EIA Process Overview PDF

qProject screening qScoping qImpact identification Managing the EIA process: EIA management include a multidisciplinary team including: natural sciences social sciences environmental design. The team producing the Environmental Impact Statement may be: one, or a group, of proponent i...

qProject screening qScoping qImpact identification Managing the EIA process: EIA management include a multidisciplinary team including: natural sciences social sciences environmental design. The team producing the Environmental Impact Statement may be: one, or a group, of proponent in-house, lead external consultants external sub-consultants individual specialists. The team size may vary from two to twelve people factors important in the successful management of an interdisciplinary team: 1. A clear, concise statement of the team's mission or purpose. 2. A summary of the goals or milestones the team is expected to achieve 3. Purposefully identifying the key tasks required for the team to accomplish, breaking down each task by individual 4. A summary of the team's strategy regarding policies, programmes, procedures, plans, budgets and other resource allocation methods required. 5. A statement of the team's organizational design, with information included on the roles, authority, and responsibility of all team members, including the team leader 6. Clear identification of human and non-human resource support services available for use by the multidisciplinary team. screening Screening Stage: (EIA) is the initial phase of the environmental assessment process. The main objective of this stage: v is to determine whether the proposed project requires a full Environmental Impact Assessment v specific studies, v or if the project can proceed without any environmental assessment. Steps of the Screening Stage: Identifying the Type and Scale of the Project Consultation with Regulatory Authorities Assessing the Environmental Sensitivity of the Site Preparation of the Screening Report Steps of the Screening Stage: 1. Identifying the Type and Scale of the Project: - Analyze the nature, scale, and type of activities involved in the project. - Screening relies on local or international laws and standards that define the types and scales of projects that require an EIA. 2. Consultation with Regulatory Authorities: - Engage with relevant government authorities to determine whether the project requires an environmental assessment. - This is usually done by submitting a project summary to regulatory authorities for their guidance. 3. Assessing the Environmental Sensitivity of the Site - Evaluate the geographical location of the proposed project to determine its environmental sensitivity. - This step Includes considering various environmental factors, such as: v the project's proximity to areas of high environmental significance, v natural reserves, v populated areas, v water resources 4. Preparation of the Screening Report: - A report is prepared summarizing the screening results and determining whether the project needs a full Environmental Impact Assessment or no. - The report includes: v the rationale for the decision, v citing the legal and environmental criteria used in the screening. 5. Project Classification: 1. Based on the type of project 2. site sensitivity, the project is classified into categories according to the legal framework: - Projects that do not require an Environmental Assessment: These are usually small-scale projects or those with minimal environmental impacts. - Projects that require specific or partial screening: Some projects may need specific environmental studies rather than a full assessment. - Projects that require a full Environmental Assessment: These are large-scale projects or those likely to have significant environmental impacts. Screening can be partly determined by the EIA regulations operating in a country at the time of an assessment. Guidance list for classifying activities The approved list in Saudi Arabia for classifying projects and activities Importance of the Screening Stage: - Saving Time and Resources: By identifying projects that do not require an EIA, time and resources can be conserved. - Legal Compliance: This stage ensures that projects comply with local and international environmental laws. - Reducing Environmental Risks: By early identification of projects that may have significant environmental impacts, actions can be taken to avoid or mitigate those impacts.  Scoping Scoping The process of scoping is that of deciding, from all of a project’s possible impacts and from all the alternatives that could be addressed. The objective of this stage v to ensure that the study will be comprehensive v focused on the key environmental impacts related to the proposed project. v to best result v prevents misunderstanding between Stakeholders about the information required in an EIA. Steps of the Scoping Stage: 1. Gathering Preliminary Information 2. Analyzing the Proposed Project 3. Identifying Significant Environmental Issues 4. Consulting with Stakeholders 5. Preparing the Scope of Work 6. Defining Geographical and Temporal Boundaries: Steps of the Scoping Stage: 1. Gathering Preliminary Information: - Collect available data and information about the site and surrounding environment, such as: v geographical, v topographical, v climatic characteristics, v and biodiversity. - Identify the proposed project activities that may have environmental impacts. 2. Analyzing the Proposed Project: - Analyze the project to v understand its components v and the activities to be carried out, v and how these activities might affect the environment. - Identify potential project alternatives that could reduce environmental impacts. 3. Identifying Significant Environmental Issues: - Determine potential environmental issues that could be affected by the project, such as v Air pollution, v Water pollution, v and soil pollution, v Noise pollution, v and impacts on wildlife and vegetation. - Assess the sensitivity of the site and identify the most vulnerable environmental components. 