1.1 Intorduction3

Addis Ababa Science and Technology University
Introduction & Overview of EIA
By Israel Tessema
(Email:israeltessema@gmail.com)
from Dep’t of Environmental Engineering
1
Outline of the Presentation
1. Environmental Trends
2. Sustainable Development
3. Definitions of Key terms
4. Historical Perspectives of EIA
5. Environmental Issues
6. Motives,Values, Principles, Objectives of EIA
7. Cost & Benefits of EIA
2
Objectives
 To introduce the concept of EIA, placing it

within the framework of sustainable
development.
 To outline the history of EIA, why it was
introduced and how it has evolved.
 To describe the purpose, principles and
process of EIA.
 To review some contemporary issues of
EIA practice.
3
What are (some) “big-picture”
environmental trends affecting human
health and livelihoods in Africa?
4
1. Population growth
UN Population estimates:
Today 2050 %
change
World 6.9bn 9.15bn +32%
SSA 867mn 1.76bn +103%

Southern 184mn 335mn +15%
Africa
LDCs 854mn 1.67bn +96%
❖ African population expected

to double to 1.73bn between
2045–2050.
❖ Except for high-AIDS
countries, 2-3% population * All data: “medium variant” projection.
growth is the norm UN Population Division http://esa.un.org/unpp
Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 5

UN estimate may be low, as:
❖ The United Nations (UN) expects sub-Saharan Africa to
follow the pattern seen in other poor regions of the world
and see a pervasive decline in birth rates.
❖ But Cleland and Siding state four reasons to doubt that this
will happen.
▪ First, desired family sizes in Africa remain high.
▪ Second, uptake of modern contraceptive methods by married
women remains very low in western and middle Africa.
▪ Third, international funding and commitment to family-
planning programs in Africa have decreased.
▪ Fourth, the dissemination of contraceptive information and
service seems unlikely in countries with fragile governments.
❖ For these reasons population size in 2050 may well exceed
the expectations of the UN.
6
7
Pyramid of Age-Groups
Rapid population growth is also associated with an age

structure with a very high dependency.
8
Population, Resources, Environment
Environment
Resources Wastes
Technology
People
Environment provides resources and absorbs wastes as the result of resource use.
9
Two types of conditions of population
and consumerism exist.
(i) People over-population: It occurs when there are
more people than available supplies of food, water
and other important resources in the area. This
occurs in less developed countries (LDCs).
(ii) Consumption over-population: This occurs in the
more developed countries (MDCs). Here population
size is smaller while resources are in abundance
and due to luxurious lifestyle, per capita
consumption of resources is very high.
❖ This concept can be explained by using the model of
Paul Ehrlich and John Hodlren (1972):
Number of people X Per capita use of resources X
Waste generated per unit of resource used = Overall
environmental impact 10
2. Urbanization
UN estimates:
Urban pop as % change in Urban population will grow more
% of total total urban than 2X as fast as rural
population
Today 2050 population for the foreseeable
World 48.6% 69.6% +89% future
SSA 37.3% 60.5% +229%
Southern 58.8% 77.6% +52%

Africa
LDCs 29.4% 55.5% +269%

* UN Population Division
http://esa.un.org/unup/index.asp
Between 2030-2035,
African population and poverty
becomes > 50% urban

3. Global climate change: Africa
❖ Arid & semi-arid lands

 5-8% by 2080s
❖ Sea-level  0.3-0.4m by
2100
❖ Precipitation patterns change
❖ climate variability  &
extreme events 
❖ Median temperature
 3-4°C (end of century)
100% of observed data series in

Africa for physical, biological
systems consistent with global
change

Global change
impacts
❖ Crop & disease

zones shift
❖ Rain-fed
agriculture
yields  50% in
some countries
❖ Sea level rise
impacts coastal
cities:
adaptation
costs 5-10% of
GDP.

Global change +
population growth =
INCREASED
WATER STRESS
Greatest impacts on
poor, subsistence
agriculture.

