What is environmental assessment?

In just about every country in the world, it is required by law to conduct an environmental assessment before major commitments are made.

Environmental assessment can be conducted at two levels of decision making:

  • Decision-making on projects, such as a dam, motorway, airport or windpark. This is called Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)
  • Decision-making on plans, programmes or policies, such as a land use plan or an energy plan. This is called Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) or Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA).

The main objectives and key stages of ESIA and SEA are similar. But the actual scope and relevant stakeholders can be quite different. Want to know more? Watch the short animations!

Visual of hands joining together from different sides

Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)

Watch the animations about the ESIA process. In 1,50 minutes each, the 6 steps of the ESIA process are introduced.

 

Step 1: Screening

 

Step 2: Scoping

 

Step 3: Assessment

Step 4: Review

 

Step 5: Decision-making

Step 6: Follow-up

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

Governments make plans for our future all the time. SEA supports the planning process with facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogue and discussing alternative development options. Watch the 1,5 minute video!