Effectiveness Of Environmental Impact Assessment Research Articles

The Effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessments in Policy Making

The Effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessments in Policy Making

Who teaches, how they teach, and what they think about environmental impact assessment: perspectives from Brazilian university lecturers

ABSTRACT Research on teaching Impact Assessment plays an important role in seeking improvements in the quality of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This article analyzes EIA teaching from the perspective of lecturers who teach EIA in Brazilian Environmental Engineering Programs. Using an online questionnaire for data collection and content analysis as a method for data analysis, the results are based on the perceptions of 37 lecturers. The lecturers participating in the survey are predominantly female, relatively young (mostly between 35 and 45 years old), and almost all of them hold a doctorate. Results indicate that the content taught, and the methods used are aligned with best teaching practices in EIA to varying extents. In addition, lecturers’ perceptions of EIA teaching and practice align with results of scientific research on practitioners perception and EIA effectiveness in Brazil, which point out, for example, lack or limitations in participation, but also the presence of good practices. We hope that the results can contribute to reflections and improvements on EIA teaching specifically in Brazil.

Comprehensive framework for analysis of EIA effectiveness: Evidence from Espírito Santo State, Brazil

To better understand the effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and to support improvement efforts aimed at enhancing its genuine effectiveness, this study proposes a novel approach to evaluating EIA effectiveness. The proposed framework was applied to the EIA system of Espírito Santo state, Southeastern Brazil. Unlike previous research, which often examined EIA effectiveness in isolation, this study introduces a comprehensive framework for a multifactorial analysis of EIA effectiveness (procedural, substantive, transactive, and legitimacy). By integrating various dimensions of EIA effectiveness and conducting a systematic longitudinal analysis from 2007 to 2016, this research provides insights into the effectiveness of the EIA process in the analyzed context. Grounded in multidimensional aspects of EIA effectiveness, our heuristic methodological framework facilitates an in-depth examination of the complexity of analyzing the effectiveness of EIA, aiming to provide efficient and adaptive responses. We analyzed forty-seven case studies through a combination of fieldwork and desk analysis, employing documentary research and interviews for data collection, and document analysis, discourse analysis, and statistical analysis for data analysis. Additionally, a meticulous quality review of all Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) produced during the study period significantly enhances our understanding of the EIA system's effectiveness. Our analysis reveals a notable gap in EIS quality, particularly regarding impact identification and analysis. These gaps, along with the subsequent need for supplementary information, contribute to prolonged durations and increased costs in EIA processes. Weaknesses were also identified in the screening and scoping phases of the EIA process. Despite these challenges, we identified knowledge repositories, instances of learning, and benefits that the EIA has brought to projects. Overall, this research represents a significant advancement in understanding EIA effectiveness, offering valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in the field. Additionally, the framework's adaptability to other contexts enhances its utility and relevance beyond the study area.

Reflections on the Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Environmental Impact Assessment

Abstract Environmental impact assessment (EIA) involves assessing the implications of proposed activities on the environment to inform decisions about whether those actions should proceed and under what conditions. Efforts are being made to incorporate climate change considerations into EIA internationally, but the assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions poses particular challenges. This article compares the incorporation of GHG emissions into EIA in two jurisdictions: Canada (under the Impact Assessment Act 2019) and Western Australia (under the Environmental Protection Act 1986). Four questions are considered, relating to screening and scoping; information requirements; decision-making and condition setting; and post-approval activities. Key differences between the two jurisdictions were found in relation to screening and scoping (Western Australia applies an emissions threshold while Canada utilizes a project list coupled with tailored guidelines); decision-making (Western Australia generally considers a straight line trajectory to net zero by 2050 as acceptable whereas Canada considers emissions in the context of international commitments and against other sustainability considerations); and post-approval activities (a strength of the Western Australian system is mechanisms enabling review and tightening of GHG conditions over time). It will be important to continue to review the effectiveness of EIA as a tool for climate mitigation as practice evolves.

Analyzing the effectiveness of environmental impact assessment in Paraná, Brazil and California, United States with fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis and the analytical hierarchy process.