Urbanization + poor municipal sanitation &
waste management capacity. . .
→ INCREASED
URBAN
ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH HAZARDS

Population growth + soil types
+ cultivation practices. . .
→ SOIL FERTILITY LOSS:

▪ 80% of SSA cropland
significantly degraded
▪ 2002-04:
85% of SSA cropland had Terraces in East
nutrient loss > 30kg/ha/yr Africa show
fertility
& 40% had > 60 kg/ha/yr.
gradients—
yellow at the top,
green at the
bottom

& UNSUSTAINABLE
UPLAND
AGRICULTURE

The bottom line:
 “Environment” and “development” are

not separable
Much of Africa’s portfolio is already a
 direct response to—or directly affected

by—these environmental trends.
! But good development does not simply respond

to external environmental challenges. . .

❖ Good development. . .
▪ is AWARE of its potential adverse impacts on
ecosystems, environmental resources and environmental
quality and
▪ PROACTIVELY seeks to limit these adverse impacts,
particularly where they affect health and livelihoods
Why? To avoid MISTAKES. . .

Example: Water & Sanitation Activities
Around the back of the

❖ Goal: latrine. . .
Improve/preserve public
health & quality of life
❖ Risks:
Endanger public health,
degrade water supply,
with poor design and
operation Seepage Uncontrolled
waste disposal

An activity intended
to improve the
Example: Community Reforestation environment!
❖ Goals:
Conserve soil & prevent
erosion, provide building
materials & fuel, reduce
risk/impacts of flooding
❖ Risks:
▪ Deplete water table,
▪ Displace local plants and
vegetation,
▪ Intensify use of pesticides
▪ Increase community vulnerability

Example: Community Reforestation
! Unfortunately Unforeseen long-term

not. vulnerabilities created by
monoculture reforestation will
likely affect thousands of
small coffee producers.
Progressive
blight
(80% mortality)
in the shade
trees, an aging
monoculture
High-quality
organic shade-
grown coffee

Why are “environmental mistakes” made?
Sometimes obvious (previous examples).
But often difficult to foresee, predict
Most often rooted in a few ! Failure to plan for the

effects of increased scale
common design problems
! Designing
conditions
for average
! Ignoring economic-
environmental linkages

Common root causes #1
! Failure to plan for the

effects of increased scale
Or, failure to plan for success!
The environmental effects of a

small-scale animal husbandry
project may be minor
Health hazards from

BUT if the project is successful, animal waste. . .
and many more individuals begin Fodder shortages
to hold larger numbers of animals, (may lead to
serious problems may arise. . . overgrazing and
erosion and/or
land conflicts)
Global change will affect
both average conditions &
Common root causes #2 expected variability
! Designing for average conditions,

not expected variability
This schoolhouse is being rebuilt with plank
walls and a split-bamboo roof.
Strong winds ripped the aluminum sheet

roofing off the structure and toppled the
landcrete walls.
In this area, one or two storms every 5 years

typically have winds of this strength.
Other “average conditions” to be careful of:

Rainfall, tides, water tables. . . What else?

Common root causes #3
! Ignoring economic-
environmental linkages
Another failure to plan for success!
Household consumption depends on income.
Success in raising income in a community may

increase
• demand for building materials
(brick & timber)
• the number of livestock,
• demand for water
• generation of waste, including disposable
packaging
All can have significant adverse

environmental impacts!

To be aware of potential
adverse impacts, to proactively
seek to limit them, to design
robustly for expected
conditions and variability is to
practice. . .
✓
Environmentally Sound
Design & Management
(ESDM)

Is ESDM only about limiting adverse impacts?
NO.
ESDM is proactive.
It seeks to preserve and

improve the resource
base upon which future
economic activity and
subsistence depends
ESDM means seeking
opportunities to
maximize environmental
benefits

How do we achieve ESDM?
3 basic rules:
1 2 3
Apply best
development
Be prevention- practices to
Be systematic
oriented environmental
aspects of the
activity

1 ESDM is prevention-oriented
Prevention
1.Implement design decisions
occurs across the
project lifecycle— 2. Build capacity for environmentally sound
operation
but it starts with
design!
Construct/ Operate Decommission

Design
implement (may include handover) (in some cases)
Make decisions about 1. Implement & maintain proper

site, technique and operation
operating practices to
minimize impacts
2.Monitor the activity and its impacts

ESDM is prevention-oriented
❖ Prevention starts early in

the DESIGN phase Objective
❖ DESIGN starts with the Improve agricultural

productivity
choice of means.
Possible means How do we choose?
Change use of Introduce

agricultural improved crop Change cultivation
inputs? varieties? practices?
ESDM is prevention-oriented
! In ESDM, the choice of MEANS

considers the environmental
impacts of each alternative.

