This document discusses environmental impact assessment (EIA). It defines EIA as a study that predicts how a proposed project may affect the environment. EIAs identify the best project option by comparing alternatives and weighing economic and environmental costs and benefits. The EIA process involves scoping a project to identify key issues, conducting an impact assessment, obtaining public input, and using the results to inform decision-making about projects that could significantly affect the environment.

1. EnvironmentalEnvironmental
Impact AssessmentImpact Assessment
Prof. Sandeep HegdeProf. Sandeep Hegde

2. Environmental Impact AssessmentEnvironmental Impact Assessment
• Environment Impact Assessment or EIA
can be defined as the study to predict
the effect of a proposed activity/project
on the environment.
• A decision making tool, EIA compares
various alternatives for a project and
seeks to identify the one which
represents the best combination of
economic and environmental costs and
benefits.

3. Environmental Impact AssessmentEnvironmental Impact Assessment
is intended as an instrument ofis intended as an instrument of
preventivepreventive environmentalenvironmental
management. It provides amanagement. It provides a
framework and an informationframework and an information
basis forbasis for decision makingdecision making onon
activities affecting theactivities affecting the
environment.environment.

4. EIA – Three core values
1. Integrity: The EIA process should be
fair, objective, unbiased and balanced
2. Utility: The EIA process should
provide balanced, credible information
for decision making
3. Sustainability: The EIA process
should result in environmental
safeguards

5. ““To say that infrastructure development hasTo say that infrastructure development has
impact is to state the obvious. No industrialimpact is to state the obvious. No industrial
country has advanced to such status withoutcountry has advanced to such status without
developing solid infrastructure facilities. Anddeveloping solid infrastructure facilities. And
no low-income country has managed tono low-income country has managed to
escape poverty in the absence ofescape poverty in the absence of
infrastructure.infrastructure.
In addition to economic growth,In addition to economic growth,
infrastructure development has a veryinfrastructure development has a very
tangible impact on people's daily lives, andtangible impact on people's daily lives, and
especially on the lives of poor peopleespecially on the lives of poor people ””
-- Liqun JinLiqun Jin
Vice President, ADBVice President, ADB

6. EIAEIA
applies to the assessment of theapplies to the assessment of the
environmental effects of those publicenvironmental effects of those public
and privateand private projectsprojects which are likely towhich are likely to
have significant effects on thehave significant effects on the
environment.environment.

7. EIAEIA
ProjectProject means:means:
• the execution of construction works orthe execution of construction works or
of other installations or schemesof other installations or schemes
• other interventions in the naturalother interventions in the natural
surroundings and landscape includingsurroundings and landscape including
those involving the extraction ofthose involving the extraction of
minerals.minerals.

8. EIAEIA
Development consentDevelopment consent means:means:
• thethe decisiondecision of the competentof the competent
authorities which entitles the developerauthorities which entitles the developer
to proceed with the project.to proceed with the project.

9. EIAEIA
…….. have significant effects on the.. have significant effects on the
environment by virtueenvironment by virtue inter alia,inter alia,
of their:of their:
nature, size,nature, size, locationlocation..

10. EIAEIA
…… direct and indirect effects of a projectdirect and indirect effects of a project
on the following factors:on the following factors:
• human beings, fauna and florahuman beings, fauna and flora
• soil, water, air, climate and the landscapesoil, water, air, climate and the landscape
• the inter-action between the factorsthe inter-action between the factors
mentioned in the first and second indentsmentioned in the first and second indents
• material assets and the culturalmaterial assets and the cultural heritage.heritage.

11. Environmental ImpactEnvironmental Impact
Assessment (EIA)Assessment (EIA)
There are two types of EIA models- the statutory
model which makes the assessment of impact
compulsory under an enacted law, or a delegated
legislation, and the administrative model under
which an administration exercises its discretion to
find out whether an impact study is necessary. Till
1992, India was following the administrative model
of EIA.

12. • On 27th
January, 1994 a notification was issued
dealing with mandatory EIA. The notification
requires project proponent to submit an EIA
report, and environment management plan, details
of the public hearing and a project report to the
impact assessment agency for clearance, further
review by a committee of experts in certain cases.
• By the amendment in the year 1997, public hearing
was made compulsory before impact assessment
was finalized.
EIA – Statutory ModelEIA – Statutory Model

13. Environmental
Clearance
Process

14. Information requirementsInformation requirements
Description of the project:Description of the project:
• physical characteristics, land-usephysical characteristics, land-use
requirements during construction andrequirements during construction and
operationoperation
• production processes, materials usedproduction processes, materials used
• estimate of expected residues andestimate of expected residues and
emissions (emissions (water, air, soil pollution, noise,water, air, soil pollution, noise,
vibrations, light, heat, radiation, etc.)vibrations, light, heat, radiation, etc.)