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has become one of the most widespread environmental management instruments. Despite this, EIA is routinely criticized for being ineffective at impacting decision-making. This study compared the EIA systems of Paraná, Brazil and California, United States using the effectiveness dimensions from the EIA literature. This study formats the cases into contextual conditions using the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to identify the necessary or sufficient conditions that cause effective outcomes. These effectiveness outcomes are then ranked by EIA stakeholders via the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to identify stakeholder priorities and to improve stakeholder management. The results show that in Paraná stakeholders identified normative effectiveness as the most important dimension, while stakeholders in California identified this dimension as the second-most important following substantive effectiveness. Public participation was found to be a necessary condition for both substantive and normative effectiveness to occur. Early project definition was found to be sufficient for substantive effectiveness and necessary for normative effectiveness, for which stakeholder coordination was a sufficient condition. This suggests that in order for EIA to influence decision-making and foster sustainable development, greater care needs to be taken to actively engage stakeholders in public participation, with clear roles and project design communicated early on, and a clear role for regulatory authority to promote stakeholder coordination for acceptable outcomes. These findings suggest that some effectiveness dimensions are caused by similar conditions, which could help focus stakeholder management efforts and point to new avenues for future EIA effectiveness research.

Effectiveness and challenge of environmental impact assessment in industrial park, a case study in Northeast rust belt China

The conventional rough-and-tumble pattern of industrial development in the northeast has severely affected China's sustainable development in recent years. As a result, the industrial park emerged and prospered with the advantages of clear industrial positioning, optimized functional layout and complete support facilities. Nonetheless, for the environmental management of industrial parks, environmental impact assessment (EIA) should be better applied as an upstream environmental protection means. Thus, in three aspects, this study summarizes the research on EIA in the world and analyzes the effectiveness and development of EIA in Northeast China. First, this study analyzed the status and trends of international research in EIA, based on the Web of Science database and the CiteSpace scientometric software. The number of papers continues to rise. Some countries collaborate closely and bring forth new ideas. Research focuses on environmental management, EIA methodology, and energy issues. Research hotspots are public participation and life cycle methods. Second, to specifically investigate the effectiveness of the EIA of the Northeast Industrial Park in recent years has been profitable for the improvement of the Northeast EIA system and for promoting the environmental management approach of the EIA at the micro level. It has been demonstrated that the effect of 70% EIA implementation is relatively significant with high effectiveness. Third, using a SWOT analysis approach, it aims to identify internal strengths and weaknesses, external opportunities and challenges in the development of the Northeast Industrial Park EIA, and propose a future development strategy for the Northeast Industrial Park EIA at the macro level.

The evolution of China's environmental impact assessment system: Retrospect and prospect from the perspective of effectiveness evaluation

It has been nearly 20 years since the Law of the People's Republic of China on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) formally came into effect in 2003. The development of China's EIA system has gone through the stages of exploration, practice and reform. The evaluation objects have expanded from construction projects to planning, and then to policies, forming an EIA system with Chinese characteristics. This paper first draws on the experience of international EIA effectiveness evaluation and puts forward a checklist combined with China's practice. Based on this checklist, the development of China's EIA system is systematically reviewed and analyzed from the perspective of effectiveness evaluation. Finally, this paper proposes keys and priorities for the future effectiveness improvement of China's EIA system, and puts forward policy recommendations of realistic value for EIA to help China achieve high-standard protection and high-quality development. It is found that, as an important means of environmental management, the laws and regulations system, and administration system of China's EIA system play an important role. However, there are still some imperfections. The connotation of Strategic Environmental Assessment in China still needs to be further enriched, and support system such as public participation need to be strengthened.

How does the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process affect environmental performance? Unveiling EIA effectiveness in China: A practical application within the thermal power industry

Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) are widely accepted by organizations worldwide, despite differences in cultural backgrounds and political and environmental management systems. In recent years, the EIA process in China has been increasingly customized to national political intent and the legislative framework. Meanwhile, the substantive effectiveness of EIAs has become a widespread concern, indicating that the effectiveness of EIAs is gauged by their capacity to reduce the negative impacts of plans, projects, and programs (PPPs). In this study, using policy analysis, we identified how EIAs influenced the effectiveness and compatibility of other environmental regulations, as well as the interrelationships between them. This study examined coordinated efforts in the national thermal power industry to reduce pollutant emissions within the constraints of EIA approval. The results revealed that the EIA process could assist in reducing pollutant emissions without impeding economic development in China, with the unique characteristics of the Chinese EIA system playing a significant role. As a mandatory policy in China, EIAs helped curb the cumulative regional pollution caused by rapid industrialization, thereby preventing the occurrence of serious environmental issues. It should be noted that EIAs not only provided a structured approach to consultations and operational experiences to resolve environmental problems, but also for a wide range application path for other environmental management policies.