How do we achieve ESDM?
1 2 3
Apply best
development
Be systematic
aspects of the
activity

What are best development practices?
“For a successful project, we need. . .

A technically To build beneficiary capacity &
sound design stakeholder commitment
To design for the local To adjust what we do
social & policy context as results come in
“development professionals say. . .”

! Each of these general best
practices has particular
application to ESDM.

General BP #1:
The design is technically sound
❖ Environmental For example. . .

application:
the design must be ? Appropriate
choice of crops or
appropriate for local trees?
environmental
conditions
? Appropriate
choices of
construction
Environmental
materials &
conditions include. ..
methods?
Rainfall, temperature, soils,
flood, drought and earthquake
potential. . . What else?

General BP #2:
Design for the policy & social context
❖ Environmental
applications:
1 Compliance 2 NRM and land tenure

with national & local Activities utilizing land &
environmental laws and other natural resources
policies must be compatible with
local NRM and land tenure.
3 Language, literacy land & resource rights are

Environmental often gender-specific
management measures
must be matched to
capabilities. 4 What else?

General BP #3:
Build stakeholder commitment & capacity
!
Environmental application:
Proper maintenance and
operation are critical to
controlling environmental
impacts.
Local beneficiaries need to be

trained and committed to:
▪ environmentally sound
operation.
▪ maintain the equipment/
structure Who will maintain it?
Who will operate it?
General BP #4
Practice adaptive management
Adaptive management means:
✓ adjusting implementation of our
activity based on results from
the field
Adaptive
❖ Environmental applications: environmental
▪ If our activity has management requires:
unintended environmental A project budget that
funds environmental
consequences, we need to monitoring
DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! The flexibility to adapt
the project in response
to unanticipated adverse
impacts

General BP #4
Practice adaptive management
! Adaptive management also means

adjusting implementation of our project
based on the experiences of others.
Communicate, coordinate, share lessons on
environmental impacts with colleagues!

Note:
ESDM requires community involvement
Two basic reasons for

community involvement:
Local residents must
1 Ethics require it. live with the
environmental
2 can’t apply BPs impacts of activities!
without it.
Why?

BPs require community involvement!
Technical LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

soundness is critical!
Design for the Is there a land tenure

problem?
! LISTEN
the
to
policy & social • How often does the river community.

context flood? TALK to both
• How often are crops men &
Beneficiary rotated? women.
commitment & • What do people value and
need?
capacity
Adaptive
management

BPs require community involvement!
Technical
soundness
Design for the

policy & social
context
Beneficiary Building commitment & capacity is not
commitment & possible without actively engaging the
capacity community.
Adaptive Communities are often essential to

management monitoring

Now, rule 3 for achieving ESDM. . .
1 2 3
Apply best
development
Be systematic
aspects of the
activity

ESDM is systematic
❖ ESDM requires a systematic look at:

▪ the possible adverse
environmental impacts of an activity
▪ ways to reduce these impacts.
❖ The best way to be systematic:
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)!

