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Environmental Impact Assessment in Portugal. Sara Vieira Environmental Assessment Department 23rd September 2018. Environmental Impact Assessment in Portugal. Overview: EIA procedure and Post-project analysis Dams > Portuguese experience implementing national plan (EIA perspective).
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EnvironmentalImpactAssessment in Portugal Sara Vieira Environmental Assessment Department 23rd September 2018
EnvironmentalImpactAssessment in Portugal • Overview: EIA procedure and Post-project analysis • Dams > Portuguese experience implementing national plan (EIA perspective)
Stages ofthe Portuguese EIA system Analysisoftheenvironmentalconformityofthe final design project Assessment • (preliminary project) Post-projectanalysis Final licensingprocedure Scoping non mandatory or Assessment • (final design project) Theassessmentatanearlystage, consideringthepreliminaryproject, isparticularlyrelevantwhenseveralalternatives are beingconsidered/assessed.
EIA AuthoritiesandAssessmentcommission • EIA Procedure • EIA authorities: • Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) • Regional Coordination and Development Commissions • > EIA Authorities Focal Point group • Assessment Commission • Appointed for each specific process • Coordinated by the EIA authority • Includes representatives from different entities with specific environmental responsibilities (biodiversity, water, noise, air, land, soil, climate, heritage, socioeconomy)
Post-projectanalysis • Aiming to control and assess the real environmental impacts of the project and the effectiveness of the mitigation measures adopted • Begins after the licensing decision is issued • Coordinated by the EIA Authority, involving relevant entities • Includes: • Visits • Audits (qualifiedauditors) • Monitoring • Reportsontheimplementationoftheconditions • MonitoringCommissions – for specificprojects
Dams – Portuguese EIA experience(verybriefsummary) • Main environmental impacts, dependent on extent and sensitivity of the affected area: • Creation of obstacles to fluvial connectivity and alteration of river dynamics and hydromorphological conditions, with the disappearance of a lotic environment and the creation of a lentic environment, which leads to the reduction of aquatic biodiversity; • Destruction of natural habitats and occurring species of flora and fauna and fragmentation of their populations, due to the creation of the reservoirs. • Limitedpossibilityofminimization > Compensatorymeasures • Need to detail measures in an early stage • Monitoring performance indicators (deliverables) • MonitoringCommissions – involvementofrelevantentities, local authoritiesand NGO