OCE751 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT

ASSESSMENT

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 Agenda
❖ Course Objective

❖ Course Outcomes

❖ Overview of Syllabus
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content/uploads/2019/08/06103047/agenda-810x540.jpg

❖ Evolution of Environmental Impact Assessment

❖ EIA

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 COURSE OBJECTIVE

To impart the knowledge and skills to identify, assess and mitigate the
environmental and social impacts of developmental projects.

Source: : https://macaulay.cuny.edu/career-blog/top-5-transferable-skills-for-
any-industry/

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 COURSE OUTCOMES
• Carry out scoping and screening of developmental projects for
environmental and social assessments

• Explain different methodologies for environmental impact prediction and

assessment

• Plan environmental impact assessments and environmental management

plans

• Evaluate environmental impact assessment reports

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 UNIT – 1 INTRODUCTION
Impacts of Development on Environment – Rio Principles of
Sustainable Development- Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) – Objectives – Historical development – EIA Types –
EIA in project cycle –EIA Notification and Legal Framework.

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 UNIT – 2 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

Screening and Scoping in EIA – Drafting of Terms of

Reference, Baseline monitoring, Prediction and Assessment of
Impact on land, water, air, noise, flora and fauna - Matrices –
Networks – Checklist Methods - Mathematical models for
Impact prediction.

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 UNIT – 3 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN
Plan for mitigation of adverse impact on water, air and land,
water, energy, flora and fauna – Environmental Monitoring
Plan – EIA Report Preparation – Public Hearing-
Environmental Clearance

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 UNIT – 4 SOCIO ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT

Baseline monitoring of Socio economic environment –

Identification of Project Affected Personal – Rehabilitation
and Resettlement Plan- Economic valuation of Environmental
impacts – Cost benefit Analysis

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 UNIT – 5 CASE STUDIES

EIA case studies pertaining to Infrastructure Projects – Roads

and Bridges – Mass Rapid Transport Systems - Airports -
Dams and Irrigation projects - Power plants.

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 Definition of EIA

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process of evaluating the

likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development,
taking into account inter-related socio-economic, cultural and human-
health impacts, both beneficial and adverse.

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 Definition as per UNEP

Tool to identify environmental, social and economic impacts of a project

prior to decision making.

https://www.unenvironment.org/

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 National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was signed into law on
January 1, 1970. NEPA requires federal agencies to assess the
environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making
decisions. The range of actions covered by NEPA is broad and includes:
• Making decisions on permit applications,
• Adopting federal land management actions, and
• Constructing highways and other publicly-owned facilities.

To date, more than 100

nations around the world have
enacted national environmental
policies modeled after NEPA

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 Evolution of EIA in India
It started in 1976-77 when the Planning Commission asked the DST to examine the
river-valley projects* from an environmental angle. This was subsequently extended
to cover those projects, which required the approval of the Public Investment Board.
Till 1994, environmental clearance from the Central Government was an administrative
decision and lacked legislative support.
On 27 January 1994, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MEF),
Government of India, under the Environmental (Protection) Act 1986, promulgated
an EIA notification making Environmental Clearance (EC) mandatory for
expansion or modernization of any activity or for setting up new projects listed in
Schedule 1 of the notification. Since then there have been 12 amendments made in the
EIA notification of 1994.
The MoEF recently notified new EIA legislation in September 2006. The notification
makes it mandatory for various projects such as mining, thermal power plants, river
valley, infrastructure (road, highway, ports, harbours and airports) and industries
including very small electroplating or foundry units to get environment clearance (EC).
Certain activities permissible under the Coastal Regulation Zone Act, 1991 also require
similar clearance.
*-designed for the development of irrigation for agriculture and electricity through the construction of dams
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 River Valley Projects

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 Which Project falls under EIA???
1. Which can significantly alter the landscape, land use pattern & lead to
concentration of working population.

2. Which need upstream development* activity like assured mineral and forest
products supply.

3. Which need downstream* industrial process development

4. Those involving manufacture, handling and use of hazardous materials

5. Those sites near ecologically sensitive areas, urban centers, hill resorts,
places of scientific and religious importance.

6. Industrial estates which could cumulatively cause significant environmental

damage.

* - Upstream refers to the material inputs needed for production, while downstream is the
opposite end, where products get produced and distributed.

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 Landscape Land use pattern

Hazardous materials Ecologically Sensitive Areas

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 Hill resorts Places of Religious Importance

Industrial Estates Ramsar sites

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 Industrial Estate

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 Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under
the Ramsar Convention. Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental environmental
treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO, which came into force in 1975. It is named
after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the Convention was signed in 1971.
Wetland:
A wetland is a place where the land is covered by water, either salt, fresh or somewhere
in between. Marshes and ponds, the edge of a lake or ocean, the delta at the mouth of a
river, low-lying areas that frequently flood

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 Ramsar sites in India
As of February 2023 there are 75 recognized Ramsar sites in India. Some of
the ramsar sites in India are given below:

Sundarban Wetland – West Bengal Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary –
Tamil Nadu

Bhitarkanika National Park - Odisha Keoladeo National Park - Rajasthan

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 What to address in EIA???
The following are things to be addressed during the environmental impact
assessment. They are as follows:
❖ Meteorology and Air quality

❖ Hydrology and water quality

❖ Site and its surroundings

❖ Occupational safety and health

❖ Details of the treatment and disposal of effluents and methods of alternative

uses

❖ Transportation of raw materials and details of material handling

❖ Control equipment and measures proposed to be adopted

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 Stages involved in EIA
The following are the stages involved in environmental impact assessment.
They are as follows:
1. Screening

2. Scoping

3. Assessment & Evaluation

4. Report: Non-Technical summary for the general audience

5. Review: Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

6. Decision making: Whether to approve projects (or) not

7. Monitoring, Compliance, Enforcement

8. Environmental Auditing
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 Benefits of EIA
The following are some of the benefits of EIA. They are as follows:

1. Environmental benefits

2. Economic benefits

3. Reduced cost and time of project implementation and design

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