UNIT-II

EIA METHODOLOGIES
Process And Framework Of EIA
The united nation conference on Human environment held at Stockholm in june,1972 urged
developing countries to take appropriate steps for the protection and improvement of human
environment. Long term and sustainable development can only be achieved through sound
environmental management. Needs methodologies, analytical tools and conceptual frameworks to
integrate environmental concerns in development plans, programmes and objects. National international
funding agencies are eager to identify and adopt methodologies to improve project financing making
projects more multidisciplinary, less sectoral, and more responsive to ecological constraints and
parameters.
Though the bad effects of development activities are identified it may not always be possible
to make a quantative evaluation in terms of money of certain environmental effects or the cost of long
term damage.
Environmental impact Assessment (EIA) is one of the most important tools to assess the viability
of any development project from all point of view including cost , environment and sustainable
development/. The preparation EIA is closely related to cost benefit analysis EIA has to specially deal
effectively with the following.
i. Risk evaluation in terms of long-term consequences, with special reference to events with
high negative effects like desertification, rehabilitation, deforestation etc.
ii. Comparative weighing with the present and future costs and benefits.

DEFINITION AND FRAME WORK OF E I A

Environmental impact analysis (EIA) is a study of the effects of a proposed action on the
environment. Environment in this context will include all aspects of the natural and human
environment. Environment is made up of both biophysical and socio economic elements. Thus
depending upon the scale of the proposed action, EIA may include studies of air, water. Land ecology,
sound, weather, flora and founa, human health, urban migration, economics, resources etc. EIA will
seek to establish the condition of physical , biological, social, economic and other parameters before
and after a project is undertaken. The type and the number of parameters to be studied in different
projects will vary from project to project. Impact means change , either positive or negative from a
desirability standpoint. A environmental impact analysis is, therefore , a study of the probable changes
in the various socioeconomic and biophysical characteristics of the environment which may result from
a proposed or impending action.
For any given project, there can be a number of alternative approaches including a zero option
approach, which mean not taking up the project at all. Each option will have economic coasts and
benefits, as well as losses and beneficial environmental impacts. Adverse environmental impacts may be
reduced at a higher projects cost. Economic benefits to an individual industry may have to be reduced to
some environmental cost resulting in social benefit. All feasible alterative are supposed to be studied in
an EIA of any project. EIA should finally determine mix of environmental and economic coasts and
benefits.
The framework for EIA can thus summarized as:

1. The study of the effects of a proposed action on the environment.

2. The comparison of various alternatives by which a desired objective may be realized and seeks
to identify the one which represents the best combination of economic and environmental coasts
and benefits.

3. The prediction of changes in environ-mental quality which would result from the proposed
action.
4. An attempt to weigh economic costs and benefits.

5. A decision making tool.

DESCRIPTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING

Environment in India is made of villages, towns, cities etc; and their surroundings made up of
irrigated land, forest land, rivers, hillocks, wastelands, reservoirs etc. In pre- independence days, Indian
villages, towns, and cities used to present a peaceful and meaningful life. But with increasing
population, industrialization and urbanization, the physical scenario in Indian villages, towns and cities
has deteriorated with corruption, improper implementation of rules and regulations and lack of civic
sense.
Comfortable housing, sufficient quality of safe drinking water, proper civic amentias like drains,
roads, street lights, parks and gardens and other public conveniences have become a rarity. Construction
of big dams, and starting of big industries without considering their impact on environment have
resulted in rehabilitation of villages, inundation of forests, reduction in flora and fauna, pollution of air,
water and land, increase in slums, deforestation, desertication etc. Industrialisation around Bombay and
Hyderabad, Bhopal gas tragedy, smog atmosphere in Delhi during winters, load quality of life in
Rajasthan and Orissa villages, pollution of Dhal lake in Kashmir are all examples of improper
development without caring for the environmental impact.

Before initiating any action like the construction of a dam, or the construction of a long irrigation canal,
or a the construction of a big industry, site –specific environmental setting has to be understood properly
. In an systematic procedure, information on environmental setting as a quesifiltering mechanism,
eliminating consideration of impacts unrelated to the specific site.

NEED OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS

Development through use of technologies is necessary to improve the standard of living. In view
of the fact that development projects are interfering too much with the environment, before any
development project can be taken up there should be an analysis of the necessary for the development by
comparing the monetary costs and monetary benefits. Of recent, society has become aware of the need
for assessing the effect on the environment or it is ecological cost and benefit. Environmental impact
analysis involves a combination of the ecological and monetary benefits and coast.
The evaluation of the impact of any development project is a part of many steps to be followed
by any development project. Steps to be followed in a project are listed below:
i. Prepare a statement of the major objectives of the proposed project.

ii. Analysis the technologic possibilities of achieving the objectives.

iii. Identify actions to achieve the stated objectives. Alternative plans for achieving the set
objectives have to be identified.
iv. Prepare a report on the condition of the existing environment before the proposed action.

v. Finalize about principal engineering proposals with analysis of monetary benefit and costs.

vi. Prepare Environmental impacts analysis of the magnitudes (degree, extensive and
importance of impact). The pertinence of each action is reflects by numerical values of
magnitude and importance.

vii. Assess the impacts of the separate actions which comprise the project upon the different
environmental factors.
viii. Summarize and give recommendations including a discussion on the relative merits and
rationales of the action plan.

