Environmental Impact Assessment YouTube Lecture Handouts for NET, IAS, State-SET (KSET, WBSET, MPSET, etc.), GATE, CUET, Olympiads etc. 2023
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Environmental Impact Assessment - Analyzing Benefits and Actions
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
EIA -Definition
- Tool to identify environmental, social and economic impacts of a project prior to decision-making – UNEP
- In India, Started in 1978 - 79 by river valley projects
- EIA has now been made mandatory under the Environmental Protection Act, 1986 for 29 categories of developmental activities that involves investments of ₹ 50 crores & more
Stages Involved in EIA
- Screening
- Scoping
- Assessment & Evaluation
- Report EIA: Non-technical summary for the general audience
- Review EIS
- Decision Making: Whether to approve project or not
- Monitoring, Compliance, Enforcement
- Environmental Auditing
Which Projects Fall under EIA?
- Which can significantly alter the landscape, land use pattern & lead to concentration of working population
- Which need upstream development activity like assured mineral and forest products supply
- Which need downstream industrial process development
- Those involving manufacture, handling and use of hazardous materials
- Those sited near ecologically sensitive areas, urban centers, hill resorts, places of scientific and religious importance
- Industrial Estates which could cumulatively cause significant environmental damage
What to Address?
- Meteorology and air quality
- Hydrology and water quality
- Site and its surroundings
- Occupational safety and health
- Details of the treatment and disposal of effluents and the methods of alternative uses
- Transportation of raw material and details of material handling
- Control equipment and measures proposed to be adopted
Benefits of EIA
- Environmental benefits
- Economic benefits
- Reduced cost and time of project implementation and design
- Avoided treatment
- Clean-up costs
- Impacts of laws and regulations
Procedure
Follow Up
Precautionary Principle: If an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public, or environment, in the absence of scientific consensus, the burden of proof falls on those taking the action. Part of Rio Declaration & Kyoto Protocol.
Polluter՚s Pay Principle: To make the party responsible for producing pollution responsible for paying for the damage done to the natural environment. Support from OECD and European Community.
Strategic EIA
- Formalized, systematic & comprehensive process to identify & evaluate environmental consequences of proposed policies, plans or programs
- Ensure full inclusion
- Address at earliest possible stage of decision-making on a par with economic & social considerations
- Can be applied to entire sector
✍ Mayank