Environmental Impact Assessment and Social Impact Assessment - Decision Making Tools for Project Appraisal in India

In view of the fact that development is an ever growing process, its impact is also ever increasing , leading to rapid deterioration in environmental conditions and human health, Impact assessment thus ensures that the potential problems are foreseen and addressed at an early stage in the projects plannin g and design. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) are used to predict the consequences of any development project; as such Impact Assessment provides regional approach to sustainable development. The impacts Assessment are thus a systematic process of identifying and mitiga tion impacts on individuals or society in consultation with the ind ividuals or society in consultation with the individuals or society aff ected. This paper aims to integrate aspects of EIA and SIA and its pr acticable in India. Keywords—EIA, Process, SIA, Sustainability I. INTRODUCTION N view of the fact that development is an ever growin g process, its impact is also ever increasing, leadin g to rapid deterioration in environmental conditions and human health. Impact Assessment thus ensures that the potential p roblems are foreseen and addressed at an early stage in the pro jects planning and design. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) are used to predict the consequences of any development project. As such Impact Assessment provides a rational approach to sustaina ble development. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) tools have been applied internationally to ensure that proposed act ions are economically viable, socially equitable and environ mentally sustainable or not. EIA is a process having the ult imate objective of providing decision-makers with an indi cation of the likely consequences of their actions. Environme ntal Assessment enables us in carrying out Environmental Cost- Benefit Analysis of projects at an initial stage. I t is thus a pre- cursor to detailed analysis of environmental impact s, which are taken up only if a need for the same is established . It gives a view of the actors involved in the development-envi ronment