For maintaining clean and healthy environment, the state and central government have a
responsibility to protest the environment. Through the department of Environment, Government of
India has to formulate and recommend :national policies for the improvement of the quality of the
environment. Through gathering information, reviewing programme, conducting investigations and by
preparing Environmental impact Assessment for different projects the departmental of Environment will
keep informs the central Government about environmental status around the country. Environmental
Impact Analysis is thud mandatory for all big projects like constructions of major dams. Major
industries, mining activity, development of townships etc. The environmental impact statement should
include a description of the environmental impact of the proposed action, unavoidable adverse impacts
which would result should action take place, possible alternatives and discussion on short term versus
long-term advantages of the proposal. It is obligatory to circulate the Environmental impact analysis
publicly and consider both the analysis made by experts and publicly response to it when making it is
final decision on the proposal.
The specific purpose of Environmental impact Assessment, is to influence the decisions to be
made for maintaining the environment and its values, for sustainable development. Through the world
has gained by industrialization, we are now facing many environmental problems like holes in the ozone
layer , global warming , green house effect, acid rains, deforestation etc. Poverty and environmental
degradation are the two sides of the same coin and a good approach to development through proper
environmental impact analysis will result in better things to happen.

The need for Environmental Impact Analysis can be summarized as:

i. To identify all environmental factors in the project area which will be influenced by all the
activities of the project under consideration.
ii. To identify alternative approaches including no action plan, their levels of impacts and
economic considerations.
iii. To describe the environmental setting, to collect data and the factors associated with the
proposed action. Methods for impact analysis can aid in identifying data needs and planning
field studies.

iv. To identify the tools and methodologies to be adopted in the Environmental impact Analysis.
 v. To evaluate control measures.

vi. To provide information and encourage public participation in evaluating the impact of the
proposed project

CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING A METODOLOGY:

There are number of methodologies evolved by different people. For preparing Environmental
Impact Analysis. Depending upon the specific needs of the user and the type of project being
undertaken, one particular methodology may be more useful than the other. To select the most
appropriate methodology, the following criteria have to be considered.

i. What is the objective of the proposed E.I.A?

Is the analysis primarily a decision or an information document?. A decision document is

impartment for determining the best course of action, and required emphasis on
identification of key issues, quantification and direct comparison of alternative. On the
other hand, an informati0on document primarily. On the other hand, an information
document primarily revolves implications of the selected choices and required a more
comprehensive analysis and concentrations on interpreting the significance of a broad
spectrum of possible impacts.

ii. What are the available resources like money, time, skill, data and computer facilities?
Comprehensive E.I.A. require more of everything.
iii. Is the person in charge of preparing E.I.A. familiar with the type of action contemplated and
the area in which the project has to come up? Grated familiarity will improve the quality of
E.I.A.

iv. How big are the issues being dealt with? All other things being equal, the bigger the issue,
the grated the need to be explicit, to quantify and to identify key issues. Arbitrary comparison
of on type of impact, says for example on environment, with another type of impact, say like
economic, and become less appropriate.

DIFFERENT METHODOLOGIES OF E.I.A

Any Environmental impact Analysis methodology should effectively deal with

a. impact identification, impact measurement, impact interpretation

b. impact communication to information users

E.I. A, methodologies have not yet been standardized and are not yet well documented. From the
available literature, it can be understood that six methods are referred frequently. Based upon the way
impacts are identified, the six methods are named as

i. Ad Hoc method

ii. Overlays methods

iii. Checklist method

iv. Network method

v. Method of Matrix

vi. Combination –computer aided method

The names of the methods are self explanatory and description of each one of the six methods is made
below.

i. Ad Hoc Method: Broad areas of possible impacts like impacts upon flora and fauna, impacts on
lakes and forests etc.; are identified in this method. This method does not define specific parameters
to be investigated, and so may not provided sufficient guidance for impact assessment. A team of
specialists will identify the nature of the impacts such as no effect, short or long term, reversible or
 irreversible etc. Ad hoc methods are for rough assessment of total impact giving the board areas of
possible impacts and general nature of these possible impacts.

