Environmental Assessment

Environmental Assessment (EA) is used in the World Bank to examine the environmental risks and benefits associated with Bank lending operations. Like economic, financial, institutional and engineering analysis, EA is part of project preparation and therefore is the borrower's responsibility. The Bank's environmental assessment procedures are described inOP/BP 4.01 (Operational Policy/Bank Procedures). This policy is considered to be the umbrella policy for the Bank's 'safeguard policies' which among others include: Natural Habitats (OD 4.04); Pest Management (OP 4.09); International Waterways (OP 7.50); Indigenous People (OD 4.20); Involuntary Resettlement (OD 4.30).

Key considerations when in the EA process include:

• linkages with social assessments;
  
  
• analysis of alternatives;
  
  
• public participation and consultation with affected people and NGOs; and
  
  
• disclosure of information (see related link)

The purpose of EA In World Bank operations is to improve decision making and to ensure that project options under consideration are sound and sustainable. EA is expected to inform decision makers on the nature of environmental risks such as human health effect, habitat loss, pollution levels, and land use change among other issues. EA is a process whose breadth and depth depend on the nature, scale and potential impact of a proposed project. EA is broad in scope and takes into account the natural environment as well as human health and socio-cultural aspects, focusing in on those issues and potential impacts that are determined as critical for a project's environmental soundness and sustainability. EA runs parallel with the process of identifying a potential project, designing it, and implementing it. Close integration of EA with other types of project analysis ensures that environmental considerations are given appropriate weight in project selection, siting and design.

Biodiversity is one of the subjects that is given attention in EAs, and the Policy on Natural Habitats explains under what conditions the Bank will finance a project where natural habitats are affected.