Environmental Impact Assessment
An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a systematic process used to evaluate the potential environmental, social, and health consequences of a proposed project or policy before a decision is made to proceed. It identifies significant impacts, explores alternatives, and recommends mitigation measures to minimise harm to ecosystems, communities, and public health. In India, EIA is mandated under the Environment Protection Act 1986 and the EIA Notification of 1994 (revised 2006) for projects such as mining, thermal power plants, infrastructure, and industrial development.
Stages of the EIA Process
| Stage | Key Activity | Key Output | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screening | Determine if EIA is required | Screening decision / exemption | Regulatory authority |
| Scoping | Identify significant issues to study | Terms of Reference (ToR) | Proponent + authority |
| Baseline study | Collect environmental data | Baseline Environmental Report | Consultant / proponent |
| Impact prediction | Assess magnitude and significance | Impact matrices and maps | Environmental consultant |
| Mitigation planning | Propose measures to reduce impacts | Environmental Management Plan | Proponent |
| Public hearing | Stakeholder consultation | Public hearing records | State Pollution Control Board |
| Review & decision | Grant/reject environmental clearance | Environmental Clearance order | MoEFCC (India) |
Interactive Tools
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Related Terms
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, as defined in the 1987 Brundtland Commission report "Our Common Future." It integrates three interconnected pillars — environmental protection, social equity, and economic development — often referred to as the triple bottom line. In practice, sustainability science guides policy, urban planning, corporate strategy, and resource management to ensure long-term viability of human and ecological systems.
Bioremediation
Bioremediation is the use of living organisms — primarily microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae — to degrade, neutralise, or remove toxic contaminants from soil, water, and air. It exploits natural metabolic processes to convert hazardous substances like petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals, chlorinated solvents, and pesticides into less harmful compounds. As a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to physical or chemical remediation methods, bioremediation is widely used at contaminated industrial sites, oil spill zones, and wastewater treatment facilities.
Ecological Footprint
The ecological footprint measures how much biologically productive land and water area an individual, city, country, or activity requires to produce the resources it consumes and absorb the waste it generates, expressed in global hectares (gha). It is compared against the planet's biocapacity — the actual supply of productive area — to determine whether humanity is living within ecological limits or in overshoot. Developed by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees in the early 1990s, it is one of the most comprehensive single indicators of human demand on nature.
From Latin "environmentum" (surrounding), "im-" (upon) + "pactus" (past participle of "pangere," to fix or drive in), and Latin "assessare" (to sit beside, evaluate). The formal EIA process was first established under the US National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in 1969, which required federal agencies to assess environmental consequences before major actions.