This document provides an overview of environmental assessment (EA). It defines EA as the process of identifying and evaluating the potential environmental impacts of proposed projects and activities. The summary includes: 1) EA aims to balance environmental protection with sustainable development by considering potential environmental effects in decision making processes. 2) Key elements of EA include identifying environmental impacts, proposing mitigation measures, evaluating alternatives, and developing environmental management plans. 3) EA is both an art and a science, reflecting sensitivity to nature while using methodologies and techniques to predict impacts. It ensures public participation and input into project approval decisions.

1. Environmental Assessment
Bhai Raja Manandhar
Environmental Engineer & Visiting Faculty, SchEMS

2. Environmental Assessment (EA)
“It is an amalgamation of art
and science of
identifying/predicting and
evaluating the results of
interactions between
environmental variables and
human activities in nature.”
2

3. Environmental Assessment
EA as an art or a management
tool
 reflectssensitivity towards nature
 carries out environmental analysis
of actions
 ensures compliance with the policy
and legal provisions
 influences decision-making process

4. Environmental Assessment
EA as a science deals with
methodologies and techniques for
identifying, predicting and
evaluating the environmental
impacts associated with a
particular proposal

5. Environmental Assessment
ensures public consultation and
participation of affected
community
helps to judge environmental
performance of the proponent
provides inputs into decision-
making

6. EA
SEA
EIA
IEE
CIA
SIA
HIA

7. Comparison in terms of legal provisions
IEE EIA
Screening criteria Schedule-1 of EPR, 1997 Schedule-2 of EPR, 1997
Scoping Not required Required
Terms of Reference Required Required
Public hearing Not required Required
Recommendations of concerned Required Required
VDC’s/Municipalities
Open EIA/IEE report for public Not required Required
review/comments (However, publication of a 15
day public notice in a national-
level daily newspaper and
posting of the same in the
project implementation area
for soliciting
suggestions/concerns of all
stakeholders is a must before
report finalization)
Review by committee of experts Not required Required
Approving agency Concerned agency MoE
Deadline for approval Within 21 days of receipt of Within 60 to 90 days of
the report in the concerned receipt of the report in the
agency Ministry
EMP Not required Required

8. Comparison on technical basis
IEE EIA
Projects for which impacts & Projects for which impacts &
mitigations are known/proven mitigations are not
known/proven
8

9. EA in Nepal
National Concerns
Increasing sectoral outlook on
development
Destruction of natural resource
base
Realization of the need for a tool
that helps to link development
and the environment

10. EA in Nepal
Before 1950
 species conservation and forest
use
1950-1980
 natural resources conservation
and utilization
1985 (from Seventh Plan)
onwards
 focus on EIA, EIA guidelines

11. EA in Nepal
Initiation of EA in Nepal
since 1980’s through policies
in 1990’s through laws
use ramified along with
development of guidelines
and manuals

12. EA in Nepal
Legal measures
 Forest Act,1993
 Water Resources Act,1993
 Electricity Act,1993
 Environment Protection Act,1997
 Environment Protection Rules,1997

13. EA in Nepal
 Institutional effort
 Advisory bodies such as EPC
 Environment Divisions, Sections and
Units in sectoral agencies
 Ministry of Population and Environment
(MoPE) in September 1995
 MoPE dissolved and Ministry of
Environment, Science and Technology
(MoEST) established in February 2005
 MoEnv in 2066 B. S.
 Announcement of Deptt. of Env. In
2069 B. S.

