Environmental assessment (EA) is the assessment of the environmental consequences (positive and negative) of a plan, policy, program, or concrete projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action. In this context, the term ‘environmental impact assessment’ (EIA) is usually used when applied to concrete projects by individuals or companies and government. The term ‘strategic environmental assessment’ (SEA) applies to policies, plans and programmes most often proposed by organs of government.
The International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) defines an environmental impact assessment as “the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the biophysical, social, and other relevant effects of development proposals prior to major decisions being taken and commitments made (International Association for Impact Assessment, 1999). EIAs are unique in that they do not require adherence to a predetermined environmental outcome, but rather they require decision makers to account for environmental values in their decisions and to justify those decisions in light of detailed environmental studies and public comments on the potential environmental impacts (Holder, 2004).
Friends of the Earth (2005) described EIA as an information gathering exercise carried out by the developer and other bodies which enables a Local Planning Authority to understand the environmental affects of a development before deciding whether or not it should go ahead. Environmental assessments may be governed by rules of administrative procedure regarding public participation and documentation of decision making, and may be subject to judicial review. The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that decision makers consider the environmental impacts when deciding whether or not to proceed with a project. Wilkinson & Reed (2008) listed the factors that can be assessed and these are dependent upon the type of the proposed development. Typically this can include analysis of the following aspects: agriculture; air and water pollution; archaeology; contamination of land; ecology; geology; impact on the landscape; noise pollution; visual impact; and wildlife conservation.
According to Friends of the Earth (2005), the importance of environmental assessments is the emphasis on using the best available sources of objective information and in carrying out a systematic and holistic process which should be bias free and allow the local authority and the whole community to properly understand the impact of the proposed development. Environmental assessment should lead to better standards of development and in some cases development not happening at all. Where developments do go ahead environmental assessments should help to propose proper mitigation measures. Environmental impact assessment is meant to be a systematic process which leads to a final product, the Environmental Statement (ES)
References
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (2013). Assessing environmental impact: guidance. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/assessing-environmental-impact-guidance
Eccleston, C. H. (2011). Environmental impact assessment: a guide to best professional practices. Chapter 5.
En.wikipedia.org (2016) en.wikipedia.org/…/Environmental_impact_assessment
Friends of the Earth (2005). Environmental impact assessment (EIA): a campaigner’s guide. https://www.foe.co.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/environmental_impact_asses1.pdf
Holder, J., (2004), Environmental Assessment: The Regulation of Decision Making, Oxford University Press, New York; For a comparative discussion of the elements of various domestic EIA systems, see Christopher Wood Environmental Impact Assessment: A Comparative Review (2 ed, Prentice Hall, Harlow, 2002).
International Association for Impact Assessment (1999). Principle of environmental impact assessment best practice.
Wilkinson, S. & Reed, R. (2008). Property development (5th ed.). Routledge.
