For effective protection of the natural, human and social environment from the possible impacts caused by construction and operation of HAS Pumped Storage Hydropower, the preventative tool of mandatory environmental and social impact assessment is further developed and improved.
Unlike the legal mandatory one-shot EIA, the multistage ESIA concept refers to a quasi-continuous integrated process which consists of the following five successive stages:
- Environmental and Social Screening (ESS)
- Initial environmental and social examination (IESE)
- Environmental and social impact analysis (ESIAn)
- Monitoring of environmental and social measures (MESM)
- Post-construction environmental and social evaluation (PESE).
Environmental and Social Screening (ESS)
This stage marks the beginning of the ESIA process, which should be initiated as early as possible along with the PSHP planning process after the PSHP project is first conceived.
During this stage, the important functions that need to be performed are listed below:
- Establish the likely study area by identifying broad boundaries for the PSHP project.
- Make a preliminary assessment of the significance of potential environmental impacts, and likely mitigating measures.
- Identify possible alternatives and the major potential environmental impacts associated with each, as well as the likely corresponding mitigation measures.
- Estimate the extent and scope of ESIA to be performed, and offer an initial recommendation as to whether a full ESIA is required.
- Estimate the time frame of the ESIA study.
- Identify the expertise and human resources needed for the ESIA study.
- Prepare the terms of reference for the conduct of an initial environmental examination.
The value of conducting environmental and social screening at the early conception and planning phase of PSHP development project is to provide useful technical input to the PSHP project team for their planning and budgeting, thereby eliminating the possibility of costly remedial environmental work and delays caused by problems with adverse environmental damage. Such early input on environmental considerations also provides useful information that helps the project team to gain government approval and win public acceptance.
The environmental and social screening process considers the following aspects in the recommendation: project type, environmental and social setting, and magnitude and significance of potential environmental and social impacts.
Initial environmental and social examination (IESE)
The initial environmental and social examination is essentially a preliminary environmental impact evaluation to review the environmental integrity of PSHP project by assessing the potential environmental and social impacts. Important functions of this stage listed below:
- To ascertain the need for the nature of ESIA study
- To prepare the terms of reference for full-scale ESIA
- To prepare the procedure to be followed
- To collect additional information and data
- To anticipate both positive and negative impacts
- To suggest measures to avoid, mitigate or compensate adverse impacts.
- To chalk out procedures for monitoring and evaluation during construction and post-construction stages
For a full-scale ESIA further information and data collection and more elaborate environmental and social analysis will be needed to either confirm or improve on the proposed mitigation measures and the action plan. Based on the findings of the IESE, terms of reference for the proposed environmental and social impact analysis should be prepared, complete with a recommended budget.
Environmental and social impact analysis (ESIAn)
The findings of the environmental and social screening study and initial environmental and social examination study form the basis for identifying the key issues that merit full analysis in the ESIA.
Other issues that deserve only a brief discussion should also be mentioned and a supporting rationale offered.
Data collection is time consuming and costly. A minimum period of one year would be required for data collection taking into account of seasonal variations. Furthermore, necessary equipment and expertise are also not generally available.
The important functions to be performed under the environmental and social impact analysis are listed below:
- To collect all possible information and data from various sources.
- To properly identify alternatives
- To systematically analyse both environmental and social impacts of different
- alternatives
- To design environmental and social mitigation measures
- To develop an environmental and social management plan
- To develop an effective monitoring programme to evaluate the successful implementation of mitigation measures during construction
- To develop an effective post-construction evaluation programme
The end product of the environmental and social impact analysis is an ESIA report that provides decision makers with information regarding the important environmental issues, the impacts of various alternatives, proposed mitigation measures, and recommendations of the relative desirability of different alternatives.
The evaluation should take into account three major factors: (i) cost, (ii) achievement of project objectives, and (iii) adverse environmental and social impacts.
Owing to the large amount of detailed, supporting information and data needed, an ESIA report is typically rather lengthy with in-depth analysis and evaluation. This makes its use and comprehension difficult for most users.
Presenting important information and findings in the form of informative tables, graphics and maps is a necessity. Tables, graphs and bar-charts are useful for comparing the quantifiable impacts of different alternatives, and presenting the contrast of before and after conditions.
Flow diagrams can be employed to highlight the sequential and interactive nature of events.
Maps are especially effective in dealing with geographical impacts and location sensitive issues.
The extent and severity of area-wide environmental and social impacts can be emphasized with graphical representations meaningful to users who may not be familiar with technical terms.