This method was use initially in 1971 as a planning tool for sating power generation and power
transmission facilities. the approach consider a range of pollution , and ecological, economic and

ii. Overlays Method:

A set of transparent maps giving physical, social, ecological, aesthetic characteristics of the project
area are overlaid to produce a composite characterization of the regional environment. By overlaying
maps, area of preferred variable and are of adverse impacts and their geographical locations are
identified. Overlays method has been used popularly in highway route selection and selection of
transmission line corridors. This method is useful as a first-out method of identifying and shifting
out alternative projects sites prior to preparing a detailed impact analysis. However, this method is
unable to quantify and identify possible impacts. High degree of skill and training are required to
prepare the map overlays. The best utility of the overlays method is to perform an initial screening
process to identify feasible alternatives which would then be subjected to a more detailed analysis
available through other means.

iii. Checklist Method:

A comprehensive listing of environmental parameters which are related to a particular type of
action, is done in checklist method. This is a very popular method in EIA. Studies. Check list
method helps order thought, aids in data gathering and presentation and acts against the omission
of possible impacts. Four broad categories of check lists are in vogue, viz.
i.. Simple check lists
ii. Descriptive checklists
iii. iv. Scaling checklists and
Scaling weighting checklists

Simple checklists are a simple list of environmental parameters without any reference to as to
how environmental parameter data are to be measured and interpreted. Descriptive checklists
if\identify environmental parameters and give guidelines on how parameters data are to be
measured. But no numerical ranking is use in evaluating the level of impact. Adkins and Broke

(4) used scaling checklists, involving the scaling of impacts on a relative basis from minus five
to plus five. Scaling –weighting checklists represent scaling checklists with information provides
as to subjective evaluation of each parameter with respect to every other parameter. Scaling
weighting checklists employ both magnitude and importance factor.

Magnitude is considered to be a measure of the degree or severity of an impact and is assessed

after the analysis of the impact . Importance is defined as the baseline level significance of an
impact and is used to weight the impact appropriately as determined through the subjective
judgment of a scientific team, determine prior to impact analysis. Table given below gives an
examples of scaling –weighting checklists. the lists has to be very comprehensive to include all
environmental parameters which will be effected by a project.

TABLE
An example checklist for a proposed industry in a study area

Environmental parameter in the Rating or weight Possible score on

descending order of important Environmental impact
1 Air pollution High 10
Medium 5
Low 0
2 Water pollution High 10
Medium 5
Low 0
3 Rehabilitation High 10
Medium 5
Low 0
 The major feature of the checklist system is that environmental impact is expressed in
commensurate units. The steps involved in the development of commensurate units include
transformation of parameter estimates into an environmental quality scale, assignment of importance
weights to the individual parameter, and ht multiplication of scales value any importance value to obtain
environmental impact units. One of the important environmental quality to assess the status of river is
the concentration of dissolved oxygen, which may vary from 0 to 9 mg/l. Environmental quality scale
can be identified for concentration of settable duct in ambient air, leaching of pollutants into ground
water etc. For any given project a panel of engineers can prepare a detailed list of environmental
parameters which may be allocated by the project in the project are m, assign environmental quality
indices and prepare values function graphs with environmental parameters like dissolved oxygen In
river water, ambient dust fall concentration, concentration of dissolved solids in ground water, level of
noise pollution, quality of solids waters etc. on the abscissa and environmental quality scale on the
ordinate.
iv. Networks Method:
A project is related to its potential impact through a cause –condition-effect network. Through
this method is not necessarily a full methodology, it will useful in identifying the impacts. Projects
activities are related to first order condition charges, which in turn cause second and third order
condition charges, leading finally to effects. In network diagrams , the impact of one environmental
factor on other environmental or socio-economic factors and other similar interactions are identified.
Subsequently, network diagrams will acts as a guide for impact identification and presentation of
results Odom (5) who wrote a book on Ecology used network diagram to depict the concept of energy
flow between different components of oceans, rivers, forests, grasslands etc. Net work methodology
was first used to identify potential commercial, residential and transportation use of sea coasts.
V. Method of Matrices:
Matrix method aims at relating projects activities to their environmental impacts. After the
identification of project activities and their environmental impacts, their interdisciplinary team of
specialists should assess the magnitude an importance. The matrix method is a convent method of visual
display of both total project activities and their impacts. The Matrix method comprising of a series of
rows depicting project activities and a series of columns depicting environmental impacts, has the ability
for factor expansion , depending upon the project analysis.
The methods of assigning weights to the interactions can take various forms including the
assignment of three levels of impact viz :major , minor, intermediate, or assignment of negative as well
as positive scores to indicate the adverse or beneficial nature of the impact. Scales have also been used
to describes the possibilities of impact occurrence as well as the extent of potential impact reversibility.
The most effective way to use the matrix is to check each action which is likely to be involved
significantly in the proposed development project. Each of the action thus checked is evaluated in terms
of magnitude of effects on environmental characteristics on the vertical axis, and a slash is placed
diagonally from upped to lower left across each block represents significant interaction. After all the
boxes which represent possible impact have been marked , the most important ones are evaluated
individually. Within each is representing a significant interaction place a number 1 to 10 on the upper ,
left- hand cornet to indicate the relative magnitude of imp[act (1 is the least impact, 10 is the greatest) in
the lower right had corner of the box, place a number 1 to 10 to indicate the relative importance of the
impacts (again 1 is the least impact, 10 is the greatest). Magnitude is defined as the degree or the
extensiveness of scale of the impact, while importance is a weighting of the degree of significance of the
impact. The former can be based on fact, while the later is based on judgment.

