Ecological assessment: an initial evaluation of the ecological input in environmental impact assessment reports in Bahrain

Abstract

Ecological assessment forms a fundamental part of environmental impact assessment. The quality of ecological input in 15 Bahraini EIA reports concerning coastal and marine developments produced between 1996 and 2004 was evaluated using adopted criteria. The overall quality indicated that eight reports were assessed as borderline quality, and seven reports were found to be of poor quality. Major shortcomings included limited new ecological surveys, inadequate evaluation of impacts, neglecting cumulative and long-term impacts, and failing to address adequately mitigation and monitoring measures.

Keywords:

• Ecological impact assessment
• Bahrain