Environment impact assessment tool in Tanzania
started as a mandatory regulatory procedure originated in the early 1970s with the implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 1969 in the US. Environmental Impact Assessment processes took off after the mid-1980s after World Bank adopted EIA for major development projects, in which the borrower country had to undertake the EIA under the Bank's supervision. Now Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a formal process. in more than 100 countries such as Tanzania, India, CanadaUnited Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) defines Environmental Impact Assessment is a tool used to identify the environmental, social and economic impacts of a project prior to decision-making. It aims to predict environmental impacts at an early stage in project planning and design, find ways to reduce adverse impacts, shape projects to suit the local environment, and present the predictions and options to decision-makers.
Environmental Impact Assessment is a tool to identify the environmental, social and economic impact of a prior to decision making. Environmental Impact Assessment is a structured approach for obtaining and evaluating environmental information prior to its use in decision making in the development process. Therefore, EIA is also a tool for collecting and assembling the information that can be used to improve project design and implementation.
The terms 'impact assessment' and 'environmental impact assessment' are umbrella terms frequently used to cover a broad range of techniques example social impact assessment (SIA), environmental impact assessment (EIA), risk assessment (RA), health impact assessment (HIA).
Nowadays, EIA itself has been applied generally at the project level, but increasing attention is now being given to impact assessment at the level of policies, plans and programmes (this is known as strategic environmental assessment –( SEA).
The following are the Core values of environment impact assessment tool
Integrity: The environment impact assessment process should be fair, object. Unbiased and balanced.
Utility: The environment impact assessment process should provide balanced, credible information for decision making.
Sustainability: The environment impact assessment process should provide a result in Environmental Safeguard.
Note before: those process and steps or stage in environment impact assessment tool it helps to sustain our environment if could follow it effectively.
Environmental Impact Assessment Tool in Tanzania
First, the EIA process undertaken in Tanzania in 1980, EIA practice has evolved slowly. The adoption of national EIA policy and legislation has been even slower and remains incomplete. Before implementation EIA, Tanzania has various national environmental policies have been implemented. National Conservation Strategy for Sustainable Development (NCSSD) National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP).
National Conservation Strategy for Sustainable Development (NCSSD) and the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP).These policies recognize explicitly the need for an effective environmental framework but lack the necessary legislative backing (see Hitchcock, 1994; IRA/IIED, 1995 for a review of EIA-related policy and legislation).
In 1995, Tanzanian delegation signed a communiqué of high-level ministers pledging affirmative action to promote EIA as a planning tool suggesting a growing commitment to the EIA process (Goodland et al, 1995).
Sectorial initiatives to incorporate environmental impact assessment at the sub-national level In Tanzania. These include:
Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA). Now require the preparation of an EIA for all developments and activities within and adjacent to the national park boundaries (TANAPA, 1994); Department of Wildlife includes game controlled areas, game reserves and forest reserves subjected to EIA (Department of Wildlife, 1996). Applied at Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority; Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO),
TANESCO has made EIA mandatory for all power generation projects and for the construction of transmission lines; Other sectors, for instance, tourism, land and energy, advocate the use of EIA in project planning. For example, the proposed National Land Policy requests environmental impact assessment studies prior to every major project. Some development legislation such as the mining act (1979).
The following are the groups Involved In the Environmental Impact Assessment Process
Project proponents: who are responsible for commissioning and paying for the EIA process.
EIA practitioners or service providers: who undertake or provide inputs to the EIA process. Such as organizations; research and academic institutes; NGOs; and both local and international consulting companies
Reviewers: who are responsible for quality control and determining the level of environmental assessment required (screening)
Decision-makers: include central government, local authorities and development agencies.
The public: public can contribute ideas and information that can help to avoid unforeseen problems, improve project design and contribute to monitoring.
The function of the Environment Impact Assessment Tool our environment
To consider aspect sustainable aspect such as a capacity for assimilation, carrying capacity, biodiversity protection
To solve Primary environmental tool with clear provisions
To address all possible factors such as short team, long term, small scale, large scale effects
To Identifies and assesses potential risks and benefits based on proposed activities, relevant site features, consideration of the natural/human environment, social & transboundary issues
To Compares environmental pros and cons of feasible alternatives (often already defined in the feasibility study)
To Recommends measures to avoid, reduce or offset adverse environmental impacts to acceptable levels (sitting, design, technology offsets)
To Proposes monitoring indicators to implement mitigation measures
To describes the institutional framework for environmental management and proposes relevant capacity building needs
The following are the stages helps which are used in the sustainability of our environment
1. Screening
2. Scoping
3. Assessment and evaluation
4. Report EIA
5. Review EIS
6. Management and Monitoring
7. Environment auditing
8. Decision making
Screening Determines whether the environmental and social impacts of a proposed development project would be significant enough to develop and EIA. Screening is the first stage of the EIA process which results in a key EIA decision, namely to either conduct the assessment (based on the likely significant impacts) or not conduct it (in the anticipated absence of such impacts)
Scoping It involves establishing the boundaries of the EIA, set the basis of the analyses that will be conducted at each stage, describe the project alternatives and consult the affected public. Scoping is a critical step in the preparation of an EIA, as it identifies the issues that are likely to be of most importance during the EIA and eliminates those that are of little concern. Scoping is a systematic exercise that establishes the boundaries of your EIA and sets the basis of the analyses you will conduct at each stage.
A project scoping involves nine main steps. These are:
1. Set up the team of experts that will conduct the EIA.
2. Describe the project area and the area of project influence.
3. Outline project alternatives for preparation, implementation and closure.
4. Conduct public meetings and stakeholder consultations.
5. Outline a set of environmental, biological and socioeconomic resources and issues that will be addressed in the assessment.
