An evaluation of air quality impact prediction performance undertaken as part of environmental impact assessment (EIA) in India

TL;DR

This study evaluates how well air quality impact predictions are done in India's environmental impact assessments and finds areas needing improvement.

Contribution

The study identifies weaknesses in air quality impact prediction within India's EIA process and offers targeted recommendations for improvement.

Findings

Significance evaluation and mitigation actions are the weakest phases in air quality impact assessments.

Recommendations include enhancing cumulative impact assessment and public participation in EIA processes.

India-specific suggestions include updating air quality standards and using GIS for better mitigation.

Abstract

Effective implementation of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is recognised as a global issue, in particular the impact prediction stage, which is the ‘core’ of EIA. Consisting of four stages: impact identification, impact assessment, significance evaluation, and mitigation measures on the possible environmental repercussions of project developmental activities, the efficacy of impact prediction can define the quality of the EIA process, which will better align environmental decision-making to sustainable development. The weakness of impact prediction in EIA demands more study to enhance practice. Although this is widely explored in the context of developed countries such as the UK, it is particularly concerning in India. A specialised review package built from several sources is utilised to assess the efficacy of air quality impact prediction, based on Lee & Colley (1991). 20 EIA reports of Category A (mega-scale projects causing significant environmental impacts) are reviewed. This study's evaluation indicates that significance evaluation and mitigation actions are the weakest phases and a major concern while assessing air quality studies conducted as a part of EIA. Recommendations to improve the process include prioritising the cumulative impact assessment within the regulatory framework, enhancing capacity building, embedding public participation and instilling accountability among stakeholders, which can be adopted globally. Additional recommendations specifically for India are revising the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), restructuring the EIA review mechanism by EAC and improving mitigation measures by adopting GIS and remote sensing technologies.

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