EIA Guidelines for Industries.

The EIA Guidelines for Industries is a document developed by the Department of Environment of Bangladesh where an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and EIA study has been made regulatory need under certain categories of projects as specified in Environment Conservation Rule, 1997 for obtaining Environmental Clearance Certificate which is mandatory for any industrial and other development projects. These Guidelines present 6 steps of the EIA processes (1) screening, to determine the suitability of a site for industry or projects based on a variety of criteria including air and water quality, ecology, waste disposal, and noise; (2) scoping, to identify the scope of the EIA study and the information necessary for decision making, as well as determine the key issues and significant impacts and risks to be considered; (3) baseline data generation, required as preliminary information for conducting the EIA and should be comprehensive data including the following components: (i) physical; (ii) biological; and (iii) social and economic; (4) impact assessment, involving 3 main phases (1) identify in more detail the impacts under investigation associated with each phase of the project; (2) predict the nature, extent, duration, and other characteristics of major impacts; and (3) evaluate the significance of any other impacts that cannot be mitigated; (5) mitigation of impacts to minimize adverse impacts by finding better alternatives and adopting mitigation measures. The EIA report has to contain the following points (i) impacts to be mitigated; (ii) expected effects; (iii) alternative measures; (iv) costs; (v) implementation plan; and (6) environmental management plan, including mitigation measures to reduce the environmental impacts. Environmental monitoring should be designed to provide information on the actual impacts of activities, compliance with environmental operating conditions, and the effectiveness of environmental mitigation measures. The evaluation of monitoring results is necessary to ensure that environmental objectives are achieved.
The Guidelines also highlight that (i) the proper timing of submission is essential so as not to cause any major disruption to the overall project planning cycle; and (ii) since various stakeholders have roles and responsibilities in the process, each through their area of interest and knowledge can contribute to making the EIA process more effective and contribute to an equitable and fair decision-making process.