6. Define a set of criteria to assess the project/development.
7. Identify the project impacts, during its all stages, list the significant and non-significant impacts and explain why.
8. Identify a set of data for baseline descriptions.
9. Start inserting this information in the appropriate.
Impact Assessment and evaluation involves evaluating the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of the planned project and its alternatives and then identify the mitigation measures to reduce those impacts. Impact assessment refers to the detailed evaluation of the environmental and social impacts of the planned project and identified alternatives, compared to the baseline conditions. It provides a clear and itemized list of relevant impacts on the environment and people, including cumulative effects, social impacts, and health risks. Impact management is the creation of a series of plans and protocols aiming to manage and monitor the identified mitigation measures and risks that may occur over the project lifetime, such as technical failures and natural disasters Impact Management begins during the project’s planning phase and continues on after project implementation.
The EIA Report is a compilation of several important project components, including the project description, the assessment of its environmental and social impacts, mitigation measures, and related management and monitoring plans. Reporting is an important part of the EIA process in order to convey the outcomes of the assessment and proposed mitigation actions, and thereby provide information for review and later, decision making.
Review EIA It provides an impartial mechanism for assessing the quality of the EIA and its adequacy for decision-making. The reviewer of an EIA process is expected to decide whether the EIS is acceptable for decision-making purposes and meets the nationally accepted guidelines and standards. Also, The reviewer should not be expected to judge whether or not the proposed project should be approved
Things to Consider During Environmental Impact Assessment Review
Sufficiency of information provided: example compliance with standards, guidelines, and legal provisions
Sufficient attention to EIA process: example scoping intensity, quality of public participation processes; relationships between the EIA team and the proponent or project design team).
Reliability of analysis or interpretation: example consideration of cumulative effects; appraisal of residual impacts: consistency with state of scientific knowledge; and use of accepted methodologies).
Utility for decision-making: like a clear description of environmental consequences, a clear statement of monitoring and management, clear presentation of issues and recommendations)
Environmental Management and Monitoring: Monitoring assesses the effect of the project on the natural and cultural environment. Monitoring can significantly improve the effectiveness of EIA, and provide a mechanism for ensuring that approval conditions and mitigation measures have been carried-out and testing whether predictions were accurate and monitoring requirements for proposals subject included in legislation or formal regulations. Environmental management help to ‘bring together’ mitigation and monitoring measure.
Environmental auditing: Environmental auditing refers to the systematic, documented, periodic and objective review of practices related to meeting environmental requirements In EIA, audit refers to the comparison of actual and predicted impacts for the purpose of assessing the accuracy of predictions and the effectiveness of impact management practices and procedures.
Decision-Making: Decisions making are made by the proponent and authorities The main decision in the EIA process, whether or not to allow the proposal to proceed lies with a government agency, following consultation and public participation This final decision will usually involve a consideration of a range of factors including environmental, political and economic. In certain cases, EIA review bodies have decision-making powers.
Benefits of Environmental Assessment Tool to the environment after implementation of those stages above
Environmental Assessment Tool: provides a cost-effective method to eliminate or minimize the adverse impact of development projects
Environmental Assessment Tool: enable decision makers to analyze the effect of developmental activities of the environmental well before the developmental project is implemented
Environmental Assessment Tool: encourages the adaptation of mitigation and strategies in the developmental plan
Environmental Assessment Tool: makes sure that the developmental plan is environmentally sound and within limits of the capacity of assimilation and regeneration of the ecosystem
Environmental Assessment Tool: link environmental with development the goal is to ensure environmentally safe and sustainable.
Environmental Impact Assessment Tool, And Its Components
The components environment impact assessment tool should be used or considered in project sustain our environment also; Environment impact assessment tool Depending on the nature, location and the scale of the project EIA report should contain all or some of the following components:
1. AIR ENVIRONMENT
2. NOISE ENVIRONMENT
3. WATER ENVIRONMENT
4. BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT
5. LAND ENVIRONMENT
Noise Components: EIA should monitoring the present status of noise levels within the impact zone. Predicting the future noise levels resulted from the proposed project, including the vehicular movement. Also, Identification of impacts due to an anticipated rise in noise levels on the surrounding environment lastly Recommendations on mitigation measures for noise pollution Prediction if the impact on the water resources due to maybe pumping/ use of water in the project.
Water Environment: EIA should look on Quantification and characteristics of the wastewater including toxic, organic from the proposed activity; Evaluation of the proposed pollution prevention and wastewater treatment system if required; Assessment of the feasibility of water recycling and reuse and delineation of a detailed plan in this regard.
Biological Environment: EIA should Survey of flora and fauna clearly delineating season and duration and make Assessment of the flora and fauna within the impact zone of the project. Also should assess of damage to terrestrial flora and fauna due to air pollution and land-use and landscape change and damage to aquatic and marine flora and fauna due to physical disturbance and alternations lastly, Prediction of biological stresses within the impact zone of the proposed project.
Land Environment: EIA should Studies on soil characteristics, existing land use and topography, landscape and drainage pattern within the impact zone and estimation of impacts of projects on land-use, landscape, topography, drainage and hydrology. Identification of potential utility of treated effluent in a land application and subsequent impacts. Lastly, should look on estimation solid wastes and delineation of management options for minimization of waste and environmentally compatible disposal.
Air Environment: the determination of the impact zone and developing a monitoring network and Monitoring the existing status of ambient air quality within the impacted region (7-10 km from the periphery).EIA should estimate qualities of air emission from the proposed site and Prediction of the changes in the ambient air quality through air quality model. Lastly, Evaluation of the adequacy of the proposed pollution control devices to meet gaseous emissionPrepared by Sir Kiwelu Tumaini John
Mobile no: 0768743701
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