Environmental impact assessment follow-up and its benefits for industry

Abstract

Applying follow-up within environmental impact assessment (EIA) is no longer an option but a sound precaution and a proactive measure in today's heavily regulated industrial environment, where the announcement of new development is treated with dismay and opposition by local residents. Increasingly, successful development is viewed in terms of its final result—its operational environmental performance, its acceptance by stakeholders, its contribution to sustainable development, and, critically, the scale or magnitude of environmental impact over all life-cycle phases. For astute proponents, the evidence suggests that EIA follow-up has a valuable role to play in good developmental practice. It can also encourage integration of environmental perspectives into developmental programmes, the systematic implementation of mitigation and the triggering of environmental risk responses posed through construction activities. This paper shares experience with EIA follow-up from an industry practitioner's viewpoint to assist with learning from experience and capacity building. Seven perceived functions of EIA follow-up are examined alongside specific case studies.

Keywords:

• EIA
• EIA follow-up
• proponent
• industry
• monitoring
• audit
• post-decision
• communication