14. EA in Nepal
Human Resources Development
 Seminar, workshop, training, and
EIA courses offered by academic
institutions
14

15. Need for a tool realized
A tool that
 is constructive and not
restrictive
 assesses environmental
impacts to minimise
engineering biases
 ensures integration of
conservation and management
of natural resources and
reduction of pollution

16. Need for a tool realized
A tool that
uses environmental
data/information into the
project planning and
decision-making
acts as a bridge between
economic prosperity and
environmental sustainability

17. Principle

18. Aim

19. Approach

20. Key elements
 Identification of genuine & valid issues
 Description of the proposal
 Baseline information on existing environment of
proposal implementation site
 Identification/prediction of impacts and evaluation
of their significance
 Adverse impact mitigation measures/Benefit
enhancement measures
 Environment management plan
 Analysis of alternatives
 Feedbacks from public concerned/stakeholders

21. Schematic of the EIA Method
Identification/Prediction & Assessment Mitigation/Enhancement Measures
of Environmental Impacts
EIA Study/Report Alternatives
Environmental Baseline
Conditions of Proposal
Implementation Site EMP
Project Features/Components
Public Hearing/Consultations
Schedule – 4 of the EPR ‘97
Terms of Reference
Identification of Key Issues
Project Features/Parameters
Public Consultations/Meetings
Scoping
Public Notice
Information on Environmental Baseline of
the Proposal Implementation Site
Projects for EIA
Schedule – 1 & 2 of the EPR ‘97
Projects for IEE Screening 21
21

22. Scoping
An early and open process for
determining the scope of issues to
be addressed and for identifying the
significant issues related to a
proposed action/proposal
A two-way communication process
between the proponent and the
public prior to EIA study
22

23. Scoping
Objective:
To make EIA study focused &
efficient
To ensure contextual relevance of
EIA
To provide basis for preparation of
ToR for EIA
To facilitate an early agreement
on contentious issues, if any
23

24. Scoping
Objective:
To find out all the aspects likely to
be affected by the proposal
To provide an opportunity for public
involvement in determining factors
to be assessed
To identify possible alternatives to
the proposal
24

25. ToR
Objective:
 To systematize the study procedure
 To delineate major activities to be
implemented
 To fit EIA with the existing policy, rules
and administrative procedures
 To accomplish the study within a
specified time limit
25

26. ToR
Objective:
 To ensure involvement of appropriate
and adequate professionals in the EIA
study
 To indicate the nature and extent of
data/information to be collected
 To specify the most relevant/pertinent
study method/procedure, if any
26

27. Environmental domains
Physical environment
Socio-economic
environment
Biological environment
Cultural environment

28. Description of the proposal
 Relevancy & Objectives of the
proposal
 Salient features
 Maps
 Project components
 Construction/operation activities
28

29. Review of relevant policies,
legislation and conventions
29

30. Baseline information
(of the site of construction/operation of the project)
Typical methods used in the study
 Walkover survey
 Household survey/Census
 FGD/Farm-level interviews/Key informant
interview
 Literature review
 Sampling and lab testing
 Interpretation of maps/satellite images
30

31. Baseline information
Physical environment
 Topography
 Land-use
 Geology
 Climate
 Waterresources
 Ambient air
31

32. Baseline information
Socio-economic environment
 Demography
 Economic activities/General indication of
level of affluence
 Key local products
 Access to market & credit facilities
 Literacy level
 General price level of key commodities
 Women/children
 Vulnerable segment of local populace
32

33. Baseline information
Biological environment
 Forest resources
 Rare/endangered species of plants
 Plant species of
religious/medicinal/commercial values
 Wild animals & their habitat
 Rare/endangered species of animals
 Community forests
 Local dependence on forest resources
(Timber/Non-timber) for livelihood
33

34. Baseline information
Cultural environment
 Temples/Gumbas/Mosques
 Places of historic/cultural significance
 Local significance
 Regional significance
 National significance
 Cemetery/Ghats
 Historic/cultural monuments 34

35. Impact
Identification/prediction
and
Evaluation
35

36. Impact Identification/Prediction
Beneficial or Adverse
4 environmental domains
Identified/Predicted
3 stages of project life
36

37. Impact Identification/Prediction
Identification
 Sureto occur/related to land acquisition
and site clearance
Prediction
 Most likely to occur/related to other project
activities during construction & operation
 Within RoW of a road/canal e. g.
37

