Researchers' perspective on the main strengths and weaknesses of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures

Abstract

Core characteristics of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures along with the quality of implementation vary from country to country and sometimes from project to project. However, several issues obstructing EIA's proper implementation are common, such as: national or regional EIA specific regulations, low quality of assessment reports, insufficient equipment and trained staff, inadequate institutional framework, lack of public participation, and low levels of cooperation between policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders. The gap between EIA research and practice is often highlighted in the scientific literature and technical reports; however, data is often limited to particular cases. This paper explores researchers' perspectives on the main strengths and weaknesses of EIA so we may advance recommendations to improve the quality and effectiveness of EIA procedures for more sustainable outcomes. We applied an online survey on EIA strengths and weaknesses to researchers that published at least one paper related to EIA in the last ten years. We use different statistical analyses, network analysis and co-occurrence analysis to investigate the 103 responses received from researchers in the field. Our findings capture researchers' perspectives and could help to change our current traditional approaches. Our results could also help us rethink the EIA collaborative process leading it toward more sustainable holistic planning by learning from past experiences, best practices, and expert opinion. We highlight important EIA researchers' recommendations for improving EIA procedures and the relationship between EIA and the scientific field, and implicitly for improving the quality of the environment and for developing a better EIA strategy.