1. EIA- Concept and Practice
Surya Man Shakya
Visiting Faculty
Kathmandu University

2. Development of EIA 1976 USA Sixth Plan(1980-’85)
National Conservation Strategy (1988)
Env. Protection Council – 1993
Environmental Protection Act (1996)
Env. Protection Regulation (1997)
Revisit and fine tune (2016/17)

3. EIA for Development : Why and How
Comply with national laws.
Comply with donor guidelines.
Ensure that development is socially and environmentally sustainable.
Safeguard our investment.

4. EIA - Eight guiding principles
participation transparency certainty accountability credibility cost-effectiveness flexibility practicality

5. EIA - Three core values
sustainability - the EIA process will result in environmental safeguards
integrity - the EIA process will conform to agreed standards
utility - the EIA process will provide balanced, credible information for decision-making

6. What is Environmental Assessment?
A Planning and Management Tool used to:
Identify beneficial and adverse environmental impacts
Examine the significance of impacts
Recommend preventive and curative measures
Assess whether proposal should go ahead
Inform stakeholders about environmental implication
Provide adequate information to decision-makers on project implementation and in what form.

7. What is Social Assessment?
A Tool that:
Identifies social dimension and associated processes
Identifies affected population with assets and social facilities
Assesses needs – to maximize project benefits
Assesses client demands (willingness to pay)
Assesses absorptive capacity
Conducts gender analysis; and
Assesses adverse impacts on vulnerable groups ….

8. BASIC CONCEPTS EIA is a “two-sided” coin.
On the one side, there are the potential impacts of the project on the environment.
On the other, there are the impacts that the environment could have upon the project.

9. EIA Leadership in Nepal
NPC/IUCN The leading Partners ( s)
NPC/EPC/ MOE ( )
MOE/Sectoral Ministries/Proponents/Donor Community/ (2000-till date)

10. The need for a balanced Approach
Social, Financial and Environmental Justice
Common sense that EIA is to protect the Project, proponent as well as the Environment
Respect to Local Ethos and Ethics
A mechanism to manage national interests

11. Project
Intake
Source
Decreased Flow
Diversion
Original Flow

12. Environmental Safeguard
Physical
Social Economic, Cultural
Biological
Issues Related to Operation Stage
Positive Outcomes
Issues Related to Construction Stage
+ve
+ ve
--ve

13. EIA Failure
Proponent
Govt
Stakeholders

14. EIA is process which involves
Screening
Scoping
EIA preparation/alternatives
Impact prediction/Determination of significance
Mitigation measures
Presentation of results
Decision Making
Monitoring/evaluation

15. All environmentally benign projects/activities
Screening Criteria
Category - I
All environmentally benign projects/activities
IEE/EIA is not needed)
Category - II
Activities which impacts and mitigation measures are known - (may need IEE)
Category - III
Activities in which an IEE may not be able to resolve the likely impacts, need and application of EIA

16. Typical stakeholders local people proponent and project beneficiaries
government
NGOs
other, e.g. donors, the private sector, academics

17. EIA Report Format Identification of Environmental Impacts
Alternative Analysis
Mitigation Measures
Environmental Management Plan
Review of Policy and Legal Provisions
Monitoring of the Proposal
Environmental Auditing
Reference Materials
Annexes

18. The Environmental Assessment Process
Screening
Scoping
Terms of Reference
EIA Report Preparation
EIA Report Submission and Approval
Project Implementation and Environmental Monitoring
Environmental Auditing
Well-defined Beginning and End

19. Submission of the Final EIA Report
Submit 15 copies of the final EIA report with recommendation letter to concerned Agency
Review the EIA report
Send the EIA report to with suggestions, if any to MoE
MoE reviews and sends 10 copies of the report to MOPE with its opinion within 21 days

20. Approval of the EIA Report
Upon receipt of the EIA report, MOPE issues public notice in any one daily newspaper
Public may copy the report and provide opinions and suggestions within 30 days from the first date of publication
MOPE may constitute EIA Report Suggestion Committee for technical review
MOPE may grant approval within 60 days or 90 days upon receipt of the Report

22. Monitoring Baseline Monitoring Impact Monitoring Compliance Monitoring
Develop verifiable monitoring indicators for all parameters to be monitored

23. Environmental Audit determine impacts
check that conditions arising from EIA
test accuracy of EIA predictions
identify areas where the EIA could have been improved
look for improvements to future EIAs

24. Some common shortcomings of EIA reports
Objectives of activity described too narrowly
description does not cover complete activity
alternatives do not account for the environment
key problems not described
sensitive elements in environment overlooked
standards and legislation are not described or alternatives do not comply with them
some mitigating measures not considered

26. Project

27. THEMATIC LINKAGES Project Committed Proponent
(EIA) Social and Environmental Justice
THEMATIC LINKAGES
Project
Financial Commitment and Transparency
Disciplined Stakeholders
Govt/Political Commitments
Legal and institutional Mechanisms
Technical Efficiency and Capability

28. The last thing we want in Nepal is a situation
Where
EIA is not considered
anti-development!

29. Thank you very much !