Question #1. What are the differences between
Impact mitigation and impact enhancement?
• Question #2. What are the main differences
between EIA and strategic environmental
assessment (SEA)
• Question #3: What are the differences between
residual and cumulative impacts?
Answer #1:
The main differences between impact mitigation and impact enhancement are as follows:
1. Objective: Impact mitigation aims to reduce or minimize the negative effects of a project or activity on the environment or society. On the other hand, impact enhancement focuses on maximizing the positive effects or benefits of a project or activity.
2. Approach: Mitigation involves implementing measures or actions that can minimize, avoid, or compensate for the adverse impacts. Enhancement, on the other hand, involves implementing measures or actions that can amplify or improve the positive impacts.
3. Focus: Mitigation primarily focuses on addressing the negative impacts, including pollution, habitat destruction, or social disruption caused by a project. Enhancement, on the other hand, focuses on augmenting the positive impacts, such as creating employment opportunities, promoting biodiversity, or improving community well-being.
4. Priority: In impact mitigation, the priority is given to reducing the negative impacts to an acceptable level. In contrast, impact enhancement prioritizes increasing the positive impacts to their maximum potential.
Answer #2:
The main differences between Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) are as follows:
1. Scope: EIA is a project-level assessment conducted for individual development projects, such as construction projects or infrastructure development. SEA, on the other hand, is conducted at a higher level and focuses on policy, plan, or program-level assessments, including regional or national planning.
2. Timing: EIA is typically conducted before a project is commenced and evaluates the potential environmental impacts of that specific project. SEA, on the other hand, is conducted during the early stages of policy, plan, or program development, before any specific projects are identified.
3. Objectives: EIA primarily aims to assess the potential environmental impacts of a specific project and identify measures to mitigate those impacts. SEA, on the other hand, aims to integrate environmental considerations into the decision-making process of policies, plans, or programs and ensure sustainable development.
4. Scale: EIA focuses on the project-specific impacts and considers the immediate surroundings of that project. SEA assesses broader and long-term environmental effects at a larger geographical scale, considering the cumulative impacts of multiple projects or components.
Answer #3:
The main differences between residual impacts and cumulative impacts are as follows:
1. Definition: Residual impacts refer to the remaining adverse effects on the environment or society that cannot be entirely mitigated or eliminated, even after implementing all feasible mitigation measures. Cumulative impacts, on the other hand, refer to the combined effects of multiple projects or activities on the environment or society over time.
2. Nature: Residual impacts are specific to a particular project or activity and are confined to its immediate surroundings or affected area. Cumulative impacts, on the other hand, consider the combined effects of multiple projects or activities occurring in the same region or over a specified time period.
3. Assessment: Residual impacts are assessed during the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process and focus on identifying the remaining negative effects after mitigation measures have been implemented. Cumulative impacts require a broader assessment, often conducted through Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) or cumulative impact assessments, to evaluate the collective effects of multiple projects or activities.
4. Mitigation: Mitigating residual impacts usually involves implementing additional measures or actions to reduce the remaining adverse effects to an acceptable level. Mitigating cumulative impacts often requires considering the overall planning, coordination, or management of multiple projects or activities to minimize their combined effects.