15. Information requirementsInformation requirements
Alternatives:Alternatives:
• outline of the main alternativesoutline of the main alternatives
• main reasons formain reasons for choicechoice, including, including
environmental effectsenvironmental effects

16. Information requirementsInformation requirements
Impacts on:Impacts on:
• population, fauna, flora, soils, water, air,population, fauna, flora, soils, water, air,
climatic factors, material assets incl.climatic factors, material assets incl.
architectural and archeological heritage,architectural and archeological heritage,
landscapelandscape
• interrelationship between these factorsinterrelationship between these factors

17. Information requirementsInformation requirements
Likely significant effects from:Likely significant effects from:
• existence of the projectexistence of the project
• use of natural resourcesuse of natural resources
• emission of pollutants, creation ofemission of pollutants, creation of
nuisances, elimination of wastenuisances, elimination of waste
and the description of the methodsand the description of the methods
used to assess the effects.used to assess the effects.

18. Information requirementsInformation requirements
Description of measures:Description of measures:
• to prevent, reduce, and whereto prevent, reduce, and where
possible to offset any significantpossible to offset any significant
adverse effects on theadverse effects on the
environment.environment.

19. Environmental Impact AssessmentEnvironmental Impact Assessment
procedural steps:procedural steps:
• description of the projectdescription of the project
• description of the environmentdescription of the environment
• identification of environmental impactsidentification of environmental impacts
• evaluation of environmental impactsevaluation of environmental impacts
• management and control of impactsmanagement and control of impacts
• presentation of the studypresentation of the study
• public participationpublic participation
• judgment by authoritiesjudgment by authorities

20. EIA Process

21. Environmental Impact AssessmentEnvironmental Impact Assessment
procedure:procedure:
• deciding whether an EIA is required (Screening)deciding whether an EIA is required (Screening)
• determining the scope of EIA (Scoping)determining the scope of EIA (Scoping)
• preparing of the impact statement (EIS)preparing of the impact statement (EIS)
• consultations, public participationconsultations, public participation
• evaluating EIA results and consultationsevaluating EIA results and consultations
• reaching a decisionreaching a decision
• monitoring impacts after project implementationmonitoring impacts after project implementation

22. Project
Life
Cycle
Phase A
Phase B
Phase C
Phase D
Phase E

23. A. ProjectA. Project
Concept/IdentificationConcept/Identification
• Initial stage of the project planningInitial stage of the project planning
– Basic nature of the project is knownBasic nature of the project is known
including the site(s) where the projectincluding the site(s) where the project
is being proposed to be implementedis being proposed to be implemented
– ““Screen” project to determine ifScreen” project to determine if
project requires a full EIAproject requires a full EIA

24. ScreeningScreening
ProjectProject
EnvironmentalEnvironmental
impactimpact
EconomicEconomic
impactimpact
SocialSocial
impactimpact
Screening
• Identify environmental issues of concern
• Determine whether EIA is needed
• Establish need for project
Not require
EIA
Require
EIA
Impacts
unclear
Threshold criteria Impact criteria
• Size
• Location
• Output
• Cost/Finances
• Environmental
effects
• etc.
• Significant but
easily identifiable
impacts
• Significant impacts
• Sensitive area

25. Methods for Scoping
B. Pre-feasibility StageB. Pre-feasibility Stage
Making a plan for
public involvement
Identifying major issues
of public concern
Establishing priorities for
environmental assessment
Developing a strategy for
addressing priorities
Evaluating the
significance of issues
Distribution of information
to interested parties
““Scope” the project to identify issues/impacts for investigationScope” the project to identify issues/impacts for investigation

26. Initial Assessment ofInitial Assessment of
ImpactsImpacts
Existing or baseline data:Existing or baseline data:
• provide a description of the status andprovide a description of the status and
trends of environmental factors (e.g., airtrends of environmental factors (e.g., air
pollutant concentrations) against whichpollutant concentrations) against which
predicted changes can be compared andpredicted changes can be compared and
evaluated in terms of importanceevaluated in terms of importance
• provide a means of detecting actual changeprovide a means of detecting actual change
by monitoring once a project has beenby monitoring once a project has been
initiatedinitiated

