes, no, or not known)
Are these vector species associated with:
–
 aquatic habitat? (yes, no, not known)
–
forest habitats? (yes, no, not known)
–
agricultural habitats? (yes, no, not known)
Will the project provide opportunities for vector control through improved standards
of living? (yes, no, not known).
Example of a questionnaire check list for a hydropower project
 Example of a descriptive checklist
Data Required Information Sources & Predictive Techniques

Nuisance
* Change in occurrence of odour, smoke, * Expected industrial processes and traffic
haze, etc., and number of people affected. volumes, citizen surveys.

Water quality
* For each body of water, changes in water * Current water quality, current and expected
use, and number of people affected. effluent.

Noise
* Change in noise levels, frequency of * Current noise levels, change in traffic or
occurrence, and number of people bothered. other noise sources, changes in noise
mitigation measures, noise propagation
model, citizen surveys.
Advantages of the checklist method
· Checklists provide all possible relationships and impacts, out of which a set tailored for the specific
assignment may be chosen.
· Checklists help people in responsible positions to become more aware of what they should be looking for
when assessing a proposed project.
· Checklists may also help to produce a higher degree of awareness of the environmental aspects of a
project.
· Quantification of impacts is possible using the weighted-scale method.
Limitations of the checklist method
· Descriptive checklists may be exhaustive, including the impacts during the various stages of the project.
However, no quantitative information is provided regarding magnitude and degree of impact.
· Another important drawback of this method is the way it attempts to compartmentalize the environment.
Environmental systems comprise a complex web of interrelated parts, often incorporating feedback loops.
This fact is not included in the weighted checklists. This method should be therefore used with some caution.
Its quantitative features may be used to distinguish between alternatives and so should be used only when a
comparison needs a quantitative resolution.
· The main drawback of the checklist method is the inability to relate individual activities to environmental
components affected by these activities.
 Matrices

 Matrix methods identify interactions between various project actions and environmental
parameters and components
 Allow for the identification of cause-effect relationships
 Can address impact severity and significance
 Qualitative or quantitative estimates can be used
 A matrix of potential interactions is produced by combining these two lists (placing one
on the vertical axis and other on the horizontal axis).
 Matrices

Is a grid-like table which shows interaction between:

–
project activities-displayed along one axis, and environmental indicators-displayed
along other axis.

“Entries” are made in the cells to highlight features related to the nature of the impact,

–
ticks or symbols can identify impact type

–
numbers or a range of dot sizes to indicate scale; or

–
descriptive comments can be made
 Types of matrices
Simple matrices
–
indicate that an impact is expected to occur, without reference to
magnitude or significance.

Complex /Interaction matrices

–
provide quantitative estimates of impact magnitude and significance,
and
–
can be combined with a weighting scheme leading to a total "impact
score" (used for significance as well)
Simple Matrix for the Pangani Falls Redevelopment Project (Tanzania)

Activity Impacts
Land clearance, visual intrusion, acceleration of run-off, dust, noise,
bulldozing diesel fumes, soil erosion, soil compaction, exposure
of sub-soil, silt to river, destruction of vegetation.

Stone crushing dust, noise, soil erosion, lethal hazard to workers

Traffic oily waste run-off, noise, hazard to pedestrians and
animals, dust to roadside
Impoundment of the inundation of swamp, loss of wetland vegetation, loss
headpoint of habitat for wildlife especially passerine birds;
desiccation of the riverbed between the headrace and
tailrace, alteration of the aquatic and riparian ecology,
scoring of riverbed downstream - changing the
environment for aquatic life

Road making, trenching noise, visual intrusion, dust, fumes, hard surfacing
causing alteration of drainage, acceleration of run-off
and reduced infiltration, soil erosion, soil compaction,
exposure of sub-soil, silt to river, contamination of
groundwater.
Simple matrices are useful:
 early in EIA processes for scoping the assessment;
 for identifying areas that require further research;
 for identifying interactions between project activities and specific environmental
components.

However, matrices also have their disadvantages:

 they tend to overly simplify impact pathways,
 they do not explicitly represent spatial or temporal considerations,
 they do not adequately address synergistic impacts.
Interaction matrix

An abstract presentation of an interaction

matrix.
Rows represent environmental elements.
Columns show the different project activities
for the construction and the operation phase
of the proposed project.
Leopold Matrix

A typical well-known example of an interaction matrix

The magnitude and importance of impacts can be expressed

using different symbols, colors or hatchings.
 The one big disadvantage of the Leopold matrix is that it does not
explicitly describe spatial and temporal effects of the environmental
activity. It merely gives us the magnitude and significance of the
interaction.
 Second, it tends to be too simplified when you require a comprehensive
analysis of the impacts on the project area. A numerical value of the
magnitude and impact is not sufficient for a contractor to understand
the impact their activities are having and why they should overcome
it.
 Third, they cannot explain linkages between two environmental
aspects. In other words, it does not describe secondary and tertiary
impacts. It is extremely likely that more than one activity will have
multiple levels of impacts on the environmental aspects of the project
area. How will you gain this information?
 Networks / Flowcharts

Illustrate the cause-effect relationship of activities and environmental

characteristics
Useful in identifying and depicting secondary impacts (indirect, cumulative,
etc.)
Networks are capable of identifying
– direct and indirect impacts,
– higher-order effects and
– interactions between impacts and,
– hence are able to identify and incorporate mitigation and management
measures into the planning stages of a project.

