EIA ASSIGNMENT

EIA ASSIGNMENT

An Investor wants to put up an Industrial Plant for the manufacture of paper and its derivatives for both local and external market. The Investor intends to establish the paper manufacturing mill in relatively wet and forested upper parts of Laikipia District in the slopes of Mt. Kenya. A part from the paper mill, the Investor will also provide infrastructure and social amenities in the region. In view of the socio-economic and bio-physical environmental implications that may result due to the proposal, there has been public debate particularly on the loss of habitat/biodiversity and competition for scarce water resources in the region. Assuming your consultancy firm has won a contract to undertake Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study on this proposed project: 

Discuss the logical steps in the EIA process that your study team is likely to follow in order to achieve the task assigned to you. Justify the formation of the Interdisciplinary Team for this EIA study. Who would you consider to be Key Stakeholders to participate in the EIA study process? Give reasons for your answer

Q1. Discuss the logical steps in the EIA process that your study team is likely to follow in order to achieve the task assigned to you.

The environmental impact assessment will contain the following stages:

1)      screening

This is where you determine which projects or developments require a full or partial impact assessment study.

This industrial plant located at wet and upper parts of Laikipia requires full EIA as it’s found in category a projects which typically require full EIA study according to World Bank Development Bank (ADP)

2)      Scoping. 

This is to identify which potential impacts are relevant to assess (based on legislative requirements, international conventions, expert knowledge and public involvement), to identify alternative solutions that avoid, mitigate or compensate adverse impacts on biodiversity (including the option of not proceeding with the development, finding alternative designs or sites which avoid the impacts, incorporating safeguards in the design of the project, or providing compensation for adverse impacts), and finally to derive terms of reference for the impact assessment.

According to Agenda 21 Kenya through the ministry of agriculture and rural development has a comprehensive national soil and water conservation program and this industrial plant will lead to deforestation which in extend will lead to soil erosion and will also affect the water catchment area which is a scarce resource hence we will not achieve sustainable development in Kenya which is its aim.

With the construction of this industrial paper plant will affect the biodiversity in areas; will lead to flee of the wild animals and deforestation of many indigenous plants which are in the Mt. Kenya national park under the Kenya wildlife service. Whose mission is to conserve, manage and enhance Kenya wildlife? Its habitat and provide a wide range of public uses in collaboration with stakeholders for posterity.

Construction of the paper will \accelerate some problems addressed by Mt. Kenya forest project which deforestation and decrease in water volume and wildlife conservation and multiplication of endangered species of planting more trees in wildlife habitats which will create breeding places for birds and animals.

This plant will also violet the mandate of Kenya forest service to conserve, develop and sustainably manage forestry resources will also affect the aims of the following convections. Ramsar convection on wetlands of 1971, ozone layer convection of 1985, convection of biological diversity of 1992, desertification convection of 1994, climate change convection of 1992 and others will also cause pollution to both water and air from the effluents released from the industry and the emissions emitted and may affect the surrounding community by causing diarrhea and breathing difficulty.

3)      Assessment and evaluation of impacts and development of alternatives.

To predict and identify the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development, including the detailed elaboration of alternatives, this includes both alternative sites and alternative techniques which requires thorough search and to be well documented.   .

My multi-displinary group and we will came up with likely impacts of proposed industrial project for manufacture of paper at the slopes of Mt Kenya like impacts on the soil, water, society and the universe around the area and there alternatives which will give suggestions on what can be done to reduce or to mitigate the impacts of the project.

4)      Reporting the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or EIA report.

My multi-displinary team and I will compose a report on our findings were will include the impacts of the project and there solutions. Including an environmental management plan (EMP) and a non-technical summary for the general audience.

5)      Review of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Here some sort of management audit i.e. the list of impact found in our assessment based on the terms of reference (scoping) and public (including authority) participation.

6)    Decision-making.

Here we will decide on whether to approve the project or not, and outline the conditions under which we have made our decision

7)      Monitoring, compliance, enforcement and environmental auditing.

Monitor whether the predicted impacts and proposed mitigation measures occur as defined. Verify the compliance of proponent with the EMP, to ensure that unpredicted impacts or failed mitigation measures are identified and addressed in a time by risk avoidance, mitigation or risk transfer.

Q2. Justify the formation of the interdisplinary team for EIA study

Due to the complex multi-displinary study ahead I have decided to form an interdisplinary team in order to be able to make viable decision after the EIA study. This interdisplinary team will be composed of professional’s from the many disciplines involved, these are; industrial ecology, environment, chemistry, soil, biology, engineering and mathematics. Which are also broken in smaller branches.

The expertise involved are:

·         Industrial ecologists

·         Environmentalist s

·         Chemical analysts

·         Soil scientists

·         Engineers

·         mathematicians

Q3. Who would you consider to be Key Stakeholders to participate in the EIA study process? Give reasons for your answer.

The key stakeholders to participate in the EIA study are:

a)      Public members affected by the plant.

The society surrounding the project and also affected by the undertakings of the industry either positively or negatively, are actively involved as they affect the project directly.

b)      Natural Environment Management Authority (NEMA).

NEMA is a key stakeholder to active participates in this EIA. This is because it is directly involved as its mission is to safe guard and enhance quality of the environment through coordination, research, facilitation and enforcement, while encouraging responsible individuals, corporate and collective participation towards sustainable development. And establishment of this plant will directly affect its mission with its impacts on the environment.

c)       Investor.

Investor will be a key stakeholder in that he funds the EIA and he is the owner of the project and must be actively involved in the study process.

d)      Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).

This will be a key because wildlife within the forest are also affected by the project (flora and fauna). As its mission is to conserve, manage, and enhance Kenya wildlife.

e)      Kenya Forest Service (KFS).

Is also a key holder in the participation in the EIA as its mandate will be affected which is to conserve, develop and sustainably manage forestry resources.