INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

The course is included in the Environmental Sciences bachelor programme (academic class L-32, Science and technology for Environment and Nature). The main objective of the programme is to develop highly skilled professionals able to use their multidisciplinary knowledge for preventing, assessing and solving environmental issues. The latter are, to a great extent, direct or indirect result of human activities. This generates the need of preventing, diagnosing, and solving anthropogenic impacts. the problems of regulatory and non-regulatory concern. The course provides basic methodological tools for integrating previously acquired knowledges and finalizing their application to quantitative environmental assessment in the context of sustainable development. Regulatory aspects are presented as answer to the need of integrating sectorial aspects with environmental aspects over different decisional levels and spatial-temporal scales with the aim of safeguarding and adding value to environmental resources involved in single work interventions or in plans and programs. The teaching approach is aimed to develop student’s critical thinking in evaluating alternatives concerning reduction/elimination of negative impacts or increase of positive impacts generated by humans, and in selecting most effective science based technical and decisional procedures for improving environmental management.

Attending the classes and thoroughly studying the course notes and reading materials will enable students to achieve the following learning outcomes.

1) Knowledge and comprehension
Knowledge of the terminology and fundamentals of the theoretical basis allowing the comprehension of environmental valuation and impacts assessment. In line with the learning objectives of the Course programme, this knowledge will enable students to familiarize with main procedures for the environmental impact assessment at the different scales in the context of spatial and temporal variability, thus providing a background for acting as either writer or reviewer of environmental impact statements.
Understanding the relevance of systemic and integrative approaches in the investigation, interpretation and prediction of environmental components dynamics.

2) Capacity of applying knowledge and comprehension
To be able to apply the acquired theoretical basis and regulatory approaches to real case studies such as the impacts assessment of infrastructures, conservation and remediation master plans.
To be able to evaluate and formulate alternatives aiming at reducing or eliminating adverse environmental impacts from human pressures.

3) Assessment capacity
To be able of assessing positive and negative environmental impacts along with benefits and damages brought about by the implementation of human activities through single interventions, plans and programs.

Basic knowledge of structure and functioning of environmental ecosystems, cause-effect relationships, and matrices calculus.

1) Introduction to the environmental evaluation: methodological approaches based on mass and energy balances, occurrence and efficiency of ecosystem services, identification and effects of environmental chemical, physical and biological stressors, assessment of environmental risks . Definition and implementation criteria of individual and social sustainability, economic sustainability, and environmental sustainability; input/output rules concerning renewable/non-renewable resources. Study cases at local and global scales: contaminated megasite (ILVA Taranto) and climate changes.
2) Introduction to the assessment of environmental impacts driven by human activities: type of human activities, conceptual frameworks for the assessment of impacts (PSR, DPSIR), identification of reference conditions of spatial-temporal scenarios. Environmental decision analysis: multicriteria analysis and its applications. Impacts matrices: definition and application to real cases: practice exercise.
3) The procedure of EIA: the project’s cycle with and without EIA; regulatory aspects from international, national and regional legislations; screening and scoping; writing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): organization of expert team, structure and contents; identification, estimation and ex post monitoring of impacts. Analysis of environmental impacts characteristics: direct/indirect, reversible/irreversible, continuous/discontinuous, etc.; integration of the whole set of impacts, residual impacts, mitigation and compensation actions; assessment of cumulative effects (CEA).
4) The procedures of SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment) and IPPC (Integrated Pollution and Prevention Control): regulatory aspects from international, national and regional legislations; steps and implementation of SEA and IPPC; BAT (Best Available Technologies) and pollutants emission standards; writing an Strategic Environmental Impacts Report and a IPPC Report; Integrated Environmental Authorization (IEA).
5) Monetary and non-monetary evaluation procedures for environmental impact assessment; modelling impacts and GIS; guidelines and decision support tools; participatory processes to EIA, SEA and IPPC: organization, time scheduling and implementation actions.
6) Evaluation of EIA, SEA and IPPC studies/reports: case studies.

Lecture presentations and documents provided by the professor.

The achievement of the learning objectives if verified by means of a final written test and a practice work. The written test account for 26/30 to the final mark. The test includes 4 questions, aimed at ascertaining that a student has understood the theory and practice of environmental impact assessment (e.g. EIA, SEA, IPCC). The practice work is on application of impact assessment matrices to a case study; this assignment contributes for 4/30 to the final mark.

Lectures based on the power point presentations and notes which are provided weekly to the students. The relevance of all topics in understanding environmental impact assessment issues is underlined and illustrated by means of several examples; correction of the practice work and simulation of the final test.

Italian

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Natural capital and environmental quality" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development