PHILIPPINES EIA SYSTEM

BACKGROUND AND HISTORY

& BENEFITS OF THE EIA
AMLOG, ELYSSE AUBREY B.
3 RULES FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY
SOUND DESIGN & MANAGEMENT (ESDM)

• Be prevention-oriented
1

• Apply best development practices to

2 environmental aspects of the activity.

• Be systematic
3
BE PREVENTION-ORIENTED
• Prevention occurs across the project lifecycle. . . . . but starts with DESIGN.
• DESIGN starts with the choice of method: Environmental impact is one (1)
factor considered
• Prevention begins with choice of method. “Consider alternatives” is a key
principle of EIA.
• EIA forces formal consideration of environmental issues during project
design.
• “Early consideration is key to prevention—because that is when design
changes can be made”
BEST DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES TO
ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF THE
ACTIVITY
• Technically sound design
• Design for the policy & social context
• Build commitment & capacity
• involve the local community
• Practice Adaptive Management
• Design for Climate Change
TECHNICALLY DESIGN FOR THE POLICY AND
SOUND DESIGN SOCIAL CONTEXT

NATURAL RESOURCE AND

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND LAND TENURE:
Activities utilizing land and other
APPLICATIONS natural resources must be compatible
with local NRM and land tenure

COMPLIANCE:
With national and local
environmental laws and
policies

LANGUAGE AND LITERACY:

Environmental management
measures must be match to
capabilities
 INVOLVE THE LOCAL
BUILT COMMITMENT COMMUNITY
AND CAPACITY

Local beneficiaries need to be

trained and committed to:
• environmentally sound operation.
•Maintaining the structure/equipment
 DESIGN FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
EXAMPLE ACTION IN A PROJECT:

Use alternative
energy (PV, windmill
REDUCE water pumping, etc)
Prioritize water efficiency to
GREENHOUSE REDUCE CLIMSTE
reduce a project’s
VULNERABILITY IN THE
EMISSION Improve thermal LOCAL AREA
contribution to the area’s
future water stress
performance in
building design

Tree-planting
INCREASE
SEQUESTRATION
Land management
sustainable
grazing, cropping
APPLY THE BEST DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES
TO ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF THE
ACTIVITY

EIA requires characterizing

TECHNICAL SOUNDNESS
environmental conditions

STAKEHOLDER Stakeholder consultation is

COMMITMENT central to EIA

EIA requires a systematic

ADAPTIVE
approach to field
MANAGEMENT
monitoring

BE SYSTEMATIC
SYSTEMATIC:
•The possible adverse environmental
impacts of an activity.
•Ways to reduce these impacts.
•Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA)
EIA: the internationally accepted
process to achieve Environmentally
Sound Design & Management
• Systematic process to be prevention
oriented & assure that environmental
aspects of development best practices
are applied
LAW:
• Presidential Decree No. 1151 (June
1977) Philippine Environmental
Policy
- Requires: ALL agencies &
instrumentalities of the national
government -owned & controlled
corporations Private corporations,
firms, and entities
- to prepare, file, & include in EVERY
action, project or undertaking which
significantly affects the environment
- A detailed statement
•Presidential Decree No. 1586 (1978)
Philippine Environmental Impact
Statement EIS (SYSTEM)
- Facilitate the attainment of rational
& orderly balance between socio-
economic growth & environmental
protection
- Concepts of Environmentally Critical
Projects (ECP) and projects within
Environmentally Critical Areas (ECA)
KEY ACTORS IN THE EIA PLANNING &
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
EIA PROCESS & PROJECT CYCLES
 EIA in the context of the project planning and decision making
• The process of predicting the likely environmental consequences of
implementing a project and designing appropriate preventive mitigating
and enhancement measures as an input to decision making

BENEFITS OF EIA
IT PROVIDES MECHANISMS FOR IT PROVIDES MECHANISMS FOR:
ASSURING: • Encouraging multi-sectoral and multi-
• that the project commitment comply with dimensional approaches to sustainable
the principles of sustainable development project planning and
•that economic & environmental costs and •Identifying alternatives and measures that
benefits are equally taken into consideration can prevent, minimize reduce, alleviate the
in project development decisions adverse consequences of project
development
•better and socially acceptable projects that
encourages the use of cleaner technologies • Assuring that the quality of the environment
and wellbeing of the people are safeguarded