While discussing environmental problems and poverty in Asian countries, Lohani et al. (1997, p.4) suggested that “the EIA has an important
role to play in resolving these environmental problems through its ability to contribute to environmentally sound and sustainable
development. Developing countries in Asia have recognised the importance of incorporating EIA processes into development planning”. The Asian
Development Bank (ADB) requires environmental assessment (EA) of all projects, programmes and sectoral development programmes financed by it. ADB’s EA process starts as soon as the potential projects/programmes are identified for loaning, and covers all project components whether financed by ADB, co-financed, or Government financed. The level of environmental assessment (whether an IEE or EIA or SEA) is determined on the basis of the size of the project and the significance of potential environmental impacts. This section is based on ADB’s Environmental Assessment Guidelines 2003 (ADB, 2003). The more recent Safeguard Policy Statement by the ADB (2009) includes extensive references to EIA and also refers to the usefulness of SEA
(http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/pub/2009/S afeguard-Policy-Statement-June2009.pdf). 6.3.1 Specialised Guidelines for EA The ADB has formulated specialised guidelines for environmental assessment. These suggest methods and approaches that might be used in the conduct of a specific aspect of the
environmental assessment as well as the potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures for specific types of projects. It has been suggested environmental considerations be integrated into the country’s development strategy and programme as well as SEA of individual policies, plans and programmes. The guidelines may be used for the following
purposes pertaining to various levels and aspects of EA:
l Country Environmental Analysis;
l Determination of the Environment Category; l Environmental Management Plan;
l Environmental Assessment of Programme Loans;
l Environmental Assessment of Sector Loans; l Environmental Assessment of Financial
Intermediation Loans and Equity Investments; l Public Consultation and Information
Disclosure;
l Environmental Standards and Emission Levels;
l Social Dimensions;
l Environmentally Responsible Procurement; l Cultural Heritage;
l Strategic Environmental Assessment; l Cumulative Effects Assessment in
Environmental Assessment; l Managing and Administering an
Environmental Assessment Study; l Economic Analysis in Environmental
Assessment;
l Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and l Environmental Auditing.
In the next section, ADB’s categorisation of projects for determining the level of required EA and the basic EA requirements for project loans are discussed.
6.3.2 Categorisation of projects for determining the level of EA
All the project loans and investments are categorised to determine EA requirements. Categorisation is done using Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA). For this purpose
uses sector-specific checklists developed and based on the ADB’s past knowledge and
experience. These checklists consist of questions relating to (i) the sensitivity and vulnerability of environmental resources in project areas, and (ii) the potential for the project to cause significant adverse environmental impacts”. The checklists have been appended with the ADB’s guidelines (ADB, 2003).
Following are the four main categories:
Category A: includes the projects which may
have the potential to cause significant adverse environmental impacts. A detailed EIA is required for all such projects.
Category B: includes the projects which may have
a comparatively lesser degree of adverse
environmental impacts than those of the Category A projects. An IEE is required for such projects. If the IEE identifies significant adverse environmental impacts then an EIA will be required.
Category C: includes the projects which may not
have the potential to cause adverse
environmental impacts. Neither an IEE nor an EIA is required for such projects but possible
environmental implications would remain under continuous review.
Category FI: includes projects involving a credit
line through a financial intermediary or an equity investment in a financial intermediary. It is, however, required to apply environmental management systems.
This categorisation is used to prepare project screening lists as shown in Table 6.2.
The ADB’s guidelines suggest that EIA should be undertaken as part of the feasibility study. “The EIA team should work closely with the technical planning and design group to ensure that environmental considerations are integrated into the project design. Representatives of the
executing agency should participate as members of the environmental assessment team. Their participation in the field work, public
consultations and report writing will increase their understanding of environmental issues and will help build institutional capacity in EIA” (ADB, 2003, p.15). Table 6.3 illustrates the basic environmental assessment requirements for project loans.
Table 6.2: Sample categorisation of projects Category A
l Dams and reservoirs l Forestry and production projects l (large-scale) l Industrial plants (large-scale) l Irrigation
l drainage, and flood control (large-scale) l Mineral development
(oil and gas) l Port and harbour
development l Thermal and hydropower development Category B l Agro-industries l Rural electrification l Electrical Transmission l Urban water supply
and sanitation l Rural water supply
and sanitation l Irrigation and
drainage (small scale) l Watershed projects l Renewable energy
Category C
l Forestry research and extension
l Rural health services l Marine research l Family planning
programme
l Microfinance projects likely to have minimal or no adverse impacts Category FI l Credit lines l Equity investments Source: ADB, 2003
(SEIA- summary environmental impact
assessment; SIEE- summary initial environmental examination; RRP- Report and Recommendations to the President)
* Public consultation required at least twice during EIA (i) once during the early stages of EIA field work; and (ii) once when the draft EIA report is available, and prior to loan appraisal by the ADB.
6.3.3 Environmental impact assessment process for category A projects
The EIA team is required to follow these steps (ADB, 2003, p.15):
i. “Coordinate with the government concerned and environment agencies;
ii. Prepare project description, define the study area, collect environmental baseline data, prepare site maps, and other relevant maps for the study area;
iii. Identify potential environmental impacts based on the information obtained on the proposed project and the baseline
environmental conditions of the study area; iv. Identify alternatives and analyse the
environmental impacts of each alternative and propose measures to avoid or prevent
impacts;
v. Estimate the magnitudes of environmental impacts and assess the significance of the impacts;
vi. Recommend environmental mitigation measures and estimate the mitigation costs; vii. Prepare an EMP to be implemented by the
executing agency during project
implementation, operation and abandonment; viii. Prepare the EIA and SEIA reports;
ix. Conduct public consultation and ensure information disclosure; and develop plans for public consultation and information disclosure during project implementation;
x. Assess the executing agency’s capacity to undertake an environmental review of the environmental assessment report and EMP recommendations, and recommend measures Table 6.3: Environmental assessment requirements for project loans
Category
A. Projects with potential for significant adverse environmental impacts
B. Projects judged to have some adverse
environmental impacts but of lesser degree and/or significance than category A
C. Projects unlikely to have adverse environmental impacts
Basic Environmental Assessment Requirements - EIA
- Public consultation (at least twice)* - EIA report to be prepared
- Environmental management plan and budget to be prepared
- SEIA to be circulated to the Board 120 days prior the Board consideration - SEIA to be disclosed to public
- EIA available to public on request - IEE
- Public consultation - IEE report to be prepared
- For projects deemed to be environmentally sensitive
(i) SIEE to be circulated to the Board 120 days prior to Board consideration (ii) SIEE to be disclosed to public
(iii) Environmental management plan and budget to be prepared - IEE available to public on request
- if it is not circulated, the SIEE is normally to be attached as a core appendix to the RRP
No IEE or EIA
- Environmental implications to be summarised in the RRP Source: ADB, 2003
for capacity-building, if necessary; and xi. Ensure that the proposed project, with EIA
and EMP implementation, conforms to the Government and ADB environmental assessment requirements, policies and regulations”.
The suggested outline/contents of the EIA report are presented in Box 6.1.