1.2 Methods of EIA.pptxgrhtghrgffrgrhdfcd

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1. Environmental Geography- II Class:- S.Y.B.Sc. Semester: IV Course No: Gg.241 Topic: 1 Environment Impact Assessment Sub Topic: Nature and methods Mr. P. C. Gangurde S.V.K.T. ASC College, Deolali Camp

2. Environmental Impact Assessment Introduction Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process of evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development, taking into account inter-related socio-economic, cultural and human-health impacts, both beneficial and adverse. UNEP defines Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as a tool used to identify the environmental, social and economic impacts of a project prior to decision-making. It aims to predict environmental impacts at an early stage in project planning and design, find ways and means to reduce adverse impacts, shape projects to suit the local environment and present the predictions and options to decision-makers. Environment Impact Assessment in India is statutorily backed by  the Environment Protection Act, 1986  which contains various provisions on EIA methodology and process. The  International Association for Impact Assessment  (IAIA) defines an environmental impact assessment as "the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the  biophysical , social, and other relevant effects of development proposals prior to major decisions being taken and commitments made".

3. Environment Impact Assessment or EIA can be defined as the study to predict the effect of a proposed activity/project on the environment. A decision making tool, EIA compares various alternatives for a project and seeks to identify the one which represents the best combination of economic and environmental costs and benefits.   EIA systematically examines both beneficial and adverse consequences of the project and ensures that these effects are taken into account during project design. It helps to identify possible environmental effects of the proposed project, proposes measures to mitigate adverse effects and predicts whether there will be significant adverse environmental effects, even after the mitigation is implemented. By considering the environmental effects of the project and their mitigation early in the project planning cycle, environmental assessment has many benefits, such as protection of environment, optimum utilisation of resources and saving of time and cost of the project. Properly conducted EIA also lessens conflicts by promoting community participation, informing decision makers, and helping lay the base for environmentally sound projects. Benefits of integrating EIA have been observed in all stages of a project, from exploration and planning, through construction, operations, decommissioning, and beyond site closure.

4. Methods of EIA Adhoc method Checklist method Matrix method Network method Overlay method Environmental index using factor analysis Cost/Benefit analysis Predictive or Simulation methods The change in EIA is moving away from a simple listing of potential impacts to complex modes involving identification of feedback paths leading to higher order impacts as compared to the easily visible first order impacts involving uncertainities . This approach can be considered as an overall management technique requiring different kinds of data in different formats along with varying levels of expertise and technological inputs to accurately forecast the results of any planned development.

5. The Role of Expert Judgement Most methods and techniques for identifying, measuring, and assessing impacts rely on expert judgement. In fact, many checklists, matrices, and models used in EIA represent decades of experience accumulated by numerous experts. The experts themselves are heavily involved in all aspects of the assessment — they are used to help identify the potential for significant impacts, plan data collection and monitoring programs, provide their judgement on the level of significance for specific impacts, and suggest ways of reducing or preventing impacts.

6. Choosing a Method EIA methods range from simple to complex, requiring different kinds of data, different data formats, and varying levels of expertise and technological sophistication for their interpretation. The analyses they produce have differing levels of precision and certainty. All of these factors should be considered when selecting a method. The EIA practitioner is faced with a vast quantity of raw and usually unorganized information that must be collected and analyzed in preparation of an EIA report. The best methods are able to: organize a large mass of heterogenous data; allow summarization of data; aggregate the data into smaller sets with least loss of information; and display the raw data and the derived information in a direct and relevant fashion. The needs of the target audience should also be considered when choosing a method. At preliminary stages, proponents need to have clear information about alternatives, research needs and feasibility. Appropriate methods, skillfully applied, can save time and money, and can generate valuable support for a proposal. At later stages of comprehensive EIAs, decision makers include those with a mandate to approve and set the conditions for going ahead with a development. For an informed decision to be made, the decision makers need to understand the nature and extent of potential impacts and the trade offs involved.