Sustainable Development
 A key concept that has gained increasing National
& International acceptance.
 A milestone in this process was the UN Conference
on Environment and Development (UNCED), the
Earth Summit.
 Agenda 21, the global action plan for sustainable
development, emphasizes the importance of
integrated environment and development
decision-making and promotes the use of EIA and
other policy instruments for this purpose.
47
Three pillars of Sustainable Development
 According to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in
2002, the concept now encompasses three major points of view,
economic, social, and environmental, which need to be given
balanced treatment.
 Each viewpoint corresponds to a domain (and system) that has its
own distinct driving forces and objectives.
 The economic domain is geared mainly toward improving human
welfare (primarily through increases in the consumption of goods
and services).
 The environmental domain focuses on protecting the integrity and
resilience of ecological systems.
 The social domain emphasizes the enrichment of human
relationships and achievement of individual and group aspirations.
48
Pillars of sustainable development
 maintain or enhance production/services (productivity);
 reduce the level of production risk (security);
 protect natural resources and prevent their degradation
(protection);
 be economically viable (viability is given if the contribution
of the activity to income is sufficient to make its
continuation attractive);
 be socially acceptable (acceptability is given if activities are
negotiated among all stakeholders, when possible conflicts
of interest are addressed and resolved and when activities
adequately meet the needs of poorer people).
49
Why Sustainable Development for
Ethiopia?
❖ Ethiopia is dependent on natural resources and the
environment for survival and economic growth
❖ However, Ethiopia is facing serious environmental
problems (Deforestation, land degradation, low
agricultural production, drought and depletion of
water resources)
❖ High level of Poverty
❖ Future generation survival is at risk
These problems can be further aggravated
by climate change
50
Cont…
➢ Our experience shows that most development endeavors
in the country in general, focused on short-term economic
benefits no matter for its sustainability.
➢ Environment as cross cutting issue has received little
attention during project planning, decision-making and
implementation phases of most development projects.
➢ The rugged topography, high human and livestock
population have exposed the country to severe
environmental degradation.
➢ Hence to safeguard the environment the Environmental
Impact Assessment Proclamation (federal proc. No. 299/2002):
has made it mandatory that all development projects
should be subjected to the environmental scrutiny.
➢ It means that EIA is a policy response and a legal
requirement.
51
Constitutional foundation for EIA
Article 43:- The Right to Development

• The Peoples of Ethiopia have the right to
improved living standards and to sustainable
development
• Nationals have the right to participate in
national development and, in particular, to be
consulted with respect to policies and projects
affecting their community
• The basic aim of development activities shall be
to enhance the capacity of citizens for
development and to meet their basis needs
Con…
Article 44: Environment Rights

• All persons have the right to live in a clean and
healthy environment
• All persons who have been displaced or whose
livelihoods have been adversely affected as a
result of State programs have the right to
commensurate monetary or alternative means
of compensation, including relocation with
adequate State assistance.
Tools for Sustainable Development
54
What is environment
mean for you?
55
Definitions:
 Environment: all the external factors affecting an organism.
o It includes the physical, biological, social, economic, cultural,
historical and political factors that surround human beings.
o It includes both the natural and built environments.
o It also includes human health and welfare.
 Factors:
◦ biotic factors: other living organisms
◦ abiotic factors (Physical): nonliving variables such as
temperature, rainfall, day length, wind, land.
 The interactions of organisms with biotic and abiotic factors
form an ecosystem.
56
57
ENVIRONMENTAL INTERDEPENDENCE
 First and foremost, one must understand

the degree to which ecosystems are
interconnected.
 Ecosystems are generally not only integrated
systems within themselves, but also tend to
be interrelated, one to other.
 There is a delicate equilibrium among
various elements of the environment.
 Human activities can unsettle the
equilibrium that nature normally provides. 58
What is EIA?
59
Definitions: EIA Components
 The environment, which has many components:
◦ physical: geology, topography, soils, water resources, air quality, etc
◦ biological: fauna, flora, biodiversity, and ecosystems (terrestrial and aquatic),
rare and endangered species, sensitive habitats, significant natural sites, etc
◦ socioeconomic: including culture, religion, local values population, land use,
development activities, goods and services, public health, etc
 Impacts:
◦ The effect of any action that affects one or more elements of the natural,
social or economic environment, either adversely or beneficially.
◦ Any change to the environment or its component that may affect human
health or safety, biophysical conditions, or cultural heritage, or other physical
structure with positive or negative consequences.
◦ deviations from a baseline situation
 Assessment:
◦ The methodology of identifying and evaluating in advance, any impact
positive or negative, which results from the implementation of a proposed
action.
◦ the exercise of identifying impacts likely to arise from an activity or project,
quantifying them, and assessing their significance
60
Definition: EIA/ESHIA/ESIA/SIA
◦ a formal process for identifying the likely effects of
particular activities or projects on the environment and on
human health and welfare
◦ is a systematic process to identify, predict and evaluate the
environmental effects of proposed actions and projects.
◦ “…a procedure designed to provide information about
the potential impact on the environment of a proposed
new development, before planning decisions are made”
◦ “… a mechanism for all interested parties to be consulted
and provide a framework within which agreement may be
reached between the developers causing the impacts and
those who are affected by the impacts’’ …etc
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Definition EIA
❑ includes the development of mitigation and
monitoring measures
❑ applied prior to major decisions and

