The Importance Of Environmental Impact Assessment

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There are a lot of different definitions on what an environmental assessment can be and it all depends on a person’s definition of what they consider an environment to be. But in general an environmental assessment can be defined as the significance of impact that comes from the uncertainty of a proposed project (). This impact can therefore require that an environmental assessment to be done to assist in making resolutions for such. Environmental assessments are generally found in the Integrated Environmental Management (IEM) toolbox; and these assessments ranges and includes assessments such as social impact assessment, strategic environmental assessment, life cycle assessment, environmental impact assessment to name but a few. But a focus …show more content…

It has the aim of predicting the negative as well as the positive environmental impacts that can come up from a proposed project and tries to reduce the adversity of these impacts. This tool is intended to be project specific as well as site specific and moves away from strategic issues (DEAT, 2004). The key phases of EIA includes scoping which involves the determining of spatial and temporal limits, alternatives of the project as well as key issues that need to be addressed in the EIA (DEAT, 2004). Another key phase is the actual impact assessment that involves the investigation of issues that came up in the scoping process. Measuring and assessing of potential impacts is done to be able to optimise positive impacts and also minimizing the negative ones (DEAT, 2004). Specialists are used to conduct studies, stakeholders involvement is also critical as well as the requirement of assessments of impact significance. All the results that are gathered in the assessment are represented in an Environmental Impact Report …show more content…

Other advantages of this tool is that more informed environmentally sensitive decisions are made, it increases accountability and transparency in the development process and contributes positively towards the achievement of sustainability (Beder, 2003). Constraints… STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT There are numerous definitions on what a Strategic Environmental Assessment is and they usually fall in two different categories; an EIA-based SEA, where it represents the extension of EIA and the sustainability led SEA that focuses more on the proactive considerations of the objectives of sustainability are enabled (DEAT, 2004). This is a way to determine environment effects of decisions that are made at policy, plan and programme (PPP)

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