Benefits of Environmental Impact Assessment

 

 Benefits of Environmental Impact Assessment

There are six key benefits that can arise from the effective use of Environmental Impact Assessment – for government, proponents and the community. These benefits are outlined below.

1.     Early identification of environmental constraints and impacts: The Environmental Impact Assessment process promotes early identification of environmental constraints and impacts and encourages project design modifications to be undertaken to address the constraints and impacts. Environmental Impact Assessment can result in an improved project design that is better suited to both the local environment and to project beneficiaries; that supports project sustainability and resilience; contributes to smoother project construction and operation; and allows for the avoidance of unnecessary expenses e.g. environmental fines, environmental clean-up or remediation costs. When a project is well-suited to the environment, when its vulnerability to hazards and environmental change is minimized, and when it is operating efficiently and effectively, a proponent is likely to gain the greatest possible value from project investment, while government and the community are likely to gain the greatest possible value from project development.

2.     Early identification and improved calculation of project costs: By placing emphasis on detailed project planning and design, the Environmental Impact Assessment process allows proponents to identify and be clear about construction, operational and closure/rehabilitation costs (where relevant), before a project gets underway. This can assist with the budgeting and prioritization of project expenditures, and help with avoidance of finance or budgetary shortfalls, construction delays, and budget overruns later in the development process.

3.     Provision of clear procedural guidelines: The Environmental Impact Assessment process, when applied in line with a country’s Environmental Impact Assessment legislation, provides clear procedural guidelines for government, proponents and the community. It supports rigorous and consistent impact assessment, transparent decision-making and good governance.

4.     Provision of a level of certainty for all stakeholders: Environmental Impact Assessment can provide a level of certainty for all stakeholders because it outlines environmental performance and management standards that must be met by the proponent. In other words, proponents know what levels of performance and management they are expected to adhere to; government knows what levels of performance and management it must monitor; and the community knows the performance and management conditions on which development consent has been granted.

5.     Fostering of social acceptance of a project: If the Environmental Impact Assessment process is participatory and inclusive of local stakeholders, including the directly affected community and land/resource owners, it can help to foster social acceptance of a project. Proponents are more likely to avoid major objections to their project, as well as delays in project implementation or disruptions to project operation, when the Environmental Impact Assessment process invites stakeholder participation in development planning and assessment, and requires proponents to recognize and address stakeholder concerns.

6.     Demonstration of commitment to national policies and legislation and regional/international MEAs: Effective use of Environmental Impact Assessment allows governments to show they are meeting their environmental governance commitments under national environmental policies and legislation, and also under regional and international MEAs. This is because Environmental Impact Assessment encourages the inclusion of matters such as waste management and pollution control, biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management, and climate change and disaster risk management, in development assessment and decision-making. If these core matters are effectively addressed through Environmental Impact Assessment, governments may be more likely to attract smart investment – especially investment that supports sustainable and resilient development.