Environmental impact assessment - general procedures

Abstract

Despite geothermal energy being considered a clean source of energy, its exploitation has the potential of generating environmental and social impacts that need to be identified and managed from the early stages of resource development. Some of the environmental and social aspects associated with geothermal resource development include noise, non condensable gaseous emissions, thermal fluid discharges, biodiversity impacts, land disturbance and involuntary resettlement of local communities. Sound environmental management is therefore needed to ensure that the benefits of geothermal projects are maximized and the negative impacts are avoided or minimized on an ongoing basis during the life of the projects. It is against this background that Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for geothermal resource development has been made a mandatory legal requirement in many nations that are endowed with the resource. This paper discusses the application of EIA as a tool for decision making in geothermal resource development. The focus is on the general procedure of carrying out EIA in nations with applicable legislation. The key role in the procedure is played by environmental protection bodies, the project proponent and the communities likely to be affected by the projects thus making stakeholder engagement an integral part of the assessment.