VI. Combination Computer –Aided:

To identify activities associated with implementing major governmental parameters to identify
potential environmental impacts at different user levels, to provide guidance for abatement and
mitigation techniques, and to provide analytical models to establish cause –effects relationships to
quantitatively determine potential environmental impacts, a combination of matrices, networks,
analytical models and a computer aided systematic approach if allowed. Given the appropriate input
information for a particular program, the computer-aided system developed will provide relevant
environmental information to allow the user to respond to the requirements of environmental quality
guidelines. Analytical models, like Economic impact Forecast System(EIFS), , are being developed to
quantitatively assess the environmental impacts. Three levels of attributes viz; detailed level, review
levels, and controversial attributes, are identified. Ramification remarks regarding potential impacts are
presented along with mitigation procedures for minimizing adverse impacts. Instead of a numerical
system, potential impacts are identified on a need –to-consider scale, using A,B and C as indicators.

Criteria for choosing an EIA methodology:

A number of people like Adkins, Burke, Dee, Jain, Leopold, Moore, Smith, Warner etc; have
used one form or the other of EIA. Methodologies like adhoc, overlay, checklist, matrix, network of
combination computer-aided etc. Important criteria to be considered. In choosing and evaluating an
impact assessment methodologies are: comprehensive nature, flexibility of detecting project-generated
impacts, and objectivity. the methodology chooses should ensure input expertise, utilize the state of the
art , employ explicitly defined criteria , provided for assessment of impact magnitude, provide for
overall assessment of total impacts and detect environmentally sensitive areas.
 In view of the large number of models and methodologies being practiced in EIA
.studies, one must choose between two extremes: complete uniformity or complete uniqueness. So far as
uniformity, reproducibility and comparability are concerned, it would be profitable if one uniform
method could be prescribed for any EIA. On the other hand, each environment is so unique that a
standard methodology would most probably neglect the unique factors. This is why many specialists on
EIA made their own methodologies for watch one of the projects.
Finally, any EIA methodology is expected to de three main things, viz; i.
Identification , ii. Prediction and iii. Evaluation.
In the process of identification, the existing system has to be clearly described, the components
of the project have to be clearly identified, and modifications in the project area as also in all the
projects components have to be defined effectively. In the process of prediction, Identification of
environmental modifications that may be significant is expected,. It is necessary to forecast the quantity
and special dimensions of change in the environment of the project area. I is along with some time
frame. In the process of evaluation , it become necessary to determine the incidence of costs and
benefits to user group and populations affected by the project. It become necessary to prepare
specifications and comparisons of the trade off (costs or effects being balanced) between various
alternatives
Follow up of E.I.A:

Environmental Impact Assessment should be followed by analytical studies of the special

impacts on the environment which appears most adverse. This is achieved by techniques such as
materials balance, dispersion modeling, market simulation, marginal cost analysis and trade-off analysis.
The first and most basic analysis is to prepare a materials balance model of projects operational
showing all materials inputs and outputs. Inputs will depend on the type of project and residuals released
to the environment will be related to the processes involved and the controls incorporated in the project.
It is them, necessary to study the dispersion of residuals released to the ecosystem. In this way
we arrive at concentration and movements of pollutants which will allow us to assess potential damage
and other damage costs associated with subsequent uses of the environmental media.
The next step is to construct a market simulation of the ecosystem which involves attaching
shadow prices to unpriced values. Easily obtained market prices .will be for project development coasts,
materials, power, labour and other operating coasts and product prices. Un priced components will be
related to the ecosystem and are the values attached to water quality , air quality, wilderness quality,
scenic views, biological health, species balance and hazards to species. Some of these unpriced
components, can be valued as the cost of rectification or avoidance; damage costs of poor air, air and
water quality can be determined by estimating the costs of removal of pollutants to a desirable or safe
level.
The optimum level of environmental quality may not immediately apparent because the
marginal cost for each degree of quality is not constant.