3.0 Methods for Environmental Impact Assessment

December 1997 Chapter 3: Methodology of EIA EIA for Developing Countries -1 Methods for Environmental Impact Assessment Changes in the practice of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and advances in information technology have greatly expanded the range of tools available to the EIA practitioner. For example, map overlay Methods , originally pioneered by McHarg (1971), have evolved into sophisticated Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Expert systems, a branch of artificial intelligence, have been developed to help in screening, scoping, developing terms of reference (TOR), and conducting preliminary assessments. These systems use comprehensive checklists, matrices, and networks in combination with hundreds of Impact rules developed by EIA experts.

Table 3-1 lists criteria for selecting methods at several stages of the assessment process. No single method will meet all the necessary criteria. The objective is to select an array of methods that collectively will meet assessment needs. Of the variety of techniques and methods available, only a few are applicable to developing countries.

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  Assessment, Methods, Impact, Environmental, Needs, Assessment needs, Methods for environmental impact assessment

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