Environmental Impact

Assessment

(Methods & Techniques)

Date: 20th February, 2013

 Impact Assessment

• Evaluation of the consequences of proposed

actions on environmental parameters
– Identification

– Prediction of the impact

– Evaluation of the impact

 Methods & Techniques for Impact
Assessment

• Methods
– Concerned with Identification of the impact

• Techniques
– Used for the Prediction of the impact
 Methods
• Assist in specifying the range of impacts

(Spatial dimensions and time period)

• Indicate specific project activity affecting particular
environmental component
• May subjectively assess the magnitude and significance of
the impact (i.e. severe, moderate, slight or in terms of
numerical schemes)
 Choosing a Method
• Methods range from simple to complex
• Require different amounts of data, data
formats and varying levels of expertise.
• Varying technological sophistication for
their interpretation
• Analysis they produce have differing levels
of precision and certainty.
• 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.
 Two Perspectives of EIA
• EIA is a technique to analyze the impacts of project
activities
• Complex and complicated procedure.
• The complexity is increased by the diversity of the
disciplines involved — social, physical, and biological.
• Scientific experts should be responsible for conducting and
reviewing EIAs
• 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. This
perspective suggests that:
– decision making should not be restricted to scientific
opinions alone, but should also reflect social and
cultural viewpoints; and
– a key role of EIA is to identify and communicate
potential impacts to the concerned people and
encourage rational discussion
Objective Criteria for Selecting
an EIA Method
 Techniques

• Used for the prediction of future state

• Caused by the impacts

• E.g. water quality, air quality, noise levels etc.

• Mathematical modeling may be utilized

 Methods for Impact Identification

• 5 Methods

– Adhoc

– Check lists

– Matrices

– Networks

– Overlays
 Adhoc Method
• 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
• This method is very easy to use, but does have a few drawbacks
(Lohani and Kan, 1983):
– it may not encompass all the relevant impacts;
– because the criteria used to evaluate impacts are not comparable, the
relative weights of various impacts cannot be compared;
– it is inherently inefficient as it requires sizeable effort to identify and
assemble an appropriate panel of experts for each assessment
– it provides minimal guidance for impact analysis while suggesting broad
areas of possible impacts.
• Process of expert judgment can never be replicated thus making it difficult to
review and critique the conclusions in the EIA.
• Organization of data for analysis and presentation is not possible with Adhoc
method
 Checklists

• Valuable tool based on past projects of similar kind

• Standard lists of the types of impacts associated with a

particular type of project.
• Identify potential impacts on environmental components
during planning, construction and operation phase.
 Checklists

• Based on varying levels of information and expertise, 4

basic types of checklists
– Simple Checklist

– Descriptive Checklists

– Scaling Checklists
 Simple Checklist

• A list of environmental parameters which may be affected

by a development activity.
• No guidelines are mentioned on how these environmental
parameters are to be measured and interpreted.
Simple Checklist
Simple checklist developed for the Huasai-Thale Noi Road Project
(source: National Environment Board, 1980).
 Descriptive Checklist

• Basic checklists but includes information on

– data requirement

– source of information

– impact predictive/measurement techniques

likely to be used
 Information Included in Descriptive
Checklist
Data Required Information Sources/Predictive
Techniques
Health Current ambient conc. , current and expected
Change in air pollution conc. By frequency emissions, dispersion models, population
of occurrence and number of people at risk maps
Nuisance Baseline citizen survey, expected industrial
Change in occurrence of visual (smoke, processes, traffic volumes
haze) or olfactory (odor) air quality , and
number of people affected
Water Quality Current and expected effluents, current
Change in permissible or tolerable water uses ambient conc., water quality models
and number of people affected
Noise Changes in nearby traffic or noise sources, or
Change in noise level and frequency of in noise barriers, noise propagation models,
occurrence, and number of people bothered baseline citizen survey of current satisfaction
with noise levels
Disadvantages of Simple & Descriptive Checklist

• Drawbacks of both simple and descriptive checklists are:

– No rating to the magnitude of the impacts

– Do not take indirect impacts into account

– Do not show cause-effect relationship

• Employed at IEE stage of assessment

 Scaling Checklist

• Similar to a descriptive checklist, but with additional

information on impact measurement
• Done by subjective scaling of the parameters

• Rank impacts in order of magnitude or severity

• Strong tool in impact identification

• WB and ADB Scaling checklists

 Advantages of Checklists

• Comparatively simple method

• Useful in summarizing information to make it accessible

to the non-technical people and decision makers
• Once developed, can be used in many different stages

• Descriptive checklists provide preliminary level of

analysis
 Disadvantages of Checklists

• Too general and never considered as complete

• Do not illustrate the interaction between different

impacts
• The identification of the impact is qualitative and
subjective
 Matrices

• Two dimensional checklist

• Relates the project activities and their potential

impacts on environmental parameters
• Show cause-effect relationship

• Can be designed to identify impacts associated

with various phases of a development.
Simple Matrix for a Pulp Mill
 Leopold Matrix

