MACHAKOS UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

DEAPRTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

UNIT NAME: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

ASSESSMENT AND AUDIT

UNIT CODE; ESU 300

NAME: ESTHER GATHONI KIBIRA

REG NUMBER: C20-12135-2017

LECTURER; PROF AGWATA

SIGNATURE:

TASK: USING APPROPRIATE EXAMPLES DISCUSS

VARIOUS TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ASSESSMENT AND INDICATE THEIR APPLICATIONS
INTRODUCTION

Environmental assessment is identifying, estimating and evaluating the environmental impacts of

existing and proposed projects by conducting environmental studios to mitigate the relevant
negative effects prior to making decisions and commitments.

For a successful environmental assessment, various tools are used and discussed as follows

1. STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA)

Strategic Environmental Assessment is a systematic dession support process aiming to
ensure environmental and sustainability aspects are considered effectively in a policy
plan and program making.
It can also be referred to as a structured, rigorous, particularly to plans and programs
prepared by public planning authorities and at tomes private bodies.

APPLICATION
It works within a structured and hered decision framework aiming to support more
effective and efficient decision making for sustainable development and improved
governance by providing for a substantive focus regarding questions, issues and
alternatives to be considered in policy, plan
It can help speed up Environmental Impact Assessment procedures and programme
making; streamline their scope by ensuring that project proposals are set within a policy
framework that has already been subject to environmental scrutiny.
2. CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT (CIA)
Environmental Impact Assessment of a specific project proposal may fail to consider its
potential aggregate, incremental impacts with other projects in an area wide programme
of developments.
Cumulative Impact Assessment is a developing sub-set of Strategic Environmental
Assessment that has evolved as a way to capture these wider implications in project
assessment.
3. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA)
Environmental Impact Assessment is a critical examination of the effects of a project on
the environment. An Environmental Impact Assessment identifies both negative and
positive impacts of any development activity how it affects people, their priority and the
environment.
Environmental Impact Assessment also identifies measures to mitigate the negative
impacts while maximizing on the positive ones
It seeks to maximize adverse impacts on the environment and reduce risks.

PURPOSE FOR APPLICATION

I. Identify impacts of a project on the environment

II. Predict likely changes on the environment as a result of development.
III. Propose mitigation measures for the significant negative impacts of the project on
the environment.
IV. Highlight environment issues with a view to guiding policy makers, planners,
stakeholders and government agencies to make environmentally and economically
sustainable decisions.

APPLICATION

It is applied in:

I. Major changes in land use

II. Any structure of a scale not in keeping with its surrounding
III. Urban development including:
 Designation of new township
 Environment of industrial estate
 Environment or expansion of recreational areas.
 IV. Transportation including
 All major roads
 Railway lines
 Water transport
V. Dams, rivers and water resources including
 Flood control schemes
 Storage dams
 Aerial spraying
VI. Mining including quarrying and open cast extraction
VII. Foresting related activities including
 Timber harvesting
 Reforestation and afforestation

Agriculture i.e. introduction of new crops

VIII. Major development in biotechnology including the introduction and trusting of

genetically modified organisms.

4. ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT

Is the systematic documented, periodic and objective evaluation of how activities and processes
of an ongoing project to determine how these activities and programs conform with the approved
environmental management plan of that specific project and sound environmental management
practices.

5. ENVIRONMENTAL RISK MANAGEMENT

A scientific process that identifies and evaluates the likelihood of a project to threaten the
environment that is to living organisms, natural habitats and ecosystem.
STEPS TO PERFORMING A SUCCESSFUL ENVIRONMENTAL RISK
MANAGEMENT

I.