Environmental Impact Assessment : A Comparative Review

The second edition of this highly successful text provides an extensively updated, authoritative, international review of environmental impact assessment (EIA).  The book compares systems used in the USA, UK, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and (new in this edition) South Africa. EIA has become a vital means of evaluating the likely consequences of proposed major actions which will significantly affect the environment and, in this internationally cited text, successive chapters discuss the various steps of the EIA process.  Each chapter includes an introductory discussion of approaches to achieving the step,  appropriate evaluation criteria, and an analysis of  its treatment in each of the seven national systems. Key features: provides a unique introduction to the nature and history of EIA explores the nature of best practice in EIA describes national EIA procedures in detail indicates the direction of future development in EIA employs an evaluative approach applicable to any EIA system discusses the rapidly emerging field of strategic environmental assessment Environmental Impact Assessment is a core text for upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate students of environmental impact assessment, environmental science, environmental studies, environmental management, geography, planning, law and engineering. It has also proved to be of key importance to government officials, academics and planning consultancies worldwide. A major contribution to the literature on the international practice of EIA (Town Planning Review). The author: Christopher Wood is Professor of Environmental Planning and Co-Director of the EIA Centre, School of Planning and Landscape, University of Manchester.