• Leopold matrix is useful in

– Identifying project impacts

– As a display of format for communicating results

• Project Activities on X-Axis

• Environmental Components on Y-Axis

• Diagonal slash in impact cell represents significant

interaction
• Impact magnitude and significance - Use scale 1-10

• Magnitude - Upper left hand corner

– Describes degree or extensiveness of scale of impact on

environment(5 value shows intermediate extensiveness)
– Based on facts

• Importance -lower right hand corner

– Refers to significance of the action on

environment(consequences of anticipated actions)
– Based on expert judgment
• Completed matrix gives a precise description of each important
impact in the matrix (with the larger numerical values for
magnitude and importance)
• Discuss significant impacts after scoring the matrix.

• The discussion must also address columns and rows with large
numbers of interactions.

• It can be used to identify both beneficial as well as detrimental

impacts.
 Scaling Matrices

• Assign numbers or subjective values to impacts on

arbitrary basis
• Judged by experts

• Strong in identifying impacts

• Can represent higher order effects and interactions

 Scaling Matrix for Thermal Power Plant
(Construction Phase)

Env.
Parameters

Activities
 Scaling Matrix for Incinerator Plant

Activities

Env.
Parameters

Rating Scale
0: No Effect
1-3: Slight Effect
4-6: Moderate Effect
7-9: Severe Effect
10: Very Sever Effect
 Networks

• Indicate multiple linkages between project actions and

environmental components
• Illustrate cause-effect relationship

• Useful for identifying first, secondary, tertiary and higher

order impacts.
• Useful in identifying direct, indirect or cumulative
impacts.
NETWORK DIAGRAM FOR PULP MILL
 Disadvantages of Networks

• Time consuming to construct

• May get visually complicated

• Only consider adverse impacts

• No quantitative measurement

• Do not consider spatial and temporal dimensions

 Overlays
• Used to map spatially and display them pictorially.

• Originally used for the selection of highway routes.

• Used to identify

– Areas of environmental sensitivity

– Effects of Development

– Landscape impacts due to multiple projects

– Comparing site and planning alternatives

The Compilation of an Overlay Map from Various
Component Maps.
 Overlays
• Overlay maps are produced on transparent sheets

• Combine sheets to show total effect or impact on selected aspects or

the interaction of different impacts.
• This can be to provide
– a composite picture of the baseline environment, identifying the sensitive areas or
resources
– to show the influences of past, present and future activities on a project or
receiving environment
– to identify where several impacts can cumulatively affect one particular receptor.
 Pros & Cons of Overlays
• Pros

– Results are easy to understand

• Cons

– Limited number of overlays can be considered at any

instance
– No provision of impact quantification & measurement

– Can’t assess social and economic aspects

 GIS
• Modern version of overlays
• Computer based Geographical Information System
• It stores, retrieves, manipulates and displays
environmental data in spatial form
• Particularly useful for cumulative impacts
• Drawbacks include lack of appropriate data and expense of
creating a usable system
 Expert Systems
• Knowledge based systems used to assist diagnosis, problem
solving and decision making.
• Inference Engine
• Primarily used at the early stages of EIA process
• E.g. screening and scoping procedures have been automated
using a number of rules and data systems, which encodes
expert knowledge and judgment
• User has to answer a series of questions to identify impacts,
their mitigability and their significance.
• Based on answer given, expert system moves to the next
appropriate question.
• Expert system developed by Lohele and Osteen 1990 called
IMPACT
• Strong emphasis on spatial evaluation of imapcts
• Designed to screen activities linked with the US department
of Energy nuclear production site at Savannah River, South
Carolina, USA.
• It utilizes rule-base that incorporates not only the regulatory
provisions, but also some considerations of spatial proximity
to known features of value(e.g. archealogical sites and
endangered species) as well as pollution and ground water
effects.
• Information intensive
• High investment method of analysis
• Limited use specially by developing
countries
• Systems can be updated by gaining
experience over time.
 Selecting Impact Identification
Method
• The type and size of the proposal
• The type of alternative being considered
• The nature of the likely impacts
• The availability of the impact identification
method
• The experience of EIA team with their use
• The resources available-cost,time,
personnel,information.
 Prediction of Impacts

• An impact is a change in the environmental

parameter which results from a particular
activity or intervention.
• It is predicted or measured over a specified
period of time and within a defined area.
• Characteristics of impact can vary
• Information about predicted changes is needed
for:
– assigning impact significance
– prescribing mitigation measures
– designing and developing environmental
management plans
– monitoring programs.
• The more accurate the predictions, the more
confident the EIA practitioner will be in
prescribing specific measures to eliminate or
minimize the adverse impacts of development
projects
 Factors Considered in Prediction of
Impacts
• Following parameters should be considered when
predicting an impact
– Nature(positive, negative, direct, indirect etc.)
– Magnitude(severe, moderate, low)
– Extent/Location(area/volume covered, distribution)
– Timing(during construction ,operation, decomissioning,
immediate, delayed)
– Duration(short term, long term, intermittent, continuous)
– Reversibility, irreversibility
– Likelihood(probability, uncertainty, confidence in prediction)
– Significance(local, regional, global)
 Prediction of Impacts
• Quantitative Analysis

