How to do an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Kenya
Writing an environmental impact assessment (EIA) in Kenya. Writing an assessment includes project screening and scooping, design, forecasting impacts, mitigation, monitoring, reporting. Environmental assessment writing for residential buildings in Nairobi is offered by consultants.
How to do an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report in Kenya. Here are 10 steps of dong an EIA in Kenya. Firstly, you have to conduct an EIA assessment of the proposed project and then write a report on expected impacts on land, air, water, flora and fauna and human environment. Your EIA report will also indicate the suggested mitigative actions to be undertaken to arrest the expected negative impacts from the proposed project.
How to do an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report in Kenya. Here are 10 steps of dong an EIA in Kenya. Firstly, you have to conduct an EIA assessment of the proposed project and then write a report on expected impacts on land, air, water, flora and fauna and human environment. Your EIA report will also indicate the suggested mitigative actions to be undertaken to arrest the expected negative impacts from the proposed project.
Top 10 Steps of Doing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Conducting an environmental impact assessment is a mandatory requirement by the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) of Kenya. The process of conducting an EIA in Kenya follows laid down procedure and steps. This is a step by step guide on how to perform and EIA assessment and to write an environmental Impact Assessment report for approval by the authority.
To do an environmental impact assessment in Kenya, you need to follow these 10 steps:-
To do an environmental impact assessment in Kenya, you need to follow these 10 steps:-
- Do the Screening in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
- Do an EIA Scoping using an Environmental Impact Matrix
- Perform an Environment Investigation and Research
- Do an EIA Impact Prediction and Mitigation
- Do an Impact Mitigation Action Planning
- Management and Monitoring in Environmental Impact Assessment
- Ensure Public Participation in all Steps of EIA
- Do the Report Writing and Submission
- Appealing to Environment Management Authority
- Do the EIA Auditing
1.) Screening on Environmental Impacts
Screening is the first step in conducting an EIA. It is the initial environmental evaluation to classify the project according to environmental sensitivity. The screening stage of an EIA is used to determine whether a project requires a full or partial investigation in each case.
2.) EIA Scoping by use of a Matrix
This is the initial stage of conducting an EIA assessment and is meant to identify the key environmental issues from the project. At this stage, you purpose to set the scope of your investigation and also to draft the terms of reference for the study. Scoping is the most important step in an EIA. Scoping is done in a list of expected receptors of impact including Land, air, water, flora and fauna and Human Environment.
Example of areas of impacts under the above receptors would be as below the very early stages as it impacts on the project design. If the environmental impacts are identified to be massive, the project size and design can be scaled back to mitigate the negative outcomes. Scoping the impacts on the environment of a proposed development is key to performing a good Environmental Impact Assessment. Local Environmental Management Authorities usually print guide books to assist experts to scope their projects impacts. There are some very to use environmental impact scoping matrix provided by such guides to help you determine the extent of your investigations. A simple EIA scoping matrix would include the following 5 environments to consider:- |
I.) Water Environment
a.) Surface water hydrology
b.) Channel morphology
c.) Surface water quality
d.) Ground water hydrology
e.) Ground water quality
b.) Channel morphology
c.) Surface water quality
d.) Ground water hydrology
e.) Ground water quality
II.) Land Environment
a.) Landscape
b.) Soils
c.) Geology
b.) Soils
c.) Geology
III.) Air Environment
a.) Local air quality
b.) Regional and global air quality
b.) Regional and global air quality
IV.) Flora and Fauna Environment
a.) Aquatic ecology
b.) Terrestrial Ecology
b.) Terrestrial Ecology
V.) Human Environment
a.) Socio-economic
b.) Health and Safety
c.) Amenity
d.) Nuisance
e.) Architectural and archeological heritage
b.) Health and Safety
c.) Amenity
d.) Nuisance
e.) Architectural and archeological heritage
The above receptors of impacts are measured against the activities of the project and potential impacts indicated at each stage. The below are some of the phased construction project activities.
a.) Construction phase
b.) Operation Phase/ On-going site maintenance
c.) Post Operation/decommissioning Phase of the Project
The impact expected on the above mentioned receptors (land, air, water, flora and fauna and human environment); is indicated for each phase of the project. For example what impact on the air is expected at the construction phase or what impact on the water is expected during the operation phase of the project.
The scooping matrix helps individuals to be able to comprehensively undertake an environmental impact assessment covering all areas expected to be affected by the proposed project. In Kenya, The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) has provided guidelines in terms of the scooping which helps experts set the parameters of their investigations during an EIA.
a.) Construction phase
b.) Operation Phase/ On-going site maintenance
c.) Post Operation/decommissioning Phase of the Project
The impact expected on the above mentioned receptors (land, air, water, flora and fauna and human environment); is indicated for each phase of the project. For example what impact on the air is expected at the construction phase or what impact on the water is expected during the operation phase of the project.
The scooping matrix helps individuals to be able to comprehensively undertake an environmental impact assessment covering all areas expected to be affected by the proposed project. In Kenya, The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) has provided guidelines in terms of the scooping which helps experts set the parameters of their investigations during an EIA.