Environmental Impact Assessment Effectiveness in Public–Private Partnerships: Study on the Colombian Toll Road Program

Public–private partnership (PPP) has been positioned as a relevant contracting method for developing large-scale infrastructure projects that entails potentially high-magnitude negative impacts on the environment. The effectiveness of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) is crucial to achieving sustainable development of these large-scale infrastructure projects. To unravel the drivers for the EIA effectiveness and the multiple combinations built by the complexity of these drivers, this paper analyzes 28 road PPP projects from Colombia employing a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) approach. This paper decodes conjectural causal links between specific conditions grouped in superordinate clusters (i.e., consultants’ capability, project features, and communities’ participation) and EIA effectiveness dimensions (i.e., normative, procedural, substantive, and transactive). Findings revealed that no single combination of causal conditions ensures multidimensional EIA effectiveness. This study demonstrated that EIA effectiveness relies significantly on the integration of specific features of three external stakeholders: consultants, nonpreferred proponents, and communities. This study constitutes the first empirical multidimensional identification of the combination of conditions that generate EIA effectiveness in road PPPs.

MULTIVARIATE APPROACHES TO CLUB LARGE WATER QUALITY DATA FROM AQUATIC TOXICITY STUDIES: A REVIEW STUDY

Water is the most valuable, widespread resource, major constituent of all living creatures and extremely essential for the sustenance & existence of life. This is exemplified by its multiple uses such as drinking, cooking, washing, irrigation, farming, industrial activities and many more. Quality of surface waters are getting deteriorated as water resources are polluted due to the discharge of industrial effluents, agricultural run-off having insecticides, pesticides, heavy metals, fertilizers, chemicals, sewage and other domestic wastes. This review strongly recommends the incorporation of regular monitoring programmes for reliable estimation of water quality, effective pollution control and water resource management. The practice of conducting physicochemical studies is even essential/mandatory before conducting any toxicity study using fishes or any other sentinel organism both for in-vivo and in-vitro studies. Frequent sampling at many sites with a lot of water quality parameters generates a large & complex data matrix that needs data interpretation. The use of different multivariate approaches provide a rapid solution by identifications of factors that are mainly influencing water quality, clustering many parameters to identify the parameters mainly responsible for spatial and temporal variations linked to seasonality. In this way, reliable management of water resources as well as rapid solutions to pollution problems and effective environmental impact assessment can be approached.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of environmental impact assessment in East Africa: The case of Rwanda

AbstractEIA is an important regulatory tool which can play a key role in achieving of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and it is defined as a tool used to predict the likely impact of a project or development on the environment. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Rwanda. Data were collected using a descriptive survey design. A structured questionnaire was developed, pretested and administered to a sample of 110 respondents using purposive sampling technique. Of the 110 questionnaires administered 82 were retrieved and analyzed into frequencies and simple percentages using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel 2016 version. The study showed that 1188 EIA clearances were issued between 2011 and 2019 while 3085 EIA certificates were issued between 2006 and 2019. The survey revealed that EIA experts in Rwanda largely gain experience from the construction, water and sanitation, and agriculture sectors. Though the legislation covering EIA in Rwanda is very strong, the study showed that the only way to improve the effectiveness of EIA is to strengthen the quality of documentation and to offer electronic services as well as incorporating EIA results into decision‐making mechanisms. The study also identified insufficient monitoring of environmental management plans (45% of respondents), poor follow‐ups (30%), inexperienced practitioners in EIA implementation and auditing (30%), lack of professionalism by EIA practitioners (30%), and poor public participation (25%). This could potentially hinder EIA effectiveness. The study therefore recommends that quality documentation and electronic services as well as follow‐up to review projects be enforced to improve EIA effectiveness.

