Environmental Impact Assessment: Examining Effects on Environment - Essay Sample

Introduction

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) refers to the official evaluation of the possible impacts of the intended project or program policy to be implemented on the environment. It entails the process of identifying, describing, and evaluating the direct and indirect consequences a project posed on the landscape, climate, air, water, soil, plant life, and human life. It also expounds on the interaction of these factors with the cultural heritage and material assets. Additionally, EIA can be described as a document designed by an interested developer explaining the suggested project, options to the project, and considerations to be adopted to conserve the environment. These steps lay a critical role in evaluating the primary impacts of the project on the environment and the details of the project.

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The EIA, Its Effects, and Its Role in Canada

The role of the EIA in Canada is to promote monitoring techniques and measure to mitigate the negative impacts. It accepts the options that the project can offer, the benefits that arise from the project, and impacts the project have on aboriginal rights, economic, social, health, and health. These factors are assessed under aboriginal consultation and consideration from the review panel. The EIA is very efficient in noting the impacts of the project on the environment and features of the project and the benefits that can be derived from the project. Specifically, the negative and the positive effects of the project also enables the stakeholders and public to involve in the program. EIA assesses all the projects and their entire impacts, and this where the analogue project comes into place.

Analogue Approach

Analogue method pertains to the gathering and analyzing of the present knowledge and putting this knowledge into an application to boost the cognizance of a separate subject. Examples of current knowledge are the synthesis of existing databases, personal communication, document analysis, literature and case reviews, and examining similar projects. This provides an in-depth analysis of the temporal and spatial data. Spatial data is obtained by setting comparisons in similar places where conditions are fully understood. Temporal data is gathered by doing an analysis of previous conditions. These enable us to understand how the current situation and future impacts can be improved.

Advantages

The advantage of the analogue approach is that it has several models that are available to bring out the comparison. This is due to the fact that modeling has been extended because of the latest technology. The evaluating team can get information from a model that exhibits a high degree of uncertainty or variability. It encourages the incorporation of indigenous and traditional knowledge. Provide Maximum Corporation between the locals and the assessment team.

Disadvantages

The method does not accurately recreate the location and time in question. Moreover, the location can exhibit similarity in identical variation and hence brings about deviation. Secondly, temporal and spatial information offered by the model do not have the specifications required. The method provides qualitative data which more challenging to compare with quantitative data.

Economic Valuation

Economic valuation (EV) focuses on finding out the integration between the economy and the environment. EV originated from the theory of welfare economics. The economic value derived from a project is determined by personal taste, pertaining to their personal requirements, world views, and perception, together with the shortages initiated by nature. Economic valuation aid in linking the environment and the economy, for instance, contingent valuation, travel cost, restoration cost, replacement cost, and market prices (Abdullah et al., 2011). The role of this tool is to look into the money features of different projects and determining where the money should be allocated and if it is of value to the investment. Economic valuation allows the environmentalist and policymakers to decide how they should apportion their public expenditure on different parts of the environment. The tool assesses the benefits and financial expenditure on every single project by evaluating the advantages and disadvantages and ranks the projects in terms of the benefits ( Justice Brian, 2015).

Economic valuation entails a variety approach of measurements like conjoint choice, contingent valuation, hedonic pricing, Monte Carlo, input-output analysis, and cost-benefit analysis. Every approach has unique strategies that provide broad techniques and steps that give support towards a common goal(Abdullah et al., 2011). The cost-benefit analysis (CBA) offers the projection and total cost of the project and the value the community derives from the project to establish whether they are worthy. Examples of these projects are the healthcare system, training programs, highways, and dams. The role of input-output analysis is to scrutinize a project that can impact on the country's economy (Guilhoto, 2017 ). Monte Carlo is used to anticipating probable results that cannot be expected because of random variables. The objective of Hedonic pricing is to approximate economic values for environment or ecosystem services that directly influence the market prices. Contingent Valuation (CVM) is used in estimating if a project is valuable or not. Conjoint Choice (CV) assists in taking surveys on people using every project, and then they are requested to rank the projects in order of benefits ( Justice Brian, 2015).

Screening

Screening involves judging whether the development project will need an environmental impact assessment (EIA). It aims at evaluating whether the project has adverse environmental effects. The techniques involved in screening are the Delphi technique, reasoned argument, causal chain analysis, expert consultation, and aboriginal traditional knowledge (ATK).

