Environmental Assessments

Environmental Assessments

Environmental Services

Environmental Assessmentscovering sector-based various pollution prevention and cleaner production programmes through the undertaking of Contaminated Land Investigation Programmes (CLIPs), Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs), Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and the development and implementation of Environmental Management Plans (EMPs) and development of Environmental Management Systems (EMSs). Support to the development of sound and pragmatic regulatory systems is also one of major services within the environment assessment portfolio. In accordance with the provisions of the national legislative frameworks and requirements on Environmental Assessment (EA) process, Risk-Based Solutions provide environmental assessment services covering all aspects Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs). We are fully familiar with the various national legislative frameworks and requirements. Risk-Based Solutions have been responsibility for drafting the Environmental Management Regulations with respect to the new Environmental Management legislation under the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET). Risk-Based Solutions has also been responsible for drafting the SEA Procedures and Guidelines and EIA Procedures and Guidelines for MET. With a strong technical emphasis on the inputs, production processes and the output balancing, Life Cycle Knowledge-Based System Model Methodology (LCKBSMM) approach, Cleaner Production (CP), Pollution Prevention (P2), Thematic Mapping (TM) approaches and Visual Decision Support Tools (VDSTs) will form the foundation of our proposed methodological approach.

Strategic Environmental Assessment(SEA)

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) means the systematic and comprehensive process of evaluating the environmental effects of a policy, plan or programme and its alternatives. The final goal of a SEA is to better reflect environmental aspects in formulating and deciding on a policy, plan and programme and, thereby, contributing to make policies, plans and programmes more sustainable. Whereas the EIA focuses on the project level, SEA reflects decisions further upstream in the planning process, where decisions are being taken, that might influence project related decisions further downstream. An example would be a Land Use Plan, which decides about the location for an agricultural development scheme, before the concrete project design will be assessed in a later EIA. The EMA uses the term ‘environmental plan’, which can be used synonymously with SEA.

SEA should not be understood as a mere ‘burden’ to the plan developer. The early consideration of environmental impacts and conflicts with natural resources can avoid costly damages during plan implementation and, thereby, be an efficient means of ensuring sustainability of development proposals. For instance, the early environmental assessment of zoning plans for new urban residential areas might prevent later damages through floods by avoiding settlements in flood prone areas. In this context, the comparison of different options of development is crucial. The SEA helps to identify or even develop those options, which impose the lowest risks or enable the best utilization of potentials. Reflections of alterations of proposals in terms of type, location, design or technology within an assessment are also required by the legal framework.

Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA)

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) means the systematic and comprehensive process of evaluating the environmental effects of a project including possible alternatives. The final goal of an Environmental Impact Assessment is to better reflect environmental aspects in designing and deciding on a project and, thereby, contributing to make project activities more sustainable. Environmental Impact Assessment is the lower level of Environmental Assessment that is undertaken with respect to a site-specific project proposal, whereas SEA reflects decisions further upstream in the planning process, where decisions are being taken, that might influence project related decisions further downstream.

Decision Support Tools (DSTS)

Production of Thematic Maps to summaries the overwhelming volumes of either a SEA or EIA Process has always been extremely useful in identifying areas that have high environmental sensitivity. The technique entails the separate mapping of various critical environmental features – wetlands, steep slopes, soils, floodplains, bedrock outcrops, wildlife habitats, vegetative communities, and cultural resources at the same scale as the SEA or EIA location. Manually, the environmental features are mapped on transparent plastic in different colours. The maps are then overlain on other SEA or EIA Maps to highlight the areas of highest environmental sensitivity. Nowadays, Geographical Information Systems (GISs) are used to computerise the overlay process. Environmental features are mapped, and the mapping digitised and stored in the GIS database.

EIA Notices

  • Oil and Gas Exploration
  • Mining and Exploration
  • Municipal Waste Management
  • Environment Assessment
  • Property Development
  • Others

Report Downloads

  • Oil and Gas Exploration
  • Mining and Exploration
  • Municipal Waste Management
  • Environmental Assessment
  • Others