Past local industrial disasters and involvement of NGOs stimulate public participation in transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) emerged as a regulatory procedure and is now implemented worldwide. EIA aims to increase the sustainability of economic activities by decreasing the impact on environmental components. Transparency of the evaluation process is a key feature of the procedure, and this is achieved predominantly by encouraging participation in public debates. Public participation is essential for EIA's effectiveness, particularly in transboundary projects. This study evaluates whether media coverage of certain projects with transboundary environmental impacts increases public participation during EIA. We analyzed how online media covered the stories about four major projects subject to the EIA procedure in Romania (i.e., reactors 3 and 4 of Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant, Oltenita used oil recycling facility, Certej mining project, management of Moldova Noua tailing ponds). We focused on articles published between 2010 and 2020, covering stories about the four projects. We further extracted the stakeholders involved in the projects using social network analysis. We extracted the main topics of articles discussing the four projects using deep categorization tools. The polarities of titles and contents of the articles were assessed using sentiment analysis tools. Our findings indicate that EIA is a media subject only when NGOs become important actors in the process and the industry generated local industrial disasters in the past; otherwise, the media rarely debate the environmental impact of projects. Without NGO reactions, Romanian readers are fed with political and economic aspects driven by large projects rather than environmental issues. The outcome of the current study is significant for understanding what triggers NGOs and the media to take a stand against major projects. Projects involving activities that generated ecological disasters in Romania's recent history are strongly opposed by NGOs and the public. In such cases, environmental and EIA topics are more often included in media stories. However, projects with undeniable environmental impact but without a negative background in Romania do not reach the public agenda, and the media stories do not focus on environmental aspects either, leading to limited public participation within the EIA procedure.

EIA Effectiveness in Sensitive Alpine Areas: A Comparison of Winter Tourism Infrastructure Development in Germany and Austria

The paper analyses the effectiveness of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) in sensitive alpine environments by studying processes and selected case studies in Austria and Germany. The framework used to evaluate the respective effectiveness is based on four dimensions of effectiveness: procedural, substantive, transactive and normative. The study is based on semi-structured interviews, workshops with key stakeholders and textual analysis of EIA documents, as well as the analysis of legal documents. The findings reveal significant differences between the two countries leading to lower transactive and lower normative effectiveness in Austria. The framework demonstrates its high suitability for analysing EIA effectiveness and for developing recommendations. The outcomes also underline the significant influence of the project type.

Benefits and drawbacks of EIA decentralisation in Pakistan

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) was decentralised in Pakistan in 2010. The literature mentions compromised EIA effectiveness in the country, but no previous study tried to investigate how decentralisation of environmental governance has influenced EIA effectiveness. This study is the first of its kind which explores the opinions of key EIA stakeholders regarding the benefits and drawbacks of EIA decentralisation. Thirty-seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with officials from environmental protection agencies (EPAs), Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) and former Ministry of Environment officials and EIA consultants. Interview data was categorised into themes related to pros and cons of decentralisation. The biggest benefit offered by decentralisation to the EPAs was to make their own customised EIA laws and regulations. However, to date, four EPAs have somewhat modified the 1997 Pakistan Environmental Protection Act and two have updated the 2000 Initial Environmental Examination/EIA regulations. Limited coordination between EPAs and MoCC, political influence and lack of accountability of EPAs were highlighted as the drawbacks of decentralisation. Some EPA officials, however, mentioned that the environmental condition of their areas has improved due to the autonomy of EPAs. Decentralisation is a good idea if provinces use their right to legislate effectively and some sort of accountability mechanisms for EPAs are introduced. The study holds significance because it fills an important knowledge gap. The experience of key EIA stakeholders from the entire country regarding a decentralised EIA system provides insight not just for Pakistan but to policymakers worldwide who may want to decentralise or recentralise EIA in their countries. Future studies may be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of EIA legislation updated by some EPAs.

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) effectiveness in protected areas

ABSTRACT Despite increased focus on environmental impact assessment (EIA) effectiveness in general, little research has been conducted on EIA effectiveness in protected areas (PAs). This paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of EIA in PAs through the use of 42 specifically designed key performance indicators (KPIs) derived from a theory of change (ToC) approach to effectiveness evaluation. These KPIs are applied to a selection of six EIA cases from a specific case country, namely South Africa. In so doing, this research evaluates EIA effectiveness against three dimensions, namely, transactive, procedural and substantive effectiveness, whilst also identifying four causal scenarios for EIA effectiveness in PAs. The research found that costs, skills and competencies, as well as EIA report substance, were particular weaknesses for the cases evaluated. However, these weaknesses did not always produce a causal link to the effectiveness of the EIAs.

