Evaluation of the environmental policy and impact assessment process in Ethiopia

This paper reviews the Ethiopian Environmental Policy with focus on the institutional set-up and implemented Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures. The evaluation of EIA is done against a set of evaluation criteria. Specific legal provision for EIA application is well documented and the Environmental Protection Authority exists as the legal body. A chronological evaluation of the establishment of the environmental policy reveals that this process was more a result of donor requirements than of political will. Inconsistency on institutional level, non-existence of complementarities between institutions, and of environmental and investment policy and proclamations, contradict the enforcement of the EIA law. Furthermore lack of multidisciplinary experts, missing environmental baseline data, and lack of monitoring and post-auditing adversely affect the effectiveness of the EIA law. The paper concludes that, besides other important measures, the Ethiopian EIA law needs to be adapted.     

Evaluation of the environmental impact assessment system in Egypt

A formal environmental impact assessment (EIA) system was introduced in Egypt through Environmental Protection Law No. 4 of 1994. This paper evaluates the EIA system in Egypt by using both ‘systemic’ and ‘foundation’ evaluation criteria. The methodology is based on an investigation of EIA legislation, a review of guidelines and relevant documents, and interviews with EIA practitioners. The main factors affecting EIA best practice in Egypt are the limited numbers of local experts, inadequate public consultation, lack of environmental data, weak follow-up, and the absence of long- term land-use plans. Recommendations to strengthen the system include improving capacity building, implementing an effective EIA consultants' accreditation system, ensuring effective public participation and access to EIA reports, applying systematic environmental impact statement (EIS) review criteria and promoting environmental awareness.     

Assessing the utility of environmental factors and objectives in environmental impact assessment practice: Western Australian insights

Environmental factors and objectives are formally identified during the scoping stage of environmental impact assessment (EIA) to structure and focus individual assessments. Environmental factors are broad components of the environment, while objectives set the desired outcome for a specific factor. This research assesses the utility of environmental factors and objectives in EIA practice based upon a combination of literature review and interviews with 21 EIA practitioners from Western Australia. Further to providing focus and structure for EIA, practitioners also use environmental factors and objectives for decision-making throughout the process. The majority of practitioners also note that factors and objectives are value adding and useful to their EIA practice. Due to their inherent subjective natures, interviewees noted a lack of consistency regarding how to meet the objectives and challenges in determining the significance of impacts on a factor. Identified opportunities to enhance use of objectives and factors in EIA included provision of more guidance, especially criteria or standards to apply and improve knowledge sharing between EIA stakeholders.     

An evaluation of environmental impact assessment in Abu Dhabi,United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) is undergoing extremely rapid economic growth and experiencing a related increase in infrastructure and industrial development. If not managed properly, this growth can lead to significant impacts on the natural environment. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) practice in Abu Dhabi is approximately 10 years old. During the period, the number of EIAs conducted each year has increased considerably. This research activity evaluates the performance of the system as documented in legislation, relevant documents and current practices. The current system is compared with evaluation criteria from Christopher Wood. The analysis reveals that the Abu Dhabi process is strong in its legal basis, coverage, screening, scoping and review of the report. Areas that need improvement include better specification of alternatives in design, integration of EIAs into final decision-making, monitoring of the overall process, public consultation and ongoing impact monitoring. A discussion of public involvement and impact monitoring provides the context for potential future enhancements to strengthen the Abu Dhabi system.     

Environmental and economic sustainability

This review paper details the current status of environmental impact assessment (EIA) legislation framework and procedures of implementation of EIA systems in the Gulf Cooperation Council States. The paper discusses the similarities and the different practice approaches of EIA studies between the States through assessment criteria of EIA systems. Performance evaluation criteria consisting of systematic and foundation measures are used for comparative assessment. This paper hence, seeks to develop a compilation on these EIA systems with regard to its legislation, practices and performance in the respective countries. A set of recommendations on how such practices can be enhanced and improved is presented.     

Extending environmental management systems principles to environmental assessment: the use of environmental audits

Natural Resources Canada is expanding the application of environmental auditing to fulfill a key requirement of its environmental management system (EMS) as applied to environmental impact assessment (EIA). Such an evaluation progamme requires endorsement and commitment from senior management. It helps to define legal and policy requirements, significantly influences the implementation of the EMS, provides the foundation for examining the management of EIA in an organization, and makes a key contribution to the review and improvement of the EMS. Through its reporting of results to senior management and requirement for action plans, it is anticipated that the Evaluation Programme will contribute to improved EIA practice in the long term.     

Development of the EIA process in Cyprus

It is expected that Cyprus will join the European Union (EU) during the next enlargement (anticipated 2003-2005) and will therefore need to incorporate various European legislation, regulations and standards into existing legal, administrative and operational frameworks, including environmental impact assessment (EIA) as set out in Directives 85/337/EEC and 97/11/EC. This paper evaluates the Cyprus EIA provisions and makes a number of suggestions and recommendations as to how the Cyprus EIA process may be improved. Provisional EIA legislation in Cyprus includes some, but not all, of the European EIA requirements. The Cyprus EIA process in practice is highly variable, in some instances struggling to achieve the requirements of existing Cyprus legislation, and in others going beyond even Directive 97/11/EC. The findings of this study can be used to assist in updating the current Cyprus EIA system to reach the EIA standards set by the EU.     

