Environmental impact assessment is a planning process that aims to predict, evaluate and mitigate the impact on the environment of a proposed project, program or policy prior to its commencement, and to approve only environmentally acceptable undertakings. EIA is hence a mechanism for avoiding or mediating some of the potential costs of development. The purpose of this course is to help delegates develop a comprehensive and critical understanding of the theory and practice of EIA. The course examines EIA in general and in specific jurisdictions. It also examines the technical and policy issues involved in the production and the appraisal of environmental impact assessments. Using a broad definition of “environment”, various components of EIA are addressed, with an emphasis on principles, legal and institutional frameworks, stages in the process, and specific analytical techniques.

Additionally, the course will focus on the ecology of human societies and the social impact of development on communities and regions. The ecology of human societies is about connections between ecological and human social, cultural, and organizational processes.