Impact assessment

methods
 Some desirable characteristics of an EIA
method selected for usage include
• It should be appropriate to the necessary task, such as impact
identification or comparison of alternatives

• It should be sufficiently free from assessor bias, i.e the result should
be essentially reproducible from one assessor group to another

• It should be economical in terms of cost, requirement of data,

investigation time, personnel, equipment and facilities
 Available methods are divided into five main
categories
1. Ad hoc Methods

2. Overlay Techniques

3. Checklists

4. Matrices

5. Networks
 Ad hoc methods
• Ad hoc methods are not really methods as they do not structure the
problem so it is more amenable to systematic analysis.
• A good example of an ad hoc method is 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. In other instances, when more
scientific methods are available, it is not sufficient to rely on ad hoc
methods
• Broad qualitative information about factors useful in the comparative
evaluation of alternative development actions is presented.
• The information is stated in simple terms that are readily understood
by the lay person.
• No information about the cause-effect relationship between project
actions and environmental components is provided.
• The actual impacts on specific environmental components likely to be
affected by the project or those that may require further investigation
are not identified.
• The method merely presents the pertinent information without
resorting to any relative weighting of importance.
• Wildlife
• Natural drainage
• Recreation
• Endangered species
• Natural vegetation
• Exotic vegetation .
• Grazing
• Social characteristics
• Groundwater
• Noise
• Air Quality
• Visual description and services
• Open space
• Health and safety
• Economic values
• Public faciIities
This method is very easy to use, but does
have a few drawbacks
• 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; and

• it provides minimal guidance for impact analysis while suggesting

broad areas of possible impacts
 Checklist Methodologies
• Checklist means listing out potential environmental impacts
• The listing is normally done category wise i.e. in structured form
• This is used to assess the nature of the impact ,i.e. its type such as
adverse or beneficial ,short term or long term ,no effect or significant
impact , reversible or irreversible, etc.
• It involves important weighting for factors and the application for
scaling techniques for impacts on each alternative on each factors
 There are several major reasons for using checklists:

• they are useful in summarizing information to make it accessible to

specialists from other fields, or to decision makers who may have a
limited amount of technical knowledge;

• scaling checklists provide a preliminary level of analysis; and

• weighting is a mechanism for incorporating information about

ecosystem functions
 Some of the problems with checklists when used
as an impact assessment
method:
1. they are too general or incomplete;

2. they do not illustrate interactions between effects;

3. the number of categories to be reviewed can be immense, thus

distracting from the most significant impacts; and

4. the identification of effects is qualitative and subjective.

 Checklists are of two types
1. Simple Checklists

2. Descriptive Checklists
 Simple Checklists
• They were extensively used in the initial years of the NEPA

• They represent a valid approach for providing systemization of an EIS

• They represent list of environmental factors to be addressed

• There will be no information regarding specific data needs, methods

for measurement or impact prediction and assessment.
 Descriptive Checklist
• It’s a widely used environmental impact study

• Includes an identification of environmental parameters , guidelines

on how to measure data on particular parameters ,impact prediction
and assessment

• They address social impacts, economic impacts, physical impacts

r
 Matrix methods
• Its one of the earliest type of EIA methodologies

• Project action or activities are in one axis and appropriate

environmental factors are listed along other axis of matrix

• When a given activity is expected to cause a change in environmental

factors ,this is noted at the intersection point in the matrix and
further described in terms of separate and importance considerations
Two types of matrix methods
1. Simple matrix or Leopold Matrix

2. Stepped Matrix or Cross impact matrix

 Leopold Matrix
• Each action and its potential for creating an impact on each environmental
item should be considered

• Where impact is anticipated , the matrix is marked with a diagonal line in

the appropriate interaction box

• The second step shows interaction between magnitude and importance

• The magnitude of an interaction is represented by numerical scale from 1

to 10
• Assignment of a numerical value for the magnitude of interaction
should be based on an objective evaluation of facts related to
anticipated impact

• The importance of an interaction is related to its significance or an

assessment of the probable consequences of the anticipated impact

• Assignment of a numerical importance value is based on subjective

judgement of the individual, small group, or interdisciplinary team
working on the study
• Summation of the number of rows and columns designated as having
interactions can offer insights into impact assessment

• The number of actions can be increased or decreased

• The advantage is that its very useful as gross screening tool for impact
identification purposes and it can provide valuable means for impact
communication by providing visual display of the impacted items and
the major items causing impacts
Development of Simple Matrix
• List all anticipated project actions and group them according to
temporal phase, such as construction, operation and post-operation

• List all the pertinent environmental factors from the environmental

settings and group them
1. according to physical-chemical, biological, cultural and socio-economic
categories
2. Based on spatial considerations such as site and region
• Discuss the preliminary matrix with study team members or advisory
team or study manager

• Decide the impact-rating scheme (numbers, letters or colors) to be

used

• Talk through the matrix as a team and make ratings and notes in
order to identify and summarize impacts
Example
 Stepped Matrix
• In this matrix environmental factors are displayed against other
environmental factors

• The consequences of initial change in some factor on other factors can be

displayed

• They facilitate tracing of impacts and the recognition of the environment

as a system

• Stepped matrix with multiple actions and several types and levels of
impact can become visually complicated
For the given figure
• Action 3 impacts factor D then causes changes in A and F

• Finally change in factor A causes changes in factor B and I

• While changes in factor F causes changes in Factor H

 Overlay Method
• This method rely on a set of maps of a project areas environmental
characteristics covering physical,social,ecological and asthetic aspects

• The maps are then overlaid to produce comprehensive description of

the areas environment

• Impacts are then identified by comparing areas characteristics with

larger area or region as whole

• Computer program can be used to overlay maps

• An overlay is based on a set of transparent maps, each of which represents the
spatial distribution of an environmental characteristic (for example, susceptibility
to erosion).

• Information for an array of variables is collected for standard geographical units

within the study area, and recorded on a series of maps, typically one for each
variable

• These maps are overlaid to produce a composite

• The resulting composite maps characterize the area’s physical, social, ecological,
land use and other relevant characteristics, relative to the location of the
proposed development.
• To investigate the degree of associated impacts, any number of
project alternatives can be located on the final map.

• The validity of the analysis is related to the type and number of

parameters chosen.

• For a readable composite map, the number of parameters in a

transparency overlay is limited to about ten.
• These methods are used in at least two ways in impact assessment.
One way is to use before and after maps to assess visually the
changes to the landscape. The other way is to combine mapping with
an analysis of sensitive areas or ecological carrying capacity.

• When used in this latter way, constraints on the level of

development are set on the basis of limits determined by the location
of sensitive areas and by assessments of carrying capacity.

• These methods are spatially oriented and are capable of clearly

communicating the spatial aspects of cumulative impacts
Their limitations relate to:
1) lack of causal explanation of impact pathways; and

2)lack of predictive capability with respect to population effects

 Network Methodologies
• They are those methodologies which integrate impact causes and
consequences through identifying interrelationships between casual
actions and the impacted environmental factors

• Several Illustrations of networks is known as Sequence diagrams

• In network ,initiating action is shown on the left, with other casual

actions and impacted factors
• Network analysis are useful for identifying anticipated impacts
associated with potential projects

• It also aids in organizing the discussion of anticipated project impacts

• These are useful in communicating information about an

environmental impact study to the public
Limitations are
• Minimal information is provided in technical aspects of impact
prediction and the means for comparatively evaluating the impacts of
alternative

• It can be visually complicated