3.) Environment Investigation and Research
At this stage of the EIA, the experts undertake a detailed investigation of the land, air, water, flora and fauna and human environment status before the start of the project. This is the baseline survey of the immediate environment for the proposed works.
The investigation report should strive to be as empirical as possible since the identified environmental status will form the benchmark on which to measure impacts accrued from the project works and operation. |
4.) Environmental Impacts Prediction and Mitigation
Prediction is the central part of the EIA. At this stage, the lead experts will make predictions of the impacts on the air, land, water, flora and fauna and human environment. The scope of the impacts should be predicted in monetary terms wherever possible.
At this stage of the EIA, the EIA experts should give the mitigating measures. The environmental impact statement report should be able to give the mitigative actions to be undertaken right from the start of the project implementation. These mitigative measures should be to reduce as much as possible, the negative environmental impacts identified by the assessment. You can use matrices, graphs, checklists and overlays to present the EIA results in a way a reader is able to make comparisons between several project implementation scenarios including the ‘no project’ option. |
5.) Impact Mitigation Action Planning
Action planning refers to the design of mitigative measures and actions to be incorporated into the project design and budget. These are actions that are matched to counter the negative effects of each impact on the projects immediate environment.
So to speak, action planning involves proposing the most effective action, investment, or policy adoption by the project to reduce the identified impacts on the land, air, water, flora and fauna and human environment. The mitigating measures do not necessary have to mean scaling back the size of the project, but could translate to increased investment in waste treatment for example, or investment in a health centre to offer health services to any afflicted people near the project. An additional budget line towards environmental rehabilitation like planting of trees would also be a feasible mitigative measure. |
6.) Management and Monitoring in EIA
The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) covers the monitoring and management of the EIA report implementation. Once the environmental action plan has been drafted, it is upon the project proponent to monitor and manage all the proposals made in the EMP. The purpose of monitoring is to compare the expected results with the actual outcomes of project implementation.
You can use satellite imagery to measure change on environment over time. Water solid and soluble contents can be analyzed over time to indicate any changes on water quality. The Environmental Management Plan should contain specific and clear recommendation for action and the procedures for implementation. |
7.) Public Participation in EIA
Public participation is mandatory in conducting an EIA. Public participation can benefit the project proponent, the public and the final project plan. Public participation helps in project understanding and reducing public opposition.
Involving the public in an EIA also helps in environmental protection, conflict management and economic benefits. It should therefore include all the stakeholders in the immediate environment of the proposed project. Here are 6 stages of an EIA where you need to include public participation: |
i.) Screening Process:
a.) Identify significant impacts
b.) Identify the public interests and values
b.) Identify the public interests and values
ii.) Scoping Stage
a.) Identification of priorities for assessment
b.) Encourages public understanding of the project
c.) Public can contribute local knowledge and values to the prediction, evaluation and mitigation of impacts
b.) Encourages public understanding of the project
c.) Public can contribute local knowledge and values to the prediction, evaluation and mitigation of impacts
iii.) Assessment
a.) Improvements in quality and acceptability of EIA Report
iv.) EIA Report Review
a.) Public contribute to evaluation of quality and acceptability of report
v.) Decision
a.) Public comment on acceptability of project impacts
vi.) Monitoring
a.) Public evaluate impacts that occur and support project environmental management process
8.) Report Writing and Submission
The National environment Management Authority (NEMA) has licensed experts countrywide in Kenya to conduct EIAs. The EIA expert will develop the environmental action plan or the environmental management plan and submit it for review by the authority.
The EIA report may be approved or rejected by NEMA. The project proponent needs to get a go ahead with the project once the EIA is approved by the NEMA. |
9.) Appealing to Environmental Management Authority
In the event that the submitted EIA Report is rejected in its entirety, or the project is deemed unsuitable due to pervasive environmental impacts, the proponent has an avenue to lodge an appeal with the NEMA.
Such an appeal would make a case for more mitigative action to arrest the negative impacts on which ground the project has been rejected. |
10.) EIA Auditing
Environmental auditing is an attempt to provide information on the environmental performance of a company or impact of a project. An environmental audit assesses the nature and extent of harm to the environment caused by these activities, wastes or noise from a particular company or project.
Environmental audits must be independent, objective and credible and transparent, in order to be successful. They should also be regular and ongoing. The audit should include an analysis of the technical, procedural and decision making aspects of the EIA. The audit technical aspects include the adequacy of the baseline surveys, the accuracy of the predictions and the suitability of mitigation measures. An Environmental audit also looks into the EIAs procedural aspects like the efficiency of the procedures, the fairness of the public involvement measures and the degree of coordination of roles and responsibilities. It should also look into the decision making aspects like the implications for development. The EA will determine whether the recommendations made by the earlier EIA process were included comprehensively into the project implementation. Lessons learnt are noted for further incorporation in future EIAs. It is a legal requirement to undertake an EIA for any infrastructural development including road, building, bridges, dams construction. There are many licensed EIA experts in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nyeri, Kiambu, Muranga, Machakos, Malindi, Kakamega, Kisii and other towns. |
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