Environmental Impact

Assessment
Prepared by
Dr. Siraj M.A. Goran
EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment)
 EIA is a systematic process to identify, predict and
evaluate the environmental effects of proposed
actions and projects on the environment.
 A broad definition of environment is adopted.
Whenever appropriate social, cultural and
health effects are also considered as an
integral part of EIA.
 Finally, particular attention is given in EIA for
preventing, mitigating and offsetting the
significant adverse effects of proposed
undertakings
Definition
 It is a planning and
management tool for sustainable
development that seeks to identify the
type, magnitude and probability of
environmental and social changes
likely to occur as direct or indirect
result of a project or policy and to
design the possible mitigation
procedure.
 EIAacts as a Practical Solutions for
Problems) as:

∗ Determining and managing (identifying,

describing, measuring, predicting,
interpreting, integrating, communicating,
involving and controlling),
 ∗ Potential (or real) impacts (direct and
indirect, cumulative, likelihood)
 ∗ Proposed (or existing) human actions

(projects, plans, programs, legislation, activities)

and their alternatives on the environment,

Environment (Physical, Chemical, biological,

human health, cultural, social, economic, built
and interactions)”
EIA is a tool that is applied…
 before major decisions are taken and when all
alternatives are still open;
 to inform all stages of decision making,

including final approval and the establishment

of conditions for project implementation;
 public participation and consultation; and

 to integrate environmental considerations

and safeguards into all phases of project

design, construction and operation
Environment will cover, the existing
condition in or/and around the area is as
much as:
 (i) Physical environment to include:
 (a) Land and Climate: Weather conditions to include
temperature (ambient), humidity, wind velocity,
precipitation, land use, topography, geology and
seismic considerations.
 (b) Atmospheric conditions: Ambient air quality at

the site and around specially in down wind direction

 (c) Water bodies: Laks, rivers, ponds and canals.

Hydrology and existing quality. Ground water

availability and flow regime
 (d) Noise level
 (ii) Chemical Environment to include:
 (a) Industrial activities, types of industries at
the site and around (10 km radius), types of
wastes produced and methods of treatment
and disposal of effluents.
 (b) City dumping sites, land fill sites
 (iii)Infrastructure: Public Services, Water
Supply, Waste Treatment Plants, Energy
resources, distribution system, Transport
system, communication, important buildings,
heritage, sites etc.

 (iv)Biological environment: Vegetation,

forests, flora, fauna. Natural vegetation,
parks, cultivated land, crops, threatened and
endangered species.
 Before1960, seldom environmental factors
considered in economic equation.
 Environment is a comprehensive term meaning
surroundings. It includes the gaseous envelope
surrounding earth, the Atmosphere, the mass of
water above and below the earth, the
Hydrosphere, the land masses that support life,
the Lithosphere, and the whole microbes,
plants, and animals, collectively referred as,
Biosphere.
 Man is often said to be his own enemy.
This is perhaps true in the consequence of
human activities to provide food, shelter,
amenities (characters) and transport.
While products of industry and agriculture
make human existence more bearable and
pleasant, they give rise to waste effluents
and emissions.
 Some of the interactions of human
existence relate to:
- utilization of a resource without impairing its
use,
 - disposal of wastes without creating problems,

 - degradation of forest wealth and exploitation

of biota
 The rapid growth of population, improvements
in standards of living and concomitant growth
of infrastructure have altered the environment,
sometimes beyond its power of resilience.
These changes have resulted in
ecological crisis and have become a
matter of grave concern to managers and
decision makers throughout the world.
The issues both at national and global levels are
focussing concern of nodal agencies (to support
sustainable development and tend to produce
adverse impacts on living conditions of
human, animals, plants and geographical
environment.
History
 The National Environmental Policy Act 1969 of
USA is the legislative basis for EIA. The policy
was the result of wide spread recognition in the
1960s that some major environmental
problems were created by the government’s
projects (power stations, dams and
reservoirs, industrial complexes).
 The legislation made mandatory to assess the
environmental consequences of all projects by
federal agencies.
 In 1990s, many developed and some developing
countries designed their EIA legislation. e.g. New
Zealand (1991), Canada (1995), Australia (1999),
Vietnam (1993), Uganda (1994), Ecuador (1997).
 Today, EIA is firmly established in planning
process in many of these countries.
 Purposes/Aims and
Objectives
 Environmental impact assessment is an important
management tool for improving the long-term viability
of projects. Its use can help to avoid mistakes that can
be expensive and damaging in environmental, social
and economic terms. Human activities are altering
natural cycles and systems on an unprecedented scale,
and the cumulative effects of these activities are
estimated to be on part with bio-physical processes as an
agent of ecological change.
 Usually, the cost of undertaking an EIA
accounts for only a small proportion of
total project costs (usually less than
0.1% of overall project costs), but
savings to the project from an impact
assessment can often considerably more.
 More broadly, EIA is used for early warning
planning of a wide range of resource use,
development, and conservation initiatives in
order to make the most of options for
achieving sustainability.
 We live in a greenhouse world of ozone