– Simulation models

– Statistical Analysis

– Experiments and physical models

• Qualitative Analysis

– Professional Judgment
– Intuitive reasoning
 Quantitative/Mathematical
Models
• Use mathematical equations to represent the
functional relationships between variables.
• Sets of equations are combined to simulate
the behavior of environmental systems.
• The number of variables and the nature of
the relationships between them is function
of complexity of the environmental system
being modeled.
• Mathematical modeling aims to limit the
number of variables and thus keep the
relationships between variables as simple as
possible without compromising the
accuracy of representation of the
environmental system.
• Simple water quality mixing model
 Quantitative/Mathematical
Models
• Quantitative mathematical models show cause-effect
relationship as mathematical functions
• Operational changes are made to the input conditions to
see effect on the output.
• To predict impacts on air, water, soil and habitat etc.

• More complex computer based simulations are data

demanding so simplifying assumptions need to be made.
Examples of Quantitative Models
• Air dispersion models to predict emissions and
pollution concentrations at various locations
resulting from the operation of a coal-fired power
plant.
• Dissolved Oxygen Model to determine health of
river.
• Changes in air pollution when the stack height or
the output emission rate is being changed.
• Ecological models to predict changes in
aquatic biota(e.g benthos, fish) resulting
from discharge of toxic substances.
• Transport and fate of oil spills
• Pesticide pollution of groundwater aquifer
• Quantitative methods are mostly used for
physical impacts
• Increasing trends to analyze biological,
social and economic impacts
• Models are based on certain assumptions so
their use by the EIA team needs special
consideration of these assumptions.
• Mathematical models require varying amounts of
resource inputs.
• A simple model, such as the river dilution model
used in the above example, may require minimal
input data and simple manual calculation.
• While a complex Gaussian plume model may
require sophisticated computer techniques and
demand considerable resources of input data, time,
and expertise.
 Experimental Models
• Scientific data from laboratory or field experiments provide
basic information on the relationships between environmental
components and human activities.
• Research results are used to construct empirical models that
can infer the likely effects of an activity on an environmental
component. Can be used to test and analyze the effects of
project related activities and the effectiveness of proposed
mitigation techniques.
• Scaling up the data can result in unpredicted outcomes-
a disadvantage
• Experiments can be undertaken directly in the field or
under lab conditions.
• Experimental modeling requires substantial amounts of
money, effort, time, and expertise in specialized fields.
 Laboratory Tests
• Examples of their use include:

– The exposure of fish in a laboratory to concentrations of

pollutants to determine mortality levels

– toxicological tests on living organisms in

laboratory using polluted air, water, food, etc.
– Field trials of the effectiveness of different methods of
erosion control
 Field tests
• Examples of their use include:
– in situ tracer experiments to monitor the
movement of releases into the environment
– controlled experiments in small parts of
– potentially affected ecosystems
– noise tests to determine levels disturbance
– pumping tests on groundwater
 Physical Models
• Physical models are small-scale models of the
environmental system under investigation on which
experiments can be carried out to predict future changes.
• Two Types of physical models

– illustrative or visual models

– working physical models

 Visual Models

• Illustrative/visual models depict changes to an

environmental system caused by a proposed
development activity using pictorial images
developed from sketches, photographs, films,
three-dimensional scale models, and by digital
terrain models.
 Working Physical Models

• Working physical models simulate the processes

occurring in the environment using reduced scale
models so that resulting changes can be observed and
measured in the model.
• Such models,cannot satisfactorily model all real-life
situations; faults may occasionally arise as a result of
the scaling process.
 Tools for the Prediction of Impacts

• Models
– Air Dispersion Models
– Stream water quality model
– Ground water models
• Standard Data
– Noise/Emission data
• Technical literature/Case Studies
– Research article on wildlife behavior
• Risk Assessment
• Community participation
 Significance Criteria

• Law, regulation, policy

• Acceptable industry standards

• Public health and safety risk

• Public concerns or acceptable social or cultural values

• Unique characteristics (protected areas, sensitive areas,

aesthetics)
 Uncertainty in Impact Prediction

• Predicting impact gives an impression of

certainity.
• However, predictions may have some
uncertainities about:
– social, physical and economical environment
– guiding values such as policies, priorities and
legislation
– related decisions such as planning, negotiation,
coordination.
• Probability of occurrence
• Confidence limit
• For example, a new industrial unit might
emit a noise level of 65-70 DBA, and this is
concluded at the 95 per cent confidence
interval.