Environmental impact assessment in Hong Kong: a comparison study and lessons learnt

Abstract

Although many studies in developed countries on the practice of EIA have been conducted, there is a lack of similar attention in Hong Kong. This gap in knowledge is addressed in this study which summarises and records the current practice and lessons learned from priority projects. In the case of Hong Kong, this lack of understanding is important, since a significant number of infrastructure projects with applications pending for environmental approvals were delayed, awaiting the court ruling of the judicial review. In this research, the EIA system and practices in Hong Kong were comprehensively reviewed by a comparison study between Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore. Then field work of interviews with professionals and focus group meetings with Green Groups were conducted to seek opinions of interviewees and members about the mechanism of EIA. Recommendations on aspects of EIA systems are provided at the end of the paper.     

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) screening and scoping of extraterrestrial exploration and development projects

Numerous space missions are planned by government agencies and private companies, with objectives including scientific research, prospecting for and mining resources, and establishing human settlements. These projects have potential to affect the extraterrestrial environment. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is an important tool for assessing the potential impact of projects on Earth’s environment. However, the legal requirements to undertake EIA for extraterrestrial projects are limited and most EIAs that have been conducted have not considered impacts beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Technical barriers to extraterrestrial EIA also need to be overcome, including a lack of guidelines and methodologies. This paper addresses the latter issue by identifying the extraterrestrial impacts that may arise from space projects and relating them to the environmental topic areas in the European EIA Directive. An example is then provided of how EIA screening and scoping can be undertaken for the extraterrestrial elements of space projects, using six scenarios. Effective EIA screening and scoping is key to deciding whether EIA is required and if so which topic areas should be included.     

Books

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) system in Uzbekistan was inherited from the USSR and is centred on state environmental review, a procedure for reviewing the impacts of proposed activities by environmental authorities. This is proving to be a less effective tool of environmental protection in the new political and economic conditions. Since the collapse of the USSR, the Uzbekistani EIA system has undergone gradual reform but the national EIA system remains almost identical to the ‘socialist’ system. At the same time, some elements are similar to those of EIA systems used in developed countries. The shortcomings of the system include unclear screening provisions and lack of public participation. The paper analyses strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the development of EIA in Uzbekistan, taking into account various political and economic factors.     

Status and progress of environmental assessment in Hong Kong: facing the challenges in the 21st century

Hong Kong's EIA system evolved from the application of an administrative EIA system to major development projects. Through learning by doing and the gradual accumulation of institutional and professional capability, the system was broadened to address plans, strategies and major policy proposals, as well as deepened to embrace environmental monitoring and audit mechanisms. The successful application of EIA to several key projects bred success and acceptance. In January 1997, the Hong Kong Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance was enacted and a legal and technical instrument, the Technical Memorandum on EIA Process, promulgated. Hong Kong is now evolving a sustainable development framework on which to apply the principles of environmental sustainability to future major policies and strategies and the Government's decision-making process.     

IAIA'99

The provision of environmental impact assessment (EIA) guidance is generally claimed to be beneficial for improving practice through local capacity building. However, to date no studies have investigated their effectiveness. In Western Australia, EIA guidance materials are intended to allow for better environmental protection; increased certainty; enhanced consistency of advice given to Government; proposals to be designed to meet environmental objectives from the outset; and to provide a clearer basis for Government decision-making. Twenty practicing environmental consultants were interviewed about the effectiveness of guidance materials at achieving these objectives. It was found that EIA guidance influenced the practice of consultants and was perceived as effecttive in enhancing the outcomes of the EIA process overall. However, a number of shortfalls were identified. Suggestions are made for increasing the utility of future guidance materials thereby enhance the effectiveness of EIA practice itself.     

Referees 2009

Abstract

Impact significance determination lies at the heart of environmental impact assessment (EIA) but conflict and misunderstanding around the concept is common. This paper attempts to make sense of impact significance in EIA based on four essential components of significance synthesised from the literature to ensure that: (1) a clear operational framework for significance determination applies throughout EIA, (2) attention focuses only on significant issues, (3) the term significance is specified and applied consistently, and (4) significance determinations are transparent to all EIA stakeholders. To provide a practical perspective, the extent to which EIA institutional provisions in Western Australia uphold these significance determination components is reviewed. Overall the Western Australian approach generally meets all four components, but areas for improvement include better guidance encouraging proponents to adopt a more consultative approach to determining relevant environmental factors and objectives to better focus EIA, and distinguishing between terms used for significance within EIA documentation. A new significance framework approach in Western Australia represents a clear attempt to uplift practice, but opportunity exists to improve the way impact significance determinations are presented to stakeholders. EIA practitioners may benefit from mapping and making sense of impact significance in their own jurisdiction using the four components presented.     