holes and vanishing (disappear) species. It

is now considered that the impact of human
activities on the biosphere is reaching
critical thresholds, with the consequent
threat of ecological breakdown and social
conflict.
The immediate aim of EIA is to inform
the process of decision-making by
identifying the potentially significant
environmental effects and risks of
development proposals.
Objectives related to this aim
are to:
 improve the environmental design of
the proposal;
 ensure that resources are used
appropriately and efficiently;
 identify appropriate measures for
mitigating the potential impacts of
the proposal; and
 facilitate informed decision making,
including setting the environmental
terms and conditions for
implementing the proposal.
 The ultimate (long term) aim of EIA is to promote
sustainable development by ensuring that
development proposals do not undermine (destroy)
critical resource and ecological functions or the
well being, lifestyle and livelihood of the
communities and peoples who depend on them.

Objectives related to this aim are to:

 protect human health and safety;
 avoid irreversible changes and serious damage to
the environment;
 safeguard valued resources, natural areas and
ecosystem components; and
 enhance the social aspects of the proposal.
Steps in EIA
 Proposal
identification

EIA required Screening No EIA

Initial
Scoping environmental
examination

Impact analysis

Mitigation
and impact
management
*Public involvement
Resubmit EIA report
*Public involvement typically
occurs at these points.
It may also occur at any
Redesign Review other stage of the EIA Process

Not approved Decision-making

Approved
Information from this process
contributes to effective EIAin the future
Implementation
and post-EIA
monitoring
Step 1: Screening
 This step determines:
• whether or not EIA is required for a
particular project
• what level of EIA is required (Level A, B, C)

 Screening Outcomes:
 Full or comprehensive EIA required
 Limited EIA required
 No EIA required
Tools for Screening
 Project lists:
• Inclusive (Comprehensive) — listed projects
must undergo EIA
• Exclusive — listed projects exempted from
EIA

 Case-by-case examinations:
• determine whether projects may have
significant environmental effects
• if so, project should undergo EIA

 Combination of above
‫‪Eg….‬‬
‫الفصل الثالث‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫تصنيف المشاريع حسب درجة تلوثها للبيئة‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫األنشطة الملوثة للبيئة صنف ( أ )‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫اوال ‪ -:‬المشاريع الصناعية‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫الصناعات الغذائية‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫تكرير واستخراج الزيوت النباتية‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫تكرير الزيوت النباتية ومعالجات اخرى لها والزيوت‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫المهدرجة ‪/‬ومصانع الزبدة والزيوت والدهون النباتية‬

