4.

FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Location  Month Year
 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Learning Outcomes
1. Define the three fundamental concepts of environmental impact
assessment
2. Understand how the fundamental concepts apply to the Regulation
216 process

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 USAID IS NOT ALONE …

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT IS

DONE BY EVERYONE

• Most countries & almost all donors

(including USAID) have impact assessment
requirements (like NEPA)
• In many developing countries, environmental and
social impact assessment is the core of national
environmental regulation

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 KEY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
CONCEPTS
• Defining “impact” • Characterizing the • Defining “activity”
baseline situation

Water table

Time

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 WHAT ARE IMPACTS?
The impact of an activity is the change from the baseline
situation caused by the activity.

The baseline situation is the existing

environmental situation or condition in the
absence of the activity.

The baseline situation is a key concept in

environmental impact assessment.

! To measure an impact,
you must know what
the baseline situation is.

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 BASELINE SITUATION

• The baseline situation is not

just a snapshot in time.
• This chart of groundwater
Water table

levels shows both variability

and a trend over time.
• BOTH are part of the
groundwater baseline
situation.

Time

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 ACTIVITY
The impact assessment process examines the impacts of
activities.
Under Regulation 216 an activity is:
A desired accomplishment or output. For example, a road,
seedling production, or river diversion to irrigate land.

A project or program usually consists of many activities.

Accomplishing an activity requires a set of sub-activities or
tasks.
ACTIVITY: SUB-ACTIVITIES OR TASKS:
Market access road Survey, grading, culvert
rehabilitation construction, compaction, etc..

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 AN ACTIVITY ABOUT ACTIVITIES AND SUB-ACTIVITIES

Project
or Agricultural Enhancement Program
Program

Market access road River diversion to

Activities rehabilitation irrigate land
Seedling production

Surveying ? ?

Grading ? ?
Sub-
Activities Culvert
or Tasks construction

Compaction

11/16/2018 Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Impact Assessment 8

 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
Screen the activity

Low Impact/
Moderate or Unknown
Exempt Categorically High Impact:
Impact
Excluded

Request for
Exemption
Categorical Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)
Memo
Exclusion

Negative
Negative Positive
Determination
Determination Determination
with Conditions

Environmental Assessment (EA)

USAID
Submit for Approval

11/16/2018 Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Impact Assessment 9

 SCREENING
• ALWAYS the first step in the process
• Sorting proposed activities into risk categories
– Does NOT require detailed analysis or extensive baseline data.
– DOES require a basic understanding of what the proposed activity is,
and where it will be undertaken.
• The risk category determines the next step in the process.

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 INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL
EXAMINATION (IEE)

A rapid analysis using simple tools

that:

• Allows the preparer to

determine whether or not Typical outline
significant adverse impacts are a) Background/project
likely description/purpose and need

• Allows the reviewer to agree or b) Baseline characterization

disagree these determinations c) Evaluation of potential impacts

• Sets out mitigation and d) Mitigation and monitoring
monitoring for adverse impacts e) Recommended findings*
*Significant Adverse Impacts: (1) very unlikely,
(2) very unlikely with specified mitigation; (3)
possible (even with mitigation)
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 TYPES OF USAID ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS

ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMMATIC RAPID

ASSESSMENT
Used to assess the
environmental effects
of a specific project or
action
EXAMPLE
An EA to evaluate a
single irrigation or
health clinic project
ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT
Used to assess the Used to assess, define
environmental effects and prioritize the
of a class of similar potential
actions environmental impacts
in disaster situations
EXAMPLE EXAMPLE
A PEA to evaluate Earthquakes, floods,
construction of tsunamis, landslides
multiple schools or
sustainable forest
management plans

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 FULL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT STUDY
(IF REQUIRED)

Used for highest-risk activities

and/or projects

Very similar in outline to a

preliminary assessment, but
has important differences:

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 HOW IS A FULL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
DIFFERENT FROM AN INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL
EXAMINATION (IEE)?
A formal scoping process IDs
! issues to be addressed
Analysis of environmental
! impacts is much more detailed
Alternatives* must be formally
! defined. The impacts of each
alternative must be identified &
evaluated, and the results
compared.

! Public consultation is required

A professional team is usually
! required. *includes the project as proposed, the no action
alternative at least one other real alternative
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 ACTIVITY: REVIEW AN IEE (HANDOUT)
• What is the recommended threshold determination?
• What potentially significant environmental impacts does the
IEE identify?
• What conditions are identified in the IEE?
• How might the conditions identified be translated into
mitigation and monitoring measures?
• Do you think these conditions are robust enough to keep
adverse impacts below a significant level?
• What other information does the IEE contain that may be
useful in the development of an EMMP?
• Does this IEE identify activities that are categorically excluded?
If so, how does it justify the categorical exclusions?
• Does the IEE incorporate climate risk screening? How so?

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