Evaluation of environmental impact assessment effectiveness in Slovakia

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) practice in Slovakia is about 20 years old. EIA was first introduced in Slovakia based on the Environment Law of 1992. The practice in EIA started developing shortly after the Law No. 127/1994 Coll. came into force. The first group of experts was certified as being EIA/strategic environmental assessment (SEA) professionally qualified persons. During 20 years, the numbers of EIA procedures were performed and number of EIA practitioners has considerably increased. Many discussions arise about EIA procedure effectiveness and quality in Slovakia. The task of this study has been to investigate EIA system applications in Slovakia and evaluate its effectiveness. In this paper, the views of professionally qualified persons are examined closely, using a questionnaire survey. Data from the questionnaires are analysed to find information relating to current EIA/SEA and EIA/SEA practice and the future for EIA. The objective of this study was to assess the potential for improving the effectiveness of EIA in Slovakia, and finally the recommendations for improvement are presented. The results of this research suggest that the use of new legislation should be extended in Slovakia in order to improve EIA effectiveness.     

Socio-economic and political barriers to public participation in EIA: implications for sustainable development in the Maldives

Abstract

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a policy process that can lead to more sustainable development by preventing or mitigating the negative impacts of development projects. Public participation in the EIA process, especially one based on the ideals of deliberative democracy, is essential to deliver on the goal of sustainable development that is arguably the primary objective of EIA. This article specifically focuses on a study of public participation in the EIA process of the Maldives. Using a qualitative research design involving an analysis of documents and interviews, it investigates four aspects of a deliberative participatory process: fairness, competence, willingness and capacity. The analysis suggests that the process for public participation in the Maldives cannot be characterized as fully fair or competent. It further identifies several socio-economic barriers that affect the capacity and willingness of the actors to participate including political influence, lack of human and financial capacity, gender gap, loss of community spirit and lack of environmental and procedural awareness.     

Toolkits for regional sustainable development

Previous survey research into screening for environmental impact assessment (EIA) in England has found that few local authorities have very much experience of dealing with EIA projects. This research examined actual case files of projects that fall within the ambit of the UK's EIA Regulations and found an explanation for this lack of experience. In the majority of the cases examined they were not even screened to see if an EIA was required. This suggests that there is widespread misunderstanding of the EIA regulatory requirements by English local planning authorities. It is also suggested that there may be a culture of resistance to EIA among planners and that this can undermine both EIA effectiveness and the theories used to justify its use.     

A Programmable Display Test Unit

The present approach to testing and aligning complex avionic information display systems such as those in the F-14A, E-2C, and S-3A aircraft has been highly specialized, and military experience with this approach reveals that it is complicated, time-consuming, and often seriously compromises test effectiveness. Attempts to use general-purpose automatic test equipment (ATE) for display testing also have not been entirely successful because of the need for highly complex, externally situated equipment and adapters. Based on this premise, PRD Electronics has undertaken the development of a unique display test unit which under program control meets the test needs of many display systems, such as those in the A-7E and F-18 aircraft, without proliferation of hardware and without the need for "reengineering" the unit for each new application. Program control provides Electronic Industries Association (EIA) standard video formats as well as various test patterns for performance evaluation. This paper addresses the overall system considerations as well as some of the unique techniques employed.     

Practitioners’ perceptions of the Brazilian environmental impact assessment system: results from a survey

Practitioners play a key role in implementing environmental impact assessment (EIA) policies. Gauging their perception can help in designing legislation or regulation reforms and signals what needs more attention in research. The Brazilian EIA system is under review by lawmakers, but there is scant information about the views of professionals. A survey was conducted to inquiry on practitioners’ perception of the Brazilian EIA system regarding: (1) quality of the process, (2) quality of the environmental impact studies (EIS), and (3) proposals to change the system. Four hundred and fourteen professionals participated in an online survey responding to 44 questions. Results show positive perceptions about some aspects of current practice, but there is a clear predominance of negative appraisal both about the quality of the process and the quality of EIS. The poorest practices are the consideration of cumulative impacts and determination of impact significance. As for proposals to change the system, respondents defend the continuity of specific characteristics of the Brazilian system. Essentially, practitioners are calling for incremental changes that do not require any modification in the legislation.     

Environmental licensing and energy policy regulating utility-scale solar photovoltaic installations in Brazil: status and future perspectives

ABSTRACT

Procurement auctions have been the main mechanism to ensure the deployment of utility-scale solar photovoltaic installations (USSPVI) in Brazil. To participate in the auction, investors must comply with all established requirements. In the solar case, the criteria incorporate State environmental licensing regulations (EL). The procurement auctions are a nationwide competition whereas the environmental licensing for those projects are under state jurisdiction. The lack of national guidance to licensing USSPVI might cause significant movement of projects to States whose EL procedures require fewer studies. This work examines the role of environmental licensing in the energy planning for USSPVI in Brazil. Analysing the 27 state regulations establishing the screening requirements that subject EIA to USSPVI, there are uneven threshold criteria to determine whether the plant will go through simplified licensing or regular process. There is also a need for studies tackling strategic environmental assessment for wind and solar expansion in Brazil. Specifically, incorporation of community concerns, public participation, and environmental constraints into the early stages of decision-making to prevent impacts and conflicts.