ABSTRACT
Environmental appraisal of a project is a process for providing detailed analysis of the benefits as well as the adverse impacts of a project on the surrounding environment. This chapter begins with the historical background of the process followed by brief discussions on project types related to environmental impact, including the meaning and scope of environment. Main environmental issues such as population growth, global atmospheric changes and pollution are discussed. The major forms of pollution, viz., air pollution, water pollution, pollution due to solid and hazardous wastes, noise pollution etc., are reviewed. This chapter includes a brief examination of depletion of soil productivity caused by various reasons such as nutrient deficiency, soil erosion, desertification, etc. This chapter concludes with a brief remark on the positive impacts of new projects on the society.
