Challenges of environmental impact assessment in india
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EIA is among the well-known policy innovations of the 20th century and is currently practiced in more than 100 countries of the world, but its form varies globally due to different econornic, social, political and environmental circumstances. Studies have shown that EIA is practised more efficiently and meaningfully in some countries than others. Governmental priorities and environmental awareness levels often decide the efficiency of EIA process in a country. This has negatively affected and weakened the EIA process in many developing countries. In India the EIA process is in existence since 1994. There were serious lacunae in the legislation and implementation of EIA in the country. Improving the legislation and adopting better methodologies and institutional mechanisms are suggestedto improve the scenario. The EIAConcepts and Practice The development process involves 'trade-offs' between potentially conflicting issues, such as economic growth, conservation, livelihood support and food security. The challenge for sustainable development initiatives is to optimise these trade-offs between three major basic systems -the ecological, the economic andthe social-(Barbier, 1987). The role ofEIAs as an important global tool to improve the way in which these trade-offs are made is evident from the widespread inclusion of EIA concept in national and international policies and legislations. Development and the environment protection are no longer contradictory or unconnected concepts and is widely accepted tha