4. Consulting with Stakeholders: This includes : v government agencies, v the local community, v civil society organizations, v and interested parties. - Consultation helps identify issues that may be unknown or overlooked by the study team. 5. Preparing the Scope of Work: - Based on the previous information and analyses, a Terms of Reference (TOR) document is prepared. - This document includes a list of : v all environmental issues that need to be addressed, v the methods that will be used for data collection and analysis, v alternatives that will be proposed 6. Defining Geographical and Temporal Boundaries: - Determine the geographical area that the study will cover (e.g., the potential impact zone). - Identify the critical time periods that need to be studied, such as the construction phase, operation phase, and any other relevant time frames. Expected Outcomes of the Scoping Stage: - Terms of Reference (TOR) Document: This is the primary outcome of this stage and serves as a detailed work plan for conducting the Environmental Impact Assessment. - Identification of Alternatives: Including design, location, and technology alternatives that could mitigate environmental impacts. - Prioritization: To guide the study towards the most significant issues. The presentation and comparison of alternatives The costs of alternatives vary for different groups of people and for different environmental components. Discussions with local residents, statutory consultees and special interest groups may rapidly eliminate some alternatives from consideration and suggest others. Types of alternative A thorough consideration of alternatives would begin early in the planning process, before the type and scale of development and its location have been agreed on. A number of broad types of alternative can be considered: v alternative locations, v alternative scales of the project, v alternative processes or equipment, v alternative site layouts, v alternative operating conditions, v alternative ways of dealing with environmental impacts. Types of data “hard” data from reliable sources which can be verified and which are not subject to short-term change, such as geological records and physical surveys of topography and infra structure Types of data “intermediate” data which are reliable but not capable of absolute proof, such as water quality, land values, vegetation condition, and traffic counts, which have variable values Types of data “soft” data which are a matter of opinion or social values, such as opinion surveys, visual enjoyment of landscape, and numbers of people using amenities, where the responses depend on human attitudes and the climate of public feeling. Impact identification  Impact identification Environmental Impact Identification: is the process of identifying and analyzing the potential or actual impacts that a specific project may have on the environment.  Impact identification The primary goal of this process: is to understand how the various activities of the project will affect environmental elements such as air, water, soil, wildlife, and vegetation, as well as the surrounding human communities. Impact identification: Aims and methods: Impact identification brings together project characteristics and baseline environmental characteristics with the aim of ensuring that all potentially significant environmental impacts (negative or positive) are identified and taken into account in the EIA process. A wide range of methods have been developed. The methods are divided into the following categories: checklists matrices methods networks overlay maps.  checklists 1. Checklists: - Checklists containing various environmental elements that need to be considered are used. - Analysts review these lists to determine whether the project will impact any of these elements. - This method is simple but may be limited in covering some unforeseen environmental impacts.  checklists Questionnaire checklists are based on a set of questions to be answered. Some of the questions v may concern indirect impacts v and possible mitigation measures. v They may also provide a scale for classifying estimated impacts, v from highly adverse v to highly beneficial.  matrices 2. Environmental Impact Matrices: - This method uses tables that link project activities with different environmental components. - The strength and type of potential impacts (positive or negative) for each activity are identified in these tables. - Matrices are an effective tool for analyzing complex relationships between environmental activities and impacts.  matrices  networks Network methods explicitly recognize that environmental systems consist of a complex web of relationships. Network Method: The network method is a technique used to represent the interrelationships between different components of the project and the environment in a structural way. different components of the project environment structural way. - A network of nodes is created, where each node represents different activities and environmental components. - The links between these nodes represent the causal relationships or impacts that each activity may have. - Networks help illustrate how a change in one element can affect others, - assisting in identifying indirect or sequential impacts.  overlay maps. Overlay Maps Method: The overlay maps method is a geospatial technique used to combine and analyze multiple layers of data representing different environmental components on a single map. - Individual maps are prepared for each environmental element, such as land use, vegetation distribution, water resources, soil, and human activities. - These maps are integrated using Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques to identify areas where different environmental impacts intersect. - This method highlights environmentally sensitive areas that may be more significantly affected by the project. Importance of Environmental Impact Identification: - Mitigating Environmental Risks: By identifying potential impacts early, actions can be taken to avoid or reduce negative effects on the environment. - Improving Design and Planning: Identifying environmental impacts can help improve project design to ensure it complies with environmental standards. - Legal Compliance: Environmental impact identification contributes to ensuring the project complies with environmental laws and regulations. - Raising Stakeholder Awareness: It helps increase awareness among stakeholders about potential environmental impacts and enhances the transparency of the process. Overall, environmental impact identification is an essential part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process, as it contributes to ensuring that projects are implemented sustainably and with environmental responsibility.