Essential Concepts in Environmental Assessment and Management
Fundamental Environmental Definitions
Landscape Definition
Landscape has many definitions, reflecting its heterogeneous and multidisciplinary character.
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific analysis and study of interactions among organisms and their environment.
Environment
The environment is the biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population. Consequently, it includes the factors that influence their survival, development, and evolution.
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad social and philosophical movement that largely seeks to minimize and/or compensate for the negative effects of human activity on the biophysical environment.
Assessment Process
Assessment is a process of gathering information, quantitative or qualitative valuing, prioritizing, and ranking.
Key Assessment Types
- Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
- Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Czech Republic Environmental Policy Objectives
The main objective of the Czech Republic (CZ) Environmental Policy is to ensure a healthy and high-quality environment for citizens living in the Czech Republic. It aims to significantly contribute to a more effective use of resources and minimize negative impacts of human activities on the environment, including cross-border impacts, thereby contributing to the improvement of the quality of life in Europe and globally.
Focus Areas of CZ Environmental Policy
- Protection and sustainable use of resources.
- Climate protection and air quality improvement.
- Protection of nature and landscape.
- Safe environment (pollution reduction).
Impacts and Population Models
Environmental Impact Categories
An impact is a direct or indirect effect caused by proposed activities on the environment, categorized as follows:
- Health and safety (HIA, OSHAS)
- Soil, water, air, climate, landscape, and historical buildings
- Interactions
- Cultural heritage and socio-economic conditions
Social Impacts
Social impacts are changes in the life-style of inhabitants, their habits, and values (well-being). Examples include demographic impacts.
Panmictic Population (Idealized Model)
A panmictic population is an idealized model characterized by:
- An infinite number of individuals.
- Absolute possibility of breeding between all individuals.
Other Premises of the Panmictic Model
- No migration, no mutations, no selection.
- Genetic drift does not matter (or is negligible).
Application: Used in theoretical models as an ideal stage for comparison with real populations and evaluation of their viability.
Environmental Assessment Tools
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
EIA is applied to real (actual) projects implemented by individuals or companies. It helps stakeholders identify the environmental, social, and economic impacts of a proposed development before a decision is taken on whether or not to proceed.
Legal Basis for EIA
Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 amending Directive 85/337/EEC.
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
SEA applies to policies, plans, and programs proposed by state authorities.
Legal Basis for SEA
Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament.
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is the organizing principle for achieving development goals while simultaneously sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide natural resources and ecosystem services.
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)
ESIA is a process for predicting and assessing the potential environmental and social impacts of a proposed project, evaluating alternatives, and designing appropriate mitigation, management, and monitoring measures.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
LCA is a “cradle-to-grave” evaluation of all successive stages of a system to assess its overall global impacts (per ISO 14040). LCA determines the environmental impacts of products, processes, or services throughout their entire life cycle: production, usage, and disposal.
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Based on LCA, the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) uses the “cradle-to-gate” approach.
Management, Risk, and Liability
Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA)
CBA is a tool for assessing the sustainability, benefits, and costs of a specific activity or project.
Risk Assessment
Risk assessment is a modern tool used for the evaluation of present risks associated with various activities and operations.
Environmental Management
Environmental management involves complex activities aimed at minimizing the negative impacts of human activities in general on the biophysical environment.
Environmental Management Systems (EMS) vs. EMAS
Environmental Management System (EMS)
Based solely on ISO 14001:2015, EMS is a worldwide tool for managing the environmental impacts of an organization’s activities.
Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS)
EMAS is an upgraded EMS. It provides tangible improvement in environmental performance, validated legal compliance, and comprehensible transparency through environmental reporting. While originating in the EU, it is already worldwide accepted.
Cleaner Production
Cleaner production is a preventive concept and a company-specific environmental protection initiative intended to minimize waste and emissions while maximizing product output.
Eco-labelling (Environmental Labelling)
Eco-labelling refers to forms of marking (both graphic and written) that provide detailed information on the relationship between the labelled product or service and the environment.
Key ISO 14000 Environmental Standards
- ISO 14001 & 14004: Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
- ISO 14006: Eco-Design
- ISO 14015: Environmental Assessment (EA) of Sites and Organizations
- ISO 14020 (series): Environmental Labels and Declarations
- ISO 14025: Environmental Declarations (EPD®)
- ISO 14031: Environmental Performance Evaluation
- ISO 14034: Environmental Technology Verification
- ISO 14040 (series): Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
- ISO 14046: Water Footprint Principles
- ISO 14064: Measuring, Quantifying, and Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Carbon Footprint)
Sustainability and Biodiversity
Circular Economy
The circular economy is presented as a system of resource utilization where the reduction, reuse, and recycling of elements are the priority.
Seven Key Elements of the Circular Economy
- Resources are regenerative.
- Preserve and enhance natural capital.
- Waste is designed out (waste as resource).
- Design for the future.
- Collaborate to create joint value.
- Rethink the business model.
- Incorporate digital technology.
IUCN Red List Categories
The categories used for Red Lists, following the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), are:
- Extinct
- Extinct in the Wild
- Critically Endangered
- Endangered
- Vulnerable
- Near Threatened
- Least Concern
- Data Deficient
- Not Evaluated
Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA)
MCA deals with the evaluation of possible alternatives according to selected criteria. Its aim is to summarize and sort information about variant projects or solutions.
Biological Diversity (Biodiversity)
Biological diversity (Biodiversity) means the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part. This includes diversity:
- Within species
- Between species
- Of ecosystems
Footprints and Risk
Environmental Footprint
The environmental footprint is the effect that a person, company, or activity has on the environment, such as the amount of natural resources used and the amount of harmful gases produced.
Ecological Footprint
The ecological footprint measures human demand on nature—the quantity of nature required to support people or an economy.
Risk
Risk is the potential of gaining or losing something of value.
Hazard
A hazard is a situation, characteristic, or property that poses a level of threat to life, health, property, or the environment.
Environmental Liability Directive (ELD)
The Environmental Liability Directive (ELD) is aimed at the enforcement of claims to improve the environment.