ABSTRACT

This is the first of four chapters that discuss how an EIA is carried out. The focus throughout is on both the procedures required by UK legislation and the ideal of best practice. Although Chapters 4-7 seek to provide a logical step-by-step approach through the EIA process, there is no one exclusive approach. Every EIA process is set within an institutional context, and the context will vary from country to country (see Chapter 10). As already noted, even in one country, the UK, there may be a variety of regulations for different projects (see also Chapter 9). The various steps in the process can be taken in different sequences. Some may be completely missing in certain cases. The process should also not just be linear but build in cycles, with feedback from later stages to the earlier ones.