How do you balance expectations in environmental impact assessment?

Also it's important to understand which environment or ecosystem is getting impacted, e.g., there could be rivers, forests, wetlands etc. Protecting natural capital is one of the key objectives of EIA. A 360 degree approach can help meeting the objectives.

“Balancing expectations” is a product of centuries of brainwashing by the linear economy. In the time that we are in today and where we are headed as planet earth, it’s not about balancing , it’s about prioritising environment’s primacy in the decision making tree!

After carefully evaluating the nature, intensity and duration of the proposed actions. An analysis of potential interactions and natural feedback mechanisms and cycles shall be understood Independent ecosystem observations of all relevant media must take place with recognition of past, current and future trends. Ultimately how might these systems interact with or respond to the proposed activities

Do preliminary walk through of the area and design with nature! In some instances high expectations are placed on minimising the impact through rehabilitation and mitigation but not enough skills and money are available to complete a sensible outcome. Do what is practically doable and work with skilled people.

Balancing expectations in environmental impact assessment involves considering the needs and concerns of various stakeholders, including the environment, local communities, and economic development. EIA should be held in transparent manner which typically requires thorough data collection and a rigorous evaluation of potential impacts to make informed decisions that minimize harm while promoting sustainable development.

Balancing expectations in an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) involves managing diverse stakeholder interests while objectively evaluating and mitigating potential environmental impacts of a project. Key steps include clear communication, inclusive stakeholder engagement, data-driven assessments, compliance with regulations, public participation, independent reviews, and continuous improvement. The goal is to make informed decisions that consider environmental, social, and economic factors while maintaining transparency and addressing concerns through collaboration and conflict resolution.

In my at least 30 years if not more in mine waste and water mine waste management EIA's serve as cover up for the potential damage to the surrounding environment efforts .

Due to the 12 years of working in oil & Gas construction To meet the expectations of the global environment requirements , The Org’s must have the WMP & TWMP along with the policy of environmental all shall be implemented and followed accordingly to the government and the legal instructions and the end user must commit to follow applied and monitor all related parties to ensure it been activated to prevent gather waste which my harm overall environmental Such investment in gas for sources of energy ! Cycling the out-put from the oil processing and preventing incorrect waste Transport the waste if available as per the regulations to the appropriate landfill Guide and coaching all parties to follow the Org’s policies and prevent passing

Analysis of alternatives should be done by fair and realistic approach. Why the project should be developed, what is the loss if not developed? why particular technology to be used and the most important aspect is the site selection criteria. Above aspects will lead to give clear picture about cost benefit analysis of project development which will help in decision making whether to go ahead or not to go for project planning & development.

Agree: in locations like Canada (British Columbia is a good example) and a lot of the answers to your question are actually legislated requirements.

Balancing expectations in an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a critical aspect of the process, as it aims to reconcile the various interests and concerns of stakeholders while ensuring the protection of the environment. Balancing these expectations involves several key considerations: 1.Legal and Regulatory Requirements 2.Stakeholder Engagement 3.Transparency and Information Sharing 4.Mitigation and Alternatives 5.Risk Assessment 6.Adaptive Management 7.Sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals 8.Conflict Resolution 9.Public Consultation and Public Participation 10.Monitoring and Reporting

One thing I've found helpful is transparency. Problems and confrontations between stakeholders are much more in an ambiguous and dishonest atmosphere. The factor of transparency in the interactive and collaborative atmosphere brings closer views and reduces differences of opinion.

Engagement with stakeholders fosters transparency and allows an organization to drive the grievance mechanism effectively where all parties are able to reach a suitable agreement that will benefit all.

The loudest voices don't necessarily add the most value. The quiet voices often have the most thought put into the thoughts being shared.

The term "Stakeholders" is not an inclusive term and really should be banned from EIA language. The term implies some ownership. But not all the affected communities and ecosystem have the status of ownership. You need to recognize who or what is impacted by the project. Sometimes there are impacted species that are represented by a community, a non-profit organization, or an agency. Environmental Justice needs to be addressed in an EIA so you have to search out those relationships by the affected community, affected organizations, affected food web, etc. Engineers are always trying to put a box around the process but potential impacts are very far reaching. Look beyond the stated impacts. And don't forget far reaching noise and light.

one thing i have found helful is doing a good mapping of stakeholders and interviewing them in the most engaging way possible in order to gather as much information about the proposed project site as possible.The indegenous persons give very rich historical information of a place from how they interact with the biodiversity of an area to how they protect it,land ownership system of the area,the cultural heritage and so much more.While FGDs may work very well while interviewing the IPs,one on one interviews are better with the key informants such as the local administration or insititutions.

Actually I agree and support this. From the last concluded #African Aviation Summit, watched a Kenyan film shot within Turkana county, one of the marginalized communities that are led into community based conflict due to drought and struggle for the little natural resources. Therefore, there was a critical strategy that the community members are the most important stakeholders in the decisions to alleviate impacts of climate change. This also goes to EIA. The surrounding communities embrace the greatest of the impacts due to development activities. Moreover, stakeholder mapping should be done skillfully with consideration of all parties involved so that all stakeholder inputs and concerns are well identified and assessed.

