MITIGATION

Mitigation is a critical component of the EIA process. It aims to prevent adverse

impacts from happening and to keep those that do occur within an acceptable level.
The objectives of mitigation are to:
Enhance the environmental and social benefits of a proposal.
Minimize or remedy adverse impacts.
Ensure that residual adverse impacts are kept within acceptable levels.
At last, mitigation is emphasized in the EIA process once the extent of the potential
impact of a proposal is reasonably well understood. This typically takes place following
impact identification and prediction, and recommended measures for mitigation will be
an important part of the EIA report. The objectives of impact management are to:
Ensure that mitigation measures are implemented and establish systems and procedures
for mitigation. Moreover, monitor the effectiveness of mitigation measures and finally,
take any necessary action when unforeseen impacts occur.

EIA stage for considering mitigation quantity

In the EIA Report the section for mitigation measures is often located after the
evaluation section, that is after the analysis and comparison of alternatives has been
reported. This gives the impression that first a preferred alternative has been selected,
then second mitigating measures have been added to the project. In particular the
mitigation measures will add costs to the preferred alternative, in this situation the
second alternative would have been preferable to the one chosen having both less
impact and being less cost. EIA good practice in mitigation requires a relevant technical
understanding of the issues and the measures that work in the circumstances. Finally, a
crucial point to remember is that after safeguards are added to a proposition.
The elements of mitigation are organized into a hierarchy of actions:
1. Avoid adverse impacts as far as possible by use of preventative measures.
2. Minimize or reduce adverse impacts to as low as practicable levels.
3. Remedy or compensate for adverse residual impacts, which are unavoidable and
cannot be reduced further
Key principles for the application of mitigation.
Give preference to avoid and prevent measures.
Consider feasible alternatives to the proposal and identify the best practicable
environmental option.
Identify customised measures to minimize each of the main impacts predicted.
Ensure they are appropriate, environmentally sound and cost-effective.
Use a remedial measures as a last resort.
Mitigation can be carried out by:
Structural measures
For example as design or location
changes, engineering modifications
and landscape or site treatment.
Structural measures are well
established for certain types of
projects, such as dams, roads, and oil
and gas exploration and development.
In some cases, industry codes of good
practice will be available
A THREE-STEP PROCESS OF MITIGATION
- Jose Naranjo
- Pablo Marrero
- Luis Ramn Recio
- Raquel Carnicer
Non-structural measures
For example economic incentives,
legal, institutional and policy
instruments, provision of community
services and training and capacity
building.
Can be applied to reinforce or
supplement structural measures or to
address specific impacts. For
example, many community.