Theme Institutional Strengthening • Laws & Policies • Environmental Impact Assessment

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) identifies and measures the anticipated environmental effects of an activity, development or project. If the effects are unacceptable, steps can be taken to reduce or repair them. The EIA process should be transparent, open and expeditious. So that all points of view can be considered, the public should have access to the information presented and the opportunity to make their opinions heard.

EIA is a key tool for identifying environmental conditions which business activities must satisfy. It helps businesses understand what is expected of them, gives them confidence that standards are applied fairly and contributes to assuring a level playing field and fair competition—important factors in increasing trade and investment.

Our Program’s Activities to build EIA capacity and our Activities to achieve other Theme A goals are interdependent. Effective EIA depends on

• Clear regulations and standards (for Wastewater, Solid Waste, Chemical & Hazardous Substances and Air Quality),
  
• Accurate methods and means of measuring compliance (adequate Laboratories),
  
• Strong Enforcement capacity (at all levels -- inspection, prosecutorial and judicial) and
  
• Informed, active Public Participation in the process.

Among our Activities to build institutional capacity for competent EIA:

• A comprehensive course on the principles of EIA review and a detailed facilitator’s manual,
  
• Train-the-trainer workshops for technicians, often concentrating on selected sectors, such as Mining, Forestry, Energy and Tourism; and
  
• Introduction of tools such as NEPAssist, a system that streamlines the EIA process by providing immediate screening of environmental assessment indicators for a user-defined area of interest.