‫والحيوانية المهدرجة المعدة للطعام‪.‬‬
‫صناعة الغزل والنسيج وااللياف الصناعية‬ ‫‪‬‬
‫‪ ‬مصانع االلياف الصناعية كالحرير الصناعي والنايلون والتي تحتوي على وحدات صباغة‪.‬‬
‫‪ ‬اعمال صباغة المنسوجات والسجاد وغيرها‪.‬‬
‫الصناعات الكيماوية‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫مصانع انتاج االحماض والقلويات ومشتقاتها‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫انتاج البوليمرات‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫مصانع انتاج واستنباط المبيدات الحشرية‪/‬مصانع التعبئة والخلط لكيماويات المبيدات‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫مصانع تقطير الفحم وانتاج مشتقاته‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫مصانع انتاج لب الورق من المواد االولية‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫المدابغ‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫انتاج اللقاحات بانواعها‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫انتاج زيوت المحركات والشحوم واعادة تصنيعها‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫الصناعات الكيماوية المتكاملة مثال مصانع االسمدة‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫معامل انتاج األدوية( البشرية والحيوانية )‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫صناعة الورق والمنتجات الكارتونية وورق تغليف الجدران الداخلية‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫مصانع الكبريت‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫تشكيل البالستيك – حقن البالستيك – مصانع الألنابيب البالستيكية – تخريز البالستيك‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫مصانع األصباغ الزيتية والوارنيش واحبار الطباعة‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫تصنيع المواد الكيمياوية المستعملة في معالجة المياه‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫معامل انتاج االطارات والمطاط‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫تصنيع البطاريات بكافة انواعها‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫األنشطة الملوثة للبيئة صنف (‬
‫ب)‬
‫اوال ‪ -:‬المشاريع الصناعية‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫‪-1‬الصناعات الغذائية‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫‪ -‬تصنيع اآليس كريم ذات طاقة انتاجية (‪)2‬طن فمافوق‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫‪ -‬مصانع الحلوى والعلك والسكريات والشرابت والعصائر والمرطبات والمشروبات‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫الغازية والصودا‪.‬‬
‫‪ -‬مصانع استخراج الزيوت النباتية التي ال تحتوي على تكرير او معالجة‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫‪ -‬مصانع تعليب الفواكه والخضروات‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫‪ -‬مصانع الخميرة وتخمير الشعير والمشروبات الكحولية بكافة انواعها‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫‪ -‬مصانع فرم التبوغ وتعبئته وصناعة السجائر وتبوغ النرجيلة ( التنباك )‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫‪ -‬مصانع تكرير السكر‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫‪ -‬المصانع التي تقوم بتصنيع منتجات االسماك ‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫‪ -‬مشاريع صناعات االلبان ذات طاقة انتاجية اكثر من (‪)3‬اطنان‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫‪ -‬منشآت تصنيع وانتاج اعالف الحيوانات واالسماك ( ما عدا البروتين)‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫‪ -‬معامل تدخين المواد الغذائية التي تنتج اكثر من ‪ 500‬كغم من المواد الغذائية يوميا‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫‪ -‬مجزرة وتجهيز وتعبئة الدواجن والطيور‪.‬‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫‪ -‬محالت تعبئة الحليب في زجاجات او صفائح او اوعية اخرى‪ /‬محالت تجميع وتعبئة‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫الحليب الخام للشرب‪.‬‬

 ‫االنشطة الملوثة للبيئة صنف ( ج )‬
‫‪‬اوًال ‪ -:‬المشاريع الصناعية‬
‫‪ -1‬الصناعات الغذائية‬
‫‪‬وتشمل المشاريع الوارد ذكرها في الفصل‬
‫الثالث ‪ -‬االنشطة الملوثة صنف (ج) ( فقرة‬
‫‪ -‬اوال‪) 1 -‬‬
Screening Process

Mandatory EIA
Inclusive threshold

Case-by-case
consideration
of requirement Indicative threshold
for EIA

Exclusive threshold
EIA ruled out
Step 2: Scoping
 begins once screening is completed
 the most important step in EIA
 establishes the content and scope of an EIA
report

Outcome:
 identifies key issues and impacts to be
considered
 lays the foundation of an effective process,
saves time and money, and reduces conflict
 Types of Scoping
Closed scoping:
wherein the content and scope of an EIA
Report is pre-determined by law and
modified through closed consultations
between a developer and the competent
authority
Open or Public scoping:
a transparent process based on public
consultations
Actors
Proponent (Propose person), EIA consultant,
supervisory authority for EIA, other
responsible agencies, affected public and
The scoping process
 prepare a scope
outline
 organise key issues
 develop the outline into impact
through informal categories (study list)
consultation with
environmental and  amend (improve) the
health authorities outline accordingly
 make the outline  develop ‘Terms of
available reference’ (ToR) for
 compile (collect) an impact analysis
extensive list of
concerns
 monitor progress
against the ToR,
 evaluate relevant revising as necessary
concerns to establish
SCOPING
 EXAMPLE : SCOPING
Impact Of A Proposed Paper Industry

A Paper Industry Is Proposed To Be Established In A

Locality And The Effluent Is Propoped To Discharge In
Adjacent River

ETP (Effluent Treatment Plant) Will Be Installed To

Bring The Discharge Down To Permissible Limit

There Are Few Other Industries Already Established

Discharging Effluent To The River At Allowable
Limit????

PeopleBath In River Water And Drink After

Treatment?

