ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 focuses on the pioneering US EIA system: how it evolved, the procedures involved, an assessment of its strengths and weaknesses and ongoing reviews and amendments, including the current trend towards streamlining and synchronization of legislation and practice. There is then a review of the present status of EIA worldwide. With at least 180 countries having EIA systems it can be reasonably stated that, 50 years after the pioneering US legislation, EIA is a universally recognized instrument for environmental management. The nature of EIA systems – e.g. mandatory or discretionary, level of public participation, types of action requiring EIA – and their implementation in practice vary widely from country to country. However, the rapid spread of the concept of EIA and its central role in many countries’ programmes of environmental protection attest to its universal validity as a proactive planning tool. The chapter concludes with an examination of the roles of major international funding institutions and other international organizations, such as the World Bank and International Finance Corporation, which have established EIA procedures.
