EIA Step by Step Guide to Writing an Environmental Assessment Report
An EIA is one of the most important studies that should be undertaken prior to commencement of an apartment building construction project. Outcomes of an EIA should consequently be incorporated into the project design so as to mitigate the environmental, social and economic environments.
To write an EIA report for a residential flat or apartment, your writing should;
- Write on Stakeholder involvement
- Write about Project Screening and scoping
- Project design and construction
- Write about the Project Operation Activities
- Write about the Site Characteristics
- Explore the Possible Environmental Impacts
- Outline the EIA recommended Mitigation Measures
- Write on Environment Monitoring and auditing measures
- Write on the Socio-economic factors
- Explore the availability of information and resources
- Draft EIA Report and Submit for Review
- Decision Making
1. Stakeholder’s Involvement:
Stakeholders’ involvement occurs in various stages of EIA to ensure quality, efficiency and effectiveness.
2. Project Screening and Scoping:
(i) Determine necessity for EIA requirement.
(ii) Describe various screening criteria.
(iii) Scoping determines coverage or scope of EIA.
(ii) Describe various screening criteria.
(iii) Scoping determines coverage or scope of EIA.
3. Project Design and Construction:
(i) Type of project under consideration.
(ii) Physical dimensions of the area being considered.
(iii) Whether the resources will be used optically?
(iv) Whether there is an irretrievable commitment of land?
(v) Whether the project is a critical phase of a larger development?
(vi) Whether there will be serious environmental disruptions during construction?
(vii) What are the long-term plans of the proponent?
(ii) Physical dimensions of the area being considered.
(iii) Whether the resources will be used optically?
(iv) Whether there is an irretrievable commitment of land?
(v) Whether the project is a critical phase of a larger development?
(vi) Whether there will be serious environmental disruptions during construction?
(vii) What are the long-term plans of the proponent?
4. Project Operation:
(i) What provisions have been made to check the safety equipment regularly?
(ii) How will the hazardous waste products be handled?
(iii) What are the contingency plans developed to cope up with the possible accidents?
(iv) What provisions have been made for training the employees for environmental protection?
(v) What plans have been made for environmental monitoring?
(ii) How will the hazardous waste products be handled?
(iii) What are the contingency plans developed to cope up with the possible accidents?
(iv) What provisions have been made for training the employees for environmental protection?
(v) What plans have been made for environmental monitoring?
5. Site Characteristics:
(i) Whether the site is susceptible to floods, earth quakes and other natural disasters?
(ii) Whether the terrain is creating problems in predicting ground water characteristics and air pollution etc.?
(iii) Whether the local environment is conductive for the success of the project?
(iv) How many people are likely to be displaced because of the project?
(v) What are the main attributes (e.g., protein content, calorie content, weed or pest status, carnivorousness, rarity of species, etc.) of the local fauna and flora?
(vi) Whether the project will interfere with the movements of fish population and important migratory animals?
(vii) Whether historic sites are likely to be endangered because of the project?
(ii) Whether the terrain is creating problems in predicting ground water characteristics and air pollution etc.?
(iii) Whether the local environment is conductive for the success of the project?
(iv) How many people are likely to be displaced because of the project?
(v) What are the main attributes (e.g., protein content, calorie content, weed or pest status, carnivorousness, rarity of species, etc.) of the local fauna and flora?
(vi) Whether the project will interfere with the movements of fish population and important migratory animals?
(vii) Whether historic sites are likely to be endangered because of the project?
6. Possible Environmental Impacts:
(i) What are the possible short-term and long-term environmental impacts from the projects during construction and after construction?
(ii) Who would be effected because of these impacts?
(ii) Who would be effected because of these impacts?
7. Mitigation Measures:
(i) Design system to avoid, reduce and minimize adverse impacts.
(ii) Enhance beneficial outcomes.
(ii) Enhance beneficial outcomes.
8. Monitoring and auditing measures:
(i) Identify impacts that require monitoring and auditing.
9. Socio-Economic Factors:
(i) Who are the expected gainers and losers by the projects?
(ii) Where are the expected trade-offs?
(iii) Will the project interfere (blend, increase or reduce) with the existing inequalities between occupational, ethnic and age groups?
(iv) Will it effect the patterns of local/regional/national culture?
(ii) Where are the expected trade-offs?
(iii) Will the project interfere (blend, increase or reduce) with the existing inequalities between occupational, ethnic and age groups?
(iv) Will it effect the patterns of local/regional/national culture?
10. Availability of Information and Resources:
(i) Whether local and outside experts are available to consult specific impacts of the project?
(ii) Whether the relevant guidelines, technical information and other publications are available to identify the possible impacts of similar projects?
(iii) Whether relevant environmental standards, by-laws etc. are considered?
(iv) Whether the sources of relevant environmental data are identified and whether they are accessible?
(v) Whether the views of the specialist groups and general public regarding the project have been considered?
(vi) Whether the competent technical manpower is available to handle the project?
(ii) Whether the relevant guidelines, technical information and other publications are available to identify the possible impacts of similar projects?
(iii) Whether relevant environmental standards, by-laws etc. are considered?
(iv) Whether the sources of relevant environmental data are identified and whether they are accessible?
(v) Whether the views of the specialist groups and general public regarding the project have been considered?
(vi) Whether the competent technical manpower is available to handle the project?
11. EIA Report and Review:
Complete information in report including non-technical summary, methodologies used, results, interpretation and conclusions. Review assesses adequacy of issues and facilitate decision making process.
12. Decision Making:
The project may be accepted, accepted with alterations or rejected.
Importance of EIA:
1. EIA is potentially a useful component of good environmental management.
2. It is the Government policy that any industrial project has to obtain EIA clearance from the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) before approval by the planning commission.
Find out more about EIA Agent in Kenya
2. It is the Government policy that any industrial project has to obtain EIA clearance from the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) before approval by the planning commission.
Find out more about EIA Agent in Kenya