38. Methods for Impacts
Identification/Prediction
Simple checklists
Leopold Matrix
Network
Map overlay/GIS
Pollutant Dispersion Model (for Air
Pollution)
Streeter-Phelps Model (for Water
Pollution)
38

39. Impact Evaluation
Magnitude
High/Major
Moderate
Minor
39

40. Impact Evaluation
Extent of impacts/spatial
Site specific
Local (within watershed)
Regional (beyond
watershed)
National/Transboundary
40

41. Impact Evaluation
Duration of
impacts/temporal
Short term ( upto 3 years)
Medium term (>3 – <20 years)
Long term (>20 years)
41

42. Impact Mitigation
&
Enhancement Measures
42

43. Enhancement Measures w/ Cost Indications
Providing relevant training/skills to
local people
Priority to local people for employment
in project construction/operation works
Construction/rehabilitation of some
public facilities such as taps, schools,
health care centers, temples etc.
43

44. Mitigation Measures
Impact-wise MM’s with
indicative costs
Avoidance, Corrective or
Compensatory
Cost incurring & Non-cost
incurring 44

45. Alternative Analysis
Design
Project site
Technology, procedure of operation, time-
schedule and raw materials to be used
Environment management system
Whether or not the risks resulting from the
proposal can be accepted
45

46. Environmental Management Plan
“A plan to ensure
systematic integration of all
proposed mitigation
measures with the project
construction/operation
activities”
46

47. Objectives
 Formulate project management activities
in particular the implementation of EPM’s
 Formulate a monitoring programme for
baseline, impact and compliance
monitoring
 Formulate an environmental auditing
programme to be implemented after
project construction
EPM’s: Environment Protection Measures
47

48. Environmental Management Plan
Project Management for
EPM Implementation
Monitoring Plan
Auditing plan
48

49. Types of Environmental Monitoring
 Baseline Monitoring
 Compliance
Monitoring
 Impact Monitoring
49

50. Baseline Monitoring
 If anticipated time
lapse between EIA
approval and project
execution is significantly
long
50

51. Baseline Monitoring
Specific objective:
 to update the baseline
information on the overall
environmental conditions of
the project site prior to project
implementation
51

52. Compliance Monitoring
Specific objectives:
 To ensure fulfillment of all
conditions set forth and
commitments made in the
approved EIA report
52

53. Compliance Monitoring
Specific objectives:
To ensure that other regulatory
requirements/standards are well
integrated with subsequent
project documents (e. g. DED
and tender documents etc.)
53

54. Impact Monitoring
Specific objectives:
 To ensure that the actual
impacts in the field are well
within the manageable limit of
the designed mitigation
measures and set standards
54

55. Impact Monitoring
Specific objectives:
 To detect any unexpected damages
 To provide early warning to the
responsible agencies for
undertaking required
corrective/additional measures to
avert/minimize such unanticipated
impacts
55

56. Reporting Requirement
An EMP should prescribe a
practical reporting mechanism
along with necessary formats
 to collect data
 to document the findings of monitoring
activities
 To document the proofs of compliance
and/or non-compliance
56

57. Institutional Arrangement
An EMP should also suggest
an institutional set-up such as
an Environmental Monitoring
Unit assigned with the overall
responsibility of environmental
monitoring and reporting
57

58. Environmental Audit
Post project assessment of:
o actual environmental impacts
o the accuracy of impact prediction
o effectiveness of impact
mitigation/benefit enhancement
measures
o functioning of monitoring mechanism
58

59. Environmental Audit
When and how many times?
 Once for each project after two
years of commencement of project
operation
Who’s responsibility?
 MoSTE
(As per EPR, 1997)
59

60. Other legal requirements
Public hearing
 Once in the area of project
implementation/operation (as per EPA, 2053)
 Proceeding of public hearing
 Signatures of all attendees
Recommendations from Concerned
V. D. C.’s/Municipalities
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61. Thank You !!
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