Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Published on 06 Apr 2025

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a systematic method for identifying, predicting, assessing, and mitigating the potential environmental effects of proposed projects or developments. The basic purpose of EIA is to ensure that decision-makers, developers, and the public are aware of the potential environmental effects of a planned activity before it is approved or carried out.

Benefits of EIA

• Facilitates Sustainable Development: It assists in the design of projects that fulfil current requirements without endangering the capacity of future generations to fulfil their own demands.

• Cost Effectiveness: EIA helps choose and design programs, initiatives, or plans that have long-term viability, which improves cost effectiveness.

• Reducing Negative impacts: It enables the development of monitoring programs to assess possible impacts and provide data so that management can decide intelligently to prevent environmental harm.

• Conflict Prevention and Resolution: It reduces the possibility of conflicts between developers, communities, and regulatory agencies by assisting in the early identification and resolution of concerns through stakeholder engagement and public participation.

• Improved Project Design: The insights gained through the assessment process typically lead developers to find innovative solutions for reducing impacts and improving project sustainability.

EIA Process

• Screening: First stage of EIA, which determines whether the proposed project requires an EIA and if it does, then the level of assessment required.

• Scoping: This stage identifies the key issues and impacts that should be further investigated. This stage also defines the boundary and time limit of the study.

• Impact analysis: This stage of EIA identifies and predicts the likely environmental and social impact of the proposed project and evaluates its significance.

• Mitigation: This step in EIA recommends the actions to reduce and avoid the potential adverse environmental consequences of development activities.

• Reporting: This stage presents the result of EIA in the form of a report to the decision-making body and other interested parties. 

• Review of EIA: It examines the adequacy and effectiveness of the EIA report and provides the information necessary for decision-making.

• Decision-making: It decides whether the project is rejected, approved or needs further change.

• Post monitoring: It checks to ensure that the impacts of the project do not exceed the legal standards and implementation of the mitigation measures are in the manner as described in the EIA report.

Shortcomings of EIA in India

• Inadequate Public Participation: Despite the provisions for public input, there are concerns concerning the sufficiency and effectiveness of public engagement in the EIA procedure.

• Example: EIA 2020 has reduced the time for public participation from 30 days to 20 days.

• Rapid Clearances in Sensitive Areas: Easy clearances for strategic projects without explaining why.

• Example: All highway projects within 100 km of India’s “Line of Control (LoC) or border” will now be exempt from environmental clearances.

• Cumulative Impact Assessment Challenges: The evaluation of cumulative impacts, which considers the combined consequences of several projects in each area, is sometimes inadequate. This may cause the overall environmental impact to be underestimated.

• Conflicts of Interest: Concerns have been raised about potential conflicts of interest, as certain EIA consultants may be engaged by project proponents, generating the perception of bias in favor of project approval.

• Non-compliances with the International Frameworks and Conventions:  The Paris Climate Agreement and other international commitments are not met by the EIA, 2020.

• Post-Facto Approvals: Concerns have been raised by instances of environmental permissions being granted "post-facto," or after projects had started. The preventive aspect of the EIA process is compromised by this conduct.

Measures to Make EIA Effective

• Strengthen Regulatory Framework: To ensure the applicability of EIA and to address new environmental issues, the regulatory framework controlling it should be strengthened and updated on a regular basis.

• Online Platforms: Establish online platforms for project submission, public commenting, and information sharing to increase the EIA process's accessibility and effectiveness.

• Public hearing: Public hearings should apply to all previously exempt categories of projects with environmental consequences.

• Capacity building: To improve project decision-making, NGOs, civil society organizations, and local communities must strengthen their ability to use the EIA notification.

• Application: Without exception, all projects that have the potential to significantly alter ecosystems must go through the environmental clearance process.

Tags:
Environment

Keywords:
Environment EPA Environmental Impact Assessment Conservation

Syllabus:
General Studies Paper 3

Topics:
Environment and Climate Change