commitments being made.
❑ social, cultural and health effects are

considered as an integral part of EIA.
❑ Particular attention is given in EIA practice to

preventing, mitigating and offsetting the
significant adverse effects of proposed
undertakings.
62
Development Terminology
Development; any project, operation or activity or any alteration
or expansion of project, which is likely to:
i) affect any unique, rare or endangered feature;
ii) substantially utilize any resource and in doing so pre-empt the
use, or potential use, of that resource for any other purpose;
iii) cause emission of any pollutants or create by-products,
residual or waste products
iv) cause widespread public concern because of potential
environmental changes
v) involve a new technology that is concerned with resource
utilization and that may induce significant environmental
change, or
vi) have a significant impact on the environment or necessitate a
further development which is likely to have a significant impact
Why did EIA start? (Historical Perspectives)
 1950s and 1960s: Economic boom and industrial
development in post-war Europe and North America, but
◦ Little consideration given to the environment.
 1960s: Consequent environmental impacts felt.
 By the early 1960s in the US and other industrial countries, it
was clear that SOMETHING WAS WRONG
Environmental crisis in the industrial economies
 1952 “killer fog” kills 4,000 in London
 1963 Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring documents the negative
effects of DDT
 1966 Cuayahoga River in Ohio catches fire
64
65
Cuyahoga River burns in 1966 (3rd time). Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
“30 Years of Environmental Progress,” USEPA, 2000.
66
Evolution of EIA
Four major phases in EIA development trend:
early 1970s — Introduction and initial development
▪ First in USA and then adopted by others
(Australia, Canada, New Zealand)
Middle of 1970s to 1980s — increasing scope and
sophistication
More advanced techniques (e.g. risk assessment);
guidance on process implementation (e.g. screening
and scoping); social impacts considered, etc,
Some developing country involved (China,
Thailand, Philippines)
67
Evolution of EIA (Cont’d)
mid to late 1980s — process strengthening and policy
integration
Review of EIA practice and experience; scientific and
institutional frameworks of EIA updated; coordination of
EIA with other processes, such as project appraisal…
World Bank and bilateral donors established it as a
requirement.
The World Conservation Strategy (WCS) 1980 states that
“environmental assessment should be an integral part of the
planning of all major actions requiring government
authorization. EA should be carried out at the same time as
engineering, economic and socio-political assessments; and
should examine alternatives to the proposed actions”.
68
Evolution of EIA (Cont’d)
Early 1990s to date— Strategic and sustainability
orientation (SEA, Biodiversity, climate change)
➢EIA aspects enshrined in international
agreements;
➢Marked increase in international training,
capacity building and networking activities;
➢Development of SEA and integration with EIA
and EIA good Practice
➢Efforts to link EIA to new and emerging issues
such as Climate Change.
69
Current Status of EIA practice
▪ The African Perspective
▪ More African countries are committed to sustainable

development.
▪ Most African countries have legislated EIA.
▪ Countries such as Algeria, Benin, Egypt, Ghana, South

Africa and Uganda have fairly robust EIA systems.
70
Current Status of EIA practice (Cont’d)
The Ethiopian Perspective
 Up to early 2000s: EIA was only a requirement in donor

funded projects
 In 2002: Ethiopia enacted the EIA Proclamation (NO.

299/2002) making it a mandatory requirement.
 Post 2002: EIA is a mandatory requirement for all projects.

▪ Despite these positive developments several capacity
issues are barriers to a mainstreamed application of EIA.
71
Why should developing countries
care about EIA?
 Easy answer: Donor requirements.
◦ In the early 1970s, several Pakistani workers
died as a result of negligent pesticide
management procedures on a USAID project.
◦ USAID was sued by an environmental PVO,
and adopted environmental review
procedures to comply with NEPA (National
Environmental Policy Act) of 1969).
 Almost all donor agencies now have
similar procedures
72
Why should developing countries
care about EIA?
 The difficult answer: Because the
environmental crisis faced by most
developing countries is at least as serious as
that of the industrialized countries in the
1960s and 70s.
◦ Lower levels of industrialization
◦ BUT. . .
◦ High population growth and urbanization
◦ Use of hazardous substances
◦ Environmental degradation due to poverty
73
EIA & the International Conventions
• The United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED) was
held from June 3 through June 14, 1992, in Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil, (140 countries ),
• adopted “Agenda 21” — a sustainable
development action plan for the 21st century.
– improving the well-being of the world's
population
– eliminating hunger and poverty and
protecting the planet's natural resources.
74
EIA & the UNCED
 The role of EIA as a tool for development
decision-making was formally recognized in
Principle 17 of the Rio Declaration on
Environment and Development:
 “Environmental impact assessment, as a
national instrument, shall be undertaken for
proposed activities that are likely to have a
significant adverse impact on the environment
and are subject to a decision of a competent
national authority”.
75
Why assess environmental impacts?
 Practical motivation: Often a requirement

