Impact Assessment
Impact Assessment is the process of identifying the future consequences of a current or proposed action to better inform decisions, and facilitate management and mitigation activities, prior to approval.
Impact Assessment
The field of IA can be related to the assessment of impacts on or of the environment (including, for example, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)), social (SIA), health (HIA), risk (RIA), human rights, etc.). The core aim of IA is to assess and evaluate the impacts of policies, projects, processes and products, to better inform decisions, and facilitate management and mitigation activities, prior to approval. In this manner, IA provides a critical tool for decision makers to make judgements based on sound scientific and legal advice regarding the impacts of a proposed project/plan/policy prior to making a decision on the merits of a proposal. Equal to its role for decision makers, IA is often the process which facilitates the provision of robust environmental and social information to inform and support the involvement of stakeholder and affected communities.
Impact Assessment articles
Steering group tackles habitats regulations assessment in the 17th edition of the Impact Assessment Outlook Journal
Members of IEMA’s Impact Assessment Network Steering Group have published the 17th edition of the Impact Assessment Outlook Journal, which provides a series of thought pieces on the policy and practice of habitats regulations assessment (HRA).
In July, we published the long-awaited update and replacement of one of IEMA’s first published impact assessment guidance documents from 1993, Guidelines for the Environmental Assessment of Road Traffic.
Are we losing sight of its intended purpose and what does the future hold for EIA? Jo Beech, Tiziana Bartolini and Jessamy Funnell report.
Luke Barrows and Alfie Byron-Grange look at the barriers to adoption of digital environmental impacts assessments
Susan Evans and Helen North consider how Environmental Statements can be more accessible and understandable
IEMA’s Impact Assessment Network is updating its advice note on non-technical summaries (NTS).
Matthew Coe looks at the challenges of securing biodiversity net gain on environmental impact assessment projects
