Elements of Environmental Impact Assessment

ELEMENTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

by Anton Antonio

June 25, 2015

Environment Impact Assessment or EIA is a systematic process of identifying future consequences of a current or proposed action or activity.  Most activities in the uplands have a lot to do with land use options.  This is where environmental impact assessments become very important for it not only ensure the viability and sustainability of the project or activity but also looks into and is concerned about the long-term effects of the project to the land itself.

Environmental impact assessment is anchored on the presence of the following organizational elements:

1. Transparency – a situation in which activities are done in an open way without secrets so that people can trust that they are fair and honest;
2. Certainty – a theoretical condition in which decision making is without risk because the decision maker has ll the information about the exact outcome of the decision before he or she makes the decision;
3. Participation – is joint consultation in decision making, goal setting, profit sharing, teamwork, and other such measures through which an organization attempts to foster or increase its stakeholders’ commitment to collective objectives;
4. Practicability – a condition wherein something is capable of being effected, done, or put into practice; feasible; and, usable for a specified purpose or objective;
5. Flexibility – is the ability of a system, such as an upland program or project, to cost effectively vary its output within a certain range and given timeframe;
6. Cost-Effectiveness – is the relationship between monetary inputs and the desired outcome, such as between the expenditure on an advertising campaign and increase in sales revenue;
7. Credibility – is the quality of being believed or accepted as true, real or honest; and,

8.    Accountability – is the obligation of an individual or organization to account for its activities, accept responsibility for them, and to disclose the results in a transparent manner such as responsibility for money or other entrusted property or assets.

The importance of these organizational elements cannot be underestimated... the elements of environmental impact assessment.

Just my little thoughts…

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