What is Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)?

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is an assessment of the effects of a proposed development on the physical, biological, social, and economic environment. The the development could be a policy, plan, programme, project, social, cultural or economic change, or environmental change.

It is an assessment that aims that aims to integrate environment into development in a manner that will bring about sustainable development.

Although EIA evolved in the USA in 1970 long before the United Nations report on sustainable development was published by the World Commision on Environment and Development (WCED) in 1987, it was at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, 1992, that the need to intergrate environment into development globally was further underscored.

EIA is a tool for systematically evaluating impacts of a proposed development on people, other organisms, and on the physical, social, economic, cultural and aesthetic environment before a final decision is taken.

In addition to identifying the impacts, EIA considers various alternative options including the option not to undertake a development or not to make a change. It should clarify what a situation would be if there were no development or change, and what the impacts are for various alternative development options. It shouls be undertaken to provide environmental and social inputs into the project decision-making process.

Environmental Impact Assessment is therefore concerned with the continued welfare of people and the stewardship of nature. The practical objective of an EIA is to predict probable and potential changes in the environmental and social system resulting from a proposed project.

Thus, EIA is a process with the ultimate objective to provide decision makers with an indication of the likely consequences of their actions.