Course Summary:

EIA is primarily meant to provide the decision-makers with information that is as comprehensive as possible about the different environmental effects the proposed activity would entail, including alternative courses of action and the zero-alternative (i.e. the noaction alternative). Additionally, plans for mitigation in respect of each alternative are to be outlined

Course Objectives:

• Appreciate the purpose and role of eia in the decision-making process;
• Understand the strengths of eia in regard to environmental management;
• Understand the technical and social/political limitations of eia;
• Know the administration and procedures that apply in the student’s jurisdiction;
• Understand the screening process;
• Understand the scoping process and how it is applied;
• Know the options for estimating environmental and social impacts;
• Know the format of an eia report (environmental impact statement, or environmental statement);
• Appreciate the factors that assist, and detract, from the usefulness of the eia report;
• Understand the purpose of developing follow-up procedures, and the options for designing these procedures.

Course Outline

Environmental Impact Assessment

• Introduction and overview of EIA
• Law policies and Institutional arrangements for EIA systems
• Consultation and public participation
• Screening
• Scoping
• Impact analysis
• Mitigation and management
• Reporting
• Review of EIA quality
• Decision making
• Risk assessment
• Environmental valuation
• Environment, Health and safety systems and EIA
• Implementation and follow-ups
• EIA project management
• Social Impact assessment
• Strategic Environmental assessment
• Future directions
• EIA Case study and site visits

Environmental Audit outlines

• Introduction to environmental audit
• Roles and types of Environmental Audit
• Laws, Policy and institutional management for EA Systems
• Environmental Auditing 1: Methodological approach
• Integration Environmental Auditing and Energy Efficiency
• Developing Technological, Environmental and social Management Plan
• Environmental Audit Report Writing
• Environmental Audit Project Management
• Review of Environmental Audit Reports
• Environmental Health, Safety Systems and Environmental Audit
• Quality Management Systems and Agreements and Environmental Audit
• Multilateral Environmental Agreements and Environmental audit
• Incentives and Disincentives for Environmental Management
• Case studies and In-plant Assessments.