Network diagrams may be used to illustrate linkages and higher order effects in the
system.
Figure illustrates how secondary and higher order effects may be evaluated in cause
effect chains.
A problem with this kind of diagrams is that it tends to become large and complex.
There are no quantitative measures on impact magnitude or significance.
Features of Network Method
The network analysis assessment method is based on the concept that there
are links and interaction pathways between individual elements of the
environment, and that where one element is specifically affected this will
also have an effect on those elements which interact with it identifies the
pathway of an impact using a series of chains (networks) or webs (system
diagrams) between a proposed action and the receptor of an impact.

Cumulative impacts can also be identified in network and systems

diagrams where different actions or developments can affect the same
environmental element or receptor.
 Network Approach

 The network approach was developed to consider the secondary,

tertiary and higher-order impacts that can arise from an initial impact.
 Impact networks are also useful to show cumulative impacts.
 The major strength of a network is its ability to identify pathways
along which both direct and indirect effects are produced, and its
usefulness is in the consideration of mitigating measures during the
early stages of the project.
 Impact networks may become very complicated for large projects.
 Impact networks or graphs consist of logic operations.
A Network Diagram
A Network Diagram:
 Networks/Flowcharts

Advantages:
 integrated assessment, instead of discipline by discipline

 inter-relations between causes and effects, including indirect impacts

 cumulative impact assessment – communication (when simple).

Disadvantages:
 complexity (especially visually complex)
 difficult to distinguish and quantify magnitudes (and importance) of different impacts
 Overlays- Geographical Information System (GIS)

Illustrates the geographical extent of different impacts using GIS mapping.

Each overlay is a map of a single impact.

saline effected areas, deforested areas, limit of a groundwater
pollution plume, etc.
The magnitude of the impact could be expressed using different shading
intensities, with darker shading representing a greater impact.

With such a composite of overlaid map sheets both the spatial distribution
and the magnitude of impacts could be easily demonstrated and
comprehended by interested parties.

40
Overlays and GIS
Mathematical Modelling
Is most useful for impact prediction
assesses both flow quantities and qualities
 (e.g, salt/water balances, pollution transport, changing flood
patterns)
 But, depend of quality data inputs.
 Expert systems
 Expert systems or knowledge-based computer systems are
particularly useful when there is a shortage of expertise to conduct
the assessment.

 Such systems may also have potential for improving public

involvement.

 The approach is based on a computer programme that stores a

body of knowledge, the knowledge base.

 Special computer programmes called 'ínference engines' are used

to process this knowledge base and apply it to a particular problem
('knowledge rules')
 Expert systems

 A user helps to perform tasks that usually demand input from a

human expert. The user is presented with ‘questions’ developed
from existing knowledge, through an (user) interface.
 The expert system reviews the answer given to each question.
 If some of the information needed comes from existing data
instead of the user, a data base has to be connected to the system.
 The data base can also be used to store the output from the
system.
 Expert systems can be useful but cost a lot of time and expertise
to develop.

45
 Expert systems

General structure of an expert system

a set of rules for

applying the
knowledge base to
each particular
situation
Main advantages and disadvantages of impact identification methods

47
EES

49
50
Relative
importance of
environmental
parameter

51
Example: EIV

-19

-13

52
Example: EIV (continued)

+27
-3

53
Example
To find out the possible environmental impacts an EIA was performed for a “Lather Industry” which will be
established near Turag river. A total no of 150 people were participated in the survey. Find out the Total EIV in a
tabular form from the following information and comment about the results whether it should be established or
not. In parentheses relative importance factor are given.
Ecological Impact:-
Fisheries [10]: 55 people answered severe negative impact, 50 people answered higher negative impact, 30
people answered moderate negative impact and 15 people answered very low negative impact.
Tree plantation [5]: 40 people answered higher negative impact, 60 people answered very low negative impact,
and others answered no change of environment.
Wetland [1]: 100 people answered no change, 20 people answered moderate negative impact, and 30 people
answered very low positive impact.
Physio-chemical:-
Drainage Congestion [5]: 45 people answered low negative impact, 65 people answered very low negative impact,
and the remaining people answered no change.
Obstruction to waste water flow [4]: 60 people answered moderate negative impact, 20 people answered very
low negative impact and remaining answered no change.
Human Interest:-
Employment opportunities [8]: 75 people answered severe positive impact, 30 people answered higher positive
impact and 25 people answered low positive impact, and remaining answered no change.
Industrial activities [3]: All the people answered very low positive impact.

54
 Evaluation of Ecological Impact

 Ecological consequence of the activity

 Likelihood of occurrence of the activity
 Calculating the product of these two parameters.

Impact Significance
The significance of ecological impact is determined by calculating the
consequence and likelihood of occurrence of the activity, expressed as follows
Significance = Consequence × Likelihood

55
56
57