Environment & Resource Management Impact Assessment Environment & Resource Management

Impact Assessment EIAs in Brief Foreign Species Human Practices EIA of a City

SOLUTION?!

basketball court on teachers’ parking lot school yard extended into 1/3 of the woods interpretative path in the remaining 2/3 of the woods each cut tree will be replaced by two new ones

Without realizing it, the students and citizens of I. M Without realizing it, the students and citizens of I.M. Perplexed School applied a work method that is becoming more and more popular: They conducted an environmental assessment.

EIAs in Brief “Environmental impact assessment, as a national instrument, shall be undertaken for proposed activities that are likely to have a significant adverse impact on the environment and are subject to a decision of a competent national authority.” (Declaration Principle 17 - Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro, 1992).

EIAs in Brief Step 1: Initiate Project Step 2: Identify Issues present idea for project decide what type of EIA must occur Step 2: Identify Issues gather information from all parties Government Community Developer

EIAs in Brief Step 3: Develop Alternatives Step 4: Predict Impacts consider all alternatives design technologies to reduce impact ‘do nothing’: options Step 4: Predict Impacts positive impacts negative impacts

EIAs in Brief Step 5: Analyze Impacts Step 6: Report Findings determine best solution Step 6: Report Findings formal report: Environmental Impact Statement

EIAs in Brief Step 7: Make a Decision Step 8: Monitoring decision usually made by some level of government Step 8: Monitoring project must be monitored to evaluate success of EIA, and to determine if changes need to be made to either the project or future proposals

Foreign Species What is the impact of a foreign species to an ecosystem? zebra mussel purple loosestrife Asian long-horned beetle

Human Practices What is the impact of various land use practices on human and natural systems? irrigation pesticide use wetland alteration

Human Practices As recently as 50 years ago, the Aral Sea was the 4th largest lake in the world. Diversions of its two main feeder rivers for agricultural irrigation has since reduced the lake to a salty shell of its former self.

Human Practices

Human Practices

EIA of a City Research one of the world’s largest cities and complete a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment to its City Council of the projected impact of a 20% increase to the current population.

EIA of a City Location & History Status Quo Projected Growth Perceived Impacts Recommendations

EIA of a City Initiate Project Identify Issues Develop Alternatives Predict Impacts Analyze Impacts Report Findings Make a Decision Monitoring