Subject: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA)

ASSIGNMENT NO. 2
Q. Explain Environmental Impact Assessment process with steps and indicators.
Ans: Following are the steps involved in the process of EIA:

1. Screening: Project screening is the 1st stage of EIA. In this stage list of all projects are made
and tried to identify those projects which have considerable environmental impacts and hence
required EIA. Guidelines for whether or not an EIA is required are country specific depending
on the laws or norms in operation. Legislation often specifies the criteria for screening and full
EIA. In many countries there is a readymade list of different projects and investment proposal
which comes under preview of EIA.
2. Scoping: Consideration of issues and impacts for EIA can be defined as a scoping stage. This
stage is very wide and extensive because consultations, discussions, experts’ opinions etc. are
very important, useful and essential at this stage. It should involve all interested groups such
as the proponents and planning or environmental agencies and members of the public. The
results of scoping will determine the scope, depth and terms and reference to be addressed
within the environmental statement.

3. Selection of Alternatives: In the scoping stage also selection of alternatives are considered.
This include alternative sites or location, technology, commodity and process which are
determine on the basis of collecting data and information from various possible sources.
The developer considers both environment and economic criteria while choosing the
alternatives. So far as environmental consideration is concern there are two types of
 alternative- No Action Alternative and In Action Alternative. No action alternative refers to
environmental considerations if the project did not go ahead. It takes more careful
discussion and thinking while in action alternatives are positive indicators for the project.
4. Mitigating measures: Mitigation can be defined as a process of removing or reducing the
adverse hazardous environmental impact of the project. This reveals the action taken to
prevent, avoid or minimize the actual or potential adverse effect of project. These
measures include the abandoning or modifying of a proposal, substitution of technique etc.
this should include the various pollution abatement techniques that would be require to
reduce pollution to the legal limit. A package programme may be needed for this. It
includes tax, fees, tradable pollution permits etc.
5. Environmental statement (ES): It is defined by the International Chamber of Commerce as
a management tool comprising a systematic, documented, periodic and objective
evaluation of how well environmental organizations, management and equipment are
performing with the aim of helping to safeguard the environment. This is the final stage of
an EIA and is now often required by law before a new project can proceed. Most national
environmental laws have specified what the content of ES should have. Ideally, the content
of an ES should have the following: Executive summary; Policy, legal and administrative
framework; Description of the environment; Description of the proposed project in detail;
Significant environmental impacts; Identification and analysis of alternatives; Mitigation
action/mitigation management plan; Environmental management plan; Monitoring
program; Knowledge gaps; Public involvement; List of references; Appendices including
Reference documents, photographs, unpublished data, Terms of Reference, Consulting
team composition; Notes of public consultation sessions.
6. Public Participation:
 This section is devoted to public participation in the project.
 It describes various measures taken to increase public participation in the project.
 It may include details about “public hearing” along with all the opinions and concerns
raised by people during actual process.

Environmental indicator data sets—This term refers to sets (groups of specific indicators)
of indicators used to assemble quantitative measures of conditions and trends to assess
the state of the environment and natural resources and to gauge progress toward specific
goals. In general, indicator sets are designed to provide environmental decisionmakers and
the public with comprehensible information to assist developing strategic plans and setting
priorities.

Environmental indicators often are helpful in predicting the initial and after development
impacts on a particular site of study. Any particular developmental activity can cause a
positive or an adverse environmental impact on the surrounding environment and this can
only be identified with the help of impact indicators. Some of the environmental impact
indicators are as follows:
 Environment
 Economic and occupational status
 Social pattern or life style
 Social amenities and relationships
 Psychological features 
 Physical amenities (intellectual, cultural, aesthetic, and sensual)
 Health
 Personal security
 Religion and traditional belief
 Technology
 Cultural
 Political
 Legal
 Aesthetic

In the process of identification of environmental impacts in the EIA these indicators play a
significant role. For example: With the increase in the construction activity there will be
increase in occupational opportunities for the people residing close to the site of study.
This can be considered as a positive impact on the population the indicator is ‘Economic
and occupational status’. However, construction activities shall also have adverse effect on
the environment because of the generated wastewater or solid waste. In this case, the
indicator addressing this impact is ‘Environment’.