Significant Number Of People Depend On Fishing For

Occupation?
Major Issues(scoping)

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL BIOLOGICAL

ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT
The Level Of Increase Eutrophication (Effluent
Gaseous Air Pollutants Containing N ,P)

Possible Change In Noise Public Health Impact

Level
Fish Kills
Change In Downstream DO
Due To Discharge Of
Aqueous Effluent (Organic
Matter)
MAJOR ISSUES
(SCOPING)

THE HUMAN (SOCIAL) THE HUMAN (ECONOMIC)

ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT
Affect On Fisheries And Possibilty Of Increasing
Aquaculture As A Livlihood Drinking Water Treatment
For The Community Cost

Urbanization Trend And Productive Hour Loss Due To

Related Problem Environmental Degradation

Scope Of Job Creation Heath Treatment Cost

 Step 3: Impact Analysis
→ Type biophysical, social, health or
economic
→ Nature direct or indirect, cumulative, etc.
→ Magnitude or high, moderate, low
severity
→ Extent local, regional, trans-boundary or
global
→ Timing immediate/long term
→ Duration temporary/permanent
→ Uncertainty low likelihood/high probability
→ Reversibility reversible/irreversible
→ Significance* unimportant/important
Tools for Impact Analysis

 checklists
 matrices
 networks
 overlays and geographical information
systems (GIS)
 expert systems
 professional judgement
Step 4: Impact Mitigation

 to avoid, minimise or remedy

adverse impacts
 to ensure that residual impacts are
within acceptable levels
 to enhance environmental and
social benefits
 Framework for Impact
Mitigation

Common (desirable)
Alternative sites or
Avoidance technology to
eliminate habitat loss

Actions during
design, construction and
Mitigation operation to minimise
or eliminate habitat
loss

Used as a last resort

Compensation to offset habitat loss
Rare (undesirable)
Step 5: Reporting

Different name of EIA reports

 Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIA
Report)
 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
 Environmental Statement (ES)
 Environmental Assessment Report (EA Report)
 Environmental Effects Statement (EES)
 Contents of the Report

 1-Executive summery (a non-technical

summary)
 2-International and national Regulations
and law
 3-A description of the project;
• An outline of the main alternatives studied
by the developer, and an indication of the
main reasons for this choice,
• 4-A description of the aspects of the environment
likely to be significantly affected by the proposed
project;
• A description of the likely significant environmental
effects of the proposed project;
• 5-Measures to prevent, reduce and possibly offset
adverse environmental effects (Mitigation measure)
• An indication of any difficulties (technical
deficiencies or lack of know-how) encountered
while compiling the required information.
 6-Environmental Baseline study
 Environmental baseline sampling

7-Waste Management Plan

8-Environmental management and monitoring
Plan
9-Emergency and preparedness
10-Conclusions
11-References
 Step 6: Review
 Review the quality of the EIA report.
 Take public comments into account.
 Determine if the information is sufficient.
 Identify any deficiencies to be corrected.

Who Perform the review of EIA report in Kurdistan and

around the world?
 In Kurdistan, MNR (Ministry of natural resources),
Environmental committee for protection and improvement for
KRG, environmental agency — Canada (comprehensive
studies), standing commission — Netherlands, inter-agency
committee — USA, planning authority — UK independent panel
— (public inquiries)
 Public comment and input
Step 7: Decision Making

 To provide key input to help determine if a proposal

is acceptable

 To help establish environmental terms and

conditions for project implementation
Step 8: Monitoring
 Ensure the implementation of conditions attached
to a decision.

 Verify that impacts are as predicted or permitted.

 Confirm that mitigation measures are working as

expected.

 Take action to manage any unforeseen changes.

 Key components of Monitoring

 Establish baseline conditions.

 Measure impacts of a project as constructed.
 Verify conformity with established with conditions
and acceptable limits.
 Establish links to environmental management
plans.
 Carry out periodic checks and third-party
audits.
Public Involvement in the EIA
StepsScreening
To consult people likely to be affected by proposal.

Scoping To ensure that significant issues are identified; project related information
is gathered, alternatives are considered.

Impact analysis To avoid biases/inaccuracies in analysis; identify local

values/preferences; assist in consideration of mitigation
measures; select best alternative.
Mitigation
and impact
management

EIA report

Review
To consider and comment on EIA Report

Decision making

Implementation
To monitor the implementation of EIA Report’s
and monitoring recommendations and decision’s conditions.
 End of a Short
Summary of EIA

• What is EIA? State its aims and objectives.

Draw the entire EIA process and describe the
steps.
How the concern of public is taken account in EIA?