ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT concerns, provide input, and be part of
the decision-making process.
✓ one of the best policy innovations of the
2. TRANSPARENCY
1900s
– ensure the process is open,
✓ 1969, USA, National Environment Policy Act
accountable, and accessible to the
✓ Columbia, 1974 and Philippines, 1978 –
public.
earliest examples of developing nations
3. SECURITY
introduced EIA
– emphasizing safeguarding both
✓ 1989, World Bank adopted EIA
environment and community’s welfare
Definition of EIA throughout and following the
implementation of a project by
International Association for Impact Assessment
addressing potential security risks
(IAIA)
associated with a project.
✓ the process of identifying, predicting, 4. CREDIBILITY
evaluating and mitigating of biophysical, – EIA process to be conducted in a
social and other relevant effects of credible and trustworthy manner.
development proposals prior to major 5. ACCOUNTABILITY
decisions being taken or commitment made. – all parties in the assessment process, are
responsible for conducting the assessment
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and making decisions in a manner that
prioritizes environmental protection and the
✓ a tool which can be used for decision-making
well-being of communities.
to pin down the environmental, economic,
6. COST-EFFICIENCY
and social impacts of a project.
– process should be cost-efficient and not
Other definitions impose undue financial burdens.
7. FLEXIBILITY
✓ A process that involves predicting and – promotes adaptive management,
evaluating the likely impacts of a project monitoring the project’s environmental
(including cumulative impacts) on the performance and adjusting measures as
environment during construction, necessary to address unforeseen impacts or
commissioning, operation and changing circumstances.
abandonment. 8. PRACTICALITY
✓ Laid emphasis on evaluating the – the recommendations and mitigation
adverse/beneficial effects of measures proposed in EIA should be realistic
development project on the physical and capable of being effectively put into
factors – air, water quality, solid waste practice.
disposal
✓ Also includes biological, ecological, PURPOSE OF EIA
socio-economic factors (employment, 1. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION – aims to
recreational, cultural) identify and mitigate or prevent adverse
environmental effects associated with
In the Philippines, development projects.
2. RISK ASSESSMENT – assesses and
LEGAL FRAMEWORK manages potential risks and uncertainties
- Implemented by DENR-Environmental associated with a project, such as natural
Management Bureau disasters, accidents, or other unforeseen
- Officially known as Philippine events.
Environmental Impact Statement System 3. INFORMED DECISION-MAKING – provide
(PEISS), under PD No. 1586, June 11, comprehensive information about the
1978. potential impacts of a proposed project.
- A comprehensive and interdisciplinary 4. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT –
process to assess a project’s potential considering long-term environmental and
positive or negative effects on the social consequences of a project.
surrounding environment.
- EIA seeks to predict and evaluate the
likely environmental impacts
PRINCIPLES OF EIA
1. PARTICIPATION
– provide opportunities for meaningful
public participation, giving affected
stakeholders a chance to express their
EIA – involves a study to determine any unique the level of compensation for probable
environmental attributes from endangered species environmental damage or loss.
to existing hazardous waste to historical
significance. Mitigation measures provide for a system to
reduce, avoid or offset the potential adverse
- Ensures consideration of environmental
environmental consequences of
implications before making a final decision of
development activities.
assessing the environmental attribute.
STEPS IN EIA PROCESS Mitigation measures can be in the form of
preventative, corrective or compensatory
1. SCREENING – First stage of EIA process measures.
which results in a key EIA decision (conduct
assessment or not conduct) Prevention means that the potential impact is
prevented or reduced before it occurs.
Follows specific procedure described in the Corrective measures reduce the impact to a
legislation level which is acceptable.
Project plan is screened for the scale of 6. DECISION MAKING – Impact Assessment
investment, location and type of Authority consult before taking the final
development and if the project needs decision, keeping in mind EIA and EMP.
statutory clearance.
Based upon values about what is or is not
2. SCOPING – Critical step, identifies the important or significant.
issues that are likely to be of most
importance during the EIA and eliminates 7. MONITORING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF
those that are of little concern. EMP – monitoring provides data on the
environmental and social impacts of the
Systematic exercise that establishes the project for the whole project life cycle.
boundaries of your EIA and sets the basis of
the analysis. The information collected during monitoring
activities helps to ensure that the priorities
3. COLLECTION OF BASELINE DATA – listed in the Environmental Management
environmental status of study area, ensures Plan (EMP).
to assess and prevent environmental
degradation due to a development project. 8. ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVES,
DELINEATION OF MITIGATION
To serve two purposes in EIA study: help to MEASURES AND ENVIRONMENTAL
understand current conditions of the area IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT –
and how to be implemented considering possible alternatives should be identified,
these conditions; help assess and predict the and environmental attributes compared.
possible environmental changes that could 9. RISK ASSESSMENT – inventory analysis
occur, once the project is underway. and hazard probability and index.
Baseline data are the data collected about Environmental Impact Assessment is
various factors of the project study. essentially a process comprising four
elements: identification, prediction,
Physical, Chemical Biological, evaluation, and monitoring.
Socioeconomic, Cultural.
A risk assessment is particularly useful when
4. IMPACT PREDICTION – Positive and there is a substantial degree of uncertainty in
negative, reversible and irreversible and the occurrence of an impact or the existence
temporary and permanent impacts need to of a receptor, and where an impact is likely to
be predicted which presupposes a good result in a significant environmental effect.
understanding of the project by the
assessment agency.
Way of ‘mapping’ the environmental
consequences of the significant aspects of
the project and its alternatives.
5. MITIGATION MEASURES AND EIA
REPORT – Actions and steps for preventing,
minimizing or by passing the impacts or else