Delphi Technique

Delphi technique is communication, which entails conveying structure questions to individual experts to comment on the project according to their personal perception, past research, and experience. It is used to project the likelihood and the result of upcoming events.

Reasoned Argument

The reasoned argument offers a rationale for judgment that all people from different sectors that are affected are familiar and can contribute. It can be structured based on study areas, people's perspectives, and decision making options.

Causal Chain Analysis

Causal chain analysis integrates various information to arrive at the conclusion of how a biological effect occurred or can be produced. For instance, causal analysis is needed if unpleasant biological is observed.

Expert Consultation

Expert consultation involves appointing individuals experts to the panel that have in-depth knowledge of the environment or expertize link to the assessment processes.

Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge (ATK)

Aboriginal traditional knowledge is found within people who live within the specific location that the projected is intended to be established. The people are familiar with the land and the resources to be affected.

Risk Evaluation

Risk is an estimation of the probability that a hazard will generate harm to the natural environment, population, and individual. Risk evaluation is an option utilized by environmental professionals, building firms, and industry developers to gauge the risk management priorities by establishing the link between the cost of pursuing the projects and the benefits that are obtained (Canada, 2013). It is composed of evaluating SWOT analysis, doing a quantitative and qualitative risk assessment, a risk perception assessment, risk matrix, and risk assessment to determine the risk valuation of a project. They evaluate the contaminants that are found within various media such as food, water, land, and air (Canada, 2013). Developments projects pose so many risks such as erosion, human health, invasive species, and reduction in species diversity, habitat loss, and chemical pollution. It assesses the negatives that occur to the environment due to human activities. The steps involve identification off the hazards that can potentially cause harm, analyzing and evaluating the risks linked to that hazard, and looking for ways to remove that hazard (Canada, 2013).

Spatial Analysis

The spatial analysis involves the quantification of the area within the site of the study. It helps in marking the boundaries to know the impacts within the area and possible alterations that occur outside the original site. The special analysis is a composition of the scoping process, which determines the effects of temporal, spatial, and other physical environments upon the worthy environmental factors that have been studied previously in the impact assessment processes. These components offer analysis into the undesired and desired possible impacts of the project and assist in determining the validity approach techniques that the project will need to be viable.

Advantages

Spatial analysis gives patterns in a visual manner that could have been challenging to identify without mapping certain information. Data are displayed in three-dimensional forms. For instance, one could visualize how varieties of buildings structures in a city can be spaced-out. If several sets of data are to be researched, they can entirely be displayed together on one map.

Disadvantages

Some soft wares used in GIS are so expensive. Secondly, some information may not be available and are necessary for the project. Data may be required to be bought from organizations. Errors may exist in data. Lastly, a steep learning curve exists in learning GIS software.

System Modeling

Models are tools that give support to EIAs in making a decision pertaining to projects so that correct mitigation is implemented in the environment. Examples of these models are mechanistic models, statistical models, balance models, simulation models, heuristic models, and spatial models. Mechanistic models utilize theoretical or fundamental knowledge of personal predictor variables to know the specific variable interest. Moreover, it uses mathematical equations to explain the interaction of processes that regulate the behavior of the system of interest.

Both Deterministic and stochastic modeling makes use of mathematical representation of the processes that regulate the behavior of a system of interest. However, stochastic considers the presence of some random distribution. Statistical modeling involves making mathematical modeling from observed data and making analysis (Stobierski, 2019. Balance models are viewed through mathematical similar to an equation, and both sides ought to be balanced. A heuristic model is a cognitive process that enables individuals to ignore half of the information for quick decision making (Dale, 2015). Spatial models do the jobs by overlaying analysis.

References

Abdullah, S., Markandya, A., & Nunes, P. (2011). Introduction to Economic Valuation Methods (pp. 143-187). https://doi.org/10.1142/9789814289238_0005

Dale, S. (2015). Heuristics and biases: The science of decision-making. Business Information Review, 32, 93-99. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266382115592536

Guilhoto, J. (2017, August 14). Input-Output Models Applied to Environmental Analysis. Retrieved March 10, 2020, from https://oxfordre.com/environmentalscience/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199389414.001.0001/acrefore-9780199389414-e-573

Hartig, F. (2017). Simulation Modeling. ArXiv:1812.09137 [q-Bio], 9780199830060-9780199830189. https://doi.org/10.1093/OBO/9780199830060-0189

Jager, T. (2016). Dynamic Modeling for Uptake and Effects of Chemicals. Academic Press.

Soffar, H. (2019, September 1...