The Wildlife Society of Malawi is demanding an EIA to determine the impact of the project, which would benefit 300,000 farmers, on the downstream hydroelectric plant, the marshy areas where fish breed and on two protected areas.

EAIs arise from the realisation that huge projects in the past have had negative impacts that could have been avoided then or minimised at planning and design stages. If, for example, the possible costs and benefits had been assessed prior to the construction of the Kariba dam on the Zambezi river, the Tonga people might not have been left homeless, without meaningful assistance from the government. The wild animals that were marooned when the dam filled would have been translocated before the famous Operation Noah - an ad hoc measure.

CONDUCTING EIAs

An EIA is conducted during the planning stage of a project. It identifies potential problems and their impact on people, the physical environment and the economy. The study also supplies decision-makers with options on aspects, such as location, design and timing.

An EIA is commissioned by the developer but an independent body, such as a university undertakes it to avoid bias for or against the project. An EIA answers questions about benefits or costs to the physical environment, the economy, culture, aesthetic values; to the local community, the province and the country as a whole.

Screening

Screening means selecting projects that require an EIA. Some projects, depending on their nature, do not need assessment while others do. Projects that should be assessed include:

• those with a great potential to alter natural resources;
• those that can disrupt patterns of life;
• all mining and waste disposal projects;
• projects in fragile ecosystems such as wetlands;
• and mangrove swamps.

Screening also seeks and explores alternatives.

For example, a project to build a dam at Mupata on the Zambezi river was rejected because it threatened to flood Mana Pools National Park, a major tourist destination. The Batoka Gorge was chosen as an alternative. An EIA was carried out on the later gorge and the project has been approved.

Scoping

Scoping refers to the process by which various aspects of a project that need analysis are identified. It ensures that the study focuses on the important and relevant issues. The choice of issues is based on magnitude, extent and significance of impact. Magnitude is the amount of noise, for example. Extent is the size of area affected by the noise and significance is effect on hearing. Scoping also identifies the expertise required to do the EIA. For example, dam-building will require a different mix of professionals compared to mining.

The Study

After scoping, the study can begin. Environmental impacts are identified different methods and predictions that show the size of the impact. Scientific models may be used to quantify the expected impacts.

Then impact is measured against laws, regulations and standards and acceptability to government, local people and the public in general.

Mitigation

To mitigate is to lessen the severity of an impact. EIAs also help reduce serious negative impacts of a project. For example, when the wheat fields of Hanang in northwestern Tanzania where formed in the 1970s, displacing local pastoralists, the Canada-Tanzania Wheat Project, should have compensated them for their loss and relocation to a suitable area. An EIA could also have anticipated excessive erosion which put some farms out of production within a decade. The project had weaknesses of both design and location -- a design suited to the rich soils of the prairies of Canada where rainfall is lighter and less erosive. Hanang has shallow and more erodible soils and experiences heavy rainfall which has great potential to erode.

Public participation

An EIA is a public participation exercise and its success also depends on public participation and input. It is important that the public be consulted before the EIA report is compiled. In some cases, national interests may supersede local concerns. For example, a government may approve gold-mining because it earns foreign currency and employs many people. But gold-mining impacts negatively on the physical environment. It may poison water with mercury and cyanide which are used to process it. The developer should also consult other interested parties -- companies, government departments and NGOs or other countries where necessary.

The Environmental Impact Statement

When the study is complete, a report is compiled -- the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Where a project is rejected, the reasons must be clearly stated. In Botswana, for example, the dredging the of Okavango delta was stopped because it threatened biological diversity. In Tanzania, Stiegler's Gorge project was rejected because it threatened the Rufiji delta.

An EIS has:

• an executive summary of the project;
• a project proposal;
• a discussion of the main environmental issues;
• the project's impact on the environment;
• the predictions and how they have been reached;
• a discussion of options to mitigate;
• an analysis of costs and benefits of alternatives;
• a summary of information gaps and uncertainties; and
• a summary for the public

Reviewing an EIS

The EIS is reviewed by experts for strengths and weaknesses. The reviewers can call for further specific studies if there are any weaknesses. It should also be made available for public comment. With the review complete, the EIS is considered by government before the developer can proceed with the project.

Monitoring & research

Predictions may overlook some points or underestimate the strength of others. In some cases, unforeseen circumstances arise -- such as unusually strong winds or exceedingly heavy rains. This makes monitoring necessary. Monitoring may result in some changes being made as the project progresses. For example, when thousands of animals fell into the Eastern National Water Carrier, proposals to build ramps and weirs were made.

MEETING THE CHALLENGES

Southern African countries acknowledge the importance of EIAs and are hiring foreign experts to undertake them as a short-term measure. They are also training their own nationals at post-graduate level as well as conducting short courses. Local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are trying to increase their abilities to monitor the environment and build public awareness so that people have say in matters that affect them. NGOs have done much to encourage governments to do EIAs on their own projects.