Environmental Impact Assessment from the Point of View of a Developing Country

Abstract

“Environmental Impact Assessment” although it became popular in the last decade, in reality was an activity performed under different names even from Biblical times. Eve, for example, made a very rapid EIA after the snake recommended her to convince Adam to eat the “Apple of Paradise”. She immediately considered the beneficial points of the proposal, namely the satisfaction which they were going to feel by eating the apple, and decided to put the plan into action. Her EIA, however, was incomplete. She considered only the short term, beneficial effects, not the long term, adverse effects. She did not foresee, for example, that the human race might become addicted to eating apples.