Environmental impact assessment for wetlands: Assessment and evaluation

Abstract

The main goal of the "Impact assessment and Evaluation" phase of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is to improve the understanding of impacts identified during the screening and scoping and to evaluate various aspects including e.g. assessment criteria, mitigation and management of impacts. In this article some practical lessons of wetland assessment studies are presented, such as the importance of seasonal variability, the involvement of local communities and other stakeholders, and the importance of considering the full range of drivers of change. The paper concludes with a discussion of the assessment of genetic, species and ecosystem diversity in wetlands.