Last modified: 22 May 2019 17:07
Structured class sessions provide background information about the origins and development of EIA, and how EIAs are implemented in the UK and elsewhere. Visiting speakers and a field visit provide practitioner perspectives on the role of EIA in development decisions.
Workshop sessions focus on case studies providing insight into the issues that arise and provide an opportunity to develop transferable skills valued by employers, such as team-working, time-management, presentation and critical appraisal.
Through an EIA report you investigate a proposed development in depth to identify likely environmental effects, judge their significance, and propose how they should be assessed and mitigated.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | None. | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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Human activities affect the natural and human environment in a multitude of ways, varying in characteristics of effect, magnitude, spatial extent and timescale. In recent decades, concern about environmental damage in different parts of the world has led to public pressure on governments to regulate ‘developers’ and others so as to minimise adverse environmental effects, while allowing economic activities to continue. High-level policies and principles have been expressed in international commitments to ‘sustainable development’, which are translated into more detailed national and sub-national legislation and guidance.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been developed as a critical component of the approach to achieving sustainable development. EIA originated in the United States of America and was subsequently adopted into the legislative frameworks of other countries, including member states of the European Union. It is therefore important to understand the EIA process – its background, stages and steps – and to be able to select, use and evaluate suitable techniques.
The aim of the course is to provide training in policies, principles, methods and application of EIA in the United Kingdom, European Union and elsewhere in the world. The course also aims to foster balanced judgement of the strengths and weaknesses of EIA.
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
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This course runs in weeks 31–35, and is scheduled in Thread 2, so may have contact hours in any or all of these times: Mondays, 1400–1800; Tuesday, all day; Friday, 1400–1800. If this is an optional course, there may also be contact hours on Wednesdays, 0900–1100.
The course is run jointly with postgraduate course EK5804.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
1st Attempt: coursework (100%). 40% of the assessed coursework consists of three presentations or reports of group exercises in ‘workshop’ sessions, intended to replicate a common type of professional work activity. The remaining 60% is based on a written Environmental Impact Assessment report on a specific case study.
Resits: a second attempt is possible for each element of coursework, with the marks for passed elements being carried forward, depending on what was failed in the first attempt.
Workshop sessions will provide opportunities for student-student and student-tutor interaction. Formative assessment will be provided during these interactions through informal verbal feedback.
Each student will receive a mark and individual written feedback for each workshop report, and the class may receive generic feedback. Students who are identified as having difficulty in successfully completing the coursework will be invited to meet members of the course team to identify difficulties and discuss solutions.
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