Cumulative environmental impacts

Abstract

Most human impacts on the natural environment act cumulatively, but few EA (environmental assessment) frameworks assess cumulative impacts adequately. Cumulative impacts range from simple additions to prior impacts of similar type, to complex interaction of environmental stresses due to the multiple impacts of many different types of development. For EIA (environmental impact assessment) to be effective, cumulative impacts must be considered at all stages in EIA. Currently, the greatest deficiencies are at the triggering and decision-making stages, which are legal and political, rather than impact assessment itself, which is technical.