 Conceptual motivation:
◦ Development cannot be sustainable unless it considers
environmental impacts
 Other tangible benefits:
◦ Avoid problems before they occur--lower project costs
in the long-term
◦ Provides decision-makers with alternatives
◦ Provides benefits to public such as opportunity to learn,
express concerns, and influence decision-making
process
76
Generally,
Facts in the face of reality
Core Values of EIA
Three core values on which the EIA process is based:
 integrity– the EIA process should meet
internationally accepted requirements and standards
of practice;
 utility– the EIA process should provide the
information which is sufficient and relevant for
decision-making; and
 sustainability– the EIA process should result in the
implementation of environmental safeguards which
are sufficient to mitigate serious adverse effects and
avoid irreversible loss of resource and ecosystem
functions.
- the EA process should result in sustainable
development by establishing long-term
environmental safe guards.
78
Guiding principles of EIA good practice
Some of the basic principles of EIA are:
 Early Application: Proactive consideration and integration of
environmental concerns at the earliest stages of the
conceptualization of the projects, programs or policies.
 Participative– EIA should provide appropriate opportunities
to inform and involve the interested and affected publics, and
their inputs and concerns should be addressed explicitly.
 Purposive– EIA should meet its aims of informing decision
making and ensuring an appropriate level of environmental
protection and human health.
 Focused– EIA should concentrate on significant
environmental effects, taking into account the issues that
matter.
79
Cont...
 Alternatives: All feasible options to a project, policy,

program or their components like site, processes,
products, raw materials, designs etc should be
considered.
 Accountability: Refers to responsibility of
proponent, consultant and environmental
agencies for their respective roles and
responsibilities.
 Credibility: Assessments and reviews are under
taken with professionalism and objectivity.
 Efficient– EIA should impose the minimum cost
burden on proponents consistent with meeting
process requirements and objectives.
80
Cont…
 Transparency: All assessments, decisions & their
basis should be open & accessible to the public.
 Practical– EIA should identify measures for
impact mitigation that work and can be
implemented.
 Adaptive– EIA should be adjusted to the
realities, issues and circumstances of the
proposals under review.
 Conservation Based: The EIA process should
strive to promote conservation based
development.
81
Operating principles
EIA is undertaken to:
 modify and improve design: The purpose of the EIA
process is not simply to assess potential environmental
impacts, but to change project design and implementation
so that impacts are avoided, reduced or offset.
 ensure efficient resource use,
 enhance social aspects,
 identify measures for monitoring and managing impacts,
 promote sustainable productivity within the natural and
social system capacity,
 meet environmental requirements and make continuing
improvement in environmental performance,
 provide accurate and appropriate information for sound
decision
82
Responsible Bodies and Their Roles
 1. Proponent
❖ The proponent is the project applicant.
❖ The proponent is responsible for complying
with the requirements of the EIA and for all
associated costs incurred in the EIA process.
❖ The first responsibility of the proponent is to
appoint an independent consultant who will act
on the proponent’s behalf in the EIA process.
❖ The proponent must ensure adequate
participation of the competent agency and
interested and affected parties and the public in
general in the EIA process.
❖ The proponent is responsible to declare the
document and implement his project based on
the report.
83
2. Consultant
➢ The independent consultant acts on
behalf of the proponent in preparing the
EIA report complying with the EIA
process.
➢ The consultant is responsible for
employing appropriate professional
experts that best fit in preparing readable
and informative EIA report in compliance
with endorsed policies, legislations and
guideline.
➢ Furthermore, he/she should ensure that
all of this information is made available to
the Competent Agency via the proponent.
84
3. Interested and Affected Parties (IAPs)
➢ IAPs are key to a successful EIA and are
responsible for providing input and
comments at various stages in the EIA
process.
➢ The input from interested and affected
parties should be sought in all EIA
process.
85
4. Competent Agency
o The Competent Agency is responsible for ensuring
that the proponent/consultant complies with the
requirements of the EIA process.
o The Competent Agency must not conduct an EIA
in order to avoid significant conflict of interest in
the decision-making process. The Competent
Agency should:
✓ Ensure that the evaluation/review and decisions
provided are done efficiently and within reasonable
time, and that the proponent is informed of any
delays that may be incurred through the review
process; and
✓ Ensure that the proponent is informed of any
shortfalls in the process as identified through the
reviews.
86
Who is an EIA expert?
A generalist with specialist competence
Team leader
An EIA is a teamwork
The team of specialists is composed with regard to the
character of the project or programme;
1. Physical environment
Earth scientists, Geographers, Hydrologists, etc.
2. Living environment
Ecologist, Botanists, Zozoologist, Limnologists, etc.
3. Human environment
Anthropologists, Socio-economists,
Archaeologists, etc.
Health expertise (Health Impact Assessment)
87
Overall Goals and Objectives of EIA
Overall Goal:
 To promote environmentally sound and sustainable
livelihood development i.e. to bring ecological, economic
and social sustainability in the process of development.
 keep undesirable environmental effects to a practicable
minimum
Objectives:
 EIA Objectives can be categorized into long-term and
short-term objectives
The long-term objectives include:-
 Conservation and sustainable use of natural resources;
 Protection and enhancement of the quality of all life
forms; and
 Integration of environmental considerations in
development planning processes
88
The short-term objectives include:-
 To assess the nature, intensity and duration