27. C. Feasibility StageC. Feasibility Stage
Conduct the EIA and determine if theConduct the EIA and determine if the
project is viableproject is viable
• Magnitude of impactMagnitude of impact -- indicate whether the impactindicate whether the impact
is irreversible or, reversible and estimated potentialis irreversible or, reversible and estimated potential
rate of recoveryrate of recovery
• Extent of impactExtent of impact -- spatial extent of impacts shouldspatial extent of impacts should
be determinedbe determined
• Duration of ImpactDuration of Impact -- arising at different phases ofarising at different phases of
the project cycle and the length of the impact [e.g.the project cycle and the length of the impact [e.g.
short term (during construction-9 yrs), medium termshort term (during construction-9 yrs), medium term
(10-20 yrs), long term (20+ yrs)](10-20 yrs), long term (20+ yrs)]

28. D. Implement & Audit theD. Implement & Audit the
ProjectProject
The EIA is a "reference" guide during
implementation
• Outlines mitigation strategies and monitoring
schemes
Preventative measures - reduce potential adverse impacts before
occurrence
Compensatory measures - compensate for unavoidable adverse
impacts
Corrective measures - reduces the adverse impact to an acceptable
level
• Audit project after completion to identify
lessons learned

29. E. Environmental MonitoringE. Environmental Monitoring
• Environmental monitoring provides feedback
about the actual environmental impacts of a
project
• Helps judge the success of mitigation
measures in protecting the environment
• Ensure compliance with environmental
standards
• Facilitate any needed project design or
operational changes

30. Strategic environment assessment
• Strategic environment assessment (SEA) refers to
systematic analysis of the environmental effects of
development policies, plans, programmes and other
proposed strategic actions. This process extends the
aims and principles of EIA upstream in the decision-
making process, beyond the project level and when
major alternatives are still open. SEA represents a
proactive approach to integrating environmental
considerations into the higher levels of decision-
making.
• Despite its wide use and acceptance, EIA has certain
shortcomings as a tool for minimizing environmental
effects of development proposals. It takes place
relatively late at the downstream end of the decision
making process, after major alternatives and
directions have been chosen

35. Activists are calling the project illegal. “The land of adivasis
here is ceiling land. During the land reforms movement,
excess land that was acquired by the government was
given to adivasis for tilling in 1972. Land deed, locally called
7/12, was also issued in their names. Such ceiling land can
neither be transferred nor sold. But the Maharashtra
government has issued special resolutions to ensure that
the ceiling land can be acquired for developing Lavasa,”
says Rifat Mumtaz of Pune-based ngo National Centre for
Advocacy Studies (ncas). Mumtaz adds that Lavasa has
flouted rules because the project has not taken any
environmental impact assessment (eia) clearance from the
Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.

38. “The corporation has already constructed one private dam and there is
no water downstream of this dam. Farmers have neither drinking water
nor water for irrigation. The farmers downsteam recently attacked
mkvdc and it was forced to release water. Imagine what will happen
after all the four dams are constructed,” says Shedge of Mugaon
village. A petition in the Bombay High Court challenged allocation of
mkvdc’s land in 2006. The petition also said that mkvdc was not meant
for commercial use and Lavasa was a purely commercial venture. The
case is pending.
The company says it is building 12 mini dams in the area that will “add
to the current capacity of the Warasgaon lake”. “These dams will be
built at higher levels increasing the existing catchment capacity. We will
create an additional water catchment of 0.9 thousand million cubic
metres (tmc) of which 0.4 tmc will be used by Lavasa and 0.5 tmc will
be released into the lake,” the spokesperson said.

41. But experts warn that water scarcity will not remain
limited to downstream villages; it will also hit Pune
city, as its water supply goes from this valley, called
the Mose valley. “On the one hand, the government is
destroying the present water source for Pune and on
the other, it is seeking funds from the Centre for
additional water supply,” says Pune corporator
Bhapkar. Meanwhile, protests against the project have
gathered steam. Villagers are demanding a Central
Bureau of Investigation enquiry.

42. EIA’s therefore cannot….EIA’s therefore cannot….
• Decide which alternative to choseDecide which alternative to chose
• Prevent environmental impacts fromPrevent environmental impacts from
happeninghappening
• Guarantee decisions you likeGuarantee decisions you like
• Prohibit any actionsProhibit any actions
• Cumulative effects of multiple projectsCumulative effects of multiple projects