Stakeholder engagement is central to the EIA process. From scoping to monitoring, consistent involvement provides insights and surfaces concerns, ensuring a comprehensive assessment. Selecting the right engagement methods—be it public meetings, surveys, or online platforms—enhances communication. Transparency, achieved by sharing project details and potential impacts, fosters trust. Actively listening, respecting diverse viewpoints, and addressing feedback promptly not only mitigates conflicts but also solidifies the EIA's credibility. A proactive, open approach ensures the EIA isn't just procedural but a tool for sustainable, inclusive outcomes.

Stakeholder feedback should be effectively and promptly addressed in an accountable manner following applicable legislation, taking into account the most pressing environmental and social issues being impacted that could have long term implications for the natural habitat and its health, and the welfare of people. The process should always consider the least harm approach in a holistic manner, that considers triple bottom line evaluation encompassing environmental, social, and economic outcomes for the long term.

Novamente EIA e AIA então apresentados como representantes da mesma coisa, o que é um erro! Isso gera confusão aos leitores que buscam esse tipo de artigo justamente pra aprender mais afundo sobre um tema.

An example of this would be to identify suitable approaches that include a technical and a managerial approach. These best practices aid in exploring the best means to arrive at a conclusive EIA process. Quality output of the state of impacts after engaging robust best practices, aid in ensuring that a well comprehensive and detailed report is achieved that could well be embraced by the regulating authorities for Approval and by stakeholders and proponent.

To uphold the EIA's quality and credibility, adherence to best practices and principles is paramount. This includes the precautionary approach, ensuring potential impacts are addressed conservatively. Stakeholder participation guarantees diverse perspectives. Proportionality ensures the assessment's depth matches the project's potential impacts, while integration seeks a holistic approach, encompassing socio-economic and environmental aspects. Using credible data and methodologies, coupled with ethical professional judgment, is vital. Thoroughly documenting assumptions and uncertainties enhances transparency. Finally, clear reports and well-grounded recommendations solidify the EIA's legitimacy.

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. 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".

One thing I've found meaningful is that change is inevitable. We are living in a dynamic world where one day there is one thing, when you wake up tomorrow it is another. Therefore the EIA process by all means should be agile and able to adapt to change that accrue within any development space in the world today. For example, in Kenya, the @NEMA, the EIA process has evolved to now be called the Integrated Environmental and Social Impact Assessment. This is to ensure that people are at the heart of the EIA process and that it will be a robust comprehensive process that also takes into account the benefits to be enjoyed by the surrounding community.

EIA is a dynamic and iterative process, evolving with changes in project design, environmental conditions, stakeholder expectations, or regulatory mandates. Flexibility to adapt and update the assessment is crucial. Monitoring the implementation and efficacy of mitigation measures is key, adjusting as circumstances dictate. This continuous recalibration ensures the EIA remains relevant, accurate, and responsive to the project's evolving landscape.

I found that by consulting with locals, e.g., Indigenous people, you learn a great deal. No one has better knowledge of the environment than the people living there for a long time. Incorporating their insight and local knowledge into the EIA process is crucial in delivering a high quality EIA and ensuring that things aren’t missed in the process, e.g., important habitats and wildlife corridors, endangered species, migration routes, state of the surrounding environment and its productivity, etc. By listening to their perspectives, a lot of issues and future problems can be avoided, e.g., environmental disasters and litigation.

Actually I agree with this. Each ESIA process is always different from any other undertaken. It comes with its learning points and issues to unlearn. This is the aspect of ensuring continuous improvement of an environmental consultant such as I, where I am equipped with the desired and up to date skills set in delivering reputable environmental services to proponents. This is also where a critical review is inbound to ensure that the expert is able to pick critical issues to learn from and improve on for the next best of service to offer to proponent.

EIA serves as a learning platform, enhancing one's expertise. Reflection on your EIA practice, pinpointing strengths and areas for growth, is essential. Actively seeking feedback from clients, peers, and colleagues offers diverse insights. Staying updated with the latest EIA trends and integrating them into upcoming projects is crucial. By consistently seeking growth and applying learnings, you solidify your standing and efficacy as an environmental consultant, ensuring both competence and confidence.

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.

Since when is environmental impact assessing about balancing expectations? Its firstly about assessing what the nature of the impact is and how significant it is. Its not about balancing an expectation as if the expectation can influence the outcome. What can be managed is the manner in which these impacts are communicated to regulators and stakeholders and what level of mitigation can be expected which is again directly proportionate to the significance of impact. Its about determining the level of acceptable change.

Based on emissions and meteorological inputs, a dispersion model can be used to predict concentrations of pollutants at selected downwind location to predict actual impact Dispersion modeling uses mathematical formulations to characterize the atmospheric processes that disperse a pollutant emitted by a source.

When there is no project site specific on ground baseline data it is not sufficient to use readily available information on nearby sites & then extrapolate conditions about the site that are totally wrong & useless! There's a dependency on using the latest modelling techniques to use data from regional/national monitoring stations & then assume it can be manipulated to provide meaningful information without taking into account on ground conditions. There is no substitute/shortcut/savings without collecting site specific data!

Effectuer des études socio-économiques afin de prendre en compte les besoins et attentes des parties prenantes dans l'établissement du cahier des charges à respecter lors de l'établissement du PGE.