of influence, positive and/or negative, of
proposed development project;
 To promote local community and public
participation in the EIA processes of a
project;
 To promote social and cultural
considerations in project design: and
 To provide a methodology for prevention
and mitigation of expected impacts due to
the presence of a project.
89
Costs and benefits of EIA
Benefits of EIA
 Enhance environmentally sustainable
project design,
 Better compliance with environmental
standards,
 Saving in capital and operating costs,
 Avoids later plan adaptations,
 Reduces health costs,
 Increases project acceptance.
90
Costs of EIA
 It can be difficult to determine the exact
costs of an EIA because major projects
typically require a large number of
investigations and reports
 The World Bank notes that the cost of
preparing an EIA rarely exceeds one per cent
of the project costs.
 For Bank projects, the relative cost of an EIA
typically ranges from only 0.06 per cent to
0.10 per cent of total project costs.
91
Common misconceptions about EIA
• EIA is "anti-development",
• EIA is too expensive and a waste of
money,
• EIA is ineffective and a waste of time.
92
93

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Addis Ababa Science and Technology University

Introduction & Overview of EIA

 To introduce the concept of EIA, placing it

SSA 867mn 1.76bn +103%

❖ African population expected

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 5

Rapid population growth is also associated with an age

Southern 58.8% 77.6% +52%

LDCs 29.4% 55.5% +269%

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 11

❖ Arid & semi-arid lands

100% of observed data series in

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 12

❖ Crop & disease

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 13

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 14

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 15

→ SOIL FERTILITY LOSS:

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 16

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 17

 “Environment” and “development” are

Much of Africa’s portfolio is already a

 direct response to—or directly affected

! But good development does not simply respond

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 18

Why? To avoid MISTAKES. . .

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 19

Around the back of the

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 20

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 21

! Unfortunately Unforeseen long-term

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 22

Sometimes obvious (previous examples).

But often difficult to foresee, predict

Most often rooted in a few ! Failure to plan for the

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 23

! Failure to plan for the

The environmental effects of a

Health hazards from

! Designing for average conditions,

Strong winds ripped the aluminum sheet

In this area, one or two storms every 5 years

Other “average conditions” to be careful of:

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 25

Household consumption depends on income.

Success in raising income in a community may

All can have significant adverse

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 26

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 27

It seeks to preserve and

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 28

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 29

Construct/ Operate Decommission

Make decisions about 1. Implement & maintain proper

Environment, Development & ESDM. Visit www.encapafrica.org. 30

❖ Prevention starts early in

❖ DESIGN starts with the Improve agricultural