EIA effectiveness in Vietnam: key stakeholder perceptions

In line with its rapidly transforming economy, thousands of development proposals undergo Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Vietnam each year. Since its inception in 1993, Vietnam's EIA system has undergone numerous amendments via a suite of legislative reforms to the Law on Environmental Protection (LEP) and its associated Circulars and Decrees, a testament to the Government's will to improve environmental performance. Here we evaluate the effectiveness of Vietnam's EIA system through a unique empirical study focusing on those engaged in the EIA system undertaken in Hanoi in 2016 comprising 20 semi-structured interviews with respondents from government, NGOs, academia, and industry. By evaluating the effectiveness of the EIA system in Vietnam from the stakeholder perspective, this paper aims to identify where, how, and why the EIA system is effective or otherwise. Stakeholders vary in their perceptions of the system. Those external to it identified several inhibiting characteristics. Results suggest that like other developing countries and jurisdictions, Vietnam's EIA procedural performance falls short of EIA goals. Criticisms of discordant dual planning law and environmental management laws, fragmented decision making, conflicts of interest in appraisal committee appointments, and information deprivation that impedes public participation suggest that like other developing countries and jurisdictions, Vietnam's EIA performance, in practice, faces several challenges that potentially undermine its role in environmental protection.

Procedural Effects of Environment Impact Assessment on Controlling Natural Disaster (Landslides and Flashflood) Based on Environmental Degradation from Development in Malaysia

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a preemptive tool used by engineers, environmental consultants and planners to avoid the most likely adverse consequences of development projects. As a planning tool, EIA should curb the harmful effects from all stages of a project lifecycle. Landslides and flash floods are the most common problems faced by Malaysians almost yearly due to rapid development, especially that involving modification of watercourses, clearing of land and projects on hill slopes. Despite such issues, existing legislation and new guidelines have been enacted by the Malaysian government and must be followed by any proposing project team before starting development projects. The Department may have accepted an EIA report of the project. Still, several developments may have neglected the guidelines, especially during construction involving earthworks and exposure of the surrounding environment, place and people to a high risk of disaster caused by mishaps and accidents. The incidence of landslides and flash floods as reported in newspapers, journals, reports and books since 1919 is explored in this study to determine the details of the losses and locations. Despite the enactment of the new EIA law, landslides and flash floods continue to occur. This situation justifies the need to revise the approach based on sizes and include other factors, namely, the risk indices for disaster to happen and the effectiveness of EIA in reducing disaster risks in projects.

The Public Participation Shifting of Environmental Impact Assessment During Covid-19 Outbreak

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is not only about development and protecting environment, but also about public participation during all the process. It is not an exaggeration that public participation is claimed as one of the key indicators of the effectiveness of EIA. Therefore, even in pandemic conditions while development still must go on at the same time, public participation can be avoided in the EIA process. In a wide range of international arrangements and national regulation, there are several guidance in accommodating public participation such as the Aarhus Convention 1998 and Indonesian national regulation. This article compares and analyses those legal procedures in mitigating unexpected conditions. The result shows that both of them are still feasible to be applied even in abnormal circumstances. Some barriers are identified especially related to implementing advanced technology. Therefore, how these aspirations are conveyed and accepted must be done in various alternative ways.

Environmental impact assessment model of overall land-use planning based on BP artificial neural network

In view of the problems existing in the evaluation methods of land overall planning, such as excessive evaluation error and large root mean square error, this paper proposes to design an effective environmental impact assessment model for land overall planning. The influence of social, economic and ecological environment in the overall land planning was analysed to build the environmental impact index system of the overall land planning. GRNN was used to screen the indexes with different degrees of influence, MIV was introduced to screen the index values, and rank correlation coefficient among the indexes was controlled. The indexes obtained after screening were input into BP artificial neural network to build an environmental impact assessment model of overall land planning. The experimental show that the mean absolute error is about 1.6%, and minimum root-mean-square error is about 0.01.

Environmental impact assessment model of overall land-use planning based on BP artificial neural network

In view of the problems existing in the evaluation methods of land overall planning, such as excessive evaluation error and large root mean square error, this paper proposes to design an effective environmental impact assessment model for land overall planning. The influence of social, economic and ecological environment in the overall land planning was analysed to build the environmental impact index system of the overall land planning. GRNN was used to screen the indexes with different degrees of influence, MIV was introduced to screen the index values, and rank correlation coefficient among the indexes was controlled. The indexes obtained after screening were input into BP artificial neural network to build an environmental impact assessment model of overall land planning. The experimental show that the mean absolute error is about 1.6%, and minimum root-mean-square error is about 0.01.