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Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

April 2018: This book discusses the big ideas behind EIA thinking and practice. It explores key steps in the process and the core principles underlying these with emphasis placed on best practices.

Environmental Impact AssessmentChallenges in designing and implementing development proposals from projects through to plans and policies are addressed. Key topics include the EIA and sustainable development, consideration of alternatives, the mitigation hierarchy, significance determination, cumulative impact assessment, stakeholder engagement, managing uncertainty and adaptive management. The book is aimed at EIA practitioners including proponents, consultants and regulators, as well as researchers and students.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences and law, expertly written by the world’s leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. 

The Advanced Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment explores the unifying and universal principles at the heart of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) wherever it may be practiced worldwide. This overview of the field by Angus Morrison-Saunders emphasizes the big ideas upon which EIA was founded and which remain central to theory and practice today. In a nutshell, EIA is essentially about thinking before acting. 

Key Features include:

  • A reminder of the fundamental ideas promoted by the pioneers and early writers about EIA
  • Consideration of environment and development and how the two come together in EIA
  • A short and concise overview of international best practice EIA principles as they apply today
  • Reflections on the increasing need to adopt a holistic, sustainability-oriented approach to EIA.

This book is relevant to all stakeholders involved in EIA including practitioners, researchers, and teachers. It will also appeal to university students studying engineering, environmental science, geography, sustainability, and policy studies.

About the Author

Read more about Paul Angus Morrison-Saunders on our Senior Associate page.

Buy the Book

Advanced Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment

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Published: April 2018