7. Whatever methods are chosen, the focus of impact assessment has evolved from generating a list of potential impacts on selected environmental components. Today’s methods consider the environment to be a dynamic, integrated group of natural and social systems. Impacts occur over time and space. Some impacts are immediate while others are delayed. Some impacts occur as a direct result of an activity; others occur as secondary or higher order impacts resulting from changes in other environmental components. In selecting assessment methods, it helps to understand two perspectives underlying the utility of EIA. From the first perspective, EIA is a technique to analyze the impacts of project activities, and is a complex and complicated procedure. The complexity is increased by the diversity of the disciplines involved — social, physical, and biological. This perspective hold s that scientific experts should be responsible for conducting and reviewing EIAs, and that the maximum possible quantification should be accomplished. This element of decision-making should be incorporated into the EIA process. From a second perspective, EIA is primarily an opportunity to allow groups that are potentially affected — populations, development agencies, and project proponents — to participate in the decision-making process.

8. Ad hoc methods Ad hoc methods are not really methods as they do not structure the problem so it is more amenable to systematic analysis. A good example of an ad hoc method is a team of experts assembled for a short time to conduct an EIA. Each expert's conclusions are based on a unique combination of experience, training and intuition. These conclusions are assembled into a report. Sometimes this is the only required or possible approach. In other instances, when more scientific methods are available, it is not sufficient to rely on ad hoc methods. Ad hoc methods indicate broad areas of possible impacts by listing composite environmental parameters (Ex: flora and fauna) likely to be affected by the proposed activity. These methods involve assembling a team of specialists who identify impacts in their area of expertise. Here, each parameter is considered separately and the nature of impacts (long term or short term, reversible or irreversible) are considered. These methods give a rough assessment of total impact while giving the broad areas and the general nature of possible impacts. In this method, the assessor relies on an intuitive approach and makes a broad-based qualitative assessment. This method serves as a preliminary assessment and helps in identification of important areas like:

9. Wildlife Endangered species Natural vegetation Exotic vegetation Grazing Social characteristics Natural drainage Groundwater Noise Air quality Visual description and services Open space Recreation Health and safety Economic values and Public facilities

10. Types of Ad hoc method are: Opinion poll Expert opinion and Delphi methods This method is very simple and can be performed without any training. It does not involve any relative weighting  or any cause-effect relationship. It provides minimal guidance for impact analysis while suggesting broad areas for possible impacts. Moreover, it does not even state the actual impacts on specific parameters that will be affected. The drawbacks of this method are listed below: It gives no assurance that a comprehensive set of all relevant impacts have been studied Analysis using this method lacks consistency as it different criteria are selectively evaluated by different groups It is blatantly inefficient as it requires a considerable effort to identify and assemble a panel for each assessment.

11. Delphi method The  Delphi method  or  Delphi technique also known as Estimate-Talk-Estimate or ETE) is a structured communication technique or method, originally developed as a systematic, interactive  forecasting  method which relies on a panel of experts. The technique can also be adapted for use in face-to-face meetings, and is then called mini-Delphi or Estimate-Talk-Estimate (ETE). Delphi has been widely used for business forecasting and has certain advantages over another structured forecasting approach,  prediction markets . Delphi is based on the principle that forecasts (or decisions) from a structured group of individuals are more accurate than those from unstructured groups. The experts answer questionnaires in two or more rounds. After each round, a  facilitator  or change agent provides an anonymised summary of the experts' forecasts from the previous round as well as the reasons they provided for their judgments. Thus, experts are encouraged to revise their earlier answers in light of the replies of other members of their panel. It is believed that during this process the range of the answers will decrease and the group will converge towards the "correct" answer. Finally, the process is stopped after a predefined stop criterion (e.g., number of rounds, achievement of consensus, stability of results), and the  mean  or  median  scores of the final rounds determine the results.